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Xbox has had a middling year with exclusive releases in 2022, but still managed to keep up with the likes of Nintendo and PlayStation. This year’s titles ranged from blockbuster AAA hits such as Halo Infinite to more indie titles like Vampire Survivors.
Having most of these games available on game pass also helped bolster their popularity, and the list is sure to increase with the upcoming releases of 2023.
This article will attempt to rank the best 10 Xbox games of 2022.
Note: Minor spoilers for the listed games will follow. Viewer discretion is advised. Additionally, this list is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinions.
This year’s best Xbox titles range from JRPGs to smash indie hits
All of these games are available for the Xbox Series X/S and are great additions to your library:
10) Sea of Thieves
The action-adventure game developed by Rare, follows players assuming the role of a pirate as they sail the seas and encounter other ships, forming trade alliances or going out to battle against each other.
Sea of Thieves is designed after the "games as a service" model, and has received multiple updates post launch, adding a breath of fresh air to the title and making it a very enjoyable experience in 2022.
9) Citizen Sleeper
Released on May 5 2022, Citizen Sleeper follows players on a space station known as the Eye. The player takes control of a ‘Sleeper,’ a robot with a human consciousness transferred onto it, as they escape from the Essen-Arp corporation, battling for their survival and freedom amidst the various factions aboard the station.
Presented with multiple endings, Citizen Sleeper is an excellent dystopian-cyberpunk world full of lore and intrigue.
8) Tunic
Tunic is an action-adventure game created by Andrew Shouldice, and follows the anthropomorphic fox in his adventures in the gaming world.
The game draws heavy inspiration from The Legend of Zelda franchise, (as is evident from the box art) with a huge focus on exploration in a top-down view sprinkled with a moderate dose of enjoyable combat.
The game received positive reviews and was nominated for the Best Indie Game title at the 2022 Game Awards.
7) Immortality
One of the more unique titles on our list, Immortality is an interactive video game film developed by Sam Barlow and released on August 30, 2022.
The game utilizes full-motion video clips to paint a narrative of the fictional model Marissa Marcel and her three unreleased films. These films are tied to her sudden disappearance, and players must solve this mystery by carefully examining and manipulating the footage.
This unique form of interactivity, coupled with the sinister plot, makes Immortality earn its place on our list.
6) Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors is a rogue-like shooter described as having ‘minimalist gameplay’ along with survival elements. Gamers battle against endless foes, earning as much gold as possible for the next battle. The gold earned from each battle can be used in subsequent battles to unlock new characters and weapons.
Despite its relatively simple premise and gameplay, Vampire Survivors is easily one of the most addictive games to play on Xbox, with simple controls and retro aesthetics further adding to the experience.
5) Halo Infinite
Created as a soft-reboot to the long-running Halo franchise, Halo Infinite is a first-person shooter that has players assuming command of the iconic Master Chief. As the Master Chief, players fight off the Banished in the new ringworld known as Zeta Halo.
Despite a sluggish start and lackluster multiplayer updates, Halo Infinite still provides a very decent single player campaign for gamers to enjoy in this return to form for the Halo franchise. The Xbox exclusive is also set to receive major updates to its free-to-play multiplayer component in 2023, making it an exciting time to be a Halo fan.
4) Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is an iconic product from Microsoft, and was released in 2020 for both the Xbox and PC.
The game allows players to pilot a variety of aircraft, from light planes to wide-body jets in various locations around the globe. The title also features real-time weather and effects, along with gorgeous visuals, making for an authentic flight simulator experience like no other.
3) Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 is a racing video game developed by Playground Games for PC and Xbox. It is the twelfth installment in the long-running Forza series and features photorealistic visuals as gamers race off in a fictional part of Mexico.
Met with critical acclaim upon its release, Forza Horizon 5 is a great recommendation for fans of the racing game genre.
2) Minecraft
Dubbed the best-selling video game of all time, Minecraft is simply unmatched in its popularity and availability. The game can be best described as a sandbox role-playing game which follows players crafting their own unique world in either of the game’s two modes.
Bustling with creativity and huge potential, it is no surprise that Minecraft holds its spot as the second most popular Xbox game of 2022 on our list.
1) Persona 5 Royal
After much fanfare and teasing, Persona 5 Royal was finally released for PC and Xbox on October 21, 2022.
The widely popular JRPG follows the players as they take control of the self-insert ‘Joker’, and balance high school life with the game’s objective of reforming society from within the shadows.
The Royal version of the game includes all previously released DLC in one package along with extra content, making it an excellent recommendation for all players, and an easy pick for our number 1 Xbox game of 2022.
