2022 is the year where we’re really starting to see the effects that COVID has had on game development throughout the industry over the last couple of years. Delays have been quite common for a while as it is, but this year has seen a surprising amount of delays- and yet, even so, we’ve had quite an eventful six months since the turn of the year where new releases are concerned. We’re halfway through 2022 now, and there’s still quite a bit left to look forward to before the year is out, but as we do every year, here, we’re first going to pause and take a look back to talk about our favourite games of the first half of the year.
NOTE: This list is not ranked. All games are presented in random order.
POKEMON LEGENDS: ARCEUS
Pokemon saw its biggest shake-up to date earlier this year with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and it may very well end up being the most important game in the series’ history in a long, long time. A gorgeous open world with varied maps, a completely new and refreshed core gameplay loop that recontextualizes the series’ tried-and-true formula in ingenious ways, and a genuinely engrossing setting that series fans can’t help but fall in love with- this is an excellent foundation for the series’ future, and we hope to see Game Freak build on it in years to come.
SIFU
SloClap’s Sifu was on many people’s radars in the lead-up to its launch, and sure enough, upon release, it did not disappoint. There’s just so much to love in this martial arts brawler. The crunching combat that demands skill and attention, the slick and visually unique aesthetic that just pops the moment you look at it, the unique ageing mechanic that lends a completely new layer of strategy to each time you play the game. Sifu is definitely one of the surprise hits of 2022 so far, and a game that all brawler fans need to check out.
WEIRD WEST
Coming from the minds that brought us the likes of Prey and Dishonored, Weird West was always a game that many of us had our eyes out, and it’s fair to say that it has more than lived up to expectations. Whether you’re talking about fundamental aspects like its fascinating setting or more in-depth elements like its reactive immersive sim world and its choice-based role playing gameplay, this is a game that pulls you right in from the very first second. For fans of RPGs and immersive sims, Weird West is unmissable.
ELDEN RING
Considering the untouchable heights FromSoftware has already touched over the years with the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and more, it seemed ridiculous to imagine that the developer go exceed that, but with Elden Ring, that’s exactly what it did. The Japanese developer’s newest epic is a peerless game, combining the compelling mechanical depth of the Soulslike genre with a diegetic, massive open world that is begging to be explored, and always seems to have more surprises up its sleeve. Elden Ring is not only one of the best games of 2022, it may very well also be one of the greatest games ever made, period.
HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST
Horizon Forbidden West is, in so many ways, the perfect sequel, because it does what any sequel should ideally do- it improves upon its predecessor’s foundation in meaningful and necessary was. In areas like combat, storytelling, and the design of its machines, Forbidden West improves upon an already excellent first game, while in areas like world design, optional content, movement, and exploration, it is leaps and bounds ahead of Zero Dawn. The result is a game that doesn’t necessarily break new ground, but hones an already-solid formula to an immaculate sheen.
TRIANGLE STRATEGY
For fans of turn-based tactics RPGs, Triangle Strategy was an absolute treat. From the moment it was revealed, it was clear that it was going to be one for genre fans to look out to, but the reason it deserves to be highlighted is how surprisingly good it is even in areas where expectations would ordinarily not be very high. Sure, mechanically and gameplay-wise this is a solid experience, but Triangle Strategy also has an engrossing story, a compelling world with captivating lore, and genuinely good choice-and-consequence gameplay moments. It’s not high art by any means, but it’s a far better game than most would have expected.
KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND
It’s ridiculous to think that it took this long for the Kirby series to get its full, proper 3D debut, but hey- at least it turned out to be well worth the wait. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an absolutely delightful game. It excels in all the ways you’d want a Nintendo 3D platformer to. It has well-designed and varied levels that are a joy to play through, it is brimming with charm and vibrant visuals, it is mechanically inventive and keeps things fresh from beginning to end. Switch owners who enjoy platformers absolutely shouldn’t miss out on this one.
TINY TINA’S WONDERLANDS
If you’re getting a little bit sick of looter shooters (and nobody could blame you for that), Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands might not be the best game for you to play right now, but if more Borderlands is what you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with this one. What stands out about this game is that it isn’t simply just “most Borderlands” either- it takes the series’ well-worn formula and applies a new coat of [ain to it, blending the series’ aesthetic, characters, mechanics, and humour with its central Dungeons and Dragons conceit almost perfectly. From Tiny Tina’s role as the dungeon master to its world map, there are enough new ideas here to keep series fans interested for plenty of time.
GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO
Tango Gameworks has established itself as a horror developer over the years, but its newest offering, Ghostwire: Tokyo, is definitely not horror. Even in spite of being something quite new for the studio though, it’s still a solid new experience that is well worth playing. Its eerily empty open world Tokyo is always fun to explore, its flashy combat remains a blast until the end even if it can feel a bit shallow, and the creepy enemy designs will definitely satisfy your horror demands. It won’t set the world on fire, but Ghostwire: Tokyo is yet another notch in Tango’s belt.
THE QUARRY
Supermassive Games struck gold with Until Dawn back in 2014, but as solid as the Dark Pictures games are, they haven’t been able to replicate that experience. The studio’s newest offering, The Quarry, has arrived as a standalone offering that’s very consciously been designed as a spiritual successor to Until Dawn– and it succeeds on that front in almost every way. It looks amazing, its B-movie horror plot is just the right amount of pulpy and corny, it offers genuine thrills, and it’s also an excellent multiplayer experience. No, it obviously doesn’t leave a mark the same way Until Dawn did, but it’s the closes a Supermassive title has come to doing that since 2014.
TUNIC
Nintendo has completely changed what it means to be a Zelda title now, but for those who want more games that use that classic dungeon-crawling formula, there are plenty of solid alternatives. Last year, we got Death’s Door, and this year, we got Tunic. Developed almost entirely by a single person, Tunic is an absolutely wonderful game, sporting solid combat, exploration, puzzles, and more all of it wrapped up in a pretty, colourful package that you just can’t tear your eyes away from. For anyone with a hankering of a classic Zelda-like experience, Tunic is a must-play.
ROGUE LEGACY 2
Rogue Legacy stands as one of the best roguelike games ever made to this day, so it’s no surprise that people’s hype for its successor has been buzzing in spite of how long it’s been in development. Thankfully, it turned out to be well worth the wait. It combines excellent Metroidvania design with roguelike mechanics almost perfectly, and improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way possible. The experience on offer here not only boasts incredible mechanical depth, it’s also endlessly replayable, exactly as you’d expect from a game such as this one. Without a doubt, this is yet another new benchmark for newcomers in the genre to aspire to for years to come.
DYING LIGHT 2 STAY HUMAN
Techland was working on Dying Light 2 Stay Human for a long, long time, and earlier this year, after multiple delays and a troubled development cycle, the open world action RPG finally came out. And though it’s far from perfect, it’s still a game well worth experiencing for anyone who enjoyed its predecessor. Not only does it have incredible movement and parkour, Dying Light 2 is also set in a massive open world that is very specifically and meticulously designed around those strengths, and the result is a map that feels entirely unique in its design. With a bevy of content on offer and a solid smattering of combat, parkour, and RPG mechanics, this is a meaty, lengthy game that’ll keep you glued to to the screen for dozens upon dozens of hours.
GRAN TURISMO 7
Gran Turismo has been in need of a win for a long time, especially with other racing sims having come along and upstaged it in recent years. Thankfully, Gran Turismo 7 is easily the best this series has been in years. With a meaty single player campaign, a healthy selection of races and courses, and gorgeous visuals and presentations, it succeeds in almost all the ways that you’d want a GT game to. Sadly, since launch, the game has made more than a few bad decisions where its economy and monetization are concerned, and hopefully Polyphony Digital will root out those issue before long. At its core, however, this is definitely one of the series’ better outings in years.
LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA
LEGO games almost never fail to be a good time, but LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is still far better than most would have expected. Combining all nine mainline Star Wars films into a single experience, TT Games’ latest is a meaty, densely packed experience. A litany of characters with different abilities, each of them a blast to play as. A host of massive open world maps to lose yourself in, each brimming with enjoyable puzzles and begging to be explored. Simple yet addictive combat mechanics and core gameplay systems that are more than good enough to keep your attention for hours on end. That classic LEGO charm and humour, with gorgeous, colourful visuals to boot. These are just some of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’s biggest strengths.
WWE 2K22
The last few years have been pretty terrible for WWE video games, so having the latest entry of the series making an appearance in this year’s best games’ list is nothing short of a major surprise. Thanks to an extra year of development, WWE 2K22 turned out to be one of the more well-rounded entries in this long-running franchise. A simplified gameplay loop, a thrilling Showcase mode, and a surprisingly deep MyRise mode combine to make WWE 2K22 one of the strongest entries the franchise has seen in a while.
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