Game of the Year 2022 | Jesse Norris

Why hello there. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful 2022, full of joy and good times. My 2022 has been the most creatively satisfying year of my life. As you may know I am the Reviews Editor and Podcast Producer for the site, among many other things. My list for the top games of 2022 could easily be 30 or 40 long, given I’ve reviewed over 90 of them. I broke it down to my top 10, and as I look back I can’t belive just how great a year this has been in gaming.

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10. Nobody Saves the World

I love the Guacamelee games. They’re bright, cheerful, and fun as hell to play. From the moment I saw their next title, Nobody Saves the World, I knew I was in. It’s a hilarious, witty mix of Action and RPG. I never got to play it co-op, and the DLC was pretty meh, but my time spent with this game back in… my god JANUARY?!? Boy, that was a long time ago, still, this game is fantastic and on Game Pass so you should play it.

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9. The Entropy Centre

Time Puzzles! The Entropy Centre wasn’t on my radar at all. A press release a week or so before launch looked interesting enough, but I had no clue what I was about to experience. Solid writing, an intriguing setting, excellent puzzle design, and a emotional ending made this one of my biggest surprises of the year.

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8. High On Life

The latest entrant on my list, this one just snuck under the wire. I like Rick & Morty, and Squanch’s first few games were solid. I did not expect something that looked this great and played so well. It is a tight 10+ hour experience that mixes humor and gameplay in a way few games before it have.

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7. Overwatch 2

From the outside looking in you might think that Overwatch 2 didn’t deserve the sequel title. As someone who played nearly a thousand hours of the original release, it is a massive update that fundamentally changes the game. The new 5v5 setup works well, it looks and runs better than ever, and I’ve been playing it non-stop since launch over on our Twitch page.

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6. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

Cuphead’s first and only DLC is an absolute banger. The music is better than the base game, and Ms. Chalice is fun as hell to play as. Also, for some odd reason, our preview of the title is the biggest original video in the history of the site! It’s a glorious mix of tough-as-balls action and incredible hand-drawn animation. It’s also pretty cheap, so play it!

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5. Deathloop

I played a bit of Deathloop last year on PC, but not enough for it to hook me. Getting early access for review forced me to hunker down and find out exactly why this game was so well received at its PS5/PC launch. The story is great, the setting is unique, and the gunplay finally feels decent in an Arkane console port. By the time the credits were rolling, I had fallen in love with Colt, Julianna, and all the rest of the crazy characters.

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4. Cult of the Lamb

Cult of the Lamb is a nearly perfect mix of ARPG and Town Management Simulator. It’s gorgeous, the music is great, and everyone should play it. JOIN THE CULT

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3. Rogue Legacy 2

Rogue Legacy 1 was a solid game. I got to new game+++++ and remember it fondly. It is nothing compared to how much I fell in love with Rogue Legacy 2. One of the best exclusives Xbox got this year (timed of course), it is a near masterpiece for 2D roguelike action platforming. It’s massive in scope if you want, but a single map clear may be enough for most. No matter what you are in for a treat if you play this game.

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2. Immortality

No other game on my list had as many boobs and butts as Immortality did. Much like with my review let me just say that this is a well written and acted full-motion video game that is best experienced with as little knowledge going in as possible. Scrubbing through footage from three movies and some interviews may not sound like much, but Jesus h. Christmas this an experience I’ll never forget.

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1. Elden Ring

I don’t know that I have ever put more work (with less return) in than I did for the review of Elden Ring. Nearly 80 hours of work in under a week, and I loved every second of it. I called the game FROM’s Magnum Opus and I stand by it. Fantastic combat and the best open world I’ve ever seen are matched with my favorite art style in any video game, ever. The music kicks serious ass, and man I need to go play this one again. It won at The Game Awards and on many big sites out there because it is one of the best games of all time.

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Well Then!

I could have easily talked about another 30 games that came out this year. 2022 has been one of my top years in gaming, in large part due to the access afforded by this Reviews Editor position and Game Pass. The crazy part is that 2023 looks to be even better with Starfield, Diablo IV, Redfall, and about 50 other titles already on my must-play list. Happy Holidays everyone, and I wish you all the best new year you could ever imagine.