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The best video games of May 2022

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May 2022 definitely seems like it will be the quietest month of the year in terms of significant AAA releases. The biggest games were the middling Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong and the surprisingly satisfying Sniper Elite 5. Despite the lack of AAA titles, there were still plenty of excellent indie games that made May 2022 a month to remember for some. 

Next month, we’ll get a flurry of new releases from the likes of Nintendo, Blizzard, and 2K, as well as enjoy new announcements from almost every company in the video game industry. Until then, you can have a good time with any of these seven games that launched this month.

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Sniper Elite 5

Sniper Elite 5 – Marksman Trailer | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5

Sniper Elite 5 was this month’s big-ticket game by default. Thankfully, it’s a very enjoyable stealth sniping game that brings in elements from Metal Gear Solid V and Hitman to create a tense but satisfying experience. The series’ trademark gory killcams return too, so you can see every organ and bone you hit with a bullet get eviscerated. If you enjoy sniping in games specifically, then Sniper Elite 5 is a must-play title. 

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“Sniper Elite 5’s limited toolset and generic set dressing don’t quite elevate it to Hitman levels of creativity, but its open-ended approach to stealth action makes for a devilishly satisfying war game,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote in Digital Trends’ three-and-a-half star review of Sniper Elite 5. 

Until some more high-profile AAA shooters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II release later this year, Sniper Elite 5 is certainly the best new shooter game that you can find on the market. It’s on Xbox Game Pass too, so even the mildly curious can enjoy it. It’s also on PC, PS4, and PS5 for those who’d like to purchase Sniper Elite 5 outright.

Evil Dead: The Game

Ash Williams and other characters in Evil Dead: The Game

Evil Dead: The Game is the latest example of a horror franchise licensed and turned into a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer game. While this was done to mixed results in the past with series like Friday the 13th and Predator, Evil Dead: The Game actually gives Dead by Daylight a run for its money. Fans of the Sam Raimi-created movie franchise will enjoy being able to play as almost every character from the films, including multiple versions of Bruce Campbell’s iconic Ash Williams. Players can also control various demons from the Evil Dead series, scaring and attacking the survivors with unique abilities. 

“Both the human and killer experiences are very different and rewarding in their own right,” Digital Trends’ Giovanni Colantonio said about the game’s take on the 4v1 multiplayer experience. “I don’t feel like I have to do my time as a human just to get to the fun stuff when it’s my turn as a demon. No matter who I’m playing as, I get to raise hell.”

If you and your buddies like horror movies and are looking for a new multiplayer game to try, Evil Dead: The Game would be an excellent choice. Even if it doesn’t fully dethrone Dead by Daylight, it’s good that this Evil Dead multiplayer game is fun and not a total dud like Predator: Hunting Grounds. Evil Dead: The Game is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Hardspace: Shipbreaker

A shipbreaker cuts into a ship in Hardspace: Shipbreaker.

Do you enjoy games like PowerWash Simulator that turn menial labor into a really enjoyable and satisfying game? Hardspace: Shipbreaker does that with a sci-fi twist as you control a contract worker who’s trying to salvage materials from abandoned spacecraft for a megacorporation. You’ll scan for materials and hazards, slice through ships with a laser cutter, and use a tether to move and collect objects. As the game progresses though, you’ll slowly uncover that this game is really about the benefits of unionization, a very relevant message for the video game industry at this time. 

“Like its spaceships, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is an intricately crafted project that’s worth dissecting,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star review of the game. “Its satisfying reverse-engineering gameplay is relaxing and tense in the same breath. Though what’s more impressive is the way that core gameplay is used to reinforce big-picture ideas about worker’s rights that feel timeless, even in its sci-fi setting.”

This game manages to scratch the simulation, sandbox, and compelling narrative itches, so it’s an all-around excellent package. Currently, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is only available on PC. That said, it is actually on Xbox Game Pass for PC and will eventually come to consoles, so it should be on your radar if you like these types of simulation games and have that subscription. 

Citizen Sleeper

A list of dialogue options appear in Citizen Sleeper.

One of the biggest indie darlings of the month has turned out to be Citizen Sleeper, a sci-fi RPG where players control a person trying to survive after their human consciousness has been digitized and put into a robot body. Like Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Citizen Sleeper has a lot to say about late-stage capitalism and the problems with megacorporations, concepts that are only becoming more relevant to our real lives.

