Here are TIME Magazine’s top 10 favorite video games of the year.
The Heroes in a Half-shell take to the streets in this arcade-style action side-scroller
inspired by the 1987 cartoon series.
The game brings back the cartoon series's voice cast while offering modern updates like
a deeper 2D environment and a great soundtrack.
Shredder’s Revenge is such a good time that its only flaw is that it’s over all too
quickly.
All your favorite characters from Anakin to Rey, the battles that thrilled you, and the
moments that made you fall in love with Star Wars are all lovingly recreated here, in LEGO
form.
Despite covering the plot of nine movies, this game is easily digestible.
The Skywalker Saga really does marry all the best aspects of the Lego Star Wars games.
While many of the games on this list are high-stress and challenging, The Skywalker Saga encourages
relaxation and promises a good time.
Resident Evil Village’s DLC is its own unique story that concludes the Winters saga that
began in Resident Evil: Biohazard.
Set sixteen years after the conclusion of Village, Shadows follows Ethan’s daughter
Rose Winters who enters the mind of a conscious fragment of mold in search of a crystal that
will remove the powers that left her a social pariah her entire life.
While players traverse familiar areas from Village, the horrors found there are all new.
A game inspired by Jackie Chan films, Sifu makes use of its martial arts combat system
that highlights the importance of practice.
A novel element of the game is each time you die, the character ages, allowing you to utilize
more powerful attacks but reducing your overall health, to the point where your character
can age beyond the ability to fight, forcing you to restart the level.
It forces you to learn both discipline and adaption in a way that makes every fight a
different game of death.
Naughty Dog’s third foray into the first installment of The Last of Us justifies itself
as its own unique experience worthy of a spot as one of 2022’s best.
It’s the same story you already know and love: Joel, a smuggler, escorts a teenage
girl, Ellie, across the ruins of the United States.
Part 1 isn’t just a PS5 port, it rebuilds the game from scratch with current-gen animation
and graphics, and enhanced controls, making the experience, whether it's your first time
or a replay, all the more memorable.
You play the entirety of Stray as a cat who gets separated from his family after falling
from the lush greenery of the outside world.
You find yourself in a walled city meant to protect the last remnants of humanity.
But humanity has all passed on and left only their robot companions.
Accompanied by a drone, you work your way through the game by solving puzzles, performing
side quests, and unlocking the history of the world you explore.
And don’t be surprised by how invested you just might become.
Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki of Dark Souls fame, with story and world-building from George
R.R. Martin, the game is massive in scope, and sends your character on a quest to repair
the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.
The combat is very demanding and difficult but it’s also rewarding and encourages players
to learn from their missteps.
And because it’s an open-world experience, you can often find yourself in a battle you’re
not nearly ready for.
While mileage may vary, the sheer ambition of Elden Ring makes it a standout.
Paying homage to the summer camp horror movies of the 80s, The Quarry features a group of
camp counselors who decide to have one last hurrah before packing it in for the summer.
Only there’s a curse over the lands and a werewolf prowls the night.
With likable characters you want to see survive the night, surprising twists, a co-op option,
and great replay value, The Quarry is a dream-nightmare scenario.
In this sequel to 2017’s Horizon: Zero Dawn, Alloy, along with familiar and new allies
tries to put the world back together by restoring the A.I.
Gaia and rebooting the Earth’s biosphere, decimated centuries ago by a human war against
the machines.
With smooth, intuitive combat and graphics, Forbidden West is a joy to play.
In a year full of gorgeous games, God of War: Ragnarök is what all action-adventure games
should aspire towards.
Set three years after the previous installment, Ragnarök once again finds Kratos and his son
Atreus attempting to find peace in Midgard, peace that is all too quickly shattered by
the Aesir and the coming Ragnarök.
It's an epic and emotional saga that stands as the best game of the year.