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Choose the best game of the year
by Philipp Rüegg
The 10 best games according to digitec’s editorial team
29.12.2022
Translation: Julia Graham
Pictures: Mia Kuchen
Which were the best games of 2022? Together with my colleagues in the editorial team, I compiled a list of ten games that made the biggest impression on us this year.
Each of us was allowed to nominate two games for the list. For some of the team, it was easier than for others. Phil is still wrangling with his decision and wondering whether he should have picked «Pentiment» after all. And Simon clearly still has regrets about «Norco». But the rules were clear. In the event of duplicate nominations, the person with stronger feelings about the game had precedence. And those were the foundations we used to build our combined top 10.
Before you jump into the comments to harangue us and demand to know why we didn’t include a certain game, bear in mind we’re also compiling a list this year of the best games according to the community.
Phil’s favourites
«Elden Ring»: cryptic, mysterious and absolutely fantastic
My first proper FromSoftware game was «Sekiro». I actually only played it to prove to my friends I could muster the patience and boldness for one of these legendarily challenging games. To my surprise, it then turned out to be a lot of fun. This paved the way for future games from the Japanese studio. But I never expected to get completely drawn into «Elden Ring». I couldn’t put the game down for weeks. And I just wanted to explore everything. No game world has blown my socks off like this since «Zelda Breath of the Wild». The very fact that the game is sparse on pointers and tips is what makes exploring so much fun. This world is sinister and full of secrets. Lurking behind each corner is a different hideously beautiful creature that brings me out in a sweat. You can adjust the notoriously high difficulty level freely by exploring different in-game options. It goes without saying that I’d regularly shout the house down if I blocked a millisecond too late and all my hard-earned runes ended up going down the drain. «Elden Ring» is a masterpiece, which shows that open-world games don’t have to be littered with quest markers and other symbols.
«Elden Ring» is available on PC and console.
«Return to Monkey Island»: back to its former strength
I love «Monkey Island». The adventures of awkward wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood aren’t all equally successful, but I played them any way. The new «Return to Monkey Island» might even be his best. Guybrush’s renewed search for the secret of Monkey Island is adorned with homages to previous installments. So if, like me, you know all the games, you’ll really enjoy this. There’s a reencounter around every corner in the form of acquaintances such as Voodoo Lady and little surprises, including a guest appearance by «The Last of Us» game director Neil Druckmann. The story follows Guybrush’s wonderfully self-centred trip, which leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Even if you’re a rookie, you’re still bound to enjoy the funny word duels and absurd puzzles, which aren’t as difficult as they used to be. For me, it’s one of the best adventure games of all time.
«Return to Monkey Island» is available on PC and console.
Here are some other games I loved playing in 2022:
- «Pentiment»
- «Stray»
- «God of War Ragnarök»
- «Cult of the Lamb»
- «Evil West»
- «Card Shark»
- «Immortality»
- «Lost Ark»
Domi’s favourites
«God of War: Ragnarök»: the perfect sequel
For me, «God of War: Ragnarök» is the best game of the year by a long shot. The game builds on the strengths of the 2018 reboot «God of War» and almost eliminates all its weaknesses. That’s what a sequel should be like. The ending of Kratos’s Nordic saga isn’t just bigger, more epic and brutal than its predecessor; it’s also more emotional. The game skillfully balances stunningly staged action sequences with intimate story moments that highlight Kratos’s relationship with his son Atreus. One moment, I’m brutally massacring a huge dragon and the next, I’m sitting sobbing in front of the telly. In addition, the complex and satisfying combat system had a few new options added, and it’s as fun as ever. And did I mention how stunning the fantastic game worlds are? I wish I could erase my memories of these epic adventures and start Kratos’s journey through Nordic mythology from the start again.
«God of War Ragnarök» is available on PlayStation.
«13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim»: flabbergasting of the highest quality
«13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim» is a crazy mix of adventure game, visual novel and real time strategy (RTS). The game tells the story of 13 high school students who fight in huge mechs against even bigger, extraterrestrial monsters. Does it sound crazy? That’s because it is. What’s even madder is the fact that the story is told in a non-linear way. Basically, you decide which storyline you find the most interesting and want to pursue. You just feel flabbergasted over and over again. When you’re time travelling and in several universes, you’ll love the story in «13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim». Amid the text-heavy story sequences, you wage war against nasty extraterrestrials in chaotic real time strategy battles. While these are kept rather simple, that’s what makes them even more addictive. I can’t think of another game this year that’s baffled, surprised and fascinated me to this extent. Let’s hear it for «13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim» and flabbergasting, whacky stories that feature time travel and huge monsters.
«13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim» is available on Switch and PlayStation.
