There’s talk about 2022 being a slower year for new video games, but one of the great things about having a decent gaming PC is that you’re rarely starved for great new video games to play. In recent years, Microsoft has dedicated itself to releasing all its games on Xbox and PC, and even PlayStation is starting to release its previously-exclusive games on PC. Then there are the third-party multiplatform games, and then PC-exclusive games on top of that.
It didn’t always use to be this way – PC ports of console games used to be atrocious, and console exclusivity was a big deal. Thankfully, this isn’t the case anymore.
In this article, you’ll find a hefty list of some of the best PC games of 2022 that GamesHub staff and contributors have personally played and loved. While it’s virtually impossible to try the hundreds of new PC games that come out every week, please tell us if we missed your favourite on Twitter!
Here are the best PC games released in 2022 so far:
- Elden Ring
- Neon White
- Vampire Survivors
- Please Fix The Road
- Norco
- Total War: Warhammer 3
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
- Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
- OlliOlli World
- Chinatown Detective Agency
- Escape Academy
- Knotwords
- As Dusk Falls
- Rogue Legacy 2
- Tunic
- The Quarry
- The Sims 4: Werewolves
- Songs of Conquest
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
- Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
- The Stanely Parable: Ultra Deluxe
- Dread Delusion
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Submerged: Hidden Depths
- Nobody Saves the World
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg
- WWE 2K22
For more on the best games of 2022 so far, be sure to check out our other lists:
- The Best Games of 2022 (So Far)
- The Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2022 (So Far)
- The Best Xbox Games of 2022 (So Far)
- The Best PlayStation Games of 2022 (So Far)
Elden Ring
Where to start with the incredible Elden Ring? FromSoftware has long been making great games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, and definitely garnered a very vocal and devout following. But even the most fanatic Souls fans could not have possibly predicted how enormously popular and well-received Elden Ring would become in 2022. And for good reason, too.
It took the studio’s unwavering ideas about ideas about challenge and player-driven discovery, both of which have made the Souls games exceptionally special, and dressed them up into a more approachable and enjoyable game without feeling compromised. This includes the major decision to build the game around an open world, which allows for non-linear progression and lets you feel in control of how you progress through the game’s beats and escalation in challenge. It also makes for incredibly dramatic moments of awe, seemingly around every corner.
Read: Elden Ring Review – Stay a while, stay forever
Together with a community who is always more than willing to assist you via the integrated co-op functionality, and so many different ways to play it, it’s no wonder there has been nothing but excellent chatter about Elden Ring, a conversation that has extended long past its initial launch back in March 2022.
Here’s hoping the success of it encourages a trend of imitators, because it’s clear that there are millions of people who have learned to appreciate FromSoftware’s decidedly antithetical school of game design. There’s no question that Elden Ring is one of the best games of 2022. – Edmond Tran
Neon White
If you want a game that can get your heart pumping in less than a minute, look no further than Neon White. From the mind behind the very chill Donut County comes… a very different game. It’s an intense speedrunning game that focuses on pushing you to race through levels, gun down demons, and perform wild acrobatic feats in the quickest time possible. It’s utterly exhilarating and incredibly moreish.
Read: Neon White review – Don’t stop, never give up
The game also features online leaderboards, and that whole vector of competing with your friends is very powerful in Neon White. Literal milliseconds matter, and that’s a huge encouragement for you to go back and replay stages again, and again, and again as you try to optimise your route. After all, it’s just a couple of milliseconds, right? Easy. Neon White is one of those games that distorts your sense of time and priorities.
Coupled with a very strong, early-2000s anime aesthetic, a thumping drum n’ bass soundtrack, and a social aspect with characters that definitely grow on you, Neon White is definitely one of the best games of 2022, a standout title that I just keep wanting to go back to – if only to maintain my pride on the leaderboard. – Edmond Tran
Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors really doesn’t look like much at first glance. It’s got that incredibly lo-fi key art of Dracula, and sprites that look like they were torn straight out of the 2D Castlevania games, giving it the air of someone’s first experiments with game development. But give it 15 minutes of your time, and it’ll more than likely dig its claws right into you, and it’ll be hard to stop your entire day getting completely bled dry by its dangerously moreish gameplay loop.
