Samantha's Top Games of 2022

Dec 31, 2023

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If 2021 was the year of all my must-play games coming out at the same time, 2022 was the year of much-anticipated games I somehow didn't finish. From God of War: Ragnarok, one of the games I was looking forward to the most yet somehow only put a couple of hours into before returning to Yakuza 5, to Triangle Strategy, another game I was hyped for and bought at launch only to not start it at all, the list of new releases I didn't get around to feels especially long. I still played a good amount of games, but mostly from past years.

Nevertheless, here are my top 10 games of 2022!

Coming from the team that made The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, this adorable-looking JRPG was on my list to play from the moment it was announced. The Cruel King and the Great Hero follows a young girl who wants to be a hero, being raised by a dragon king who believes her ultimate role as a hero will be to defeat him. It's a warm, charming, and delightful JRPG that suffers from a few tedious aspects (like a painfully slow walking speed) but is well worth your time.

Highlight: Dragon king hiding in the background to ignite Yuu's sword for her special attack.

If you’d told me at the start of this year that Bayonetta 3 would only rank 9th on this list, I’d have said you were crazy. As you can tell from my review, I had a great time with the latest entry in the Bayonetta series… just not as good a time as I expected to, coming from the previous games. The gameplay is still fantastic, though, enough to earn its spot among my top 10 despite my quibbles with its storytelling and missed potential. Read our review.

Highlight: Baal Zebul's concert.

Did Pokémon Legends: Arceus really come out in 2022? I had to check three times while writing this article, because I couldn't believe it. But it did, and it was one of the best Pokémon experiences I’ve had in a long time. The exploration, the story, and all the new little features added for this entry were enough to make me keep playing through the post-game to see everything the game had to offer. I haven't played the newest games yet, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus was enough to get me excited for the series again. Read our review.

Highlight: Oh, this boss has another phase, huh?

I loved the first two Yomawari games, so I was thrilled when a third entry was announced. Yomawari: Lost in the Dark is a short survival horror game that strikes a perfect balance between the first game's unguided exploration and the second game's focus on storytelling. Aside from some pacing issues near the end, I found it to be a delightfully creepy and enjoyable new horror game that lived up to my expectations based on the previous entries. Here's hoping the Yomawari series continues in the future.

Highlight: Such creepy monster designs.

Using full-motion video to tell its story, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a mystery set in both the past and the present. As I explained in my review, it feels more like piecing together the clues as you watch a mystery show than playing a game, as gameplay definitely takes a backseat to the story. But what a story it is! The way it hides tiny clues and foreshadowing, plus the final revelations from the epilogue, are enough for it to earn such a high place on my list this year. Read our review.

Highlight: The final twist and the clues hinting at it.

Speaking of games where the story takes the focus, how about an outright visual novel? Witch on the Holy Night is the first Type-Moon visual novel to ever receive an official translation, so I wanted to support it for that alone. It turned out to be an excellent, intriguing story with some of the best production values I’ve ever seen in a visual novel. With no choices outside of a standalone extra chapter unlocked at the end, the focus is purely on reading the story and watching it unfold, but if you’re a visual novel fan, this is one you don't want to miss.

Highlight: So many CGs, animations, and constant high production values!

And another! I was excited to dive into the otome visual novel Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei when it came out this year, and it did not disappoint. It features a historical setting (with some fantasy elements) in which the youngest son of the Genji is actually a woman disguised as a man. All of the routes are interesting, it has an excellent presentation, and the high-stakes situations kept me gripped as I got deeper into each route. It's one of the best games I’ve played this year and ranks up there among my favorite otome games overall.

Highlight: Looks like I’m getting a bad–what do you mean this is still the good ending path??

So if we were doing this based on games I played this year, regardless of when they came out, AI: The Somnium Files would be at the top of my list for sure. But when we restrict it to 2022 releases, its sequel still claims a high rank. In my review, I went into a lot of specifics of how AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative is similar to and different from its predecessor. Overall, I still like the first game more. For me, the grander scale and trickier twist of Nirvana Initiative can't compare to the tightly-plotted mystery of the first. However, it was still a joy to play from start to finish, with a compelling story and a hefty dose of humor. Read our review.

Highlight: Tama and Ryuki's comedy.

Technically Unranked, But We’ll Call It #2 – Elden Ring

Coming into 2022, I wasn't sold on Elden Ring, but the hype finally compelled me to pick it up shortly after its launch. I subsequently poured 75 hours into it, which for most games would be enough to finish. But Elden Ring laughs at such paltry efforts, and there are still whole huge swathes of the map I haven't even seen yet. I was quite enjoying my time with it, until I put it on hold for Yakuza 5 (another game that laughs at meager playtimes) and haven't managed to get back to it yet. Now, I try to avoid putting games on top 10 lists when I haven't finished them, but since I’ve enjoyed a whole 75 hours of Elden Ring, I decided to count it anyway. It's been a fantastic experience so far, and I’m sure the remaining ungodly amount of hours will be equally enjoyable. Read our review.

Highlight: Jumping down from just the right spot to explore Volcano Manor from the middle.

Technically Unranked, But We’ll Call It #1 – Xenoblade Chronicles 3

I’ve loved every single Xenoblade game so far, so I was beyond excited when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced. I endured the utter chaos of trying to get the special edition, and I dove into the game as soon as it arrived. I did put it on hold for a few other games, including Bayonetta 3 and Yomawari: Lost in the Dark from earlier on this list, and so it remains unfinished. Like Elden Ring, however, I’ve put a solid amount of time into Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and decided to rank it at the top anyway. I’m 60 hours in and nowhere near the end, but the amount of content and my enjoyment of the story and characters so far have me sure it deserves such praise.

Highlight: Such a climactic cutscene must mean the end of–no, the chapter is still going.

Who knows, maybe Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will prove me wrong, and I’ll look back on this list in future years while shaking my head over my misguided ranking. Since that seems highly unlikely, though, these are my top 10 games of 2022! I may not have played as many as I intended to, but the games I did play included some great ones.

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