For a refresher on how the voting works, read here.
After Elden Ring captured the silver medal in our countdown, it really only left one game standing after what most would admit was a two-horse race for the ultimate title this year.
God of War Ragnarok not only recaptures the magic of 2018’s soft reboot God of War, it goes the extra mile in every facet of its presentation, scope, performance, and story. It’s a curated blockbuster, tailored to the finest detail, and it’s no surprise that we’d consider it our absolute favourite from the year that was.
Although we could wax lyrical and rattle on for eight minutes like some already have, Cory’s baton pass to Eric Williams for this mammoth sequel turned out to be a deft choice, gifting him the opportunity to carry the story of Kratos and Atreus forward while flexing his more than evident chops helming a project like this.
What’s most impressive is that God of War Ragnarok was a performance powerhouse, getting plenty out of the PlayStation 5, despite being a cross-generational title. We’re more than eager to see what Santa Monica Studios can do when they leave that past behind and harness the power of next-gen.
But for now, they’re owed a big congratulations for putting out God of War Ragnarok, our Game of the Year.
In his review, Kieron scored God of War Ragnarok a 9.5 out of 10 stating: “God of War Ragnarok is a triumph. Santa Monica Studio has successfully taken everything that was great about the last game and amplified it while correcting just about every problem area and then some. There are slight stumbles, but it’s a constantly surprising, epic adventure that shows genuine growth in its characters, backed up by best-in-class combat and a menagerie of breathtaking scenes. This makes Ragnarok an easy Game of the Year contender and one of the best games I’ve played in years.”
What God of War Ragnarok Meant To Us
Shannon Says
“2022 was an off year for gaming for me, with not a heap of games keeping my attention, but God of War Ragnarok was the exception.
From the moment I booted it up, I was extremely keen to keep pushing my way through the story, to the point that if I wasn’t playing it, I was thinking about it. Sony Santa Monica somehow managed to take combat to the next level and provide some huge action-packed moments, but also really have some quiet moments that showed off the incredible writing of each and every character.
Not only was the core part of the story fantastic, but absolutely everything off the beaten track, felt super put together and worth exploring too. Whilst open-worlds felt tired to me this year, God of War Ragnarok somehow managed to provide a world that was smaller and more focused than most, but still more immersive and realised than any other that I played through this year.”
Kieron Says
“There’s usually a small part of me that feels shame in picking a big-budget AAA title as my Game of the Year, but God of War Ragnarok is different in that it truly feels like a product of people, of collaboration and community. It helps that it’s about those things as well, marrying visceral fantasy action with brilliant “found family” themes and a fondness for quieter moments of character development.
It’s also simply a genuine improvement on its predecessor, a tall order when following up such a well-received entry but a challenge that Santa Monica Studio absolutely rose to.”
As it stands on Metacritic, God of War Ragnarok is currently sitting at a 94 based on a whopping 141 critic reviews.
PRESS START’S 2022 GOTY LIST
#10 – Pentiment
#9 – Kirby and the Forgotten Land
#8 – Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
#7 – Sifu
#6 – Xenoblade Chronicles 3
#5 – Horizon Forbidden West
#4 – Cult of the Lamb
#3 – Immortality
#2 – Elden Ring
#1 – God of War Ragnarok