Vampire Survivors takes elements of an idle game (auto-attacking and selective progression system) and gives you just that little bit of agency (the ability to move) which keeps your eyes trained on the screen at all times. As countless enemies swarm on your location, you need to maintain the spacing needed to allow your chosen weapons the time to cool down and fire in order to keep them at bay.
Writing this down, it really doesn’t sound like much, but the gradual power curve that occurs as you gain experience points and slowly unlock a stack of different weapons that fire at will in different ways is incredibly engaging. 10 minutes in, and you’ll likely be a walking wheel of destruction that chews up dozens of enemies every second as whips crack, books fly, and fireballs tunnel through the masses. But just a few mistakes could see it all tumbling down very quickly, and balancing on that knife edge is an incredible high you’ll want to chase again and again.
The Vampire Survivors take on action survival games has only gotten better as it’s progressed through its Early Access phase, and spawned a number of imitators since. But this is the original and the best, and perhaps the Castlevania spinoff we didn’t know we needed. – Edmond Tran
Please Fix The Road
From our Please Fix The Road review: ‘Please Fix The Road is a puzzle game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.’
‘When you solve one of its 150 puzzles, manipulating tiles to build a clear road from point A to point B, and the little car who issued the request is able to complete its journey, the car explodes. To be precise, when the car reaches its destination it is launched into the sky, tumbling wheel over bonnet until – boom! – it is encased in flame, a blazing wreck flying through the air.’
‘Things start out simple, but get complex fairly quickly. The restrictions on the tiles you play help keep you focused – there aren’t too many options to deal with – but as the number of tiles increases, it all adds up to become a demanding, but always enjoyable test of wits. Stretching your brain to see the big picture of how the board will look after you’ve made your moves, or working backwards from the end point until the pieces have slotted into place, are made easier by a helpful hint system and the ability to easily undo any move, or quickly reset the board.’
Read: Please Fix The Road Review – Exploding with delight
‘I particularly enjoyed the little epiphanies along the way, those moments of realisation when a tile you’ve been using in a certain way suddenly requires you to find a different way to use it. Or when a new tile is introduced and you’re excited to see all the additional possibilities opened up by its presence in your deck. And without spoiling things, there are plenty of occasions where you’ll have to quite literally think outside the box.’
‘Beautiful, charming, smartly-designed and a joy to play, Please Fix The Road is one of 2022’s best puzzle games.’ – David Wildgoose
Norco
From our Norco review: ‘NORCO is a confronting video game; a confident, biographical and bewildering point-and-click narrative experience that feels more like something you inhale rather than play, with an effective cocktail of magical realism, societal heartbreak, and bummer coolness.’
‘From the opening act of the game, it feels appropriate to draw direct comparisons to other luminaries of the ‘video games for wonks’ genre, such as Disco Elysium and Kentucky Route Zero, as you wade deeper and deeper into NORCO’s magical realist miasma of inter-familial trauma, vicious class critique, and gorgeous, kaleidoscopic renderings of a constant Louisiana pre-dawn half-light.’
‘However, as NORCO plumbs the depths of its characters, world and the forces within, it presents an at times far nastier, morally ambiguous and apathetic view; not buoyed by astounding world-building and cryptozoology as Disco Elysium was, nor a love of poetry and spiritual community as was the case in Kentucky Route Zero.’
‘In NORCO, past and present blend together; one moment you inhabit the shoes of the terminally diagnosed, and in another, learn in minute detail about how your childhood home will, in time, flood, become abandoned, and eventually be razed. All stories told in exquisite, beautiful detail, never pulling a punch.’ – Nicholas Kennedy
Total War: Warhammer 3
From our Total War: Warhammer 3 review: ‘Total War: Warhammer 3 is a grand strategy game in both scale and spectacle, as you direct hordes of daemons in a rampage through the realms of mortals and gods, or guide mortals that seek to cut their way to the heart of Chaos. To achieve victory, you must micro-manage troops across the battlefield to outmanoeuvre your foes, plan out the infrastructure of your provinces, and guide your faction leaders through perilous expeditions into the realm of the Ruinous Powers.’
