2022 was an incredible year for gaming. We at Magnetic spent the year getting absolutely lost in Elden Ring, running around the streets of a futuristic dystopian city as a feline protagonist, and trying to “Catch Them All”. If you spent too much time gaming and not enough time shopping this season, Magnetic has you covered with a last-minute gift guide that will satisfy any gamer on your list.
2022’s Best of the Best
2022 saw the release of some extremely high-quality games, but these are the ones that stood out the most to us and would be an easy recommendation for any gamer that you need a last-minute gift idea for.
Elden Ring
FromSoftware’s latest release is their largest and grandest to date. It fully succeeds in translating the Souls formula to an open world, with beautiful environments, intricate environmental storytelling, deep rewarding lore, and challenging combat that keeps you engaged for hundreds of hours. If you are looking for a single gaming experience that could keep you invested for months on end, look no further than Elden Ring.
Bayonetta 3
As one of the few Nintendo Switch exclusives to feature a mature rating, Bayonetta returns to wrap up the trilogy. You play as none other than the umbra witch, Bayonetta, in this over-the-top, multi-verse traveling, blood-filled character-action game. Platinum Games once again subverts expectations leaving players with one surprise after another.
In our review we said it was a must-have experience for Switch owners.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
I was never a fan of Kirby games until this year’s Forgotten Land. In easily the most ambitious entry we’ve seen from the series, this family-friendly game comes jam-packed with beautifully colorful open areas to explore and puzzles to solve. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is Nintendo’s charm at its finest and will leave you grinning from ear to ear from start to finish.
God of War Ragnarök
The much-anticipated sequel to God of War (2018) comes back to deliver another blockbuster journey through Norse mythology. This is one of those games that can be as fun to watch someone play as it is to play yourself. Not only does it deliver outstanding gameplay, but a story that sinks its teeth into you immediately. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll question what it means to be a good parent.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Another sequel to another emotionally gripping tale. A Plague Tale Requiem is a narrative-driven survival horror game and it took me to a dark place earlier this year (in the best way possible). If you know someone who loves good graphics, good storytelling, and crippling moral dilemmas, they will love this. Not suitable for anyone with a fear of rats.
Co-op Games
If you are looking for an experience to share with that special gamer in your life, these are the coop experiences that resonated with the Magnetic writers in 2022. Grab some snacks, and a beverage, and get comfortable.
The Quarry
Supermassive Games has done it again. They struck gold in 2015 with their PS4 Exclusive Until Dawn, and they nearly reach the same heights this year with The Quarry. They trade the young adults in a cabin for camp counselor vibes, and it mostly works. The characters are the right amount of typical horror movie tropes combined with great voice acting and facial capture. You genuinely want to keep them alive for the entire game.
The coop features in this game are really awesome. You can play the entire game in couch coop or online coop. The couch coop mode requires only one console and controller and is played by assigning your friends to counselors and passing the controller around when that counselor is player controlled. In its online mode, one person controls the counselors, but up to 7 friends can vote on dialogue and decisions with the choice with the most votes being the one that is played out. Either way, you are in for a spooky, fun ride.
Warhammer Darktide
Fatshark’s latest entry into their frantic coop action games sees them leave behind the Vermintide name & setting and brings it into the 40K space. This brings with it a host of new classes, and yes, guns. The gunplay in Darktide adds so many new layers to the combat and each class seems equipped to deal with ranged enemies in a unique way. The *Psyker* class can enter the minds of enemies and pop their heads like melons from afar, while the *Preacher* class can rush through enemies to deliver a critical strike at the end of their mad dash.
Darktide also takes on the games as a service model, so this will be a game to play with friends throughout 2023 and beyond as new content is continually drip-fed into the game.
From Space
From Space is an isometric coop twin-stick shooter with a great art style. The vibrant colors pop off the screen and loads of depth-of-field effects to combine for a really pleasant experience.
The combat is challenging and fun, and it reminded me of some of the survival horror greats in that I was constantly right on the edge of being out of ammo, creating tense encounters that kept the combat feeling fresh throughout its runtime. Coop was easy to set up and can be split between 4 unique classes, each with its own class-specific weapons & abilities.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Borderlands meets DnD, what’s not to love.
Combine that with one of the greatest characters in Borderlands history, Tina, and you’re in for a hilarious, fun coop romp. The inclusion of magic & fantasy weapons into the Borderlands formula works surprisingly well, and spending time in the overworld as Tina takes you through your campaign led to some great moments. The cast here is truly great, with Ashly Burch & Will Arnett bringing their signature charm to their characters. Grab a friend or 2 and get ready to have one heck of an adventure.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light was a surprise hit back in 2015, and in 2022 they deliver another satisfying zombie-killing parkour experience. They try some things with world choices that don’t always pay off, but the minute-to-minute gameplay is always exciting. Parkour in particular this time around just feels incredible.
