Sammy’s Top 5 PS5, PS4 Games of 2022

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Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our fantastic team of writers to share their personal PS5 and PS4 picks for 2022. Today, it’s Editor Sammy Barker’s turn.

I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of ​​”games within games”. It’s part of the appeal of series like Shenmue and Yakuza to me; I love the idea of ​​being able to deviate from the core of the story to try something completely different, before returning to the campaign when I’m ready. I have a feeling Newcastle-based development team Nosebleed Interactive has been cut from the same cloth as me, and they’re elevating the concept to extraordinary levels with their Arcade Paradise mini-game collection simulation based on a tycoon.

I liked Train Sim World 3 a lot at first, and then they added the Birmingham Line through the city as an expansion. Having grown up traveling on the Class 323, with its famous sci-fi style revving sounds, seeing some of my local stations meticulously duplicated on my PS5 proved to be a real miraculous moment. Beyond that, I think Dovetail is really starting to get better at crafting a complete package: TSW3 isn’t massively different from its predecessor, but the UI improvements along with dynamic weather additions make it more immersive and allow you to quickly get to the good stuff – which is, of course, driving the trains .

I’m not sure when or why public opinion shifted so dramatically to Horizon Forbidden West, but I already feel the need to defend my decision to rank Aloy’s sophomore outing highly. It’s weird because I thought Guerrilla delivered another great game. The combat never gets tired for me, and I enjoyed the weird and unexpected twists the Dutch developer embraced. This is a strange adventure, and one that would likely make for an even stranger sequel. At its core, though, I still find the core concept, this weird, fantastical mix of clans and sci-fi, absolutely fascinating. And if anything, I think the sequel has a much stronger cast of characters than its predecessor.

I’m sorry to be so predictable, but I’m afraid it could get worse. I must admit that my relationship with Elden Ring declined over the course of the year. There’s no denying that FromSoftware has delivered a landmark game here – a true giant of the open world genre. However, even though I ranked it second in my personal picks, I think the praises were a little overblown. A weak final third and too much repetition of the title bothered me at times, but I can’t ignore the unforgettable first fifty hours I spent in Lands Between, which is why I have to tip my hat to this dark and horrific one. Action RPG.

What then? I hate to break records, but God of War Ragnarok is good — like, really good. I think what underscores the game’s great achievement for me is the fact that I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Prior to release, I can’t say any of the trailers particularly appealed to me, never having been interested in Norse traditions. But the game won me over almost immediately with its unsurpassed refinement and quality. It’s a wonderfully written and wonderfully designed experience, filled with memorable moments and compelling battles that never tire over its unexpectedly long runtime. This is why I prefer PlayStation above all else.

What do you think of Sammy’s chosen character game of the year? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly or reprimand relentlessly in the comments section below.

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