‘Like Warhammer 2 before it, Warhammer 3 is another dose of story-based content that builds on the design of the Total War strategy games and the partnership with the Games Workshop property. It features a new campaign, seven new factions at launch (eight if you include the Ogre Kingdoms DLC) with unique units, spells, mechanics, and gameplay changes to land battles and sieges.’
‘Many of the faults that were present in Total War: Warhammer 1 and 2 remain in this latest entry – the auto-resolve system is wildly inaccurate, magic remains powerful to the point of game-breaking at times, diplomacy is often pointless, and load times can be exhaustingly long, particularly when passing turns on the campaign map.’
Read: Total War: Warhammer 3 Review – The Daemon’s Souls of War-Gaming
‘But these issues aren’t enough to bog down what continues to be a great series in the Total War franchise. With an entertaining selection of factions, an interesting new game mode, and great onboarding, Total War: Warhammer 3 is a grand strategy well worth the time.’ – Percy Ranson
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands isn’t just a cartoonish narrative adventure inspired by the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, it’s also an exploration of creativity and imagination in dire circumstances, with the action of the title helmed by Tiny Tina, a young girl who uses fantasy to escape her reality – living in the post-apocalypse and dealing with the death of close friends. But even when you look past this deeply emotional metanarrative, you’ll still find a game rich with humour, adventure and wonder. This game brims with confidence and bright, shiny hope, making it one of the best and most endearing games of 2022.
Read: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands review – A tremendous tall tale
Each world in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is also lovingly crafted, from the high beanstalks of Tangledrift to the shores of Wargtooth Shallows. Between each realm, you’ll be casually entertained by the banter of Andy Samberg (Valentine), Wanda Sykes (Frette) and Ashly Burch (Tiny Tina) while the narrative plot deepens, and the threats you face amp up in difficulty and reward. Whether you’re battling land sharks or learning more about the intricacies of Tina’s scattered mind, there’s always something beautiful to discover on this fantastical journey. Being able to take a few friends along for the ride makes the entire game that much sweeter. – Leah J. Williams
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
From our Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Review: ‘Sunbreak follows a consistent pattern in Monster Hunter series releases; it’s the ‘Master Rank’ expansion that doubles down on, and refines the systems, introduced in the base game. The frenetic Wirebug-powered combat of Rise has been perfected in Rise, with new Switch Skills that expand (and in some cases transform) the potential of every weapon, as well as a Skill Swap system that lets you adapt to new challenges by mixing in different Switch Skills in the middle of any hunt.’
Read: Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak review – A beautiful new dawn
‘Mastery through iteration – a refinement of gameplay and design that has been built over 18 years of the franchise – has ensured that Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is phenomenal. The unique ideas that worked in Monster Hunter Rise have been finely honed, and the end-game now has the content it was sorely lacking. With a rock-solid foundation and a roadmap of promising post-launch additions on the horizon, Sunbreak is quite simply an excellent Monster Hunter expansion.’ – Percy Ranson
OlliOlli World
OlliOlli World is a perfect slice of chill vibes, wrapped up in pastel, cartoonish artwork and a plot that involves skateboarding, semi-omnipotent gods, and plenty of buzzing bees. The premise is a little bit zany – you’re a skateboarder looking to become the next Skate God by pulling off high-speed ollies and other tricks – but that just adds to the game’s charm. Pair this loose story with wickedly sharp gameplay, courses that take you into colourful and surreal worlds, and a cast of chilled-out characters, and you’ve got one gnarly package.
Read: OlliOlli World made me forget the world is awful right now
There’s an extreme joy to be had in perfecting every quirk of this adventure, and nailing your best landing. You’ll fall and stumble your way through tougher courses, but when you finally get what OlliOlli World has to teach, you’ll reach a real point of inner satisfaction. The game can be deceptively complex – tougher moves will take significant time to learn and master – but with endless replayability and no real consequences for failure, you’ll find every challenge in this game more exciting than the last. OlliOlli World is pure and wholesome, and there’s no other game out there that gives you quite the same buzz. – Leah J. Williams
Chinatown Detective Agency
From our Chinatown Detective Agency review: ‘It’s rare to see a video game that actively and frequently requires you to leave it entirely in order to progress. But that’s the big hook of Chinatown Detective Agency, an adventure game where you absolutely must use resources outside of the game to solve virtually every one of its puzzles.’
