The year 2022 had a lot of interesting game releases that gave players fun experiences and new conversations to be part of. Whether you were a big fan of action games, RPGs, or indie titles; there was something that could pique your interest in 2022. But with so many games that come out throughout 2022, what were five games you could dive into that showcased some of the best aspects of the year? Which are the ones you should make an effort to play at some point if you missed out on there beforehand? Don’t worry, we got you covered with games from 2022 that you need to play.
A few things to keep in mind before getting into this list of games. There are a lot of games that come out during the year, so not every game is going to get the most attention or shine from everyone. Even if you don’t see your favorite game of the year included, that doesn’t mean it’s any less enjoyable or relevant to the year 2022.
This isn’t a game of the year listing, but rather five games to highlight that everyone should try playing if they want to see some of the better offerings of the year, not an evaluation of their overall quality. With that being said, let’s get into the 2022 games that you need to play!
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West is a good-quality sequel that builds heavily upon the foundation established by its predecessor. If you enjoyed meeting Alloy and exploring the harsh world she was born into during Horizon Zero Dawn, you’ll enjoy where the sequel goes in further developing her story. Not only are there multiple biomes to explore within the Forbidden West, but plenty of new and dangerous machines to face as well. Things looked tough during Alloy’s first outing, but they get even more so for her in the Forbidden West.
One of the best aspects of Horizon Forbidden West is the abundance of quality-of-life updates and changes to the gameplay. Many little tweaks to how you roam the landscapes you traverse, how you navigate the menus and upgrade Alloy, as well as how you approach battles with machines all to contribute to a solid experience. Small issues from the first game are practically nonexistent here, allowing you to go on a journey that not only expands the lore of Horizon as a series but appreciate the gorgeous visuals displayed before you.
Kirby and The Forgotten Land
It’s been a good while since we had a brand new adventure for everyone’s favorite pink puffball. Luckily for us, the next big Kirby game took what worked incredibly well from his 2D outings and dropped the little hero into 3D space. What resulted was a fun, charming, and very well-executed 3D platformer that is highly underrated in 2022, a year that was dominated by a few keynote games. But don’t miss out on the fun that Kirby and the Forgotten Land brings to the Nintendo Switch over that.
Kirby’s 3D adventure on Switch is a colorful and cute experience that can stand alongside some of the best platformers for the console. It’s a combination of a collect-a-thon, 3D platforming, light puzzle elements, and pure fun. Kirby is charming as always, but it’s the Waddle Dees that bring the bulk of the charm to this adventure and make the experience worth helping all the little puffballs out.
From beginning to end you’ll have a smile on your face with how fun this game can be, especially if you play with a friend and go through levels in co-op. At its heart, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a must-own Nintendo Switch game that knows what it wants to be and does so beautifully.
Elden Ring
There were a few games that dominated gaming conversations throughout 2022, with Elden Ring being among them. If you’ve played any title made by FromSoftware, or Soulsborne style game, then Elden Ring will be right up your alley. While this is definitely not an experience for everyone because of how the difficulty and steep learning curve these kinds of games have, Elden Ring combines a lot of the popular and solidified elements of the genre and drops it into an open world. What results is one of the most detailed and open-ended Soulsborne games made to date.
Outside of the common things gamers praise it for as a Dark Souls-style game, Elden Ring has one of the most intricate and deep open worlds that you might explore. If you can handle the severe difficulty spikes and harsh punishments for failure, you’ll find a world that has secrets hidden among secrets and extra details that reward you if you’re clever enough to discover them.
Visually, the game looks great and has a lot of interesting designs for all of the characters, enemies, and creatures you come across within this hostile world. Though this isn’t an easy genre to really get into, many who have enjoyed the work of FromSoftware up to now agree that this it is among their best work yet and a big highlight of 2022.
SIFU
The most unique game of the year was heavily inspired by Hong Kong cinema and rogue-like action games. SIFU lets you become a kung fu master that turns the idea of failure on its head, letting you gain more power and wisdom when you die. While it’s not everlasting, death in SIFU ages your character and opens up new abilities and fighting power that mimics a lot of the interesting elements of kung fu action movies. It’s a tale of revenge and honor, pulling from many of the greats in the film genre, while also making for a very different take on many familiar gameplay elements.
The action in SIFU is top-notch, but the details in the presentation and design for everything you see are just as good. A lot of attention went into making every aspect of the game feel authentic to classic Hong Kong cinema, right down to the nuances of the fighting styles depicted.
Do you like hallway fight scenes? Then wait till you catch a glimpse at how SIFU lets you play through one your way. This is all complimented by how wild and crazy the fights in the game can get, especially group fights and boss battles that feel amazing to play through multiple times. In a year with indie games that all did very interesting things to garner attention, SIFU is the most creative in bringing together many elements that work off from one another. The result is a beautifully done action game you need to try out for yourself.
God of War Ragnarok
Arguably the best game of 2022 for some, both in terms of overall experience and execution. God of War Ragnarok continues to the ongoing story about Kratos and his son Atreus, taking us further into the Nine Realms of Norse mythology. The core of the game is still a tale about father and son, but it is wrapped up in the spectacle of Norse legends and incredible environments you get to explore even further. You get to revisit some places from the previous God of War game in a new timeframe, but there are so much more new things to see in Ragnarok that open up so much about this world.
And yet it’s the combat and cinematic storytelling that make God of War Ragnarok so darn good. Kratos is the powerhouse Greek god we know him to be, with new weapons and abilities to tear enemies asunder. Quality-of-life tweaks and new extra options make fighting with Kratos feel amazing throughout a nearly 20+ hour experience, with a few surprises along the way that take things even further.
Seeing Kratos interact with his son and many other characters you come across makes for an awesome story that lives up to the epicness this series is known for. Any PlayStation 5 owner needs to have God of War Ragnarok in their collection. You’ll definitely feel something during some of the bigger moments and know that something even crazier is right around the corner.
And those are five games from 2022 that you need to play when you can. Did you get to any of these games during the year, or do you need to catch up with them? Tell us some of your favorite games of 2022 down in the comments, let us know how you felt about the year in gaming!
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