Best Games of 2022: Yuna’s Top 5 Games of 2022

So here we are at the end of 2022, ready to round up the year by talking about our favorite games. Admittedly, my penchant for playing retro games did a number on me this year, so there were a handful of games I wanted to get around to playing that I just ended up missing out on. And unfortunately, I can’t put Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions on this list, as much as I would like to.

That said, I still managed to experience enough of 2022’s bounty to rank them for you today, and I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to do so. Five titles, to be exact, have left their mark on me in their own unique way. So this is Yuna’s Top 5 Games of 2022!

5. Pokémon Scarlet/Violet

I’ll preface this pick by saying I do not condone the condition in which this newest generation of Pokemon was released. It was, and still is, an unpolished and buggy experience that should have spent more time in the incubator. But despite all that, I still walked away from Scarlet & Violet with a smile on my face, and my love for Pokemon reaffirmed because when it comes to the core gameplay and the writing, Game Freak absolutely nailed it.

The new open and freeform structure makes this one of the most engaging mainline games in years since you truly can do anything in any order you want. Catching Pokemon feels like a joy too, and I spent several hours during my first day with it just running around and catching whatever I could get my hands on. The writing really stuck out to me in particular; the characters feel so much more lively and interesting now, and I’m probably going to be thinking about the climax for a long time because it’s one of Pokemon’s best.

On top of that, add some fun and fresh new Pokemon designs and one of the best soundtracks of the year, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet might be a bit rough, but it’s still more than worth a play for Pokemon fans and newcomers alike.

4. Lunistice

If you’ve seen my review of this, you likely already know that I have a lot of praise for this adorable throwback platformer. It pleases me a lot to see it gain recognition elsewhere, too, for its charming graphics and simple but entertaining gameplay. It impacted me so much that I couldn’t help but include it on my list!

It’s a game that I can just easily recommend based on its price and value alone before even getting into how fun it is to play or how great the music is. It’s an adorably good time, and it’s a game that was completely off my radar until I reviewed it. The vibrant and colourful low-poly 3D models definitely drew me in at first, too. It’s admittedly a style that appeals to me a lot, and they succeeded in really making some memorable and visually interesting environments here! It’s a game that’s both a joy to look at and to play!

And thankfully, it seems like work is already underway for the next game in the series! So I’m looking forward to seeing what it’ll bring to the table when it’s released!

3. Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

This is a personal pick for me, and I could understand if someone disagreed with its placement. Seeing Klonoa back on the scene really is a big deal for me, though, and bringing his two mainline games to modern consoles was a great decision. These two remasters are great fun and do a wonderful job updating the visuals while the gameplay is as enjoyable as ever.

While they definitely could have included some more content to make this a more complete package, you get a lot of value here with both Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and its sequel, Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. I have a lot of fun memories of Klonoa 2 especially, and it was pure joy to play through it again with a fresh coat of paint. The soundtracks are as catchy as ever, and the story beats just as heart-wrenching.

If you’ve never experienced the Klonoa games before, this is the definitive way to play them now, and it’s definitely worth your while!

2. Kirby & the Forgotten Land

Kirby never fails to put a smile on my face, and I was overjoyed when this game was announced. A fully 3D Kirby game has been a long time coming, and they did a fantastic job right from the get-go. While the copy abilities are more simplistic this time, using them just feels so natural and satisfying in a 3D environment, and getting the ability to upgrade them is a great new mechanic that keeps them feeling fresh.

The controls are pitch-perfect, and the levels are fun and varied, with some unique themes for a Kirby title, thanks to the ruined civilisation setting. This does make me realize this is the third game on my list that has an amusement park level, though… funny how things work out. But, of course, since this is a Kirby title, the little bits of story and lore are important, and this game delivers on that front without ever feeling intrusive to the core gameplay. With one of the best villains in the series and some of the best post-game content, this was almost my number-one pick for the year. But one other game snuck in and took the crown.

1. Signalis

It would be easy to say that Signalis is simply just a homage to the horror games of old. But it’s so, so much more than that. While it takes elements of those games, it molds them into such an atmospheric and gripping experience with an incredible sense of aesthetic and style. From beginning to end, I was just in love with how this game looked and the lore that was woven so masterfully throughout the gloomy, melancholy narrative.

It’s stuck with me ever since I first played it; there are scenes that are just so firmly etched into my brain because of their impact. And the sense of fear is always so well done, too; the game eschews cheap scares for a quiet, lonesome dread, while every enemy encounter feels stressful in the best kind of way as you do your best to survive. The visuals are so striking, too, with bleak colors accompanied by aggressive, dangerous reds and ghostly, spectral whites.

Signalis firmly stuck itself into my psyche since I started playing it, and I think I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. It’s probably not going to be everyone’s top pick, but Signalis is the sort of moody, melancholic experience that just has to be my pick for game of the year.