‘Taking clear design inspiration from the edutainment series Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, Chinatown Detective Agency requires you to take about a dozen extra steps beyond the basic geography knowledge required for Carmen. Often, the information you receive is only a seed to get you started on a string of deductions you’ll need to make, where you’ll often end up several unknowing leaps from where you started.’
Read: Chinatown Detective Agency Review – A melting pot of brain-melting plots
‘Chinatown Detective Agency does some interesting and noteworthy things with its take on the point-and-click adventure game, between its reliance on external tools and your own deductive research ability, some solid story and character work, and a strong commitment to encapsulating a country and culture that is unique to video games by default. It’s a strong mixture of elements, and Chinatown Detective Agency will hopefully spark more adventures like it in our own unavoidably dystopian future.’ – Edmond Tran
Escape Academy
From our Escape Academy review: ‘Escape Academy, a game focused entirely on escape rooms and designed by real-life escape room experts, appeals to my real-life escape room fantasies. But there’s more on offer than just a string of escape room puzzles. There’s an unexpectedly eventful storyline – who doesn’t love a good plot twist? – full of eccentric characters, all wrapped up in a charming academic setting.’
‘The story elements, driven by character dialogue, bring a sense of purpose to your journey as a student and entice you to progress through the school year. Who will be running the next trial? Will you beat your rival student Gillian to the title of Escape Room Master? Why is that new teacher acting so fishy? There are subtle hints that not everything is as it first appears, and these suspicions are confirmed by the plot twists later on.’
Read: Escape Academy Review – a scholastic adventure for the escapist at heart
‘Escape Academy is more than just an escape room simulator. It’s a narrative-based puzzle adventure bursting with personality. There’s a fine balance of characterisation, story exposition and puzzle solving that creates a uniquely enthralling experience. It’s a delightful way to pass a few hours that left me hungry for more.’ – Christie McQualter
Knotwords
Forget Wordle. Forget it! It’s just not the same since the New York Times purchased it, says the word-game hipster. Instead, focus your energy on the absolute best new mobile (and PC) word game this year, Knotwords from Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger, both of which have worked on incredibly-designed mobile games like Good Sudoku and Spelltower, among many others.
Simple, elegant, and incredibly clever, you can think of playing Knotwords like solving a crossword, only it’s cut up into segments of a variety of sizes, each with its own small pool of letters that must be used. Kind of like a sudoku puzzle, but with letters.
The fact that it’s not a straightforward anagram solve makes the feeling of accomplishment all the sweeter – often you’ll have to piece the word from across multiple pools of letters. With the difficulty of the standard set of puzzles gradually escalating over the course of the week, it’s an incredibly satisfying game to keep up with. Overcoming the absolutely massive Sunday puzzle will make you feel like a genius.
Kudos must also be given to the game’s generous approach to daily streaks. If you forget to play one day, not all is lost – simply start and maintain another 7-day streak and you’ll retrieve your old streak and stack that new one on top. It’s a very friendly and welcome approach that makes Knotwords all the more delightful to return to. – Edmond Tran
As Dusk Falls
From our As Dusk Falls review: ‘As Dusk Falls solves the Quantic Dream formula. That is, the formula to create a multi-layered, branching interactive narrative game where the results of your choices flow organically, and you feel a deep, emotional investment in its world and characters.’
‘Revolving primarily around the intertwined stories of two different characters and their families, As Dusk Falls deals with a chance encounter between Vince, a disgraced airline mechanic moving across the country with his young family, and Jay, the youngest in a rough rural family trying to resolve their father’s debts with one quick break-and-enter.’
Read: As Dusk Falls Review – A Rare, Introspective Drama
‘[The game] tackles intimate themes with intimate storytelling. It spends meaningful time with believable characters and complex personal issues. It attempts to explore answers to those relatable and sometimes unanswerable questions about ourselves. And most importantly, it doesn’t get distracted or lost along the way.’ – Edmond Tran
Rogue Legacy 2
From our Rogue Legacy 2 review: ‘Like the original game, the 2D action-platformer Rogue Legacy 2 sees you exploring a castle overrun by monsters and assorted fiends, and attempting to cure the source of corruption. The main hook is that when you die, you then play as your character’s heir, continuing the family’s legacy. Rogue Legacy 2 intelligently iterates on the original’s successful genealogical formula, infusing it with nearly a decade’s worth of rougelike learnings to create a brilliant and worthy sequel.’
