Josh Broadwell's Top 5 Games of 2022 | Winter Spectacular
2022 had lots of games; fun games, touching games, and more games than I’ll ever have time to play. But I did play some – mostly for work, with a few special moments stolen away where I could sink into games I wanted to play purely for my own pleasure. I’m notoriously terrible at ranking things and usually hem and haw about if A really is better than B. But it’s the Winter Spectacular, and that means it’s time to get my act in gear and narrow down the picks for my top 5 games of 2022 – but in no particular order because I can’t decide.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
An anime game on Josh Broadwell’s list?
I am shooketh!
A JRPG? As my GOTY? It’s more likely than you think. My love of Xenoblade 3 is more than just plain weebery, though, as Xenoblade is more than your usual JRPG. It’s about oppression, the systems of fear and prejudice that keep people obedient without question, and the danger – and necessity – of standing up and fighting back. It subverts familiar RPG tropes as its core cast of six gradually grows into complex individuals who form meaningful relationships with each other.
It’s also one of the most mature commentaries on death and the meaning of life that I’ve seen in a game and, indeed, any media. Death in Xenoblade 3 isn’t just a plot device or a dramatic way to get rid of a character. It’s a devastating event for all involved, and then those left behind have to figure out how to keep living in the face of absence – and what the point of it all is. It’s not exactly a happy game, but having experienced a not-insigificant number of deaths and measures of grief in the past few years, I appreciate a game that just understands.
Persona 5 Royal
The gang is still all here, five years later.
Yes, I played Persona 5 Royal… again. “It was for work!” I shout as they carry me away to a Persona-less, Call-of-Duty-padded room for my own well-being.
Anyway, I’m glad I took the chance to play it again. Removed from the pressure of reviews, which loomed over me the first time I played Royal, I was able to, well, take my time. I spent most of that time talking to people, working on Confidant relationships that I ignored the first time – the ones that weren’t expedient. I still think the main plot could do with a bit more nuance, but the character stories, seeing the Thieves and other people Joker gets to know grow and learn how to face their problems and hold their heads up in the world, resonated with me much more deeply.
That, more than anything, stands out to me as the main point of Persona 5, or any modern Persona. The world is harsh and lonely. You might not be able to permanently fix society, but you can take the time to listen to your friends and be there for them – and sometimes, that’s more important.
Genshin Impact
Josh has to deal with four things on a daily basis; Gays, Gals, Guides, and Genshin.
Suprise! I’m still playing Genshin Impact. Okay well, it’s not surprising since technically my job is to play it, but despite having to stay current with every aspect of the massive game, I still thoroughly enjoy it. This year saw the debut of yet another troubled nation, a new element to shake up Genshin’s team building, and more story-filled events than you can count.
What interested me the most, though, was seeing the main plot start to unfold a bit more. After a thematically uneven start, Genshin’s real nature is finally emerging, and – for now, at least – it’s a story of death, coming to terms with loss, and finding your place in a world where you don’t feel like you belong. It sounds depressing, but Genshin balances the heavy moments with a generous measure of lightheartedness and warmth to keep things from getting too morose.
Lord Winklebottom Investigates
For the sake of keeping the theme going, do you think we could get away with calling this anime?
I played far fewer indie games than I’d have liked this year. However, I did manage to make some time to play the charming, delightful Lord Winklebottom Investigates, and I’m so glad I did. “Cozy” usually conjures images of friendship, peace, warmth, and quiet – y’know, things that are actually cozy. Not murder. Well, not murder unless you’re me.
I have very fond memories of marathoning Agatha Christie’s Poirot with my mom, staying up far too late to watch just one more episode (and then two, and then three), and trying to figure out the culprit before the fussy little Belgian detective – expertly played by David Suchet – did. Working alongside Lord Winklebottom’s quirky detective brought back that cozy feeling, and better still, it’s a game I could share with my non-gaming mom, who thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
Editor’s note: I will, one day, try one of these games, Josh. I swear.
(I say lying-ly)
It’s simply not a list of Josh games without something from Nihon Falcom. Trails from Zero doesn’t have any commentary on life or deep personal significance like my other favorite games from this year. It’s just really good.
Falcom set Zero in the fictional city of Crossbell – inspired by Hong Kong, as startmenu alum Henry Stockdale found out earlier this year – a seething, roiling brew of gang violence, political intrigue, and economic colonialism, with an undercurrent of clashing religious values that, in true Falcom fashion, will have far-reaching effects later in the series. (God knows when. It never ends, to the delight of weebs such as me). Zero has the strongest sense of place of almost any RPG I can think of, which is a perfect complement to Trails’ unique NPCs who grow and change as the story develops.
It’s impossible not to care about the little girl who feeds a stray cat in the square, the members of the city’s internationally-renowned theatre troupe, or the immigrants in the Eastern Quarter who fled ethnic persecution to make a new home in this bustling city.
If you’ve played Trails of Cold Steel, you already know how this pans out for them all. If not, well, I’ll let 2023’s Trails from Azure tell you when it comes out!
Josh Broadwell is a freelance writer and reporter who specializes in guides, reviews, and whatever else he can convince someone to commission. You may have seen him on NPR, IGN, Polygon, or VG 24/7 or on Twitter, shouting about Trails. When he isn’t working, you’ll likely find him outside with his Belgian Malinois and Australian Shepherd or curled up with an RPG of some description.
