Game Developer's Best of 2022: Chris Kerr's top five games

gamedeveloper.com:

This year, a bunch of people suggested there simply weren't enough games. Those people are deceivers and fiends. Once again, despite what felt like a a deluge of high-profile delays, I found myself struggling to play even a fragment of the titles I wanted.

I've only touched a few of the so-called big hitters and the year is officially OUT, but who cares when there's so much to enjoy beyond the triple-A borders. Yeah, I know, I still absolutely rinsed Elden Ring. But the point stands. 

Are my top five the absolute BEST games of 2022? Well, perhaps not. But also, maybe.

In all honesty, these are the games that managed to hold my attention during my apathy era. The pandemic has absolutely obliterated my desire to stare at a screen for hours on end, so when I say that these choice morsels kept me coming back time and time again, you know they mean business.

Your mileage, of course, many vary. But I'm too busy to sit here and argue. The holidays are upon us and I have festive leftovers to eat.

Opining about FromSoftware's latest without retreading old ground is tough. When the game launched way back in February, you couldn't move without bumping into someone ready to gush about the long-awaited RPG, and we suspect you'll struggle to find a single end of year list that doesn't feature the punishing, beautiful, often absurd title.

But there's a very good reason for that. Elden Ring is as close to a masterpiece as you'll ever find. It iterates on the tried-and-tested FromSoft formula while making it infinitely more accessible thanks to a sprawling open world that allows players to explore and battle at their own pace, giving them the time and space to hone their skills before confronting bosses and other foes on their own terms.

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