‘Every new feature contributes towards improving the concept Rogue Legacy executed so well nearly 10 years ago. Rogue Legacy 2 flourishes with a stylish new art direction, swapping pixel art for clean lines and sharp details on each screen. Even the environment backgrounds pack plenty of beautifully coloured vistas and details to uncover, telling a story about the crumbled society you’re fighting to save. There’s also a post-game difficulty modifier system similar to Hades‘ Heat levels, offering plenty of enticing challenges that beckon you to return. My first successful run roughly took a cumulative 30 hours, with the promise of plenty more to discover when I return.’
Read: Rogue Legacy 2 review – a roguelike delight
‘Rogue Legacy 2 is the perfect sequel. It retains the core of what made the original fantastic, with every feature adding tremendously to the experience. Its cleverly revised class system adds near-limitless gameplay variety, which makes each attempt fun – even when you fail abysmally. This game is everything I wanted from the follow-up, and then some.’ – Chris Button
Tunic
From our Tunic review: ‘In this isometric action-adventure by solo developer Andrew Shouldice, you play as a little fox dressed in a green tunic. There isn’t any characterisation or context beyond this – but Tunic isn’t really about who the fox is; rather, it’s about where you will go.’
‘The thing that’s atypical is that Tunic’s journey is non-linear. There are a few hints here and there about where to go, but no explicit instructions to follow. This might sound daunting – and yes, the game certainly doesn’t hold your hand – but for the most part, its progression design still feels fluid and enjoyable.’
‘There are hints at an ancient secret hidden all over the island, and the morsels of that mystery are what pull you through your adventure. Each small area you explore, or tool that you find, contributes to the completion of an overall objective … even if you aren’t exactly sure what that objective is.’
Read: Tunic Review – One furry little hero in a big isometric world
‘Tunic is an adventure that’s crafted with care and consideration, with a beautifully detailed, charming, and challenging world. Whether you’re looking for some cosy exploration, or to hack-and-slash through hordes of enemies, the world of Tunic is a lovely place to do it in.’ – Christie McQualter
The Quarry
From our review of The Quarry: ‘The Quarry makes me bloody happy Supermassive Games exists. For me, interactive narrative games like Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology are the ultimate comfort food of gaming, and the strong impression they make outside of enthusiast game spaces is a testament to that.’
‘Until Dawn and games like it are smarter than their schlocky stories and archetypal characters make them out to be, and that intelligence is nestled in the fact that they’re just as strong as spectator experiences as they are interactive ones. They take the best of campfire ghost stories and the nostalgia of ‘choose your own adventure’ books and mash them together, with incredible visual fidelity, and solid acting performances being the cherry on top. The Quarry serves as the best distillation of that combination yet.’
Read: The Quarry Review – A supermassive achievement in horror
‘The Quarry is a loveable achievement – whip-smart, beautiful, and more than willing to pull the rug out and blindside you in the way the great horror often does, all while paying tribute to icons of the genre.’ – Nicholas Kennedy
The Sims 4: Werewolves
From our review of The Sims 4: Werewolves: ‘The Sims 4: Werewolves was a game pack long in the making – one that became even more tantalising the longer it took to announce. While werewolves had been a huge part of The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 (in the Pets and Supernatural expansion packs, respectively), the more ‘realistic’ focus of The Sims 4 meant they’d largely fallen by the wayside over the last decade. Now, they’re back – and they’re bigger, furrier, and more fun than they’ve ever been.’
‘Werewolves introduces Sims players to the town of Moonwood Mill, a semi-rural locale dominated by two opposing werewolf factions: the traditional Moonwood Collective, and the rebellious Wildfangs. Each has their own culture and customs, but they share a dislike for each other, revealed in snippets of dialogue and unique, lore-based interactions.’
