God of War, Wordle lead a bumpy year in video games

It's been a bumpy year for video games, in part thanks to the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic. Some major releases got delayed (2023 could be a doozy), but enough crossed the finish line to keep gamers happy. Indie developers held up their end, delivering innovative challenges and fascinating stories. Here are the games we enjoyed the most in 2022:

1. God of War: Ragnarök: The latest chapter in the saga of surly Spartan warrior Kratos delivers everything you could ask for in a AAA Sony PlayStation blockbuster. There's bone-crushing combat against awe-inspiring mythical monsters. There are clever environmental puzzles to solve when you need a break from the mayhem. There's a surprisingly moving story about fatherhood, regret and the battle between fate and free will. And there's the year's best voice performance, by Richard Schiff (Toby from “The West Wing”!) as a droll, manipulative Odin. Epic in every way.

2. Wordle: On the other end of the spectrum is this simple yet seductive word and logic game that you can play in a few minutes while you're eating breakfast. Created by software engineer Josh Wardle for his partner's amusement, Wordle became a phenomenon when he added the ability for players to share their successes (and failures) on social media. Some fans groused when Wardle sold his creation to The New York Times for a reported seven-figure payday, but it remains a tasty daily snack for language lovers.

3. Horizon: Forbidden West: Back to the epic. Sony's other big release of 2022 is this sprawling postapocalyptic adventure. In 2017's “Horizon: Zero Dawn,” fearless heroine Aloy discovered why civilization collapsed; now she has to stop a mysterious enemy from wiping out humanity for good. The result is a spirited journey across an often breathtaking American West, where the robotic buffalo roam while our descendants patiently try to rebuild culture from the mess we've created.