A year that featured the FIFA World Cup, Milky Way’s black hole, and the triumphant box office return of the almighty Tom Cruise, 2022 has been one for the books.
While it was admittedly a quiet year in the world of video games, there were still some notable titles that kept our PC and consoles happily buzzing along. Our shortlist might not consist of pure AAA 800-pound gorillas, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t thoroughly enjoy our time with each and every one of our picks.
Here are Gamers Heroes’ 2022 Game of the Year winners, in no particular order…
King Arthur Knight’s Tale
One of the most unique titles to release this year, Neocore’s dark fantasy RPG King Arthur’s: Knights Tale wowed us from beginning to end.
Its fresh take on Arthurian Legend followed the Knights of the Round Table on their quest to reclaim Avalon. This isn’t Monty Python and the Holy Grail, however; this title combined the best elements of turn-based tactical titles and more traditional, character-centric RPGs to create something that is equal parts rewarding and ruthless.
As a result, King Arthur’s: Knights Tale truly captures that rogue-like adrenaline surge every encounter players face. Every decision players make is absolutely crucial, from religion to the ever-lasting battle between Tyranny and Righteousness. Sir Mordred’s morale compass is a fickle thing, and we had an absolute blast carefully crafting our character.
You can read our review of King Arthur: Knight’s Tale here.
Elden Ring
Despite coming out at the beginning of the year, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring stands at the top of a very tall hill.
The Souls series has been going strong for more than a decade, but Directors Hidetaka Miyazaki and Yui Tanimura turned the formula on its head by giving players the chance to freely roam its open world. After players create their character, pick a class, and choose a starter item, the sky’s the limit; there is loot to find, caves, NPCs, side quests, and even bosses waiting to be discovered.
However, it is how everything comes together in the Lands Between that makes Elden Ring a truly special experience. While things might connect in weird and unexpected ways, it leads to a sense of wonder we haven’t seen since the release of 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Paired with the organic events that happen with the most unusual of fellows (including the one and only Alexander the Potman) and you’ve got an experience that immerses players in its world that only FromSoftware can do.
You can read our review of Elden Ring here.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
The sheer amount of content released around the Marvel Cinematic Universe as of late might have led to some fatigue among even the most diehard of true believers, but Firaxis Games and 2K’s Marvel’s Midnight Suns keeps the dream alive.
Getting the critically acclaimed developers of the X-COM franchise was an incredibly smart decision for this turn-based tactical RPG. However, its card system – which has players picking three characters that pack their own decks – really seals the deal. With characters hailing from Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Runaways, the depth and quality of each respective characters’ combat abilities is simply incredible. Even after we conquered Marvel’s Midnight Suns and all its side content, we were still eager to try out different builds and combinations.
Put simply, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is what happens when you give a passionate studio an established IP with such promise and potential, something incredibly rare in this day and age.
You can read our review of Marvel’s Midnight Suns here.
Gotham Knights
We couldn’t just give Marvel all of the love this year; our experience with WB Games action RPG Montréal’s Gotham Knights also made a lasting impression with an open world that felt truly alive.
Taking control of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood, its battle between the Court of Owls and the League of Shadows had us glued from the very first cutscene. It provided a fresh take on the Gotham City players know all too well, with Harley Quinn, Clayface, Mr. Freeze, the Man-Bat Commandos, and even The Penguin rounding out an all-star cast of heroes and villains.
Its fast, responsive, and action-packed combat fit its open world like a glove, striking the perfect balance between stealth and all-out brawling. Whether we were breaking through shields or dodging powered attacks, we were constantly on our toes and truly felt like a badass from the first punch to the last.
Not only is this title a must-play for fans of open-world titles, it is also an easy pickup for fans of Gotham Knights or the DC Universe.
You can read our review of Gotham Knights here.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Everything old is new again with the release of Dotemu, Gamera Games, and Tribute Games’ retro revival beat-em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.
Timeless classic brawling mechanic pushes its one attack button to its absolute limit. Don’t be fooled though; players will combo with jumps and dives, spam for multiple attacks, charge for special attacks, and even taunt as they set out to stop Shredder, Foot Soldiers, Triceraton Warriors, and Rock Troops.
Six player simultaneous co-op, full-color pixel art graphics, and aesthetics that stay true to the 1987 TV show seal the deal, making this title the next big hit for one’s next get-together. The best part? Levels run from six to ten minutes, never overstaying their welcome. It might not be an epic, but it most certainly is radical.
You can read our review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge here.
While some of these picks are admittedly out of the ordinary, we are confident that these five games are worthy of being called Game of the Year. However, we’re open to feedback; let us know your 2022 Game of the Year in the comments below.
