Over the next eight days, Hardcore Gamer will be revealing its Best of 2022 Awards leading up to our Game of the Year. Today we present you with the Best Sports, Strategy/Puzzle, Fighting and Racing Game.
Rollerdrome
At first glance, calling Rollerdrome a sports game may seem unusual. Sure, the player character is rollerskating through an arena with rails to grind on and ramps to leap off of, but they also have a small arsenal of weapons with which to eliminate various enemies placed throughout the stage. Although survival is important to making it to the next stage, it will be the player’s ability to pull off combos to build up their high score and perform tricks in order to reload their weapons that make Rollerdrome an adrenaline-inducing experience that draws off of the best elements of sports and action games. Coupled along with a unique, comic book-inspired art style and an engaging soundtrack, the bloodsport of Rollerdrome can be quick to punish, but is even harder to put down thanks to its top notch, fast-paced gameplay, making it the best (unconventional) sports game of 2022.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Five years later, it’s still hard to grasp that the unexpected crossover of the Mario and Rabbids universes would arise in the form of a turn-based tactics game. And yet, not only does this surprising combination work a second time in Sparks of Hope, but it’s incredibly deep while still remaining accessible to more casual strategy fans, as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and their Rabbid counterparts leave the Mushroom Kingdom and venture off to new planets. Unlike the first game, players can assemble their own duos and trios using any member of the nine character roster, with each bringing their own unique flair to the battlefield, including Edge’s boomerang-like sword and Bowser’s large-scale explosive prowess. Alongside the vast abilities offered by the titular Sparks that can be swapped between each character, the most creative players can find ways to traverse large sections of the battlefield and damage opponents multiple times in the same turn before relinquishing control to the other half. With countless ways to expand, upgrade and customize their heroes’ loadout, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope offers the broadest and most enjoyable strategy experience of 2022.
|
Runner-Ups |
|||
|
Total War: Warhammer III |
The Entropy Centre |
MultiVersus
When MultiVersus was first announced late last year, few had any real expectations for it outside of it being a casually fun platform fighter featuring some of Warner Bros.’ most iconic characters. After all, outside of Smash Bros., most games in this subgenre have rarely managed to entertain for long, lacking the same depth of more traditional fighting games. MultiVersus initially seemed destined for a similar fate during its open beta, but thanks to finetuning of its characters’ hitboxes and an impressively steady rate of new modes and additions to the roster, Player First Games’ debut title has hit the ground running in 2022. With exciting aerial and partner-based mechanics that make 2v2 the go-to mode as opposed to the usual 1v1s, alongside fully-voiced characters, stages and other goodies from across DC, Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones and much more, MultiVersus has proven itself as an excellent fighting game for fans of any skill level with a bright future ahead of it.
|
Runner-Ups |
|||
|
Rumbleverse |
Need for Speed Unbound
After struggling to find a new identity with Ghost Games at the helm, Burnout creator Criterion Games has returned to bring life to the franchise, building upon the ambitious ideas of 2019’s Heat. Set in the Chicago-inspired Lakeshore City, Unbound is dripping with style thanks to endlessly customizable cars and vehicle effects that play out as you race, drift and soar through the city, immediately helping the game stand out visually from most other racing games. Plus, the high stakes day/night system makes every event a necessary gamble, as the rewards gained from winning races and side bets can be just as easily taken away by the increasingly aggressive police force roaming the open world. Featuring polished driving mechanics, a smooth performance and plenty of side activities to engage with outside of races, Need for Speed Unbound is not only the best racing game of 2022, but one of the best games in the franchise in some time.
|
Runner-Ups |
|||