The momentum can be felt in every action you take and chaining moves together for the perfect run is immensely satisfying. We spent hours here at Magnetic just doing the Parkour challenges to get Gold in every single challenge. If you have friends who would like to slay zombies with you, or take part in Mirrors Edge style parkour around a huge open world, Dying Light 2 is the coop game for you!
For Those Missing the Challenge of Elden Ring
It’s no secret that Elden Ring took over the gaming industry this year.
It had all of the editors at Magnetic swooning over its rich lore, incredible art design, and challenging combat. While there are countless hours to be had with New Game+, maybe there are a few games that can be gifted to the Souls fan in your life that could satisfy their itch for a challenge.
SIFU
If you’ve broken a controller in fits of rage while playing a souls game, you will burn your house down playing SIFU. In all seriousness, there are few games out there more rewarding than this one, and even fewer that actually make you feel like a martial artist. The art direction and sound design is phenomenal, and with newly added difficulty modes, SIFU is very beatable. However, if you’re like me and refuse to leave the game’s intended difficulty, you may never roll credits.
The Callisto Protocol
From the minds who brought us one of the greatest survival horror experiences ever, Dead Space, comes The Callisto Protocol.
Set inside a prison on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, this new game introduces more melee options than are usually seen in survival horror games, including an almost fighting game-like dodge mechanic. This has proven divisive among many fans, but I loved it, at least on mouse & keyboard where it was easy to keep my movement precise. It kept the action tense, and on the harder difficulties, a few mistakes can lead to your very gruesome death. Seriously, I recommend dying to every new enemy you encounter just to see the intricately animated death scenes.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars
If you have put hundreds of hours into Elden Ring already this year, but are still searching for that rewarding combat loop, Asterigos might be a good fit.
The world has some great design in it, and although the game isn’t even close to as challenging as Elden Ring, the story and weight behind your decisions make up for it. Decisions you make have a real lasting impact on the world and characters around you.
PGA 2K23
You probably are just as surprised as I am to see a sports game on this list, let alone a golf game, but 2K’s PGA 2K23 is the most demanding game I’ve played this year, including all the games on this list. The new swing mechanics this year are precise, and I often found myself thinking back to my relationship with real-world golf.
One minute I would be slicing and barely making progress down the course, the next I would hit it so clean that I felt on top of the world. It has kept me coming back for more and will be a game I continue to play with friends into 2023. Just don’t expect me to make it onto the PGA Tour anytime soon without dropping the difficulty.
Tech
Maybe the gamer you are shopping for has access to all the games they could ever want (did someone say GamePass?) but you still want to enhance their gaming experience? Well, look no further than our favorite tech from 2022 and previous years.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
If the gamer in your life is serious about audio in any way, the Arctis Nova Pro headset is something to truly consider to blow their mind this Christmas. The audio quality is top-notch. It can connect to 2 consoles/pc at once and a Bluetooth device, switching with a press of a button. Best of all these cans have exceptional battery life and a spare battery that charges in the base station so you’ll never have to worry about being out of the action on account of a dead battery.
Logitech G Pro
Looking to upgrade your experience in FPS games? Look no further than the G Pro. This mouse is ambidextrous, light, and feels great in the hand. It only has 5 buttons, so it isn’t going to satisfy your MMO needs, but I’d be hard-pressed to find a more streamlined & excellent mouse for shooters.
Satisfye – ZenGrip Pro Gen 3
It’s no secret that prolonged playtimes with a Switch in portable mode can cramp up your hands. Luckily, Satisfye’s Zen grip Pro slim bundle has you covered. Your Switch slips right into this grip case for a much more comfortable experience while playing on the go and even has a carrying case to fit the new look!
HORI Split Pad Pro
If you’re looking for a joy-con replacement look no further than the HORI split pad Pro. Accompanying the bigger grips are larger analog sticks and buttons for those of us with big hands that are just tired of all the little buttons on the Switch’s joy-cons. The split pad Pro doesn’t have to be charged, but also doesn’t have the rumble feature so keep these two things in mind!
Nintendo Switch OLED
Replacing the old LCD screen is a vibrant OLED screen, longer lasting battery life, larger storage for games, new kick-stand, and finally a wired ethernet port for the Switch’s dock. If you’ve owned a Switch since 2017 or tired of the kids using yours, look no further than the Switch OLED.
