From racing round the Nürburgring and cerebral androids on the run, to compiling the first Pokédex and tackling robot dinosaurs, here are the best games of the year so far
This clever, shareable word game was the feelgood story of the early part of the year, as mysterious coloured-block emojis proliferated across social feeds and half the planet was drawn into guessing the word of the day. Wordle mania might have dissipated a little since the New York Times took it over, but it’ll still be a defining game of 2022.
What we said: “The simplicity is the charm. One Wordle is released each day, and it’s the same one for everyone around the world. There are no advertisements, no niggling notifications begging you to return each morning, no novelty skins … the game’s rejection of the capitalistic systems that define so many video games today has a refreshing, innocent quality. Long may Wordle remain so pure.” Read the full review.
A spectacular and inscrutable action-fantasy game from one of the greatest game directors working today, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and the seemingly inexhaustibly talented developers at FromSoftware. This is a world where you never know what you might find, where you’ll be defeated 50 different ways but always want to come back to discover more.
What we said: “Video games can be all kinds of different things, representing all manner of artistic ambitions. Most, however, share a common goal: to conjure a compelling fictional reality, filled with beckoning mysteries, enchanting secrets, and enriching opportunities to compete and collaborate. They aim to provide a liminal space in which a determined player can fix that which is broken, order that which is chaotic. By this definition, at least, Elden Ring is the finest video game yet made.” Read the full review.
A welcoming skateboarding game with chill vibes, an impeccably cool soundtrack and a suitably alternative art style. You create a cute little skater, customise your board and take it out across surreal, dreamy landscapes, grinding on rails and wall-riding across billboards held up by giant bees, trying to squeeze as many tricks as you can into each short, tightly designed level.
What we said: “From its free-spirited counterculture flavour to its flamboyant aesthetic, this is the gaming equivalent of a weekend trip to Brighton: an interactive experience for those who can’t actually skateboard but religiously buy a new pair of Vans anyway.” Read the full review.
This is an intimidatingly huge game, but exploring the post-apocalyptic US with red-haired warrior Aloy is alarmingly absorbing. Intimidating robot dinosaurs and warring tribes provide the danger, and fighting them is more fun the further into the game you get – but it’s the world, with its tempting treasures and amazing sights and unusual characters, that provides the intrigue. Even after 50 hours immersed in the game, you’ll not tire of how incredible it looks.
What we said: “It’s when I was out in this world, following whatever trails I found, that Horizon made me happiest. I lost hours out there, retrieving random artefacts from old train stations or crashed planes, and scrapping with the intimidating mechanical creatures that stalk the place.” Read the full review.
The first real shake-up to the predictable 25-year-old Pokémon formula, Arceus has you playing as more of a researcher than a battler, travelling back in time to help compile the first Pokédex, the Pokémon encyclopedia. It looks sub-par, but it has the power to make even elder millennials feel a sense of wonder again as you explore the wilds and marvel at the fictional creatures that live there.
What we said: “Twenty-six years after I caught my very first Pokémon, the franchise is new again, and that gleeful sense of excitement is back.” Read the full review.
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