Xbox Series and One’s best games of 2022

In 2022, the Xbox Series has been the talk of the town. and not exactly for its exclusive games. The almost null presence of the brand at the Game Awards in December was the final straw in a year of drought. Without games, the focus has been more on the complicated acquisition of Activision Blizzard. And perhaps the absence of Series material at the Games Awards is related to these challenging times.

As it is, and with no flashy Triple-A games of its own, the 2022 Xbox Series list is supplied by third parties, some surprises of its own, and a very valuable barrage of brilliant indies, many of which are only available on Microsoft's console and on the inevitable shared PC market (which is still just another part of the Microsoft ecosystem). Of course, these last ones, with its free access to that wonder for gamers, the Game Pass. Associated with the service, we should also mention the consolidation of cloud gaming, which frees the Series catalog allowing its enjoyment on various devices, including the One models. Because yes, you can play on your old console Flight Simulator. Without further ado, let's go with a not-inconsiderable list that, already next year, would have to host its own blockbusters.

Elden Ring

The most unavoidable game of 2022. The great, magnificent games, those that appear first among the most reviewed of the year and end up on the list of the best video games in history, are the ones that, once they arrive, never go away. Unlike most of the time, a game released at the end of the year continues in December as if it had just arrived on the market. The dialogue around it has been continuous and will continue to be so. Elden Ring tastes like a classic, a future reference, a game to which, once finished, you always want to return.

Full screen

Persona 5 Royal

It took a long time, but Persona 5 could finally be enjoyed on Microsoft consoles. This modern classic, which landed in 2017 on PS3 and PS4, arrived sparkling on Xbox with a more than consolidated legend around it. The Atlus game shattered borders in its day and created a fan base in the West that seemed to have been quietly waiting for that moment. A bottomless pit in which to spend hundreds of hours, its vitality, its art direction oblivious to the passage of time, its rapturous soundtrack, its story, its combat... Persona 5 is another of those games for History.

Full screen

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Don't be surprised to see the Witcher at the Xbox Series New Year's Eve party. The Next Gen patch gives Geralt the best costume with which to say goodbye to 2022. We didn't expect the overwhelming quality we encountered. The changes affect The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt at more levels than imagined, from the expected decision between performance at 60 fps or Ray tracing to the adjustment of the camera, texture quality, drawing distance, the coveted Photo Mode... A pleasure for the eyes that gives new life to one of the best video games of all time.

Full screen

Immortality

And we give way to the first auteur gem. Sam Barlow is doing with the real image in video games what Godard would have done if he had experimented with the interactive medium. The French genius, always attentive to new narrative and visual possibilities beyond cinema, played with high-definition video, television and even 3D cinema. And what Barlow does is not far off in intentions. Without reaching the limits of Godard's Histoire(s) du cinema (1988/1998) but in an even state of consciousness about the construction and deconstruction of stories through montage, Barlow reaches his creative peak in Immortality after the groundbreaking Her Story and the interesting Telling Lies. And so it was deservedly recognized with nominations at the TGAs.

Full screen

Pentiment

A 2022 gem that "would not have been possible without Game Pass." The nature of Microsoft's service encouraged a small and risky project within a proprietary studio like Obsidian. Without the usual pressures of large-scale economic and logistical developments, the freshness of Pentiment is at ease on medieval engravings that, on top of that, have a lot to say in terms of narrative. It is a game that enters through the eyes and remains for what it tells you. An essential title whose cult, we warn you, will only grow with the passage of time.

Full screen

Deathloop

And from visual and narrative freshness to gameplay freshness. Deathloop was unintentionally the subject of controversy at its launch since it was one of the projects temporarily tied to Sony when the news broke of Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax. Once the waters have returned to their course and Deathloop to its new home, we can only celebrate the visual taste within a mechanic that takes the tropes of live, die, repeat to the max. Welcome to the time loops that you never want to get out of.

Full screen

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

"Few titles manage to capture the essence of a bygone moment and give it such a fresh and current facelift as this one," or at least that's what our colleagues from Spain told us. The new incarnation of the Ninja Turtles lives up to our pristine memories. And it manages to do so because it is not a mere imitation of yesteryear. Shredder's Revenge takes the best of that time, and polishes and enhances it from the now. The finest pixel art, the number of elements on screen, the number of simultaneous players, new moves, the online cherry... and all seasoned with a direct tribute to the animated TV series that accompanied our childhood Saturday mornings. A must for nostalgic players and a grand introduction for new players.

Full screen

As Dusk Falls

It didn't take the accessibility award at TGA because what God of War Ragnarok has done is out of this world, considering it's an action game. As Dusk Falls, a road movie in which everything goes wrong after a heist, can be played by everyone because it is calm, with a strong narrative component based on TV series and with static instead of moving images. The use of the smartphone as a controller with simple touches on the screen breaks down any barriers that non-gamers might have. In addition, it becomes a favorite for streaming broadcasts because it allows the audience to vote on the decisions in the conversations. As Dusk Falls is definitely a step forward in the fusion of different narrative media.

Full screen

Tunic

Tunic would have already stood out as one of the best games of the year thanks to its polished gameplay and its adorable and effective level and character design, but on top of that, it spiced it all up with a pinch of genius: the integration of the now extinct and longed-for manuals into the gameplay and narrative. This tribute to the pure Zelda-style adventures in 16 bits has won, almost without any apparent effort, the hearts of all gamers who have had the opportunity to approach it. A great little classic made with the utmost care that proves that even today it is possible to innovate, even in small doses.

Full screen

Grounded

From the literary times of Gulliver to the cinematic times of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and The Incredible Shrinking Man, the adventures of the human being turned tiny have always been looked upon favorably. Grounded, a game that remained until this year as an eternal work in progress, unfolded like a garden flower at the end of September. And it's all about the garden, about surviving among puddles of water that are lakes, ants as big as cows and grass that serves as a dense forest. Gradually refined thanks to player feedback, Grounded has finally revealed itself as the great miniature adventure it promised to be.

Full screen

Somerville

Contrary to the general criticism, in Meristation we have bet strongly for Somerville. We love hard and soft science fiction, the elegance of its forms and ideas, the evocative of other worlds and the visits to our planet that disrupt everything. Closer to the mythical and unforgettable Out of this World than to the brilliant proposals of Playdead (Limbo, Inside), Somerville reflects the cinematographic knowledge of its makers, but, far from the blockbusters they come from, the game is intimate and close. The auteur videogame as a warm refuge from the noisy Hollywood industry.

Full screen

A Plague Tale: Requiem

It is clear that Requiem has not had the impact in 2022 that Innocence had 3 years ago. The surprise then was huge, so the impact now has been less. What did blow our minds between the two was knowing that Asobo Studio were responsible for that technical juggernaut that is Microsoft Flight Simulator, released in 2020 on PC and, to the delight of console gamers, on Xbox Series in 2021. And it attracted attention because Plague Tale had moved into the Double-A profile occupied by games like Hellblade. Between one thing and another, expectations grew before the arrival of Requiem, something that hurt the game. And yes, the result is continuist and therefore predictable, its pace has ups and downs, and surprisingly, its graphic performance settles for 40 fps, but you know what? Despite all the buts, Amicia and Hugo will always be welcome on our team.

Full screen

There ends our list full of great games on Xbox. Remember that, if you have a Game Pass account, most of them are included in their incredible catalog. So we don’t know what you’re doing reading this yet, run to the console and enjoy the adventures that await you there!