Biggest Golden Joystick Winners 2022

Last night saw the 2022 reveal of the Golden Joystick awards- arguably the second biggest games celebration of the year. Amongst some clear winners, there were some surprise picks that certainly deserved the praise. So, let’s take a look at some of the biggest winners from the event.

Best Storytelling- Horizon: Forbidden West

Horizon: Forbidden West is the sequel to the surprising hit Horizon: Zero Dawn- and it managed to improve in every aspect. One of these aspects was the storytelling- going from a smaller-scale conflict centered around primitive tribes to an all-out war with robot dinosaurs at the center. By telling a surprisingly deep and thought-provoking story amongst the chaos of its world, Horizon: Forbidden West definitely earned this title (although this could be contested by the likes of God of War: Ragnarok or even Elden Ring depending on your preference).

Best Game Expansion- Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

The much anticipated Cuphead DLC finally came out earlier this year- with as much fanfare and critical praise as the original adventure. By ramping up the visuals, music, and (of course) difficulty, Cuphead’s return to the Inkwell Isles feels like a natural addition to the package- which is what the best expansions always do. However, things aren’t just overly similar or repetitive- with new characters, weapons and a brand new character introduced that can all be brought into the main game, this isn’t just a few more bosses for fans of the original to master. It’s worth noting that these are some of the best bosses we’ve seen too- with each having a unique gimmick that blows the base game out of the water. Cuphead’s DLC is undoubtedly one of the best of 2022- and very deserving of this award.

Nintendo Game of the Year- Pokemon Legends: Arceus

A step in the right direction for the highest-grossing media franchise on the planet, Pokemon Legends: Arceus gives players the tools they’ve been craving for decades. Being able to see different pocket monsters roam around the distinct areas and having the ability to sneak up and catch Pokemon outside of combat is impressive and is predictably a breath of fresh air for the series. Simply traversing and exploring the open zones thanks to your flying and water Pokemon is fantastic. Some outliers like voice acting and graphical issues hold it back, but the basis of what this Pokemon spin-off provided is highly enjoyable. With surprising innovation, Arceus presents a brighter future for what the Pokemon series could be(even though Kirby and the Forgotten Land definitely should have snatched this category up).

Playstation Game of the Year- Stray

With a surprising win for Stray, the indie cat game beat out Elden Ring, Sifu, and Horizon Forbidden West to take home the crown of Playstation’s best 2022 game. This cat adventure took players through a neon cyberpunk city and captured the hearts of cat lovers everywhere. Although short, the movement and puzzles presented were inventive and engaging throughout. The obvious appeal of Stray, however, is the little cat himself. From nimbly jumping across rooftops to clawing at doors for no reason, cat gameplay has never felt so good. The only strange aspect of this win is how it beat out Elden Ring- especially considering (spoilers) that the FromSoftware masterpiece was awarded the ‘ultimate’ game of the year. Following this logic, Stray is better than Elden Ring and is therefore the real game of the year. Unfortunately, this statement is a fact and therefore, cannot be argued with. The cat game remains the best game.

Best Visual Design/ Ultimate Game of the Year- Elden Ring

With a vast open world that reaches across arid deserts, dangerous swamps, and beautiful forests, Elden Rings’ visual direction is undoubtedly one of its strongest points. The entire world revolves around a giant golden tree that can be seen from almost everywhere- save from the vast crystalline caverns that twist and turn the underground of the lands between. On top of this, the enemies and bosses are the best FromSoftware has ever produced- from incredibly grotesque sewer creatures to grand dragons and knights littered around the world. Every area of Elden Ring has its own visual style that permeates into the story and manages to propel it to the top spot of this year’s visual design contest (as well as being named the game of the year in general).

So, those were the biggest winners of this year’s Golden Joystick awards. However, the award season is just beginning. With the Game Awards set to be hosted on December 8th, now is the time to look forward to seeing what a wider audience thought of this year’s offerings and potentially seeing some exclusive new game reveals. As we head into 2023, the landscape of gaming seems only to be getting grander and more impressive than ever.