Speaking to others and using skills to overcome obstacles and befriend people is a key part of this game. Citizen Sleeper definitely takes a lot of cues from 2020 indie darling Disco Elysium, but manages to feel like more than a simple clone thanks to its sci-fi setting, compelling narrative, and a structure that focuses more on your character’s daily routine. 

Citizen Sleeper is shaping up to be one of the better indie games of the year and proves that there is room still room to explore the RPG formula and presentation featured in Disco Elysium. Citizen Sleeper is currently available through Xbox Game Pass on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, as well as on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. 

Hayai

Announcing HAYAI, an arena game where you literally draw your attacks! 👺

Featuring multiple playable characters! Achievements! Online leaderboards!

My 1st commercial game, releasing 19th May! Please like & RT! 🙇https://t.co/VER3dpWWYj#indiedev #gamedev #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/bFlEt8qqdo

— Brandon Yu (@Chaoclypse) May 15, 2022

Chaoclypse’s Hayai is a small indie game made in just two weeks during the development of a larger project. Despite that, is one of my favorite games from May 2022. Players can choose from one of five characters and try to get a high score by killing as many enemies as possible. The only way to kill enemies is to use draw a line through them with your mouse. Because you can hit multiple enemies at once and time slows down with all but one character when you do this, Hayai lets players execute some particularly satisfying combos.

It combines bullet hell enemy spawns and placement with a drawing system reminiscent of Okami to create a simple but uniquely satisfying action game. Thanks to its mouse-based gameplay, it feels like something that belongs in an arcade or on phones, like Fruit Ninja, or a stylus-driven game on the 3DS’s eShop in 2012. Still, Hayai is quite fun with a mouse on modern-day PCs, so I’m glad I happened to randomly see this game in passing on Twitter.

You can get every achievement within an hour or two of play if you’re good at the game, but Hayai‘s selling point isn’t its content depth. It’s pure visceral and satisfying fun that you can only get from indie games that are willing to execute bold ideas that sometimes feel like they could fit in another era. Currently, Hayai is only available on Steam, but at $2, it’s worth checking out if the premise intrigues you. Overall, Hayai is impressive for a game made in two weeks!

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story | Announce Trailer

Full-motion video (FMV) games are a rarity nowadays, and when they do pop up, they usually feel like cheap and amateurishly shot movies. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised by The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story from Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix and Neo: The World Ends With You developer h.a.n.d. It’s a century-spanning murder-mystery game about a novelist trying to solve a series of murder cases surrounding the Shijima family and the Fruit of Youth that they supposedly guard. Players look for clues in FMV cutscenes, connect those clues in a mindscape, and then call out the culprit in a choice-driven final cutscene. 

When the game was first revealed, I wrote that The Centennial Case was “one of the boldest games to come out of any of the Nintendo Directs,” and described it as “Last Night in Soho meets Sherlock.” While it isn’t quite as good as the film and show I compared it to, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a step above most other FMV games and worth checking out for those who like a good detective book, show, or podcast. 

The cinematography is competent, if not overly ambitious, and fits the confined yet timeline-spanning nature of this game’s narrative well. The reasoning phase itself is also pretty easy as the game guides players to the right answers more often than not. Still, there’s enough choice and player agency to really make you feel smart when you call out the correct culprit. While gameplay-focused video games like Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong failed to give players a satisfying detective gameplay loop, this FMV game managed to surpass it in quality. The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. 

Floppy Knights

A battle unfolds on a tactics grid in Floppy Knights.

Nintendo has indefinitely delayed its remake of the first two Advance Wars games, so fans of the turn-based strategy game genre as a whole have been left out in the cold. Thankfully, Floppy Knights is here to fill that void. Mixing traditional strategy gameplay akin to Fire Emblem or Advance Wars with a card-based battle system reminiscent of Slay the Spire, Floppy Knights offers an easy to understand but surprisingly deep strategy game experience that fans of the genre will enjoy.

To top it all off, the game features a delightfully colorful art style crafted by Dicey Dungeons artist Marlowe Dobbe that’ll put a smile on your face when you look at it. Its story is also a pretty lighthearted but poignant coming-of-age tale that anyone who’s ever worried about impressing their parent or choosing a career can relate to. Floppy Knights is currently available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s on Xbox Game Pass too, so subscribers to that service don’t even have to go out of their way to try it. 

