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Despite several setbacks and oddly subdued communication from big-time developers, 2022 has been a successful year for computer games.
From phenomenal titles like Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West to profound blockbusters like Sifu and The Quarry, the very first half of the calendar year has provided games for players to sink their teeth into every week.
Of all that, we're still talking about the video game industry, and with the sheer volume of games that have come out in the last few months, it's inevitable that some of them haven't exactly struck the mark.
The games listed below aren't all horrible (though there are a few that are clearly bad), but they did fall short of the high expectations that fans had for them in the lead-up to their release. They are all capable of being significantly better than they ultimately were, but it does not make them unworthy of playing.
As a result, whether they were rushed out of the gate before they were ready, emphasized the incorrect elements, or just disintegrated under duress, these games were major disappointments.
Disclaimer: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
Ranking 10 games that launched to much fanfare in 2022, but failed to hit their marks
Numerous games allegedly underwent a nightmare development process as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. Already harsh working conditions weren't helped in certain cases by remote work, which resulted in more work being spent on a task than expected.
As a result it should be applauded that these games were launched at all, owing to the immense efforts of quality creators. However, the extra effort invested in bringing games to completion has not really resulted in masterpieces.
10) LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Among the games on the list, this one is arguably the hardest to get too excited about. The most recent LEGO Star Wars game's saga is excellent, it's alright, it's harmless — a video game, indeed.
At its core is ambition. It requires talent to stay composed under duress when adapting nine films with hundreds of characters, thus praise should be given for the commitment shown to the variety of gameplay circumstances.
It's just that while being supposed to represent the entire Star Wars collection, it lacks the enchantment of older LEGO games. Although there is a lot to do, there isn't much of a motivation for players to participate in the majority of it.
If this is your first LEGO game, it will undoubtedly be enjoyable. For longstanding fans, however, it's just another thing to look forward to.
9) Shadow Warrior 3
Shadow Warrior 3 is among the best games of the year, for around two hours. This chaotic sequel is a mind-numbing spectacle that will appeal to all Doom Eternal fans as it is a graphically stunning, kinetic first-person shooter. Unfortunately, they can't keep up with it for the entire five-hour length.
The initially thrilling firefights get tedious when you realize the entire game can be condensed down to entering identically laid-out zones and battling the very same waves of opponents. Some acrobatic levels are designed to connect these fighting bouts, but even those become plain and routine after a while.
Shadow Warrior 3 may still be a good time to put on a podcast and just fire away. This would be the best course of action, because, despite having some serious vocal harmonies, the game's attempts at comedy arrive heavy and fast, becoming tiresome quite quickly.
It's a pity to see it run out of energy so early after it creates such a solid initial impression.
8) Rainbow Six: Extraction
A few years ago, Rainbow Six: Extraction, a three-player PvE sequel to Rainbow Six: Siege, would have been met with more enthusiasm.
Extraction, another videogame on this roster that was plagued by delays (and even a company was renamed), has crawled out of the gate all the way since the beginning of this year. It's difficult to remember what happened six months later.
Rather than fighting terrorists, gamers must band together to combat an extraterrestrial invasion that is steadily enslaving the human population. Players are placed in the quarantine zone and must progress through the levels by utilizing the particular abilities of each specialist in order to reach the other side unharmed.
Extraction can be enjoyable with a group of pals. It's more engaging and well-polished than, for example, Aliens: Fireteam from 2021 in terms of PvE co-op games.
Still, that doesn't mean it's especially fantastic. Having spent numerous years in development, you have to ask why Ubisoft didn't publish it as an expansion of Rainbow Six: Siege.
7) Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7's ranking, like so many others on this list, comes with a catch. While examining Sony's premier racer, we complimented it for its astounding level of realism, abundance of material, and for offering some of the most interesting and tactile driving-sim gaming options that are available right now.
Things were going swimmingly over the first weekend or so - Gran Turismo was back at the forefront. And then, there were those annoying microtransactions.
The title's primary development originally rewarded a reasonable amount of in-game currency for finishing laps, enabling you to purchase new vehicles and modify the ones you already owned on a regular basis. However, post-release modifications made this process a much greater slog by limiting the amount these races paid out.
Fans were incensed because they were forced to spend real money on in-game currency in order to acquire the game's top-tier automobiles, which led to backlash. While companies like Activision and EA are expected to push post-release microtransactions, seeing it in a Sony first-party product was a huge letdown.
6) Trek to Yomi
Trek to Yomi is the year's most polarizing game. One of the most graphically astounding films of 2022, this gorgeous black-and-white Samurai tale flawlessly evokes the filmic icons it draws inspiration from. Unfortunately, that beauty is only on the surface, as Trek to Yomi is substantially more enjoyable to look at than to play.
It is one of those side-scrolling sword-fighting video games that is lacking from the first combat encounter itself. This is despite being released just a few months after Sifu produced a superbly precise and fast take on parry-based gameplay.
