Don’t listen to the naysayers, 2022 has been a cracking year for gamers. Whether it’s thanks to the blockbusting triple-A titles that have taken home the billions, the double-A wannabes below that or the weekly releases from the indie and micro devs out there, there have been a ton of game releases to enjoy. But which are the best Xbox games to have released in 2022? Which should be seen as the Xbox Games of the Year 2022?
As a site, TheXboxHub have reviewed over 900 Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games in 2022, and in amongst that have been some good, and some not-so-good, experiences. In fact, we’ve got a list of the 10 worst Xbox Games of 2022, but there have also been some great games; must-plays that every single Xbox player should be checking out.
It’s those games which should be seen as the Xbox Games of the Year 2022. It’s the following nine in fact…
9) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Read our full 4.5/5 review of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge
Shredder’s Revenge sets out to be a complete modernisation of a beloved franchise and genre of the 80s/90s, all whilst adding in modern tropes like the levelling system and level saves.
Squeezing onto our comprehensive list, beating many of the big boys to the punch, sits Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. A classic, colourful beat ‘em up inspired by the arcade classics of yester-decade, Shredder’s Revenge brings some of the more welcome modern additions to this incredibly addictive and fast-paced thrill, like a welcome save system and RPG-esque ways to level up the half-shell heroes throughout their adventure.
Of course, Shredder’s Revenge wouldn’t be half as good as it is without the inclusion of up to six player co-op: with each character playing slightly different to another, promoting different playstyles, there is some strategising beforehand with regards to teaming up.
With a wide variety of enemies to take down, Shredder’s Revenge is good ol’ fashioned arcade fun, and is well-deserving of a place on all GOTY lists.
8) Sonic Frontiers
Read our full 4/5 review of Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers feels like the shackles have been taken off, bringing Sonic kicking and screaming into the next generation of gaming. The open world sections aren’t ground-breaking, but they could well be the start of something special, not just for Sonic but for whatever inevitably comes next.
The latest outing for everyone’s favourite rapid blue hedgehog, Sonic Frontiers yanks Sonic et al. into the modern era of gaming with a thoroughly enjoyable romp through semi-open world zones. It’s an interesting spin on the age-old formula, which immediately reminds us of the highs of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Generations.
Combining more classic linear levels in between sections of freedom, having you uncover an unsurprisingly wacky storyline involving the big bad Eggman, a lot of Sonic Frontiers will have veterans of the franchise right at home. However, the ambitious nature of taking the gang into a more open environment, complete with more rails and loops than Tony Hawk could ever wish for, means that Sonic Frontiers must be applauded.
From our review back in November we said that this could be the start of a new era for Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and whatever anthropomorphic forest-dweller that joins the fray – keep an eye on this space!
7) Deathloop
Read our full 4/5 review of Deathloop
It feels fresh, original and has some really good ideas, but if this is to be thought of as an experiment of sorts, there’s lots of scope to expand this universe going forward. I’d very much like to see a sequel and if it addresses these concerns, it could easily be an all time classic.
Finally making its way over to the world of X in 2022, much of our autumn months were dominated by the complex yet captivating interplay between Colt and Julianna in Arkane Studios’ Deathloop. It truly is guns galore in the ‘60s-inspired world of Blackreef, clearly an evolution of the dark and dingy environments present in the Dishonored series.
Your aim, as protagonist Colt, is to break the ever-persistent time loop put upon him by killing a set of Visionaries all in the space of a single day, with each day set across four playable time periods. Whilst this may seem simple at first, try saying that again when you are in your hundredth loop, being hunted down by people with teleportation powers!
Of course, in what is a FPS-come-roguelite such as Deathloop, between runs you can choose to preserve many of your weapons and unlockable powers (Blink from Dishonored of course makes a return, known here as Shift). Your own knowledge of the world and your targets also becomes one of your greatest assets, especially when you go out and hunt down other players as Julianna!
Deathloop is quite like no other, and is a must-play given its presence over on Game Pass.
6) Saints Row
Read our full 4/5 review of Saints Row
Saints Row (2022) is much like what went before it. It may have toned down slightly in the weirdnesses, but it’s still full of humour and fun. It’s still a game that will make you smile; a game that will tempt you into some laugh out loud moments.
All power to the Third Street Saints – they’ve gone from lowly street gang, to running businesses across the land, to literally becoming the President of the United States of America. With the Saints Row reboot that released back in August of this year, the fleur-de-lis-toting, purple-obsessed gang are going back to their roots, in the brand-new location of Santo Ileso. It’s good to see that the downright absurd nature of these open-world shooters didn’t go missing with the emergence of new characters Kevin, Neenah, Eli and your new Boss.
With all the hallmarks of an open-world title brought to modern consoles, such as a huge environment to discover, tons of side quests to make your way through, and a host of rival gangs to take down, you will find yourself spending hours upon hours levelling up your Boss as you blast through a similarly complex story. Well, it’s ‘complex’ in a relative sense – at the end of the day, all the Saints need to do is kill everyone in their way to absolute dominance, and that’s just how we like it!
Whichever side of the Saints Row debate you are on – this reboot certainly hasn’t been to everyone’s taste – Saints Row (2022) is still very much worth taking for a spin.
5) A Plague Tale: Requiem
Read our full 5/5 review of A Plague Tale: Requiem
If you were a fan of Innocence then you are going to adore A Plague Tale: Requiem. It’s a familiar experience but one in which the mechanics, visuals, sound, and story have all been ramped up. Lasting around thirteen hours, A Plague Tale: Requiem manages to eclipse the first game; pretty much every minute is heavenly.
