I still remember 2022 as the year that reshaped my entire relationship with video games. It felt like every other month brought a genre-defining masterpiece, from sweeping open worlds to intimate narrative adventures. I mean, we had Elden Ring walking away with Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022, beating even God of War: Ragnarök—and that alone says something about how stacked that year was. But while everyone was arguing about which game was the absolute best, the team at Screen Rant quietly handed out five perfect 5/5 scores. I followed those reviews religiously back then, and looking back from 2026, every single one of those games has aged like fine wine. So, let me take you through the five titles that earned that elusive five-star badge, and why they still matter four years later.

First up, let’s talk about Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. Now, I’ll admit, I was skeptical about a Three Houses spin-off that swapped tactical battles for Musou-style combat. But the moment I started playing, all my doubts evaporated. This game blends frantic hack-and-slash action with the relationship-building I loved from Three Houses, and somehow it never feels disjointed. The expeditions let me spend one-on-one time with characters, unlocking special cutscenes and dialogue that deepened my bond with the world. I could switch between heroes on the fly during battle, which kept the pacing electric. It was obvious that the developers treated this spin-off with the care of a mainline title. Four years later, I still boot it up when I miss the Officers Academy crew. The story diverges in fascinating ways from the original, so even if you’ve memorized every support conversation in Three Houses, Three Hopes feels fresh.

Then there’s Chained Echoes. I discovered this one through Xbox Game Pass in late 2022, and it absolutely floored me. It’s a love letter to classic JRPGs, but it doesn’t wallow in nostalgia. The turn-based combat is crisp and inventive—no random encounters, just hand-crafted battles that push you to use every ability smartly. The overdrive system keeps things tense, and the lack of level grinding means strategic team building matters more than ever. I loved how the game gently guides you without holding your hand; if you try to leave an area before finishing crucial plot points, the game nudges you back. That kept the intricate story moving at a perfect clip. And what a story! By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I’d been on a grand journey across warring kingdoms and cosmic mysteries. If you haven’t tried it yet, Chained Echoes is a testament to what one dedicated developer can achieve.

Pentiment is a game I recommend to anyone who thinks video games can’t be high art. It’s set in 16th-century Bavaria, and you spend most of your time reading dialogue, poring over journal entries, and making choices that ripple across years. This is a reading-heavy experience, so it’s definitely not for everyone—but if you surrender to its rhythm, it becomes utterly absorbing. The hand-drawn art style looks like a living illuminated manuscript, and the in-game encyclopedia helps you decode the historical context without ever feeling like a homework assignment. I found myself genuinely torn between competing loyalties and moral dilemmas, which is rare in any medium. The narrative branches are so subtle that talking to a friend about our stories feels like we played two different games. Pentiment proved that historical fiction and interactive storytelling can intersect in brilliant, novel ways. It’s a quiet masterpiece that aged into cult-classic status by 2026.

Next, Xenoblade Chronicles 3. As a longtime fan of the series, I was both excited and nervous. Could it possibly balance the philosophical depth of the first game with the open-world wonder of Xenoblade Chronicles 2? The answer was an emphatic yes. This is the must-play JRPG of its generation. It focuses on six main characters, all soldiers caught in an endless war, and their journey from enemies to found family is gripping. Just when I thought the story would collapse under tropes, it pivoted into genuinely affecting territory. The combat system is the most flexible the series has ever had, letting me swap classes and roles until I found my perfect party synergy. Gone are the overcomplicated mechanics that annoyed some players in earlier entries; everything feels streamlined yet deep. I lost over a hundred hours in Aionios, and I’d gladly lose a hundred more. Even now, I hear Xenoblade Chronicles 3 mentioned alongside Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI in hallowed whispers.

And then, of course, Elden Ring. It feels almost silly to include it—everyone knows it was a landmark. But I can’t talk about 2022 without gushing about the Lands Between. FromSoftware took the tight, claustrophobic dread of Dark Souls and blew it up into a breathtaking open world. I’ll never forget stepping out of the tutorial cave and seeing the Erdtree blazing on the horizon. George R.R. Martin’s influence is palpable in the fragmented lore and tragic family drama, and the community is still unearthing secrets almost four years later. The build variety is staggering; I could play as a nimble samurai one week and a colossal-hammer-wielding tank the next. With over 200 bosses, the game respects your time—if you want to skip optional fights, you can make a beeline for the main demigods, but where’s the fun in that? I still summon memories of my epic duel against Malenia. She broke me. Then I broke her. That cycle of despair and triumph is why Elden Ring didn’t just win Game of the Year; it redefined what an open-world action RPG can be. It remains the gold standard in 2026.

Looking back, 2022 wasn’t just a good year for gaming—it was a turning point. These five games, each in their own way, pushed their genres forward. They showed that narrative experimentation (Pentiment), mechanical refinement (Chained Echoes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3), masterful world-building (Elden Ring), and the courage to reinvent a beloved formula (Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes) all deserve the highest praise. Many other titles came close—God of War: Ragnarök, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (if not for those performance hiccups), World of Warcraft: Dragonflight—but only these five earned a flawless 5 out of 5 stars from Screen Rant. If you’re building your backlog in 2026, you can’t go wrong starting with any of them. They’re not just games; they’re time capsules of a year when the industry felt limitless.

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