As we wave goodbye to another year and get set for 2023, it can be a real time of reflection. One where people take a look back and contemplate what were the highlights of their twelve months. This is true for gamers too, as it’s the perfect moment to consider which video games have they enjoyed playing the most in the past year. After all, 2022 was a bumper year for the gaming industry, with there being some seriously impressive games released across all types of genres.
The trend of online gaming continues to flourish as well, with there being millions of players globally using the internet to connect to a virtual world. There’s also been the continued growth of online casino games, which have surged in popularity worldwide, including in the Arabic region.
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Let’s rewind in time then, and pick our standout video games of 2022. Do any of these games make your own end-of-year list?
God of War Ragnarök
Developers Santa Monica, a first-party studio for Sony, had already struck gold with their 2018 release, God of War. It was not only a smash-hit sales wise, with it becoming the best-selling Playstation 4 game released on the console, it was also adored by critics. Not only was it being talked about as the greatest game of that year, but one of the fifty best games of all-time.
All eyes were on this much-hyped follow up, God of War Ragnarök, which was released onto both the PS4 and the PS5 in November, to see if it could somehow satisfy the now stratospheric expectations. Amazingly, it not only managed to accomplish this, but actually exceeded the previous iteration. Playing through the game is a truly breathtaking experience, with the Nordic mythology making it feel like you’re taking control of an epic blockbuster movie. A must-have for all Playstation owners.
Elden Ring
The fantasy genre has continued to be a mainstay of culture in 2022, with there being two massive TV shows that have managed to capture many a viewer’s imagination. These were the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, and then The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. With so much fantasy in the air, it’s no surprise that one of the leading games of the year’s story was actually written by leading novelist of the genre, George R. R. Martin.
Elden Ring was released in February 2022 onto a wide range of consoles, as well as PC. Developed by FromSoftware, it borrows heavily from their acclaimed Dead Souls series of games, which combine terrifyingly difficult gameplay, with a magnificently engaging mystical world.
Elden Ring builds upon these solid foundations, and provides one of the most enthralling encounters possible in gaming. With its trickiness level being through the roof though, make sure you read up on our gaming room ideas to try in your home, as you’ll want to be in comfort as you battle.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
The previous two choices are obviously brilliant, but they can be heavy going on play-through. So, what if you wanted something a bit lighter, a little less taxing, but still equally captivating? Well, fortunately, 2022 also saw the return of gaming’s most beloved pink spherical protagonist. Released in March on the Nintendo Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the latest entry in the cherished platformer series which first began life back in 1992 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
What makes the game, developed by HAL Laboratory and then published by Nintendo, so special, is that it manages to breathe new life into the platforming genre, without losing any of the charm that made the previous instalments in the Kirby franchise so much fun to play. It does this by transforming the 2D structure that formerly was a staple of the series, into a fully-fleshed out 3D adventure. Now you get to float around as Kirby in every direction, and the results are absolutely glorious.