Loupedeck Live S
If you’re a gamer, especially one who streams, having rapid access to some of the key controls and features is absolutely essential when you want to stay in the zone. The Loupedeck Live S is the answer to a lot of the problems plaguing the entry-level streaming community.
It’s a budget-friendly and portable little streaming device that is completely customizable to whatever app or platform you’re using, which means that it can not only handle your Twitch streams, but also help you produce music in Ableton, surf the web faster, and more. The sky truly is the limit with this small and powerful device.
LG OLED Cx-2
Speaking of OLED screens, you can’t get a better gaming experience in our opinion than on LG’s C line of TVs. They come in at a price point that is decent even for the technology & beauty packed into these screens, especially if you are willing to get the previous year’s model at an often discounted price. With sizes ranging from 42” for a monitor replacement for your PC Gaming needs, or up to 83” if you need to fill a large room for the ultimate couch gaming experience. Lastly, if you are packing a 30 series or later GPU or the latest consoles, this TV has HDMI 2.1, 120hz refresh rate, and G-Sync built-in.
Xbox Elite 2 Controller
The one controller to rule them all. I’ve gamed on nearly every gamepad there is and I can confidently say this one is king. Compatible with Xbox or PC, this controller gives the player nearly perfect ergonomics and grip along with loads of customization options. Different stick sizes are included and easily swapped out on the fly, different D-Pad configurations are available, as well as paddles on the back to use with your fingers so that your thumbs never leave the joysticks. Even further customization is available via companion software. I should note, the first generation of Elite controller had some quality control issues, so do yourself a favor and get the “Elite 2” which seemed to have ironed most of those issues out. This is an excellent gift for anyone with an Xbox or PC who uses a controller.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
I’ve owned my Switch Pro controller since 2017 and it still works just as well as the day I bought it. Comfortable grips, a massive 40-hour battery life, and no stick drift. If someone you know has a Switch but doesn’t have a Pro controller, this is a no-brainer.
Indie Darlings
Loads of games came out in 2022 from big-name publishers and developers, but we at Magnetic wanted to take a look at some of the indie titles that we think would make great gifts this holiday season. Show them some love, they deserve it.
Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb is a beautiful mixture of town management sim and dungeon crawler. Yes, you are converting people to your cult, but it finds ways to keep it all feeling light, comedic, and surprisingly cute. All of the different animal species are cute and you can name each individual one to keep your town full of the people in your life if you want. The art style is extremely pretty and the combat is tight making this an all-around great time for any gamer looking for an Animal Crossing adventure with some fun Roguelite combat.
Stray
Stray is a relaxing walking simulator through a beautiful, dark, and dystopian underground city oozing with blade runner style. You play as a literal cat separated from his pride of fellow stray kitties after falling into this city with no sunlight. Stray is a beautiful game full of puzzles and interesting characters you’ll encounter along the way. It’s a game for nearly any age group and was nominated for many game of the year awards. Perfect gift for the cat-loving gamer in your life. You can check out our review here.
Neon White
Neon White is absolutely dripping with style. From its over-the-top anime storylines between missions to each of its card-based guns doubling as an inventive way to get across the map. Cards are strewn about each level and serve both as a weapon and a way to move across the level, chaining each together to reach the end as fast as possible. Each of Neon White’s missions is intricately crafted to make you feel like you can shave fractions of a second off on your next run to climb up the leaderboards, with friends, or globally. We at Magnetic highly recommend this game to anybody on your list who enjoys chasing leaderboards, constantly trying to shave time off of each run, or wants an extremely over-the-top, horny storyline on the side of their parkour action.
Rogue Legacy 2
Rogue Legacy 2 effectively delivers on being a bigger and better sequel to the already great original. The combat and movement still feel tight as ever and character progression is deeper thanks to the added mechanics of building up your manor to unlock new classes and improve your stats between each run. This game more than any on this list satisfies that “just one more run” itch more than any game on this list. Check out our 5 tips to get started in Rogue Legacy 2.
Metal: Hellsinger
Metal: Hellsinger is just plain fun. It’s a rhythm FPS with a truly banging metal soundtrack from industry legends such as Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy, Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, and my favorite, Serj Tankian from System of a Down. You must shoot, dodge, and slash on beat to not only kill the demons around you, but to build up your combo multiplier. As your multiplier builds, more instruments join the musical arrangement, culminating in the crunchy vocals kicking in at 16x. It’s a rush that only a few games have given this year. Check out our review for more.