‘Your Sims can choose to become werewolves themselves in this pack, or spend time researching the lore of Moonwood Mill to discover exactly how the town was established, and what beef the werewolves have. While this lore is dense and intriguing enough to stand on its own, you’ll get the most out of the pack by jumping in and claiming the ‘Cursed Bite’ for yourself.’
‘Integration with existing packs like Vampires is an added bonus, but Werewolves effectively stands on its own as furry good fun – and a fantastic addition to the supernatural world of The Sims 4. With a well-designed progression system and new abilities worth nabbing, it’s a game pack that earns a hearty howl at the moon.’ – Leah J. Williams
Songs of Conquest
From our Songs of Conquest review: ‘How strategic is a game, really, if it allows you to dominate via overwhelming numbers? I absolutely adore Heroes of Might and Magic (HOMM), the classic turn-based, resource management series but, especially in the earlier games, victory could usually be assured by securing more dwellings and being patient; simply having the bigger army over time.’
‘Songs of Conquest is a worthy spiritual successor to HOMM, particularly because it does not remain faithful to HOMM’s cheesier aspects. Rather, it forces you into fairly balanced fights, across detailed factions and might vs magic, with surprising success.’
Read: Songs of Conquest review – Music to our ears
‘Wiping the floor with your stupendous army can be fun, but is it as fun as being a clever underdog or meticulous planner? There’s great satisfaction in winning a battle that is challenging, but fair. Songs of Conquest was the experience I was actually looking for when I purchased HOMM 7 recently. It’s bewildering that something as simple as a creature cap, and a few other significant tweaks, could transform an intensely familiar genre experience into a new game that I was excited to learn all over again.’ – Meghann O’Neill
OlliOlli World
OlliOlli World is a perfect slice of chill vibes, wrapped up in pastel, cartoonish artwork and a plot that involves skateboarding, semi-omnipotent gods, and plenty of buzzing bees. The premise is a little bit zany – you’re a skateboarder looking to become the next Skate God by pulling off high-speed ollies and other tricks – but that just adds to the game’s charm. Pair this loose story with wickedly sharp gameplay, courses that take you into colourful and surreal worlds, and a cast of chilled-out characters, and you’ve got one gnarly package.
Read: OlliOlli World made me forget the world is awful right now
There’s an extreme joy to be had in perfecting every quirk of this adventure, and nailing your best landing. You’ll fall and stumble your way through tougher courses, but when you finally get what OlliOlli World has to teach, you’ll reach a real point of inner satisfaction. The game can be deceptively complex – tougher moves will take significant time to learn and master – but with endless replayability and no real consequences for failure, you’ll find every challenge in this game more exciting than the last. OlliOlli World is pure and wholesome, and there’s no other game out there that gives you quite the same buzz. – Leah J. Williams
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
From our Destiny 2: The Witch Queen review: ‘The Witch Queen expresses the clearest vision of what kind of game Destiny 2 actually is, as well as what it promises to become over time. It’s also clear that it has a far greater sense of where it wants to take its epic story of space worm gods, galaxy-spanning imperial empires, alien refugees, and the fight between a million-strong army of undying Guardians for the next few years.’
‘As an entry point for brand new and returning players, The Witch Queen is the best jumping on point Destiny has had in years, and yet even so, the churn of the live-service nature and the weight borne by focusing on its most profitable core players seems to inexorably pull it towards a certain conclusion – that the game will always be more for the long-term player more than the newcomer.’
Read: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Review – A new age is dawning
‘Destiny 2’s The Witch Queen then is, in some areas, a huge leap forward and in others a minor refinement. It points to the future of Destiny 2, with a clearer sense of what kind of game it will become in the coming years. It will please existing players considerably, as well as bring back many lapsed ones. Whether or not it will see a huge and lasting increase of new light Guardians, I suspect, will depend on other factors. ‘ – Benjamin Abraham
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
From our Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series review: ‘Can you be nostalgic for a game you’ve never played before? Prior to playing Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, I’d disagree – but hours into this charming remaster, which packages Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil into one delightful game, I’ve become entranced by the Klonoa franchise, and how it brims with early 2000s nostalgia.’
