Do exclusives continue to market systems? Even though God of War Ragnarok was released for the PlayStation 4 as well, I’m sure it moved a lot of PlayStation 5 units. I’m not sure if any one piece of software can be given the credit for raising consumer interest, though, as Sony is still having trouble keeping up with the demand for the two-year-old next-gen machine. There are few PlayStation or Xbox games that can’t also be played on PC, the Switch, or each other, and just a few of 2022’s finest games are exclusive to any one platform. You can play our game of the year on nearly any hardware, including both new and old PlayStations. The Switch is the only gaming console where you can play brand-new Nintendo titles, so it’s the only one that most likely sells on the basis of its exclusives. The situation might alter in the next years as Sony tries to compete with Microsoft by acquiring big publishers, but the year 2022 has confirmed that you don’t necessarily need to purchase a certain platform to enjoy the greatest new games. Only two of the games on our list of the top PlayStation games of the year are PlayStation-only titles. Although the distinctions between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 are still hazy, all ten of these titles can be played on any console, so even if you haven’t found a PlayStation 5 yet, you won’t be left out. And if you’re looking for high-profile exclusives for your preferred system, we’ll start you off with one of the best PlayStation exclusives of the year—a great game that was released a week before Elden Ring and therefore a little overshadowed.
Players set out on an exhilarating, initially innocent-looking, but ultimately evil trip through the settings of the Old Faith as soon as Cult of the Lamb starts, and it never lets up. The player is executed shortly after taking control of the game for having the ability to serve as a vessel for the chained god The One Who Waits. The player is saved by this fallen god, who then demands that they serve as a genuine lamb sacrifice by assuming a crown and ascending to power. From there, players engage in a lot of, to put it mildly, questionable activity, indoctrinating Old Faith heretics into cults and deciding how best to take advantage of them.
Perhaps the honesty of Cult of the Lamb is its greatest asset. Action games are about having complete physical dominion over the objects and people around you, but management sims have always been about manipulating strings to make big and little systems perform what you want them to. In a way, Cult of the Lamb is this deeply self-aware union of two separate but inextricably linked genres about the hierarchy of things. It places you right at the top of that hierarchy and lays everything exposed. It abandons all pretences and masterfully integrates numerous forms of systemic, physical, and spiritual violence into its systems and straightforward plot. At the end of the day, your cult leader is nothing more than a destructive avatar disguising itself as a hero. At that point, how much more of a videogame could you possibly be? And Cult of the Lamb is more than deserving of praise for that frankness alone. — Moisés Taveras
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is the only game that was released this year, so you might be excused for believing that. It appeared to be the only topic of conversation, writing, and even playing for a good three months. From Software expanded one of the most expansive open world games in recent memory using its trademark RPG formula, making it more approachable than their earlier Souls games while still making it even more enigmatic and scary. Although it has the violence and nuanced storytelling you would expect from a Souls game, its expansive, secret-filled setting is unmistakably inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Elden Ring is still a nearly unimaginable accomplishment, even if it is a little too vast and turns into a drag in the late game. I’ve spent over 170 hours on it, and I still go back again and then to check for any caves or ashes I may have missed. Few games can equal Elden Ring’s ability to camp out in your skull and refuse to leave. Gary Martin
Horizon Forbidden West
The open world genre doesn’t have to be as creatively barren as it currently is, even when staying true to the rules of the genre, as Horizon Forbidden West shows. A game can adhere to a well-worn structure while still feeling fresh with the correct emphasis, environment, and storytelling. It won’t blow your mind or cause you to reevaluate the possibilities of what games can achieve, but it is evidence that games can still be a lot of fun even if they don’t do anything novel—something we don’t often see from high-budget corporate games like this one. Gary Martin
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
In my adolescence Exocolonist is a narrative-focused life-sim full of incisive criticism and genuinely presented characters that attentively handles its broad variety of issues. As a member of the first generation reared on a far-off planet, you struggle with the universally unpleasant experience of growing up while also seeing political upheaval and the hazards of your new home. Its vibrant visual may give the impression that it is a “wholesome game,” yet despite this, it thoroughly deals with the dangers of its environment while also conveying the warmth of its characters and their connections. By depicting a post-capitalist commune where its characters question Earth’s backwards practices, it imagines what a better future might look like. However, it avoids sliding into utopianism by addressing the moral dilemmas raised by this colonial project as well as the looming threat of right-wing reactionism. Although its deckbuilding aspects grow a little old by the end, it emphasises meaningful decisions that have a direct impact on the outcomes of its characters, putting you in the middle of political unrest and intriguing sociological issues. It’s considerate, kind, and pretty much everything else I look for in science fiction. Gonzalez, Elijah
Norco
