The best games of 2022 so far - from Splatoon to Elden Ring
Splatoon 3
Nintendo’s ink-splatting, squid-based bonanza remains one of the most clever and subversive spins on the third-person shooter we’ve seen. There isn’t a vast departure from the formula when it comes to multiplayer, but, of course, boasts a welcome injection of new weapons, maps and modes. The new short but sweet single-player campaign is a treat, too, with Nintendo’s developers flexing their creativity to turn it into a clever puzzler as much as a shooter.
Immortality
An exquisitely constructed and deeply unsettling slice of interactive fiction, Sam Barlow’s latest clip-collecting mystery has you piecing together the fate of missing Hollywood starlet Marissa Marcel. Fantastic performances are at the heart of a disturbing peek behind the curtain of movie-making.
Rocksmith+
Pushing the definition of ‘game’ here, admittedly, as Rocksmith+ is a fully-formed guitar teaching program. But Ubisoft’s tutor shares much of its DNA with Guitar Hero and its ilk, which is what makes it both very effective and highly enjoyable. A broad selection of tunes to learn, customisable skill levels and a host of videos teaching chords, sustains mutes and everything in between. This is comprehensive stuff.
Metal Hellsinger
This curious, hard-rocking cross between Doom and Guitar Hero feels like being trapped inside the grooves of an '80s thrash metal album stuck on repeat play forever. And if that sounds like your idea of a good time then you will absolutely love it.
Roadwarden
It is a delight to know that in an age of time-swallowing, triple-A supergames, the humble text adventure can be just as impactful when done right. And boy does Roadwarden do it right. A compelling historical fantasy illustrated with otherworldly pixel art, you are a humble handyman, tending to villages, managing inventory and doing your best to help the local peninsula’s populace as an in-game clock ticks down.
Rollerdrome
British developer Roll7 take their arcade skating skill and transplant it to a 70s-style deathmatch. Blast an overwhelming stream of bad guys with dual pistols, all while spinning 720o off a half-pipe on roller skates. And it is just as fun as all of that suggests.
Stray
Quirky, affecting cyberpunk fable that has you playing as a cat in an isolated, underground city of sentient robots. Along with a mechanical companion, you will pounce through its neon-drenched alleys helping its emotive denizens finally escape to ‘the outside’.
Neon White
Madcap anime FPS that has you exterminating demons in Heaven across lightning-fast, precision courses. The twist is to find the perfect ‘racing line’ to clear each bitesize level in the quickest time possible. A variety of weapons and special skills all feed into a perfectly crafted action game that has a feel and flow like few others.
As Dusk Falls
Former Quantic Dream developers break away to make their own intriguing interactive fiction. A unique hand-drawn style illustrates a branching plot of two families that come together in tense circumstances in a roadside diner. What you choose along the way for its characters will have an effect on the long-reaching aftermath.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
The side-scrolling beat ‘em ups that defined much of 90s gaming have had something of a renaissance lately. This follow-up to Turtles in Time is one of the best, sending the half-shelled heroes powering through Foot Clan goons and a selection of nostalgia-baiting bosses. While it captures the essence of the arcade brawler brilliantly with lovely pixel art and classic design, it also manages to modernise with challenges, advanced moves and online play.
Gran Turismo 7
Polyphony’s famous driving sim arrives on PS5 with a bootload of charm and a contagious love of cars. Tremendous on the road, too, with a handling model enhanced by the DualSense controller’s feedback.
Sniper Elite 5
Skull-cracking sniping and sneaky warfare abound in Rebellion’s remarkably consistent WWII tactical shooter. Has further improved in both confidence and execution, with smart, flexible levels and a new multiplayer Invasion mode which suits the game down to the ground.
Ghostwire Tokyo
The brilliantly realised and abandoned Tokyo is the star of Tango Gameworks’ latest horror. The deep debt to Japanese folklore and yokai is also a strength as Ghostwire serves up its compelling ghost stories with a unique twist on martial arts magic.
Elden Ring
Hidetaka Miyazaki’s latest dark fantasy is an extraordinary piece of work. Haunting exploration, tense combat and its bewildering bestiary suck you into its gorgeously grim world. Punishing, as all From Software games are, but endlessly rewarding.
Horizon: Forbidden West
One of the few genuine AAA blockbusters to launch since the pandemic played havoc with development schedules and working conditions, this much-hyped sequel took the best bits of the first game – robot dinosaurs, exploration, sci-fi hokum – and added much, much more of it. Size isn't always everything, of course, but you there's no denying the spectacle.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Ambitious evolution of the Pokémon formula takes the pocket-monster-catching to a sprawling 3D open-world. Inspired by Nintendo stablemate Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Arceus is a successful and hugely enjoyable adventure.
Tunic
Gorgeous Zelda-inspired adventure developed by Andrew Shouldice. Guiding your green-garbed fox around a bucolic fantasy world fraught with danger and smart puzzling is a treat.
Sifu
A thumping and fastidious kung-fu brawler that has you seeking revenge for your father’s death. Sifu demands you learn its myriad combinations and can be uncompromising in handing out its own beatdowns, but those that stay the path will find a brilliantly constructed and hugely rewarding fighter.
Nintendo Switch Sports
The ebullient hilarity of flailing around the living room and swinging game controllers like a tennis racket makes a most welcome return. Old favourites bowling and tennis remain family favourites, while the fraught back and forth of badminton and more involving football are the pick of the new bunch. Six sports is a bit miserly, perhaps, but made up for with charm, execution and laughing at family members as they crash into the sofa during a particularly intense rally.
OlliOlli World
OlliOlli has come a long way since its mobile debut as an addictive one-finger skate sim, but it has never lost its charm and attitude. With a candy-coated overworld, more complex controls and a smattering of story, you might worry it bails as it overreaches. Not a bit of it; nailing the landing with trick-packed runs across tight, smartly designed levels.
Unpacking
Who would have guessed one of the year's best examples of interactive storytelling would be found in a simple puzzle game about moving house? The charming art style and moreish gameplay exude a certain charm but it's the insight into a life lived via the possessions we keep and the spaces we store them in which really resonated.
Diablo Immortal
Blizzard's venture into mobile gaming proved more than an amuse-bouche to tide over fans until the delayed release of Diablo 4; Immortal was instead more akin to a fully-formed, multi-player loot-em-up RPG experience you could play on your phone. Thirsty micro-transactions soured the pitch somewhat, but this is still a great game to play on the go.
PowerWash Simulator
An unlikely breakout hit thanks to its inclusion on Xbox's Game Pass service, PowerWash Simulator took the concept busywork to new levels. The irony of spending hours cleaning up virtual living spaces while simultaneously neglecting their real ones wasn't lost on many, but the game's hypnotic appeal proved hard to resist.
Poinpy
Netflix's mobile games offering has slipped so far under the radar most subscribers don't even realise it exists. Dangerously addictive one-finger puzzler Poinpy is too good to be ignored, though. Developed by Downwell creator Ojiro Fumoto, it's easy to pick up but almost impossible to put down.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red's much-hyped but ill-fated follow up to the Witcher series will rightly be remembered for being one of the most disastrous video game launches ever. The Polish studio has worked hard in the 18 months since to fix many of their mistakes, and the next-gen version released this year shows what could have been. Sure some flaws remain, but there's an engrossing first person RPG here that deserves a second chance.