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Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
The 10 best video games of 2022
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As people anticipated the ensuing war between those two giants, much smaller projects like Vampire Survivors and Immortality were pushing the idea of what a modern game looks like. Nintendo was raising the bar for family games with its strongest lineup since the Switch’s launch in 2017, while lesser-celebrated platforms like mobile and VR delivered some of the year’s most memorable moments. Sure, Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok’s dominance was inevitable, but they were far from the only games worth discussing in 2022.

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The best video games of November 2022: God of War Ragnarok, Pentiment, and more
Kratos sternly looks at Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok.

November 2022 was filled to the brim with some of the year’s biggest releases, which is typical of this time of year. Although not all of them lived up to expectations, others like God of War Ragnarok garnered critical acclaim and are must-plays for anyone gaming in 2022. Still, there are plenty of other games that released in November 2022 that also deserve admiration.
December 2022 will be packed with exciting games too, so you’ll want to check out these six titles before that rush begins. From well-known games like God of War Ragnarok to smaller indies like A Little to the Left, these are the November 2022 video game releases that you shouldn’t miss.
God of War Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica followed up 2018’s critically acclaimed God of War with a sequel that is bigger in almost every way. While that doesn’t always work out perfectly for God of War Ragnarok, it’s still a massive and emotionally touching action game. It features many great accessibility options for players that need those too.
“God of War Ragnarok is much bigger than its predecessor, though not inherently better,” Gaming Editor Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star review of the game. “It’s more reminiscent of the jump between the original God of War in 2005 and God of War 2, offering a largely similar experience down to its plot beats. That larger scope makes for a messier story that loses some of the previous game’s intimacy, but the trade-off is even sharper combat that further establishes the franchise as the God of action games.”
As God of War Ragnarok had the bestselling launch of any first-party PlayStation game ever, there's a good chance you're already playing it. If you haven’t checked it out, though, this sequel is a must for PlayStation owners. God of War Ragnarok is available now exclusively for PS4 and PS5.
Pentiment

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The best video games of October 2022: Mario, Bayonetta, and more
An angry Wiggler ambushes the heroes from behind in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

