Some may say that 2022 has been a letdown when it comes to game releases and I would agree with people to some extent. On the Xbox side of the fence, we have seen little to no first-party exclusives with a promise that will all change in 2023 with the agreement of at least one triple-A release into Xbox Game Pass every single quarter. That said though, there has been plenty of gaming to be done if you dig deep with lots of hidden indie gems and bigger releases. I would personally argue against it being the worst year on record and I have never been short of anything to discover and enjoy this year. As the year closes out, I will take you through my personal choices for my top 10 games of 2022.

10 – Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed

I knew I was going to like this one for two reasons. Ghostbusters was a childhood thing of mine, I was obsessed with the movies and the cartoons alongside all the merchandise. Also, Ilfonic are a soft spot for me when it comes to their games and whilst they don’t always nail everything, they have a very unique approach to their games. I adored how they managed to turn the Ghostbusters brand into a game of cat and mouse between the busters and the ghosts and both sides are completely playable. It has an aura of Dead By Daylight and Friday 13th The Game to it and I loved it alone and with friends. Another game that deserves a mention by the same team in 2022 is Arcadegeddon which is a title that deserves far more hype than it received.

9 – The Quarry

The Quarry just oozes quality in both storytelling and decision-making along with amazing visuals. Developed by Supermassive Games and published by 2K, the game features real-life actors converted into the virtual world of video games. There are lots of mysteries to cover and hours of replayability with potentially 140+ different outcomes. It is a summer camp that has gone terribly wrong and you’ll have to make every choice carefully. Expect a rollercoaster of shocking twists and turns with some really difficult sacrifices to make.

8 – Endzone – A World Apart

Endzone – A World Apart arrived on console in May 2022 and without knowing a lot about it, I picked it up for a review and was obsessed with how it handled and played on Xbox. Real-time strategy games always reel me in regardless of the setting and story. As someone who smashed so much time into Halo Wars 2 and constantly looks for new experiences in a lacking genre for console, I was instantly hooked and all over this one. Set in a world where nuclear attacks have taken place and without so much as the clothes on your back, you have to survive and build your community and overcome radiation and off the cuff random catastrophic events. With a solid port in terms of controls, if you love RTS games, you’ll want to buy this one for sure.

7 – Two Point Campus

After my adoration for Two Point Hospital when it was first released off the back of high demand for a revival of Theme Hospital, I was pleased to see the team at Two Point Studios continue with the same ideas and develop a whole new take on the genre. Not only did the team manage to bring back what made Two Point Hospital so great but in a campus setting, they built on the excellent foundations and bought new ideas to the table and have since launched DLC over both Halloween and Christmas. Again, this is a game I was surprised to see on Xbox Game Pass at launch but well worth checking out if you’re subscribed.

6 – Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction

I am almost certain this game won’t even get a mention from anyone else but it became a co-op game that grew on me in the earlier part of 2022. It is rare for a Ubisoft game to launch onto Xbox Game Pass, but this one did. I had an absolute blast with friends and random players unlocking everything on offer and levelling characters up. Sadly I don’t think this one will ever have as long of a shelf life as Rainbow Six Siege has enjoyed but Ubisoft does have a good track reputation of supporting games for a number of years even when popularity dies off. If you’re looking for something interesting and challenging to play with friends with teamwork required, this is worth a look.

5 – High On Life

I’ll admit that I haven’t even finished High On Life as yet but I am still ploughing through it and absorbing every nook and cranny possible. What I love about the game is how it sets itself apart from anything else. Far too many developers and publishers get criticised for recycling or reproducing the same ideology over and over in video games. This is unlike anything I’ve ever played and I enjoy how unique the environments, characters and narrative are. Congratulations to the team at Squanch Games who have quickly made this the biggest title to launch into Xbox Game Pass in 2022 and the biggest third-party title ever to arrive in the catalogue, it’s well deserved.

4 – Naraka Bladepoint

I am a huge battle royale fan and I’d go as far as to say it is probably my favourite genre of game nowadays. Even though Naraka Bladepoint enjoyed success on PC before it debuted as a timed exclusive on Xbox, I had heard little about it. Little did I know that the 60-player PVP martial arts style would consume me for countless hours during the summer months when not much else was around. Whilst menus and the progression system are still ultra confusing and a little messy to this day, I enjoyed the consistent ranking system and the huge amount of gear you could constantly unlock game after game. I also think it helped that I was actually pretty good at the game in comparison to first-person experiences. It’s available on Xbox Game Pass should you wish to check it out.

3 – As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls was another pleasant surprise for me and a bit of a love or hate game for many. The wonderfully written and animated choice-based adventure from INTERIOR NIGHT and Xbox Studios is a story I binged on for a good few weeks when it launched. I personally loved the art style and I felt connected with each and every character. Learning what consequences your actions could take with short snappy decisions increased the adrenaline and tension throughout and I was constantly engaged. Usually, I’d leave a game in this genre alone after one run-through, but I was happy to keep replaying to see all the outcomes.

2 – Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II / Warzone 2.0

I always open my mouth early on each year and say I am not going to invest in Call Of Duty this year. But each and every year I crack and buy it every year only to be a bit disappointed after burning each one out within a couple of weeks. After Cold War and Vanguard being average entries, in my opinion, I couldn’t wait to get hands-on with the Modern Warfare II reboot.

With MW2019 being the love letter to Call Of Duty fans most wanted, I was ready for more of the same. Whilst the game is far from perfect and probably the shoddiest launch in some time with a plethora of issues it still functions as a moreish solid shooter. With the addition of DMZ and Raids to a satisfactory campaign with brilliant multiplayer and a whole new Warzone to indulge in, it is a game that I spend hours with every single day.

1 – Vampire Survivors

It is super difficult to drop Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II down to second place here, especially since I have racked up hundreds of hours of gameplay already. Vampire Survivors though is a game that not only took me by surprise with its insanely addictive gameplay loop but it kind of took the gaming world by storm when it hit consoles. Even Phil Spencer himself has racked up close to 300 hours with the game which says a lot for a bloke who is probably always busy.

I reviewed this shortly after it entered the Xbox Game Pass catalogue and called it my Game Of The Year 2022 which I can honestly still say stands today. If you haven’t played it yet then you are honestly missing out and if you don’t own a console you can even play it on your smartphone now. Just goes to show, graphics don’t always make a game.

Final Thoughts

So that’s a wrap from me, there are many more I would have loved to get in the top ten such as Tunic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredders Revenge, the new Cuphead DLC and more but then my list would be never-ending. Without realising until the end of writing this, six of the ten titles in the list are available as part of Xbox Game Pass which really does show the value of the subscription service. I have got my moneys worth and some this year, with an insight into what is on the horizon for 2023 and 2024 it is only going to get better.