The Best PC Games of 2022

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 1, 2023

Which PC games impressed professional reviewers the most during the past year? We rank the best-reviewed titles released between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 by Metascore. Games must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion. (All scores listed here are from December 31, 2022.)

6 of 14 photo by NIS America

90 The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero

(#8) Part of the long-running sci-fi/fantasy Trails JRPG series (as well as the larger Legend of Heroes franchise), Trails From Zero was first released in 2010—but was never ported outside of Asia. This year, the game belatedly received its first Western localization. This new English-language release (based off of an unofficial fan-made translation) allows more gamers to dive into one of gaming's best RPG storylines (and best soundtracks) set in the corrupt city of Crossbell, where your small team of low-level cops fields odd requests as they stumble into a larger conspiracy.

“Just like the rest of the franchise, Trails from Zero won’t be for everyone. While it starts up faster than other entries in the series, it’s still a slow burn compared to most other games. There’s also just such a ridiculous amount of dialog, so reading-averse gamers aren’t going to find much to enjoy here. But for JRPG fans, especially those like myself who fell in love with the Sky games, Trails from Zero is an absolute must play. Seriously, just flat out: go play it.” —Gamer Escape

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