After some odd summer months that were dominated by indie and AA games, the AAA part of the video game industry is finally back in the swing of things. October 2022 saw the release of the year's biggest games, and many of them didn't disappoint. From ambitious sequels to games taking bold risks with established franchises, this October was the most exciting month for gaming since March 2022. 
With so many fantastic games coming out, some of them might not be on your radar. That's why I've rounded up the eight best games from October 2022 that you need to check out before the end of the year. 
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope 
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Story Trailer
Ubisoft finally released a sequel to 2017's surprise strategy game hit Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and innovated while doing it. This game drops the grid setup common in the tactics genre, giving players the option to run around with their characters each turn, jumping off allies and dashing into enemies along the way. This change to the game's turn economy was risky but ends up making the game much for free-flowing and approachable for newcomers. 
"The sequel brings a host of important changes that improve on the original’s ideas rather than throw them out the window," Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a four-star review of the game. "Less rigid combat, a greater emphasis on exploration, and a stronger approach to character building all make the sequel feel as fresh as the original did in 2017."
The game's story and visuals are full of charm too, making it feel like a first-party Nintendo game even though it was developed by Ubisoft Milan. Although it's not the only fantastic Nintendo Switch game to come out this month, Switch players can't go wrong in picking this one up. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch. 
A Plague Tale: Requiem
A Plague Tale: Requiem - "End of Innocence" Gameplay Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022
A Plague Tale: Innocence was a surprise sleeper hit in 2019, following a young brother and sister as they try to survive during an Inquisition and plague in the 1300s. Its sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, ups the ante on almost all accounts: there's more story, more combat, and more rats to chase the siblings. It's a beautiful game, one of the best-looking on current-gen yet, even if its story about violence gets a little muddled.  
"A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic sequel on several counts," Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a 3.5-star review. "It improves on its predecessor in just about every way by finely tuning its stealth and navigation systems, adding more gameplay variety, and delivering a visually stunning world that puts games with much larger budgets to shame. Its weak spot comes down to its messy storytelling, which exposes the thematic limits of a medium that’s over-reliant on violence as its primary form of interaction."
For a AA game from a somewhat smaller team at Asobo Studio, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a really impressive-looking current-gen game that expands on the formula established in its predecessor. If The Last of Us Part II's story about violence annoyed you, though, parts of this game might feel like a slog to you as well. A Plague Tale: Requiem is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a cloud version playable on Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3 - Ways of the Witch - Nintendo Switch
Despite a voice-acting controversy leading up to its launch, Bayonetta 3 didn't disappoint upon release, launching to critical acclaim. PlatinumGames is known for its stylish action games, and the Bayonetta series remains its crown jewel. With a bombastic opening and fast-paced combat that feels great and rewards skillful combos and dodges, Bayonetta 3 was worth the eight-year wait. The game does push the Nintendo Switch to its limits, though. 
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Even though the discourse around this game was messy leading up to its launch, don't let that prevent you from checking this great game out. PlatinumGames continues to prove that no one can make action games that feel quite as refined and satisfying as its games. Bayonetta 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch. 
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed - Now Hiring!
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New Tales from the Borderlands
New Tales from the Borderlands - Official Announce Trailer
Tales from the Borderlands was one of Telltale's best games, so it was great to see Gearbox Montreal finally deliver a follow-up, even if it features an entirely new cast. The aptly titled New Tales from the Borderlands follows a scientist named Anu, her hustler brother Octavio, and frogurt shop owner Fran as they find an object that can heal any injury and garner the attention of the evil corporation Tediore. 
"Thanks to entertaining writing, strong characters and performances, and a different game engine that enables more seamless cinematography, I’d recommend New Tales from the Borderlands to fans of the original and those yearning for a very traditional Telltale-like experience," I wrote in a four-star review of New Tales from the Borderlands.
Although it doesn't really push the boundaries of what a narrative adventure game can be from a gameplay perspective, New Tales from the Borderlands tells a captivating story that should entertain fans of this sci-fi series. New Tales from the Borderlands is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. 
Marvel Snap
MARVEL SNAP GAMEPLAY TRAILER | AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE NOW
Mobile games don't have the best reputation, but Marvel Snap is one of the most entertaining games I've played this year. It's a collectible card game based on the Marvel superhero universe where players fight for control of at least two of three locations, playing cards at the same time each turn. Add special location and card abilities on top of that, and you have a speedy card game with a whole lot of depth. And if you want to risk it, you can snap during a match to double your rewards. While its progression system to acquire cards is still flawed, even basic starter decks are fun to use in Marvel Snap.
Microtransactions are present in Marvel Snap but aren't intrusive. You can buy a season pass or gold that can be used to acquire new card variants or currencies to level cards up, but those are purely visual upgrades. Marvel Snap is the best mobile game of 2022, and I highly recommend that fans of Marvel or card games check it out when they can. It's available for free on the iOS App Store and Android's Google Play Store. 
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol - Official Release Date Trailer
Ever since playing Return of the Obra Dinn, I've learned that I love a good deduction game. We've gotten a few great ones this year, like Strange Horticulture, but The Case of the Golden Idol is an absolute standout. The point-and-click game places players in different murder scenes and asks them to piece together what happened. To do that, they'll need to click on objects scattered around and collect keywords like names and verbs. The goal is to fill out a Madlibs-style crime report in each level, deducing who killed who just from clever sleuthing.
It starts simply enough, with a scene of one man pushing another off a cliff. However, it escalates from there in complex and surprising ways. By the end of the game, I'd uncovered a massive conspiracy that revolved around a creepy cult, a corrupt political party, and a mysterious golden idol capable of performing magic spells. If you're looking for a challenging mystery game, you can check it out on PC. ~ Giovanni Colantonio
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights - Official Cinematic Launch Trailer
I've saved Gotham Knights for last because it's the most divisive game on this list. WB Games Montreal's first game in nine years takes some bold narrative swings, following four of Batman's sidekicks as they fend off the Court of Owls in Gotham following Batman's death. It also lets you go on patrol and explore the entirety of Gotham City with a friend. That said, some have been turned off by some gameplay issues and technical problems, so this game isn't for everyone.
"It’s not as good as the best Batman games from the last decade due to a lack of gameplay ambition and performance issues," I wrote in a three-and-a-half-star review of Gotham Knights. "Still, it overcomes those flaws to entertain Batman fans who have always wanted to play a game that lets them explore and defend the streets of Gotham with a friend."
While Gotham Knights isn't perfect, diehard Batman fans should still get a kick out of its story and patrolling the streets of Gotham City in co-op. There's simply no other Batman video game that's quite like this, for better and for worse. Gotham Knights is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but be aware of its technical issues before deciding which platform to pick the game up on. 

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