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2022 has brought us some great games — it was a good year. Any year that I have real difficulty narrowing down my top 5 (or even top 10) list is a win in my books. And this year I have a lot of games that keep me busy. These are the games that I am most interested in in 2022.
Keep in mind that this is not a list of the games I consider the best of the year. GamesBeat has generally agreed on those things ready. Here is a list of my favorite games this year, the ones that bring me the most happiness. Rest assured, I think Elden Ring is the best made game of the year and deserves the top spot. But you won’t find it in this article. I fell in love with it – I just loved other people more.
5. 3 bayonet
Yeah yeah, don’t @ em. You know that I will put bayonet 3 on this list, if only because I’m so glad I actually have it. It’s not a perfect game in any way – Luka quickly runs out of welcome and enemies look more bland than previous titles. I freely admit that, as a Bayonetta fan, some of the love from previous titles is pouring into the new games. However, Bayonetta 3 still has its own attractions. It was a new challenge for Bayonetta, and once again she proved she was capable of meeting it.
I absolutely love bigger games with sequels, and Bayonetta 3 definitely does that. The Demon Slave game buffers the series’ already overloaded toolbox, adding even more spectacle to this already breathtaking world. The variety of environments is also one of the weak points of the series. SAME… Jeanne also has her own level so she doesn’t just reread Bay’s plan. Bayonetta fans have been waiting a long time for this game, and I, the first, was not disappointed.
4. Forbidden West Horizon
Poor horizon. First Zero Dawn was greeted at launch by Breath of the Wild, then Forbidden West overshadowed by the Elden Ring. This series cannot rest. But I’m here to protect Aloy, if only for all the joy Forbidden West has brought me. I love a post-apocalyptic beauty, and the American West after the fall of humanity is gorgeous. This world and its dangers make me smile, and it’s comforting to step back into the world.
The story is a bit weak, in the sense that I don’t feel it ends well. But I do love the new characters and the returning favorites. I also appreciate that Aloy is a slightly warmer, more open person in this title. Admittedly it took me a while to get into the Horizon series, but Forbidden West was fun to play and I’m glad I got the chance to return to this world.
3. Signal
We’re flooded with exciting indie titles this year — Stray, Tunic, etc. Games that haven’t been around for a long time but are having a great time. But among them, Signalis is the only one that gives me chills. This is the only horror game I’ve played this year that makes me nervous and even scared. It’s a pure distillation of the survival horror genre: solid basics, brilliant atmosphere, no bullshit. I just wish it was longer so I could enjoy it more.
Signalis is particularly limited, like horror games. There are simple and sparse cutscenes. The soundtrack is light and unobtrusive. Even the pixel art, inspired by PS1-era horror games, cast ghostly shadows over the excessive gore scene. Even the story is something told in whispers, the setting and the world being established by contextual clues rather than heaps of explanations. Maybe it’s not everyone’s favorite this year, but I had a lot of fun with it.
2. God of War Ragnarok
I feel like I’m in a slightly upside down situation with God of War Ragnarok. Back in 2018, I was one of those people who was baffled by all the praise the “new” God of War received. I like the original games in all their grandeur and feel that imitating The Last of Us is a confusing new direction. I don’t hate the game – I just don’t understand what it’s trying to do. Now Ragnarök comes along and eventually braids the series’ themes together. It’s not always possible for a game to evoke real tenderness in me, but seeing Kratos and his long, bloody character arc finally comes to an end. anything else to my heart.
Ragnarok also has more Norse gods, especially Odin and Thor. They are almost as resounding as their Greek counterparts, with their personalities only milder than that of Kratos. Also, it would be remiss not to point out Atreus’ growing role, both in terms of plot and gameplay. He’s demonstrated throughout the game that he’s capable of holding the torch and that’s an interesting thing to watch.
1. Repentance
I wanted to meet the person from Xbox Games Studios who first heard the pitch for the Pentiment and agreed to it — I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends. “Murder mystery set in 16th century Bavaria, where the player is an amateur detective and the art style mimics medieval and early modern illuminated manuscripts and woodcuts” is it all. what I want. It’s something I hope to one day create on my own. It also features two of my favorite mystery tropes: The supposedly pleasant, small town where everyone has dark secrets, and a civilian completely unprepared to be an unlikely detective. .
Pentiment’s cast of characters is its strongest element. From the sleazy murder victim to Andreas’ stricter religious friends to the more crass townsfolk – I enjoyed their company and dining with them as an investigative mechanic that I have never seen before. The game’s time cycle also imposes an element of urgency absent in most adventure games. Maybe Pentiment isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but god, it’s mine.
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