The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world, with new titles released on a constant basis. Despite significant release date delays, 2022 has seen its fair share of new video game releases, and so far five of those new releases have managed to earn a 90 or above overall review average from video game critics.
To date, the highest-rated new video game releases of 2022 are Elden Ring with a 95 overall, Immortality with 92, Freshly Frosted with 91, NORCO with 90, and Neon White with 90. Immortality is the newcomer to the lineup, having just released on August 30 as a day one Xbox Game Pass game and earning very high marks from critics. It's an FMV-style game from Sam Barlow, the same developer who made similar games like Her Story and Telling Lies.
In Immortality, players have to sift through footage of three unreleased films starring Marissa Marcel. The ultimate goal of the game is to figure out exactly what happened to Marcel, which players do by unearthing new clips. Instead of searching for specific words like in Her Story and Telling Lies, these clips are found by clicking on objects in the footage that players already have access to. Immortality is currently available on PC and Xbox Series X, but a mobile version is also in development.
Best Video Games 2022
- Elden Ring - 95
- Immortality - 92
- Freshly Frosted - 91
- NORCO - 90
- Neon White - 90
Elden Ring may not need an introduction for most gamers, but it's the latest ultra-challenging game from Dark Souls studio FromSoftware. The basic concept behind Elden Ring is that it translates Dark Souls style gameplay to an open world environment, and if the reviews are any indication, it was hugely successful at this endeavor. Elden Ring earned near-universal acclaim from critics, with praise for its atmosphere, challenging combat, and co-op. Elden Ring is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Freshly Frosted, the third-highest rated game of 2022 so far, is a much different experience than Elden Ring or Immortality. It's a puzzle game where players build conveyor belts to frost donuts. Freshly Frosted is available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
There are two 2022 releases that currently have a 90 rating exactly, and those are the PC-only NORCO and Neon White, available for PC and Nintendo Switch. NORCO is a point-and-click adventure game where players navigate a cyberpunk version of Louisiana, whereas Neon White is a first-person shooter mixed with visual novel and card game elements that's all about completing levels as fast as possible.
Looking ahead, there are still some major new releases for 2022, including games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, so it will be interesting to see if any of them join the 90 or above club when they launch.
Source: OpenCritic
