While some games live and die in the year they were released, others continue to thrive long after they first appear. Here we celebrate the games that continue to shine, from metaverse shooters to payload shifters, sprawling RPGs, and more.
Be sure to come back next week when we announce the winners of IGN’s Best of 2022 Awards.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
It may be hard to believe, but Destiny 2 first welcomed players into its world in 2017. Since then, it has continued to build itself into something unlike anything else on the market and a game that constantly calls its Guardians back to duty. The Witch Queen is the latest call to action, and we said it represents the “best expansion that Destiny has ever received.” Not only does it have an incredibly compelling campaign, but it also provides players with a world-class raid, new abilities, and weapons that shake up the gameplay in a way never seen before in-game. It’s one of those games that just keeps us smiling throughout its many hours of never-ending content, and it’s a reminder of why we love games and invest in worlds like Destiny.
Final Fantasy XIV
Another year, another nomination for this critically-acclaimed MMORPG — and for good reason! The end of 2021 brought us the fantastic Endwalker expansion, which came with it a triumphant finale to the game’s long-running Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark arc, as well as numerous quality of life fixes that have made the game much more accessible to all – including those wishing to enjoy the story purely on their own. With a brand new adventure just on the horizon, there’s no better time than the present to hop into Final Fantasy XIV!
Fortnite
Fortnite continues to be a creative, fun, ever-changing battle royale. The game kicked off 2022 with a brand new map, an epic Spider-Man: No Way Home collab, and a fresh storyline that introduced The Rock, Joel McHale, Rahul Kohli, and Brie Larson as main characters. Fortnite continued to collaborate with brands like Uncharted, Ralph Lauren, and even Wu-Tang Clan. At the end of the last season, Fortnite began covering the entire map in chrome, allowing for a fun traversal mechanic that proves just when you’ve seen Fortnite do it all, they come up with something completely new.
Genshin Impact
We first embarked upon our journey through the charming open-world of Teyvat in September 2020, in pursuit of our protagonist’s lost sibling, and in search of the secrets behind this magical land and the gods that rule it. Since then, Genshin Impact’s epic story has steadily unfolded through Hoyoverse’s meticulous regular updates, introducing us to extraordinary characters and new challenges to face; Version 3.0, released August 2022, unveiled the vast nation of Sumeru, whose deserts and rainforests contain all manner of secrets. As the adventure expands with each update, the land of Teyvat truly feels dynamic and alive, with limited-time events and special game modes that draw us back in time and again.
Overwatch 2
In 2022 Overwatch underwent its biggest evolution since the hero shooter’s launch over six years ago. It’s still the vibrant, often exhilarating objective-based team game that it was, but the change from 6v6 to 5v5, the addition of three new heroes, and an exciting new mode have freshened it up considerably. It’s a much different shooter from when it first released — less of a tactical chess match and made up more of brawling skirmishes — but is crucially still very fun. Questions over its new free-to-play model, the battle pass, and extortionate store fees that come with it are still being regularly raised, but on the battlefield Overwatch 2 feels more satisfying to play than it has at any point over the past couple of years. For that alone, there is reason to be hopeful for its future, as Blizzard aims to reach the highs it once did again.
All IGN Best of Games 2022 Categories
Best Game of 2022Best Action Game of 2022Best Action-Adventure Game of 2022Best Video Game Music of 2022Best Video Game Art of 2022Best Console Exclusive of 2022Best Ongoing Game of 2022Best Performance in a Game in 2022Best Puzzle Game of 2022Best Racing Game of 2022Best RPG Game of 2022Best Shooter Game of 2022Best Game Story of 2022Best Strategy Game of 2022Noteworthy Advancement in Game Accessibility in 2022Best Gaming Hardware of 2022
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