‘Playing the game in remastered form, it’s even more of a mystery why Klonoa never broke into the mainstream. Door to Phantomile, the first game in the franchise, is a dazzling and mechanically-tight adventure filled with gorgeous landscapes and a neat layer of puzzling. While the polish and beauty of the game is to do with its excellent remastering, you can see the bones of the original platformer in every jump and move.’
Read: Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series review – A classic gets new life
‘Between wonder-filled stages and mini segments of mine cart riding and flying, there’s plenty in Klonoa Phantasy Reverie that feels familiar, but fresh. The collection naturally evokes a purer time in gaming where simplicity was key, and loveable mascots were trendy. While Klonoa was never the mainstream success it aimed to be, this remaster is the perfect opportunity for the franchise to dazzle a whole new audience.’ – Leah J. Williams
The Stanely Parable: Ultra Deluxe
‘From our review of The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe: Ultra Deluxe adds to a beloved, somewhat niche classic in ways that only a game like this can revisit. The Stanley Parable was already a brilliant case study on choice in video games, fed through a main dish of philosophical debate on determinism, with a side of death-of-the-author musings, rounded out with a nice glass of disarming humour.’
Read: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe review – Existential excellence
‘The 2022 release adds an Ultra Deluxe desert to the menu, elevating the night out from a lovely dinner to an indulgent feast. It’s a dining experience worth returning to for fans who already count The Stanley Parable among their favourite meals, balanced with providing the perfect place for new players to take a chance on something different. Regardless of which door you enter, the philosophical taste is likely to linger long after you’re finished.’ – Chris Lawn
Dread Delusion
From our Dread Delusion review: ‘Dread Delusion is one of those games where I came to it without much sense of what it would be. It’s an open-world RPG, according to its Steam Store page description, with a startlingly lurid mid ’90s visual aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean a great deal in isolation.’
‘After a dozen or so hours I have charted some of that space, and I think I have some inkling of the tidal currents, the odd glimpse of what resembles a shoreline. But there still remain countless mysteries, unplumbed depths, and a sense that so much more drifts tantalisingly out of reach for now.’
Read: Dread Delusion Review – An alluring unknown
‘Yet what I love most about Dread Delusion so far is how I’m rarely sure whether its mysteriousness is the result of deliberate design or that some bits just aren’t done yet.’
‘My time with Dread Delusion left me with so many questions… I’ve just thought of another one: The experience points you earn for completing quests, then use to level up your skills, why are they called delusions? Like, what does THAT say about where all this is really headed? So, so many questions. Following its progress through Early Access should be fascinating. You should dive in and see if you can touch the bottom.’ – David Wildgoose
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
From our Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review: ‘This new adaptation of Star Wars canon attempts the impossible: bringing together the disparate parts of the Star Wars narrative into one sleek, well-designed package. With unique combat, a vast array of puzzles and exploration opportunities, and one of the best-looking Lego worlds yet, it’s more than up to the task.’
‘No matter which episode you choose, you’ll be thrust headlong into a breakneck Stars Wars adventure that’ll toss you through all the major events of each film, combined with classic Lego gameplay along the way. Explore Coruscant! Smash some scenery! Use the force to conquer environmental puzzles! It’s all here, and just as delightful as ever – but also twice as satisfying, thanks to the game’s fast-paced storytelling and tweaks to the traditional Lego gameplay formula.’
Read: Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review – a galactic triumph
Even as somebody who’s bounced off Lego games in the past, I was enthralled by every narrative hook, every blue brick challenge, and every new story quirk. From individual character combat, to the game’s vast locales, and every puzzle that fascinated and challenged me along the way, I was drawn into the game’s funny and weird little stories.’
‘Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is an epic that certainly lives up to the Star Wars name. While its humour is occasionally a bit childish, effective writing and voice acting helps to keep the action fresh and snappy as this wacky interpretation of the Star Wars mythos plays out. Don’t take it too seriously, and it’s a real blast.’ – Leah J. Williams
Submerged: Hidden Depths
From our Submerged: Hidden Depths review: ‘Submerged: Hidden Depths is a self-dubbed ‘relaxploration’ adventure. After being released exclusively for the Google Stadia in 2020, it finally has a full release for consoles and PC. It’s the sequel to the 2015 adventure Submerged, though you don’t need any prior knowledge going into this one.’