Although the animation is stunning, the gameplay lacks complexity and provides insufficient input, leading to a boring and repetitive experience quite soon. Yomi is made even harsher by going into hard mode.
Rather than accentuating the katana's methodical and precise attacks, action at this level is merely an imbalanced, maddening chaos.
Trek to Yomi has its advantages. It's easy to see why certain aficionados fall in love with its clever plot and exquisite esthetic, but it's a shame the gameplay puts up big hurdles that prevent you from fully appreciating them.
5) Dying Light 2
The sequel to Dying Light is hardly a dud. The game's premise is of a main first-person parkour that expertly integrates a vast, rich open world, and the weaponry choice is astounding; zombie fighting is just as satisfying as ever.
However, the creators focused so much attention on the narrative this time around that it impeded the free-flowing open-world anarchy, making this long-overdue sequel only sporadically enjoyable.
The developers hoped to turn Dying Light into a full-fledged RPG, complete with Bethesda-style branching routes, a slew of side activities, and tons of dialog.
Unfortunately, the writing doesn't live up to those expectations, with most of the characters being one-note, moral choices being clearly evident, and the major narrative devolving into dull cliches which are neither scary nor intriguing.
Most plot objectives place you against human foes instead of the undead creatures seen throughout the title. Additionally, many older systems utilize the same lockpick mechanism as Fallout 3 and Dying Light 2, and the game's graphics aren't all that evolved.
4) Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo was doomed to obscurity from the start. Originally announced as a PlayStation 5 release, Thunder was snuffed out when its creators were acquired by Microsoft. As a result, rather than being the PlayStation 5 crossover it could have been, the title felt like a holdover.
Sadly, Ghostwire: Tokyo wouldn't have been much of a killer app for Sony in its current state. This is despite the fact that it possesses an intriguing premise in ghost-ridden Tokyo, as well as some esthetically amazing spell-casting FPS gameplay. It is monotonous, lengthy, and a weak story is what prevented it from living up to its potential.
It is a shame, given creators Tango Gameworks were emerging as one of the scariest video games of the century in The Evil Within 2.
3) Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Square Enix has recently gone all-in on Final Fantasy, even more so than usual. They added a number of high-budget spin-offs to its upcoming games' docket, which includes Final Fantasy 16, the second installment of the Seven Remake trilogy, and other titles.
The first notable of the above, Stranger in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, did not, however, get the positive response from fans that the publisher undoubtedly anticipated.
Stranger in Paradise, which resembles a modified version of the original Final Fantasy, bills itself as a tribute to the series and contains numerous callbacks to previous games. Unfortunately, these homages only make you crave the creative inventiveness that characterized those previous games, which is unfortunately lacking here.
You take on the role of Jack this time around, a man who is unquestionably some guy and who recruits a group of strong fighters to scavenge dungeons for better-tier riches. This time, the other party members are also controllable by actual players, thanks to Stranger of Paradise's foray into cooperative games.
The fight in Final Fantasy 7 by developer Team Ninja is a competent blend of the game's combat and the Nioh series' fundamentals. But it gets overshadowed by the game's clumsy inventory displays and uninspired map layout.
2) Crossfire X
There are probably quite a few people who are thinking, "Crossfire X can't be terrible, everybody understood that it was destined to be a forgotten disaster from the time it was released."
And yes, the brand FPS appeared dead on arrival from the first teaser. However, it did have one factor that significantly lifted expectations: the knowledge that its single-player campaign was produced by the invariable Remedy Entertainment. Unfortunately, the Max Payne and Control creators couldn't save this bland and repetitive military shooter.
Crossfire X's campaign lacks the element of lunacy that characterizes even the studio's mediocre works. It instead seems like a legal agreement that was fulfilled for money so the company could afford to produce the projects they are truly enthusiastic about, like the impending Alan Wake 2.
Despite being released directly on Game Pass, Crossfire X struggled to attract an audience and is currently one of the year's most critically panned games.
1) Diablo Immortal
How can you create a game based on one of the greatest adored franchises but receive the lowest Metacritic rating ever? Of course, you pack it full of microtransactions!
Diablo Immortal, the divisive complimentary smartphone and PC spin-off to the venerable dungeon crawling game, was initially met with wonderful reviews. This happened despite it being Blizzard's biggest disaster since Warcraft: Reforged, to put how droll they've gotten in context.
The game's addictive gameplay and growth were highly received by critics and players alike, with the game's solid graphics serving as frosting on the cake. For a moment, it seemed that Blizzard had turned the ship around while it was sinking.
After roughly 20 hours, the game began to reveal its true colors. Suddenly, the once-pleasant experience devolved into a nightmare of nickel-and-diming microtransaction stores with allegedly low drop rates.
YouTubers started shelling out large sums of money for in-game purchases, only to receive a meager selection of respectable items as a result of the game's RNG algorithm. Eventually, rumors circulated that having top-tier gear could cost you thousands of dollars if you weren't willing to put in hundreds of hours of work.