We really had little doubt in our mind that A Plague Tale: Requiem – the sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence – would be of consideration when time came to submit our GOTY lists. After all, developers Asobo Studios are masters of their craft, and the first adventure with Amicia and Hugo was an emotional and beautiful tale of plight through a plague-stricken medieval France.
The sequel is pretty much more of the same, with improvements in nearly all aspects. For those of you looking for some great combat and stealth, mixed into a brilliant narrative, then look no further than this one, especially so if you are making use of its Game Pass home.
Whether you are in it for the puzzles, to see how little Hugo manages to survive with his supernatural powers, or simply to slingshot some pointy rocks at the squishy heads of the Inquisition, A Plague Tale: Requiem simply has it all, and is perhaps our favourite action-adventure title of 2022.
4) Vampire Survivors
Read our full 5/5 review of Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors feels amazing value. It is ridiculously cheap and has a gameplay hook that refuses to let go. I worry that many may take a look at the simple visuals and the Xbox Store description before fast turning away, but I urge you to please try this game. Vampire Survivors is without doubt up there as one of the finest indie games of the year.
Shamefully, we admit that before its release in October, not many of us had heard of Vampire Survivors, and nobody could have predicted the grip that this superb indie title had on our lives. Seriously, someone needs to check the contents of Vampire Survivors for illegal substances!
With minimal content in the way of a story – you are a survivor, and you must survive – the simple to pick up but hard to master gameplay is the key draw of this title. Playing out as an auto-shooter, requiring you just to walk about, you’ll very quickly be mowing down hundreds of thousands of creatures, which all drop gems that act as your XP currency. Use such gems to unlock new weapons, acquire a wealth of abilities across your runs, face off against monstrous bosses, and repeat.
And repeat, and repeat once more. It’s simple gaming in the best of ways, with pixelated graphics and even ‘minimal gameplay’ that is stated on the Xbox Store page for the game. Well, be it minimal gameplay or not – we never want to ease up on Vampire Survivors.
3) LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Read our full 4.5/5 review of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga oozes the feel good factor. It’s a comprehensively charming and loving tribute to the source material that also happens to be the biggest and best LEGO game to date.
Hit the Hyperdrive, Chewie – it’s time to remember one of the best LEGO games ever released, and the third-best game to bless us in 2022!
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is massive. Massive amount of characters, a complete story for each of the nine massive main Star Wars films, a massive quantity of side quests, massive open world locales to explore. This is a LEGO title, with the childish LEGO charm we have been used to for years, that is for everyone young and old. We wouldn’t be surprised if many new Star Wars fans have been carved from first playing this title when it released back in April.
With a surprisingly complex combat system making lightsaber battles incredibly crunchy, and with each character possessing unique abilities that unlock hidden areas in each level and world, the limits to your imagination when it comes to exploring these LEGO lands.
The recent release of a complete edition – LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Galactic Edition – means that there is no better time than to play through this incredibly heart-warming game.
2) TUNIC
Read our full 4.5/5 review of TUNIC
We’d use one word to sum up TUNIC: delightful. Few games will make you feel so skillful and clever, and fewer still will have the ability to slap a grin on your face.
Put the brave adventurer Link into a fox costume, and you have the fiendishly difficult TUNIC in your possession. In a world where everything is written and spoken in a foreign, indecipherable language, in order to progress through this isometric action-adventure, all knowledge is gained through practice. An intricate understand of the combat, magic and abilities at your fingertips is essential for making it to the end of the colourful and chaotic world our foxy hero finds themselves in. There’s no need for world-building and hand-holding – you will carve out your own adventure, and we love TUNIC even more for giving us such an opportunity.
Don’t let the cutesy art style fool you, as TUNIC can be incredibly taxing, both in terms of combat and an understanding of where you must adventure next. There’s really no shame in reaching for a guide now and again – go on, we won’t tell anyone!
With the game available on Game Pass from the Xbox Store, TUNIC is truly a must-play, and in any other year, would have been crowned TheXboxHub’s Game of the Year. But there remains one title that shone through.
1) Elden Ring
Read our full 5/5 review of Elden Ring
If you like Dark Souls, this is a no brainer, but even if you don’t then Elden Ring is still more than worth a try; if only as it is a tiny bit friendlier.
Perhaps it’s due to the juggernaut that is FromSoftware being behind it, or that you couldn’t move in February without hearing of this title; perhaps it’s simply because everyone is an absolute masochist that wishes to be punished. Elden Ring is far and away our Game of the Year for 2022, probably only receiving true competition if Kratos and his pals would make their way over to our side of the console war.
If you have been living under the golden Erdtree, then perhaps you are unaware of what makes Elden Ring just so captivating. Over time, FromSoftware have perfected their brand of heavy, punishing combat, and the opportunity to take this into an open world, where players can take on whatever hulking beast that catches their eye, has been too good to be true for millions of gamers across the planet. Being able to craft their own character, equipping them with the weapons that make them tick, and complementing this with an array of abilities, has had us min-maxing to within an inch of our lives throughout the calendar year.
Take a bow, Elden Ring. You are the official TheXboxHub Game of the Year – put that on your special edition boxes!
Agree with our list? Is there any Xbox game that you have enjoyed in 2022 that just has to get a mention? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and on all social media channels. For the time being, thanks for your support in 2022, and we’ll be going nowhere ahead of another incredibly exciting year for gaming!