The Best Games Of 2022 (So Far) - Kotaku

It's not even April and we already have close to a dozen games that easily qualify as some of the best of 2022. TheBestGamesOf2022(SoFar)HomeLatestNewsTips&GuidesReviewsTheBestsCultureReportOpinionAnimeAboutKotakuStoreExploreourothersitesTheBestsHorizonForbiddenWestandEldenRingarejustthetipoftheicebergByKotakuStaffWednesday4:20PMComments(42)AlertsGif:Sony/Nintendo/FromSoft/DrinkBox/Roll7/KotakuIt’snoexaggerationtosaythat,intermsofvideogames,2022isofftoabannerstart.Thefirstthreemonthsoftheyearhavebeenflushwiththesortofmarqueereleasesthattendtoclogtheholidayseason,whenyear-endshoppingspreesandawardsshowsareoneveryone’sminds.It’snotevenAprilandwealreadyhaveclosetoadozengamesthateasilyqualifyassomeofthebestof2022.Whatfollowsisacomprehensivelistofthosegames,blockbustersandindiestandoutsalike,thathavealreadyleftameteoricimpactonKotaku’scollectivetastes.Butalso,wegetit:Yourtimeisprecious,andevenifyouspendeverysecondofyourfreetimeplaying,you’llneverbeabletoknockthesealloutbeforethenextwaveofmust-playgamescomesout.Tothatend,we’veincludedroughestimatesofhowlongitwouldtakeyoutocompleteeachgame,citingfiguresfromtheeternallyhelpfulHowLongToBeat.Allright,that’senoughado.Here,innoparticularorder,arethebestgamesof2022.Advertisement2/13HorizonForbiddenWestListslidesHorizonForbiddenWestScreenshot:Sony/KotakuHorizonForbiddenWestisthepinnacleofso-called“mapgames.”Lestyougetthewrongidea,that’sunequivocallyacomplimentandasellingpoint,evenifyou’reburntoutontheformat.NearlyeverypointofinterestinHorizon’sworld—apost-apocalypticrenditionoftheAmericanwest—isworthcheckingout,whetheryouendupfindingasurprisinglycomplextacticalmini-gameorthefirstmissioninarivetingchainofside-quests.Thenthere’stheinventivecombatsystem(basedaroundfuturisticbowsandarrows)whichpitsyouagainstsomeofgaming’scoolestcannonfodder(robotsmodeledafterprehistoricbeasts),allsetagainstthebackdropofatrulyabonkersstoryanchoredbyanall-starcast(LanceReddick,AngelaBassett,AshlyBurch).Also:Yougetahangglider.Takethat,BotW.PlayableOn:PS4,PS5RoughAveragePlaytime:52hoursAdvertisement3/13PokémonLegends:ArceusListslidesPokémonLegends:ArceusScreenshot:NintendoThere’sneverbeenaPokémongamelikePokémonLegends:Arceus.It’snotquiteanopenworld.Itsstorybeatsarenothingrevolutionary.It’snotevenintherunningforprettiestgameontheNintendoSwitch.Butsomehowitdoescapturethemagicofseeingafiredog,fencingbug,orwhateverotherweirdcreaturestompingaroundonthehorizonlikenogamebeforeit.Pokémonroammountains,valleys,andforestsreadytodestroyyou,butalsobefriendyouandshowofftheirpersonalityonceyou’vemasteredthegame’sslickcraftingeconomyandcombat.ArceusisthebestpartsofPokémonSnapandofthemainseriesunderoneroof,transcendingthelimitations,whichcastashadowoversomanyofitspredecessors,ofadheringtorotetradition.PlayableOn:SwitchRoughAveragePlaytime:40hoursAdvertisement4/13EldenRingListslidesEldenRingScreenshot:FromSoftEldenRingistheculminationoftheFromSoftwareethosestablishedalmost30yearsagowiththeoriginalKing’sField.Butdespitebeingthecompany’sbiggestgametodate,bothintermsofscaleandpopularity,italsoknowshowtogetoutofitsownway.WhileSoulsnewcomersmaystrugglewithEldenRing’svaguegoalsandoverallchallenge,everyminorfrustrationservestomakeitsenvironmentalstorytellingandmomentsoftriumphallthemorecompelling.EldenRingisnotagamethatgentlycaressesyourtiredshouldersbutonethatlatchesontoyourbacklikeademonicmonkey,anobsessionmadeallthemoredifficulttoshakebyitscopiouscheckpointsandtheeasewithwhichitallowsyoutodropinforaquickadventure,andthenjet.IfyoupreviouslywantedtogetintotheSoulsseriesbutbouncedoffitslengthydungeonsandbacktracking,EldenRingmayjustbetheFromSoftwaregamethatfinallygetsyouoverthathump.PlayableOn:PC,PS4,PS5,XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/SRoughAveragePlaytime:77hoursAdvertisement5/13NobodySavestheWorldListslidesNobodySavestheWorldScreenshot:DrinkBoxAtitscore,NobodySavestheWorldisaboutmakingnumbersgoup.Youplayasamagicianwithshape-shiftingpowers.Initially,youcanonlytransformintostandardfantasyfare—think:guard,ranger—butthemoreXPyouearn,themoreformsyoucanmorphinto,eventuallyturningintoahorse,amermaid,adragon,orafreakin’zombie.Everyformhasitsownsetofabilities,butyoucanmixandmatchmovesacrossallofthem,andswapbetweenuptoeightformsonthefly.Forthosewholoveamin-maxgrind,theoneinNobodySavestheWorldisascompulsiveastheycome.ThewholegameissettoanearwormsoundtrackbyJimGuthrie(knownforscoringBelow,SwordandSworcery,andIndieGame:TheMovie)thatnevergetsold,perfectforagrindthatdoesn’tgetoldeither.PlayableOn:PC,XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/SRoughAveragePlaytime:19hoursAdvertisement6/13DokiDokiRagnarokListslidesDokiDokiRagnarokScreenshot:BrutalHackAgameaboutaVikingwhodatesvillages(no,notvillagers)soundslikeit’seithergoingtobetoogoofytoberewarding,ortoocreepytobecomfortable.Andyetitisabsolutelysuperb,agenuinelyfunny,sweetlyprogressivegameaboutransackingfieldsandburningdownfarms,allinthenameofloveandpillaging.What’smostcrucialhereisjusthowlovelyitis.It’sawarmhugofagame,withoutanyunwantedwanderinghands.It’salso,we’reconfidentinsaying,theonlygameinwhichyoucangetfriend-zonedbyacapitalcity.DokiDokiRagnarok’sanabsolutetreat,fromsofarleftofleftfield,withmanybiglaughsonoffer.PlayableOn:PCRoughAveragePlaytime:N/AAdvertisement7/13WordleListslidesWordlePhoto:MikeKemp(GettyImages)Youlikelywon’thaveheardaboutWordle.It’sanobscurelittleonlinepuzzlegameinwhichplayersmustattempttoguessafive-letterwordwithMastermind-likehints.What’sneataboutitisthere’sonlyonepuzzleeveryday,soyoucancompeteagainstanyfriendsyou’veletinonthislittlesecret.Maybedon’ttelltoomanypeople,though,becauseifthisblowsupyoujustknowitcouldgetspoiled.Somethingridiculousmighthappen,likeTheNewYorkTimesdecidingtheywanttoownit,andthenremovingalltherudewords.Socheckitout,it’samazing,butmaybekeepitunderyourhatfornow.Smallprint:Yeah,Wordletechnicallycameoutin2021,buttheworlddidn’tstartfreakingoutoverit‘tilthisyear.Soitfits!PlayableOn:YourwebbrowserofchoiceRoughAveragePlaytime:LmaoAdvertisement8/13Destiny2:TheWitchQueenListslidesDestiny2:TheWitchQueenScreenshot:BungieIfyou’vewrittenoffDestinyinthepast,it’stimetochangethat.Destiny2:TheWitchQueenfeaturesthebestcampaigntheserieshaseverhad,fullofmomentsthatgotoe-to-toewiththelikesofDoomEternalandHaloInfinite,andsomethatevensurpassthem.It’sthekindofexpansionthatremindsyouofwhatBungiewasbeforeitbecametheenginebehindoneofthemostsuccessful(anddemanding)live-servicegamesinthemodernera.TheWitchQueenisastunninglyoriginaltakeongothicsci-fifromtoptobottomwithastorytomatch.Bestofall,itletsyouignoreasmuchoftheMMORPGgrindasyouwantto.PlayableOn:PC,PS4,PS5,XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/SRoughAveragePlaytime:13hoursAdvertisement9/13Far:ChangingTidesListslidesFar:ChangingTidesScreenshot:Okomotive/KotakuForagameabouttheendoftheworld,Far:ChangingTidesisremarkablychill.You,asanunnamedprotagonist,aretaskedwithtraversingthroughtheworldofawaterloggedapocalypse.Yourgoal,simply,istokeepheadingtowardtherightsideofthescreen,obstaclesbedamned.Far:ChangingTidesebbsandflowsbetweenquirkyenvironmentalpuzzlesandslower-pacedsailingsegments,inwhichyouraiseamasttocatchabreezeorjumpupanddownonanIndustrial-agebellowstofireupanengineinarhythmicsequencethatveersonrepetitivebutendsupengagingenoughtokeepyourapt.PlayableOn:PC,Switch,PS4,PS5,XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/SRoughAveragePlaytime:6hoursAdvertisement10/13TriangleStrategyListslidesTriangleStrategyScreenshot:NintendoTriangleStrategyisanengrossingtacticalrole-playinggamethatmakesthemostoutofitsemotionalOctopathTravelerroots.Thestoryiscomfortfoodforanyonewhoenjoyssoapoperaanticsoraplotwithactualpoliticking.Itsuniquepartyvotesystemalsoensuresthateverypathdivergencefeelsmeaningful.Thepixelanimationsareamongthebestinrecentgames,andthemaparttakesfulladvantageofitsFinalFantasyTacticsappearance.Thetacticalsystemisverysimpletolearn,butalsodifficulttomaster.Evenlongtimetacticsfanswillstrugglewiththemapsthatappearinthemiddletolate-game,buttheAIisfair.Asabonus,TriangleStrategyisthetypeofgamethat’seasilyreplayedafterafirstrun.PlayableOn:SwitchRoughAveragePlaytime:37hoursAdvertisement11/13VampireSurvivorsListslidesVampireSurvivorsScreenshot:PoncleByallrights,VampireSurvivorsshouldnotbeasgoodasitis.ItveryclearlyripsoffCastlevaniaaesthetics;utilizesaboring,blockyuserinterfacesuitedmoreformobiledevices;andaskslittleoftheplayerapartfromwalkingthroughendlesshordesofbats,zombies,andotherassortedghouls.Andyet,VampireSurvivorsmayjustbeoneofthegreatestgamesof2022sofar.VampireSurvivors’powerlieswithitsnear-constantdopaminerush.It’stheperfectgametopullupduringaboringworkmeetingorwhilewaitinginlengthyFinalFantasyXIVqueues.Fewexperiencesingamingtodayfeelassatisfyingasclearingthescreenofbaddies,openingachest,andbeingshoweredwithitemsandgold.Evenbetter,VampireSurvivorsdoesn’ttrytonickelanddimeyouwithmobile-stylemonetization,eventhoughitwouldbetheeasiestthingintheworldforitssolodevtodo.Thatalonedeservessomepraise.PlayableOn:PCRoughAveragePlaytime:11hoursAdvertisement12/13OlliOlliWorldListslidesOlliOlliWorldScreenshot:Roll7Roll7'sOlliOlliWorldisasuper-cuteskateboardingplatformer,butdon’tletthevibrantcolorpaletteandcharmingcharactersfoolyou.Likereal-lifeskateboarding,thisgameistough.Itrequiresimmensediligenceandfocustopulloffthemanygravity-defyingmovesinthegame’sextensivetricktionary.Butevenifyouslam—andyou’llslamalot—OlliOlliWorldisajoytoplay,particularlybecauseofitsAdventureTimeaesthetic,chillsoundtrack,andsimplecontrollerscheme.It’ssteezyashell,andthemultiplepathsandchallengesensureyou’llkeepcomingbacktolandthehighestscoresandsickesttrickspossible.PlayableOn:PC,Switch,PS4,PS5,XboxOne,XboxSeriesX/SRoughAveragePlaytime:9hoursAdvertisement13/13Listslides