5. High On Life (Xbox Series X|S)
At #5 it's, well, we were gonna say it's divisive - heaven knows we didn't have much good to say about it in our review - but as it turns out, and certainly judging by how well it's doing on Game Pass right now, High On Life is going down an absolute treat.
Justin Roiland's brand of comedy might not be for everyone - even though it now seems that it is - but there's no denying that this FPS, which marries endlessly talking guns, stoner humour, gross out gags and a thoroughly warped world in which to explore and execute your enemies, is absolutely scratching an itch for gamers around the world. We'd stick an excerpt from our review in at this point but, well, we'd just be harshing everyone's vibe, dude.
4. Deathloop (Xbox Series X|S)
Arkane's ridiculously clever FPS, Deathloop, lands the #4 spot and it's well deserved.
This one really is Arkane firing on all cylinders to bring us a fast and flashy time loop spectacular that sees you slowly unravel a clever mystery in the kind of narratively rich setting we've come to expect from this studio over the years.
The real joy here, though, is that they've managed to meld their typically awesome world-building and satisfyingly stealthy gameplay with all-out action that feels like a proper alternative this time around. If you previously save-scummed your way through Corvo's adventures in the Dishonored games and are expecting to have to take the same sort of methodical approach here, fear not; Colt goes loud and goes hard here and it feels awesome. As we said in our review earlier this year;
"There aren't too many games that nail their vibe as hard as this one."
3. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox Series X|S)
At #3 it's Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. No, no, not Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, mate, no that's the old one, this is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Pay attention, eh.
Just when you think Call of Duty is past its sell-by date, Infinity Ward goes and smashes it with the best entry in the franchise in absolutely ages. With a stellar campaign that features some of the very best sequences in the entire franchise - including an absolutely phenomenal sniper level - and slick and addictive multiplayer to boot, this is CoD at the top of its game. As we said in our review;
"Infinity Ward has delivered its best Call of Duty game since the original Modern Warfare 2 (from way back in 2009) with this year's release. The game's campaign mixes things up rather nicely, delivering a more tactical outing this time around, and the game's multiplayer caters to almost every type of Call of Duty player out there. While the non-Zombies co-op mode is an expected low point, MW2's multiplayer component is jam-packed and well-balanced, creating a compelling reason to keep returning to its huge online sandbox. Modern Warfare 2 won't convince the CoD haters out there, but this year's release is a return to form."
2. A Plague Tale: Requiem (Xbox Series X|S)
It's time for number #2, and it's Asobo Studio's phenomenal A Plague Tale: Requiem that's got your votes.
The first game was a cracker, make no mistake, but this second bite at the cherry really has upped the ante and fulfilled all of the promise of that original outing. Amica and Hugo's second adventure is a graphically stunning piece of work, an emotional rollercoaster and a very worthy sequel to the original. As we said in our review back in October;
"Asobo's sophomore effort is seriously impressive, delivering a balanced adventure that knows exactly when to mix things up, whether that be a introducing new story beat, a fresh location to explore, or a different combat option to make use of. Requiem is exactly the kind of new AAA narrative adventure we've been craving for a while on Xbox Game Pass, and we can't wait to see what this developer does next. Asobo Studio is really hitting its stride."
1. Elden Ring (Xbox Series X|S)
Finally, we've reached our #1 spot, our Pure Xbox Game of the Year 2022, as voted for by you lovely people, and really...was there ever any doubt as to what this was going to be?
Yes, FromSoftware's Elden Ring. It's an absolutely astounding piece of work, genuinely and without exaggeration, just a staggering achievement, really. To take the terrifying claustrophobia of the Dark Souls series, to take the delicately balanced and intricate combat, action that's usually confined to tight corridors, darkened tunnels and enclosed arenas, and successfully marry it to an open world that gives even the mighty Breath of the Wild a run for it's money. Just...what a game.
We've been playing this one since it came out, doing a full run for review then restarting, exploring, respeccing our characters, rinsing it for everything its worth and we still want more. This is as rich, satisfying and addictive as games get and the absolute pinnacle of what this most illustrious of studios has managed to deliver thus far. As we said in our review;
"Elden Ring is a crowning achievement for FromSoftware and undoubtedly the very best gameplay experience they've yet delivered - and that's really saying something given this developer's incredible back catalogue. The Lands Between deftly combine breathless open world exploration, stunning artistry, immaculate world-building and wondrous adventure with classic Dark Souls combat and dungeon-crawling, resulting in not just the best Souls game to date, but a candidate for one of the very best video games ever made."