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Over the next eight days, Hardcore Gamer will be revealing its Best of 2022 Awards leading up to our Game of the Year. Today we present you with the Best New IP, Sequel, Remaster/Remake, Surprise and VR Game.
If a few years ago you would have told us that one of the best games of 2022 would end up being a 3D adventure starring a stray cat, we wouldn’t have believed it. Yet here we are and it’s hard to be feline anything other than praise towards Stray. Influenced by the real-life Kowloon Walled City, the beautiful dystopian setting is a marvel to explore on four legs, meowing your way through the world one street at a time. Stray is a breath of fresh air in a world where ambitious 3D games not based on an existing properties are rarely made, let alone indie ones. It’s unknown yet whether or not Stray will lead to a larger universe, but we wouldn’t say no to a sequel or even a film or television adaption or two.
Runner-Ups
Cult of the Lamb
Elden Ring
Vampire Survivors
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Back in 2017, Ubisoft and Nintendo caught the gaming industry by surprise with a team-up featuring the screaming Rabbids alongside Mario and friends in a Switch-exclusive tactics game. Although the original game offered plenty of strategic depth and charming antics, its grid-based combat and mostly linear sections in-between battles left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the teams at Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris were listening when creating the sequel, as Sparks of Hope leaves the Mushroom Kingdom behind as the dysfunctional crew heads into the vast reaches of space. Players can move about more freely in each of the five hub worlds which contain plenty of optional encounters to partake in and secrets to uncover, and the introduction of real-time elements into the turn-based combat creates more engaging battles that challenge players to think in new and creative ways. As the roster of heroes and Sparks grow and players encounter more dangerous foes, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope continues to prove time and time again how this follow-up title has vastly changed things for the better, making it the best sequel of 2022.
Rogue Legacy 2
God of War Ragnarök
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The Last of Us Part I
It’s hard to deny that Naughty Dog did a great job with The Last of Us Part I. Though all the content remains the same, the studio successfully rebuilt just about every corner of the game to take advantage of the PS5. Increased detail to building facades and foliage, the intricate detail of the Infected, the fidelity of the main characters and their animations, and the detail of each weapon make The Last of Us Part I a visually impressive remake. Beyond that are the improvements to gameplay that bring the controls into the modern era, and a UI overhaul that’s more in line with The Last of Us Part II. While it would have been great to get new content, it’s clear that a lot of love and care went into updating this beloved title. The Last of Us Remastered might still exist, but The Last of Us Part I delivers not only a vastly better looking experience, but also one that plays much better.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa
Live A Live
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
From the moment it was revealed the whole concept of Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a surprise, let alone how phenomenal it ended up being. This was Pokemon’s first true foray into more open areas for players to explore in a familiar but entirely new take on an older region. While it was still linear in terms of story, there was so much to explore it never felt like there was any pressure to progress until players wanted. It helped that this title brought along new Pokemon for players to uncover in addition to a mysterious and engaging story that pulled it all together with a look into the past of Sinnoh and the history of Pokemon as we know it. With how rocky Pokemon has been over the last few years, it truly was the biggest and most amazing surprise just how much we ended up loving Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The Mortuary Assistant
PowerWash Simulator
MultiVersus
The Last Clockwinder
Puzzle games where you have to utilize clones of yourself and/or your actions in order to solve puzzles aren’t wholly unique, and neither are puzzlers where you create assembly line-style lines of production. But through its charming atmosphere, impressive visuals and strong gameplay, The Last Clockwinder not only stood out as one of the year’s best puzzlers that blended the two mechanics together, but also as one of the year’s best VR games, allowing players to get immersed in this small yet magical world where you’re tasked with helping to repair a clock tower. Plus, there’s just something rewarding about having to physically pull off the actions that the automatons you create will copy, making it the type of game perfect for such a format as well, and once again showcasing what VR games can truly be capable of. Hopefully we’ll see even more original VR titles like this in the future worthy of this award as well.
Moss: Book II
Tentacular
Mothergunship: Forge
Red Matter 2
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