Xbox Game Pass: Best Games of 2022

Boy oh boy, what a year it has been for Xbox Game Pass. First the Activision-Blizzard acquisition, and now a grand finale that sees 2022 bow out with just shy of 200 games strewn across its multitude of subsidiaries. It's a track record that comes second to none, and it's only going to double in popularity and size as 2023 trudges on, too.

2022 may be on its last legs, but that doesn't mean Xbox Game Pass is just about ready to abandon its slew of indie hits and triple-As that flesh out its shelves. Still, the turn of a new year does give us the time we need to reflect on a few special titles that made the platform the groundbreaking hub that it is. Specifically, these much-loved and irresistibly timeless classics.

8. A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Requiem is Asobo Studios' highly anticipated sequel to 2019's award-winning third-person action-adventure A Plague Tale: Innocence. Its sequel, which picks up immediately after the first game, takes you on a journey across a rat-infested France as the beloved huntress Amicia de Rune, as she works to secure a remedy for her brother's developing sickness that gives him the power to not only control the vermin, but unknowingly dismantle and massacre the world around him.

True to the original, Requiem brings plenty of gripping story-driven content that's both heartbreaking and melancholic. Also like the first, it brings combat, crafting, and puzzle-solving to a smooth blend of semi-open world exploration, all of which comes enveloped in a mesmerizing soundtrack and an unforgettable plotline featuring some of the most talented voice actors of our generation. Does this make for a worthwhile visit? A million percent, yes.

7. Deathloop

Game Pass was lucky to receive one of the best fish-out-of-water first-person shooters of 2022 just a few months back; Deathloop, a story-driven hit that sees players working to break a cycle that always ends with the protagonist being hunted down by a former ally. To do so, you must spend each turn learning something new—similar to how Outer Wilds worked—and slowly collect enough data to get ahead of the game.

On paper, Deathloop can strike you as being an overly complex love letter to some of the biggest puzzle shooters on the block. In reality, though, it's simple shoot 'em up fun, and it fortunately has a helping hand that gently nudges you through to the bitter end. So, if you're all for strong narratives that go big on the high-octane combat, then definitely consider giving Arkane Studios' whirlwind adventure a shot.

6. Tunic

The cutesy top-down action platformer Tunic made quite the first-class impression on Game Pass subscribers back in March, mostly due to it being something of a spiritual successor to the older Legend of Zelda games that, quite frankly, dominated the gaming circuit during the nineties. Like its inspiration, the fox-themed adventure based its gameplay around dungeon-dwelling, puzzle-solving, and close-quarters combat. And honestly, for a short while it was in a league of its own—lightyears ahead of the competition.

Tunic follows the loveable anthropomorphic fox as he attempts to break the chains that bind his kin. As players, you must embark on an epic isometric journey that will see you unlocking various biomes, acquiring knowledge and tools, and building on the world's lore in a desperate attempt to understand it. The Legend of Zelda it most certainly is not. But then, it doesn't need to be, as it does a rather swell job at standing on its own two feet, anyway.

5. Metal: Hellsinger

Metal: Hellsinger is a rock and rhythm-based first-person shooter in which you conduct a metal opera from the comfort of you own home. Using two smoking barrels and a deadly array of powers, you must travel into the dark depths of hell and slaughter the demons that lay in wait. Think DOOM, but with a deeper emphasis on the metal score and the tactical shooting, and you've got yourself the basic premise of The Outsiders' day-one exclusive.

Metal: Hellsinger may be a relatively short compared to a lot of other shooters on Game Pass, but it's a hell of a good time, and definitely one that any metalhead will want to spend some time with. It's gory, grizzly, and in-your-face rock and roll, clear as day.

4. Disney Dreamlight Valley

In light of Nintendo shying its back away from Animal Crossing: New Horizons after feeding it content for the best part of two years, Gameloft looked to bridge the gap by buddying up with The Walt Disney Company to develop Dreamlight Valley, an all-new life simulation game that brought the magic to the consumer.

Dreamlight Valley lets you govern the deserted paradise as a cloudy-brained visitor, one who has lost all memories of not only the Valley itself, but the friends that once bulked out its magical borders. Your goal, then, is to venture out to the Disney network and rebuild Dreamlight from scratch, using tools, cooking, and fishing to further expand the town's resources along the way. With a whole kingdom to explore in future updates, any avid Disney-Pixar fan will definitely want to get ahead of the game and invest some hours into Gameloft's Game Pass hit.

3. High on Life

Justin Roiland, creator of Rick & Morty, recently capped off 2022 with High on Life, a bullet-soaked first-person shooter that brought all the familiar comedy-infused ingredients to a strange and exaggerated sci-fi world. Although not exactly built to satisfy every taste bud, its simple yet effective gameplay was definitely built to last, as it showed through its diverse levels and addictive gunplay.

High on Life hurls you into the thick of an alien planet, a place on which a corrupt force known as the G3 cartel plans to consume the entire human race. As a Bounty Hunter, you're tasked with whittling down the G3 numbers, using Gatlians—which are, in short, talking guns that love a good curse word—to help you along the way. It's simple, addictive, and surprisingly therapeutic. Oh, and it's also free on Game Pass, which is a boon in itself.

2. Scorn

We'll put it out there and say that Scorn isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea. In fact, it's so desperately disgusting, that it often takes even the strongest stomach to digest the true horrors that idle within. If you can gloss over all the fleshy orifices and perplexing puzzles, though, then the day-one exclusive can actually wind up being one of the best times you can have on the Game Pass front.

Scorn transports you to an unknown alien colony, a world of gears, flesh, and bone that bears more questions than answers. As a weary traveller, you must delve deep into the rabbit hole and unlock the world's darkest secrets, using every square inch of your skill set and intuitive mind to pave the way to the truth.

1. Immortality

Immortality is a puzzle-based cinematic experience in which—like Sam Barlow's previous games—you must analyse and assemble a desktop full of clips to help shed light on a dying mystery that yearns to be solved. Or in this case, the disappearance of Marissa Marcel, a well-known actress who, prior to her vanishing, filmed three unreleased movies and a whole series of behind the scenes footage.

As something of an investigator, you must work though hundreds of clips and piece together a timeline that helps shed light on the dark. With a twisted secret stashed away deep within one of the clips, you must learn to paint the portrait, one brush stroke at a time. What happened to Marissa Marcel? Or better yet, who was Marissa Marcel, really?

So, what's your take? Have you got a favourite Xbox Game Pass title from 2022? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.