As a native of the South, I don’t really trust outsiders to write about the region unless they, too, are from here—or at least have lived here long enough to truly understand what makes it great and awful in equal measure, and how the ways in which the South is actually fucked up frequently diverge from the ways in which outsiders think it’s fucked up. Norco, a clever narrative-driven game about the particular ways in which institutions like religion and big business have historically abused the South, its people, and its land, is unmistakably the creation of people who are familiar with this area and its underlying flaws. With its mythical and allegorical flourishes only underlining the mindless mundanity and real-life degradations of the modern South, it offers an uncompromising, occasionally strange peek into an only slightly exaggerated version of Louisiana. Play Norco if you only play one game from this list. Gary Martin
OlliOlli World
Everything becomes bigger, longer, and deeper in the third instalment of Roll7’s series of artistic, low-fi skateboard games. even more beefy It has personalities. a complete narrative. The quick-twitch trick machine that OlliOlli has always been at its core is still present, but the narrative and world-building components have been enlarged to the point where it no longer always feels like the refined puzzle engine it once did. It depends on your particular preferences, so it’s neither good nor awful, but it’s all done with the same charm and stylishness as the series is known for. And this is awesome because it’s been seven years since we last dipped into a fresh OlliOlli. The world is definitely a good one. Gary Martin
Signalis
Although Signalis falls into a bigger trend of games that imitate survival horror from the PSX era, its daring aesthetic decisions and captivating plot enable it move beyond its influences to produce something unique. Its gameplay skillfully borrows elements from some of the standard suspects, such as Resident Evil (2002) and Silent Hill 2, as you search for keys, evade zombies that reanimate in the style of Crimson Head, and go backwards and forwards to complete puzzles. Its strongest selling point, though, is that it offers one of the year’s most engaging videogame narratives, with its reflections on dying, finding one’s identity, and accepting loss expressed through cryptic symbolism and cyclical sorrow. It creates a bewildering mental environment that highlights the perplexity of its protagonist by frequently changing locations, artistic idioms, and points of view. As the meaning of its recurrent pictures is gradually revealed, the terrible weight of it all finally descends. It’s a love story that has stuck in my head like a brainworm. Gonzalez, Elijah
Soul Hackers 2
Soul Hackers 2 only took me 32 hours, even with all the side missions and demon grinding I performed. A JRPG that lasts 30 to 40 hours is practically unheard of right now. And it’s stunning. There isn’t much place for didactic dialogue and walls of explanation. There are no lore shards that need to be found. The character side missions are simple to do and have obvious spoilers. With some of the best dungeon crawling Atlus has created in more than a decade, Soul Hackers 2 presents a good anime narrative about rivals becoming friends, AI learning about mankind, and dealing with pain. It’s brevity and digestibility make it ideal for the modern player with a mountain of unfinished business. Rarely do I review a game and then want to play it again. Even though I enjoy it at the time, I generally need to erase the game from my PlayStation and put it aside for a bit since I’m so exhausted by the procedure. While still being a robust monster-collecting dungeon crawler, Soul Hackers 2 is fluid and airy enough that I’ve been considering playing it again ever since I finished writing my review. — Dia Lacina
Stray
Stray has a profound understanding of what it means to be a cat, at least from the viewpoint of a person. This cat is prone to scratching furniture, walls, and carpets. This cat will casually knock anything off shelves, including open paint cans, vases, and glasses. If you wish it to, this cat will get its head stuck in paper bags, hang out in empty boxes, or aimlessly swat balls. Even in the middle of a game of dominoes, this cat will jump onto a table, scattering the pieces all over the floor. It will also meow and purr, brush affectionately against the legs of individuals it likes, and even cuddle up next to a robot while dozing off. Stray uncannily mimics a cat’s appearance and movements while also capturing the mischief, aloofness, and sweetness of the animal. Although the cat receives most of the attention, the cat’s mechanical companion actually leaves the most impression. Stray wouldn’t function if B-12 were just your standard guide, with a hint system and glowing arrows in character form. The fundamental emotional arc of the game, the wire upon which the entire experience hangs, is B-12’s journey of self-discovery. Even while you can predict the outcome of this story before the drone can, it is delivered with a clarity and forthrightness that increases its impact. Although the existential dangers facing humanity and the artificial intelligences that will be left behind are more important than the cat in the game, there is still a dedicated meow button. — Martin, Garrett
Tunic
What can I say that is merely respectful? The tunic of Andrew Shouldice. Which is what. The riddles in this one-man adventure jam are challenging because the creator believes that players will be able to solve every challenging situation that is given to them. The game’s isometric perspective and general environment are both examples of how deeply and openly it respects ’80s Nintendo games, particularly the original Legend of Zelda. It also features an in-game manual that is not only a recreation of a NES instruction manual but also a mystic, sacred text that the adorable fox hero must find. Tunic digs deep into our collective gaming history to produce something fresh and distinctive enough to stand apart from the appeal of nostalgia. Gary Martin
