Jason Oestreicher's Top 10 Games of 2022

10. Evil West

So you hit the punch button and hold it down to launch the enemy, then you jump up and Superman-punch them into an environmental hazard–killing them. Then, you’ll lasso the tick in front of you, drag them in, punch, Superman, repeat… this all feels pretty good.

9. Tunic

Thank god they didn’t allow this game to be rented at IGA Super Market in Schofield, WI cause otherwise I’d never be able to view the manual. Why was there never a manual, IGA?

8. Salt and Sacrifice

Hell of a hook to this game. 2D Souls-borne gameplay with a Monster Hunter loop? Let’s go.

7. King of Fighters XV

SNK’s latest iteration of King of Fighters was the best fighting game to hit us this year.

6. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge

In a year of stellar beat-em-ups, Shredder’s Revenge sits atop the heap.

5. Bayonetta 3

Despite a weird reliance on summon enders in regular combat, the hit-to-hit combat scored pretty high on the register overall.

4. Midnight Fight Express

All it took from me to take on the denizens of Midnight Fight Express was a gentle nudge from a sentient drone and a lust for combat.

3. God of War Ragnarok

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 2018 version’s combat, but this time it clicked with me. Also using it as a distraction from the in-law’s Fox News watching was a welcome interruption.

2. Sifu

I like what Sloclap did with their past game, Absolver, but I love Sifu’s more focused, single-player approach.

1. Elden Ring

I mean… C’mon.