‘It’s a combat-free, open world adventure game about an orphaned brother and sister, Taku and Miku, who are on a quest to find a new home. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic sunken city where the pernicious roots of the Black Plant have sprung forth from the earth and destroyed everything in their wake. Miku has been cursed, but the curse grants her a unique power: she can heal the roots. Using your boat, Hidden Depths asks you to explore the game’s unique map and restore the balance of nature.’
Review: Submerged: Hidden Depths review – The water’s fine
‘Submerged: Hidden Depths succeeds in being a relaxing exploration game. With a gorgeous world, good puzzles, and an ample amount of collectables to uncover, it wouldn’t be surprising if it started appearing on those ‘top ten cosy games’ compilations on TikTok.’ – Christie McQualter
Nobody Saves the World
From our Nobody Saves the World review: ‘Drinkbox Studios has a penchant for making skill-based experiences that successfully mix video game genres – like the Metroid-like brawler Guacamelee, and first-person swordplay game, Severed. Their latest is no different, and no less successful. Nobody Saves the World is a top-down action adventure reminiscent of classic Legend of Zelda games, combined with a customisable class system inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics. ‘
Read: Nobody Saves the World Review – Fine forms
‘Nobody Saves the World blends recognisable aspects from disparate works to create a wholly unique experience. Its systems will challenge you and make you think, and it’s easy to stay engaged while juggling the number of forms and abilities available to the player, while accounting for the variety in world, dungeon, and quest design throughout the adventure. The game enthusiastically discards well-trodden concepts shortly after they’re introduced, and rewards you for doing the same.’ – Pedro Cooray
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
From our Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker review: ‘Endwalker seeks to satisfyingly wrap up a huge array of story and character threads that have been seeded throughout each preceding game expansion, which is a truly ambitious undertaking, and is reflected in its extensive 40+ hour run-time for the main story alone. But Endwalker succeeds at almost every step, providing a satisfying conclusion to the overarching narrative, and doing great justice to its world and characters.’
Read: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Review – Hope at Journey’s End
‘There is so much more I could praise Endwalker for – Masayoshi Soken’s incredible music, or the top-notch design of new character jobs, Reaper and Sage, are just a couple that spring to mind. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and when this story ends, you’ll find another one just waiting to begin. ‘ – Percy Ranson
Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg
From our review of Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg: This is a surreal walking simulator that homages classic anime and the cinema of Tsai Ming-Liang, while exploring how relationships can anchor you in strange and uncanny times.
You play as the titular ‘Queer Man’ – a gangly figure who wanders a vaporwave world trailing questions behind him. With little context in your first steps, you’re required to pick up clues about the man’s pink-and-orange sunset world from slim dialogue and mutterings delivered while each day passes, and the man searches rock pools for answers.
Read: Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg review – A surreal vaporwave trip
This isn’t a game that is surreal for the sake of surreality, or obtuseness masquerading as art. It lacks any pretentiousness in its storytelling, instead using aesthetics as part of the game’s narrative, and to speak to both the state of the Queer Man’s world, and how it reflects his evolving mindset. While the game’s mechanics occasionally hold the narrative back – it’s particularly frustrating to navigate the world with limited movement, and a camera that twists and turns – its power still shines through in each quirky step and discovery.
Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg is an experimental experience, but one that effectively balances its oddness with brilliant storytelling flourishes. This is a game that shines with welcome weirdness, in every twisted laneway and cardboard coffee cutout.’ – Leah J. Williams
WWE 2K22
From our WWE 2K22 review: ‘WWE 2K22 is such a sleek package, it might single-handedly save the entire franchise.’
‘It’s a vast improvement on WWE 2K20, and one of the best games of the entire WWE 2K series. With a number of smart fixes, streamlined action gameplay, and a handful of engaging, well-designed modes, it has successfully shed the franchise’s bad reputation.’
Read: WWE 2K22 review – A phoenix rises from the ashes
‘A year off has certainly done the series good, and helped 2K Games and Visual Concepts rethink what makes wrestling so fun. WWE 2K22 is a game changer, and one that certainly does “hit different”.’ – Leah J. Williams
Are there any PC games you think we’ve missed out on in this list of the best PC games in 2022? Let us know on Twitter: @GamesHubDotCom.
