As the year comes to an end, it’s once again time to look back and round up the best PC games of 2022. Much like last year, developers around the world have given us plenty of titles to play through, from cinematic adventure games, to sprawling socio-economic simulators, explosive third-person action games, and beyond.
We’ve seen more PlayStation exclusives launch on PC, giving us a taste of some of the greatest titles of the last console generation, revisited popular IPs, and looted our fair share of items more or less magical. Despite several high-profile delays, it’s been a busy 12 months and, below, we’ll list our picks for the best PC games of 2022.
We’ve chosen the best PC games of 2022 from the titles that we’ve played, reviewed, and given a grade of at least 8.5/10. Our score system labels them as “Excellent” and, while they may not be exactly flawless, they excel at telling or letting us create memorable stories, putting us at the center of intense battles, or showing us exquisite new worlds ripe for exploration and conquest.
They’re games that you should very much put on your to-play list, regardless if you’re looking for something to help casually pass the time every other evening or want to see some of the best games that the industry has offered us this year. And, with various holiday sales about to kick off as 2022 comes to a close, you might even find them at a discounted price.
The Best PC Games of 2022
- Total War: Warhammer 3
- God of War
- Distant Worlds 2
- Elden Ring
- Two Point Campus
- Pentiment
- Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord
Total War: Warhammer 3
Total War: Warhammer 3 brings Creative Assembly’s grand strategy trilogy to a close, as a tide of Chaos sweeps across the world. Launching with a rich roster of factions, including one that allows you to create your very own Daemon Prince and a fun campaign that admittedly divided the player base at launch, Warhammer 3 later became the final piece in the Immortal Empires puzzle, giving us the biggest Total War map to date.
In our review, we found that Total War: Warhammer 3 “makes it easy to lose countless hours spilling blood across its lush fields and rugged mountains, even before its Mortal Empires campaign inevitably turns it into a behemoth of a game,” before awarding it a 9. If you’d like to dedicate your life to fighting for or against Chaos, you’ll find the game on the Humble Store.
God of War
God of War sees the series reaching maturity, showing us an older, more complex version of Kratos that’s forced back into using old solutions for new problems. One of several PlayStation exclusives that ended up making their way to PC, the reboot features snappy, brutal, and gory combat that sees you pushing to master Kratos’ moves, alongside a continuous camera shot which elevates the game’s stunning take on Norse mythology.
In our review, we found God of War to be “the result of a clear, determined vision, its separate elements harmonizing almost perfectly to deliver an experience that understands the series’ blood-soaked origins but is also not afraid to push it into a more mature and nuanced direction,” before giving it a 9. If you haven’t yet seen where this new chapter of Kratos’ life leads, you’ll find the game on the Humble Store.
Distant Worlds 2
Distant Worlds 2 is a bit of an outlier on our list of the best PC games of 2022, taking players away from history or fantasy and thrusting them into the far future. The 4X strategy game trades focusing on a traditional campaign for a sandbox experience that lets players explore sprawling galaxies as they battle to expand their empire. There’s quite a bit of complexity in how you deal with diplomacy, espionage, war, or private economies, but it’s all worth taking the time to master.
In our review, we noted that Distant Worlds 2 “will keep you interested in its universe for a long time with no shortage of mechanics to learn,” before grading it a well-deserved 8.5. You can take the step towards leaving our boring little planet behind for a while by picking up the game on the Humble Store.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring not only shows that developer FromSoftware’s soulsborne formula still has new places to go, but managed to give us one of the most interesting open worlds in a long while. Although it’s filled with ruthless enemies and massive bosses that are aching to send you right back to the previous save point, it constantly pushes you to discover new locations. The Lands Between are a thing of beauty, but if that’s not enough, you still have a plethora of builds to try out and master as you embrace your inner sadist when tackling the game’s challenging combat encounters.
In our review, we found that Elden Ring “isn’t just one of the best From Software titles but one of the best games [we]’ve ever played and [we] would be shocked if this didn’t have reverberations on the entire games industry,” before awarding it our only 10 of the year. If you’d like to challenge yourself and be awed by the Lands Between, you’ll find the game on the Humble Store.
Two Point Campus
Two Point Campus is a management sim that refreshes its predecessor’s established formula with its shift away from managing hospitals and onto academia. You get to design your own campus, choosing its curriculum from a growing list of courses, while placing down rooms, furnishing them, and ensuring there’s enough staff (that’s adequately paid) on site. Your students are the lifeblood of your efforts, providing not just flavorful interactions, but also being your main source of income.
While reviewing Two Point Campus, we found that, aside from getting all the great bits of its predecessor right, it also adds “a whole new level of learning and [gives] its flavour of sim game a more intimate aspect to management that’s endearingly reminiscent of The Sims,” before awarding it an 8.5. If you’d like to try your hand at keeping students happy and passing their courses, you’ll find the game on the Humble Store.
Pentiment
Although Pentiment’s heavy narrative focus might not give it the same mass appeal as Fallout: New Vegas, it is part of what makes it one of the best PC games of 2022 and a must-play if you’re a fan of Obsidian Entertainment. Gorgeously presented like a string of illustrations you’d find in 16th-century manuscripts, following Andreas Maler as he uses the limited hours in a day to get to the bottom of a murder can see new perspectives and needed evidence popping up from where you least expect it.
In our review, we found that Pentiment “truly understands the intoxicating nature of choice in video games, and rewards you with cynical torment befitting the world it portrays,” which is why we scored it a 9.5. If you’d like to help Andreas yourself, you can purchase the game on Steam.
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord made good use of the time it spent in early access, turning its world of Calradia into a special place to explore. It’s a tough nut to crack early on, as getting to grips with its mechanics can be challenging, and won’t hold back on teaching harsh lessons. But once you begin to get a feel for things, the level of freedom on offer is impressive. As long as you don’t end up with a sword in your throat, you can roam the world with your small band of soldiers, build up an army and conquer land, find someone to marry, live the humble life of a monk or blacksmith, or any combination of these and many other options.
While reviewing Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord, we noted that it “is very much a superior sequel in so many ways,” before grading it a 8.5. You can start your own medieval odyssey by picking up the game on the Humble Store.
Honorable Mentions
- Serious Same: Siberian Mayhem - More explosive first-person shooter goodness that adds new toys.
- Lost Ark - Long-awaited free-to-play MMORPG with plenty of content.
- Crusader Kings III: Royal Court - DLC that improves an already great grand strategy/RPG hybrid.
- Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters - Turn-based tactics game that emphasizes playing aggressively.
- Evil Dead: The Game Review - Asymmetrical multiplayer game that properly uses its popular IP.
- Cult of the Lamb - Snappy occult-themed roguelite.
- Metal: Hellsinger - First-person shooter infused with rhythm game elements and a ripping metal soundtrack.
- Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed - Asymmetrical multiplayer game that pits four ghostbusters against one pesky ghost.
- Victoria 3 - Deep socio-economic simulator set during the Age of Progress.
- The Past Within - Sharp cooperative puzzler.
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