Here are some other games I loved playing in 2022:
- «Horizon: Forbidden West»
- «Pentiment»
- «Pokémon Arceus»
- «Eiyuden Chronicles Rising»
- «Splatoon 3»
- «Stray»
- «Kirby and the Forgotten Land»
- «Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation ~ The Endless Seven-Day Journey ~»
Simon’s favourites
«Immortality»: already eternal
Up until now, full-motion video games were mostly glorified «choose your own adventure» books with bad acting and even worse scenery and costumes along with a muddled narrative. That was, until «Immortality» came along. Developer Sam Barlow made an initial, successful FMV attempt with «Her Story» and «Telling Lies». «Immortality» is now his magnum opus. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. As a voyeur, I examine film scenes, click through objects in recordings to assemble the story of vanished actress Marissa Marcel. What’s initially confusing is the skillful way the game weaves film scenes, table reads and trial cuts together from over three decades, all shot in the style contemporary to that time. Scene by scene, click by click, the story is revealed to me, and story lines and relationships emerge. Questions get answered, but even more arise. In best mystery manner, in the vein of «Twin Peaks» or «Lost», the game keeps drawing me further into the story. And that turns out to be more complex than the premise would have you initially think. «Immortality» is a masterpiece that will stand the test of time as successfully as its main character Marissa Marcel.
«Immortality» is available on PC and console.
«Neon White»: more than the sum of its parts
«Neon White» is a puzzle game. «Neon White» is a rhythm game. «Neon White» is a racing game. «Neon White» is a first-person shooter (FPS). «Neon White» is a card game. «Neon White» is a dating simulator.
«Neon White» is a wild genre mix.
A bloody good genre mix.
«Neon White» is available on PC and console.
Here are some of the other games I liked in 2022:
- «Elden Ring
- «Norco»
- «Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge»
- «Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- «Victoria 3»
- «Last Call BBS»
- «One Dreamer»
- «Marvel Snap»
Luca’s favourites
«Horizon Forbidden West»: the even better sequel to an already fantastic first part
Even the first installment about Aloy’s development from outcast to saviour of the world fascinated me. Admittedly, the storyline isn’t going to win any innovation awards. But it’s still told in an enthralling way. That being said, what I find a lot more exciting is without doubt the setting. «Horizon» takes place so far into the future that the «old world» – the ruins that we explore under bushes and undergrowth – looks futuristic and anything but old from our present day perspective. Where else would you get that? Then there’s the addictive combat mechanics with the methodical way the machines are put together and an open world that’s just plain breathtaking from a graphics point of view – fantastic. To this day, «Horizon Forbidden West» is one of the few games in which I’ve completed all the sidequests before finishing the story missions.
«Horizon: Forbidden West» is available on PS4 and PS5.
«Stray»: innovation meets Creativity – and cats
If Creativity is going to be capitalised anywhere, it’s in the indie scene. Places that have smaller budgets are more likely to put more emphasis on creativity. One such example is «Stray», developed by the French Blue Twelve Studio. In this game, you slip into the role of a lost, stray cat, who has ended up in the middle of a long-lost, post-apocalyptic cyber city. To get out of there, you have to reveal an ancient secret. This involves roaming through neon-lit alleys, solving puzzles and encountering inquisitive droids and treacherous enemies. As a cat dad, I soon noticed how much they’d managed to capture the often stubborn nature of cats and programme it into the game. And that’s what makes the story so touching. It may be a very short game, but that makes it linger in my thoughts even longer.
«Stray» is available on PC and console.
Michelle’s favourites
«Kirby and the Forgotten Land»: sweet jump and run with a feel-good guarantee
The cute little Kirby has always brought a smile to my face. In «Kirby and the Forgotten Land», I help the changeable hero save his just as cuddly friends. The worlds are lovingly designed and enemies are as versatile as the weapons I use against them. I fight ambushing foxes, bristly monsters and crazy tortoises. It’s fun to think about what I want to use to wipe out my opponents – there are lots of tools to choose from. My running favourite is a small car that lets me break into empty buildings, leap over entrenchments and run my opponents straight over. For me, it’s a refreshing and creative jump-and-run game.
«Kirby and the Forgotten Land» is available on Switch.
«Nintendo Switch Sports»: my sporting favourite
This sporting classic is finally available on Switch and in no way inferior to the Wii version. In «Nintendo Switch Sports», the controls are intuitive and even easier than I remember them. My personal highlight is bowling with my friends in the living room. While I can smash the ball in any direction when playing badminton in pairs, tennis is a bit more rigid, which is why you can also play it with four people. And if my opponents fall in the sand, I’ve got something to laugh about.
«Nintendo Switch Sports» is available on Switch.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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