2022 has given us plenty of phenomenal games, movies, TV, and tech to enjoy. So many, in fact, that IGN gave out a whopping 15 10-out-of-10 review scores. Here’s everything we deemed worthy of being called a masterpiece this year.
Elden Ring
FromSoftware has a long list of beloved action RPGs under its belt but Elden Ring is the first IGN has given a 10. It’s a challenging open world full of horrors and delight and an evolution of what made the likes of Dark Souls and Bloodborne so well-loved on a grand scale rarely seen before in a game. It begs to be endlessly explored as you hunt for its many secrets and the next expertly designed boss. Our review said it “can easily be held amongst the best open-world games we’ve ever played. Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before it, Elden Ring is one that we’ll be looking back on as a game that moved a genre forward.”
God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is every inch the sequel its 2018 predecessor deserved, leading to it joining an elite list of series including GTA, Metal Gear Solid, and The Last of Us with back-to-back games that have received an IGN 10. An enthralling blend of action and adventure, it thrills with its crunching combat and twisting tale, building on what came before in bigger and better ways and cementing Kratos in the pantheon of all-time great video game characters. We praised its “impeccable writing, pitch-perfect performances, and knockout action”, claiming it to be “a complete work of art from top to bottom”.
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is a masterpiece over 20 years in the making, a complex yet highly rewarding management game given new life thanks to a welcome glow-up. The already cult classic – which is about maintaining a colony of dwarves and protecting them from gods, monsters, and natural disasters – has never looked or played better. We described it as “a genre-defining achievement” that “shows how incredible video games can be when a developer has a precise goal and valiantly strives to achieve it, even if the effort takes decades”.
Pentiment
Pentiment is unlike anything Obsidian has made before and indeed, it’s not a lot like any other game in general. It’s a detective RPG masquerading as historical tourism and its unique art style is undoubtedly eye-catching as you make your way through late medieval Bavaria questioning its townfolk on all things murder and theology. Our review called it “an engrossing 15-to-20-hour adventure game” with “a clever detective story in which straight answers are hard to come by”. Pentiment is undoubtedly an acquired taste, but one well worth sampling.
The Batman
The Batman is a very different kind of detective story and is one of two movies to get a 10 out of 10 this year. Matt Reeves’ rain-soaked Gotham played host to Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne on the trail of an illusive riddle-loving serial killer in perhaps the darkest on-screen version of Batman we’ve seen yet. It’s a tremendous collision of comic book panels and neo-noir cinema, and delivers a story that gets deep under the Dark Knight’s skin. We deemed it a masterpiece, describing it as “a gripping, gorgeous, and, at times, genuinely scary psychological crime thriller that gives Bruce Wayne the grounded detective story he deserves”.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Our review called Everything Everywhere All at Once “a complex film that encompasses a variety of subjects, but it does justice to each of them with a carefully written script, marvelous performances, and a healthy dose of bizarre humor to counter its bleak story”. Bizarre is definitely the watchword here as the directing duo Daniels take us on a multiversal journey through all things weird and wonderful. What makes it so special is the way it manages to balance those oddities with a thoroughly heartfelt story told through the eyes of Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn in a true powerhouse performance. It’s unlike anything else you’ll watch this year, and as good as any other as well.
Andor – Episode 6 “The Eye” & Episode 12 “Rix Road”
From the big screen to the small – not one but two episodes of the latest Star Wars series Andor earned a 10. The first is a thrilling heist that exhibits all of the engrossing action and nuanced dialogue the show displays in its best moments; the latter was the season finale of Cassian Andor’s first steps toward becoming a revolutionary which culminates in a bringing together of what made it such a fantastic show up until that point. Respectively described as “an action-packed spectacle that builds on the thematic foundations of its earlier episodes to devastating effect” and “a beautifully crafted thriller that highlights the ugly side of both ours and Cassian’s world”, they are two of the very best episodes of television this year.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1
From Star Wars to Star Trek, Strange New Worlds also breathed new life into a sci-fi series threatening to meander in direction. Our review called it “the best single season of a Star Trek show since the legendary 1990s runs of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.” Embracing the old-school approach of standalone, weekly stories rather than being preoccupied with complex season-long arcs, this new breed of Star Trek masterfully harkened back to the good old days when it once reigned supreme. A fantastic blend of adventure, humour, and emotional gut-punches, it’s everything you could want from Star Trek.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Episode 6 “Udûn”
The Rings of Power hit its high mark with an action-packed sixth episode we described as “fantasy television at its best”. Following on from slower, exposition-focused earlier episodes, the show exploded into life with a battle-centric chapter full of blood, sweat, and tears. It set key events in motion and brought to life moments of Lord of the Rings history never seen before. Plus, the effects work is among some of the best seen on television, making it a true spectacle to behold and by far the best episode of The Rings of Power’s first season.
Better Call Saul – Series Finale “Saul Gone”
Better Call Saul’s final chapter is as masterful a finale as you could wish for, that manages to wrap up one intricately constructed television series and bring closure to its predecessor, Breaking Bad. Our review said it had “one of the most satisfying, cathartic, and earned endings for a TV show in years”, and that it was “a Dickensian episode that recalls the past, contextualizes the present, and looks toward the future with optimistic eyes.” Simply put, it’s yet another televisual masterclass from Vince Gilligan.
This is Us Season 6
The final season of This is Us earned a 10 thanks to the elegant way it brings so many of the series’ weighty and weaving threads to a fitting end. Our verdict stated the season had “the impossible task of wrapping up some emotionally enormous storylines, but does it so successfully and unconventionally. The Pearson family deals with inevitable divorce and death, but the show’s final episodes bring the big picture of their lives fully into view, with some truly meaningful long-form storytelling.” A brilliant end to one of TV’s great melodramas.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Google Pixel 7 Pro was the only phone to score a 10 in 2022. It’s an outstanding piece of tech, with our review saying it offers “even more fantastic value than its predecessor. With a more refined look, a brighter screen, 5x telephoto camera, and even more impressive digital zoom capabilities, there’s almost no reason to consider any other high-end Android phone.”
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless headset was the other tech 10 we scored, because it “elevates this line of gaming headsets to another level: spatial sound and audio quality are fantastic, batteries can be hot-swapped for uninterrupted use, and you can make your gaming audio experience even more nuanced thanks to very noticeable changes in the equalizer and Sonar settings.” Look no further if you value premium-quality audio.
Undaunted: Stalingrad
If you just want to switch off all of those electronics and have some good old-fashioned fun, then we’ve also got you covered with the Undaunted: Stalingrad board game. A reinvention of the 2019 original, we called it “a whole new game with a novel, dedicated campaign system”.
That is every game, film, TV show and piece of tech we thought was worthy of the title of masterpiece in 2022. What did you watch or play that you’d consider a 10 out of 10 this year? Let us know in the comments.
Simon Cardy
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