The last few weeks of the year are the most exciting time for many people, for different reasons. Some love the Christmas vibes, while others are super happy about all the Black Friday sales. However, for most gamers, it’s the Game Awards and all the potential announcements that generate curiosity.
Like every year,The Game Awards 2022will return in December and showcase some of the best games of the last twelve months. Some will win awards, while others will get praise. However, only one will receive the biggest recognition and become the Game of the Year. Sadly, it won’t be one of these games, which all missed the nomination list despite their good scores.
10LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais Lego’s attempt at recreating the cult-classicStar WarsSkywalker Saga into one. The game came out in April 2022 and is available on platforms such as Windows,Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
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Similar to other LEGO games,LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais asolo/co-op experience that showcases the storyof all three Skywalker trilogies. Hence, the game is divided into 9 episodes and 45 unique levels. It’s a complete package full of explorable planets, iconic locations, and cool gameplay mechanics.
9Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceusis one of the latest action role-playing games in the long-running Pokemon series. The title came out in January 2022 and showcased iconic creatures like Rowlet, Cyndaquil, Oshawott, and more. Upon release, the game became an instant hit, with over 10 million sales and positive reviews.
Pokémon Legends: Arceusfeatures anexceptional time-travel storyline and truly lets players feel the magnificenceof the Hisui region. It offers full 3D visuals, a revamped combat system, Zelda-style exploration, the ability to ride creatures, and more.
8Tunic
Players saw many action-adventure games in 2022, such asUncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection,Ghostwire: Tokyo,and more. However, not many came close to the nostalgic feel and Zelda-like gameplay design ofTunic. The Finji title came out in March for PC and Xbox, and in September for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Tunicfeatures a classic isometric view gameplay design,where players maneuver like the good old Zelda games. But this time, they do it as a cute fox who’s exploring a world full of secrets, uncovering powers, and defeating ferocious monsters.
7Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesgames are usually a hit or miss, as they always attempt to experiment with the general formula. However,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengegoes back to its roots. It gives players the ultimate nostalgia trip with classic arcade-style gameplay and 16-bit visuals.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengecame out in June 2022 on all major platforms, and in November on PlayStation 5. Over the months, it became oneof the highest-rated action beat ‘em ups of the yearthat features both solo and a co-op mode.
6Neon White
Neon Whiteis a fast-paced first-person shooter with puzzle design elements and anime aesthetics. The game is one of the highest-rated Annapurna Interactive titles of 2022, with other releases such asA Memoir Blue Stray, Hohokum, Hindsight,andOpen Roads. The game holds a solid 90 out of 100 on Metacritic.
Neon Whitestands out due to its amazing art direction and speedrun-style gameplay mechanics. It features a story of a demon slayer assassin in heaven, who is parkouring around and taking down monsters in the fastest time possible.
5NORCO
Norcois an adventure game from a less-known developer, Geography of Robots. It’s an indie title from a Swedish video game publisher Raw Fury, known for other games such asSable, Townscaper, Call of the Sea,and more.
Norcois a point-and-click, story-rich adventure title with elements of investigation. It’s a game set in an alternate universe, where players explore a “surreal and distorted South Louisiana” while solving the mystery of their missing brother. From visuals to the atmosphere, this game is truly one of a kind. Perhaps that’s the reason it sits at 88 on Metacritic.
4Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Landis the latest entry in the long-running Kirby series. The Nintendo exclusive came out in March and quickly became known as Kirby Odyssey among players who felt it shared many elements from the other iconic game,Super Mario Odyssey.
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Kirby and the Forgotten Landis mostly a single-player adventure platform game that features a fully 3D world where players can explore the mysterious world full of unique structures. Gameplay-wise, thisgame truly takes the concept of Kirby and its shape-shifting abilitiesto another level, which explains why this Switch title holds 85 on Meta.
3Total War: WARHAMMER III
Total War: WARHAMMER 3is the latest title in the legendary Total War franchise, which has over 19 games in total. Like many other games in the series, the newest entry is a PC exclusive and only available on Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.
Total War: WARHAMMER 3is aturn-based strategy game with elements of real-time tacticsand large-scale battles. It’s the conclusion to the ongoing trilogy and one of the highest-rated games in the franchise, with an 86/100 Metascore.
2Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiershas divided gamers into two sections.One side hates it, while the other thinks it is the best Sonic game in years. The Sega title came out in November 2022 and holds an 80/100 Metascore. The user score is even better, at 8.6/10 on Metacritic and 10/10 on Steam.
Sonic Frontiersis the true revitalized 3D implementation of the character, similar to what Nintendo did for Mario inSuper Mario 64. Hence, its highly experimental, which explains the massive difference between its review scores.
1Bayonetta 3
Just when people began thinking that the classic hack-and-slash era was gone, PlatinumGames releasedBayonetta 3. The latest entry in the popular Nintendo series came out in October and instantly became a hit among players. Score-wise, the action-adventure title became one of the best-reviewed titles of the year on the Switch.
Bayonetta 3is an epic must-play experience on Nintendo’s console and certainly one of the last big exclusives beforeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.The game packs everything, from an engaging storyline totimeless combat and dozens of mind-blowing weapon designsthat can make the most overpowered anime weapons look like toys.
