
It's the final day of 2022, and we're sure most of you have already thought long and hard about your favourite games that've launched over the last year or so. Despite the narrative of a quiet year for AAA gaming, we've seen some real bangers launch in that space (cough Elden Ring), and of course, plenty of fantastic indies have hit Xbox over the last 12 months as well.
As with any year, some of these titles have risen to the top of the conversation throughout 2022 - indies included. Xbox Game Pass launch title Tunic got a fair bit of attention at launch, as did fellow indie game Vampire Survivors along with a host of AAA hits like Elden Ring, A Plague Tale: Requiem and Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

However, each year we often think about those titles we'd deem 'underrated', and 2022 is no different. Sometimes, a selection of games just get lost in the noise - an unfortunate side effect of such a busy industry.
So, is there one game that launched on Xbox this calendar year you'd deem underrated, or at least, something that wasn't spoken about enough throughout the year? It doesn't have to be an exclusive, so long as it arrived on Xbox platforms in 2022.
For us, a few indies immediately spring to mind. We've banged on about Road 96 a ton recently but we'll give it one more mention here before the year's out. Then, there's the likes of Saturnalia, an indie horror gem that scared the hell out of us back in October, and even Immortality, which seemed to disappear as quickly as it came despite glowing reviews; including a 10/10 from us!
It's been a pretty busy year all things considered, then, and we definitely reckon there are some fantastic games that we should all be championing as 2022 comes to a close.
So, what's your most underrated Xbox game of the year? Let us know down in the comments!
Comments 53
Chained Echoes. I’m going to beat this drum for a very long time. It’s one of the best JRPGs in recent memory. If you enjoy turn based RPGs that is inspired by Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Dragon Quest - this game is for you. It’s incredibly well written, with each character having an evolving backstory that gets concluded if you do all the side quests. The combat is fantastic, and is constantly expanding so it doesn’t get stagnant. And the story is very good, and deep. Seriously, I would have never expected this to be my GOTY over Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, and A Plague Tale, but my goodness, it surprised the hell out of me.
Omori
One of the best games on gamepass this year and seldom anyone here acknowledges it. Didn’t even appear in the end of year polls.
Don’t let this one pass you by people!
Sword of the Vagrant just for the art. The main character fights in a bikini with a huge pair of boobies Lol. Super realistic
Not really a fan of indies if I'm honest prefer games to push the hardware I've spent good money on.
Two Point Campus - Absolutely superb game and probably the best Management game in a generation.
As Dusk Falls - Story based game with genuinely meaningful choices that affect the story. If you're going to have a cinematic game, make more like this where I, the player, aren't just a viewer on-rails.
Weird West - Intricate, Clever, Funny and above all fun action RPG. My 2nd playthrough is already planned for 2023.
Escape Academy, Unpacking, Powerwash Simulator, Lake, Firewatch, Road 96, Beacon Pines, Immortality, Pentiment and House Flipper were all non-AAA games I thoroughly enjoyed on Game Pass this year - they've made the lack of Starfield more bearable, but also many have stuck in my head and even been replayed
As Dusk Falls
Midnight Fight Express
Prodeus
As Dusk Falls. I know it's barely a "game", but the story left me at the edge of my seat. I was glued to my TV the entire time lmao. The slide show took some time to get used to though 😅
Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!
I've got a huge amount of love for immortality and tunic. Both games that are so smart, they make my brain melt. There were some games that were truly some dumb fun that I enjoyed too! Only played a couple of hours of tinykin (3d platformer collectathon where you collect pikmin like things to unlock new places) and midnight fight express (isometric beat em up that's just brutal fun). Both are great though
None for me. But after 2 years without XBox, I'm starting 2023 with a new Series X. 🙂
I guess I will be one of the few XBox users who are buying their important games on Disc instead of relying on the Gamepass.
For it was Tinykin and Soma .
@Nintendo4Sonic
Welcome to Series x.
I have game pass, but the third party games I want buy digital, but have to really want them to buy them.
I'm enjoying Tiny Tina's Wonderlands more than I thought I would. The Quarry was also good.
@Dezzy70 thank you.
I don't like the idea, to pay that much for a year where I just borrow games. I'm a Disc addict. Yeah, games are more expensive to get. But there are many positive sides.
Hands down, Nobody saves the world.
Tinykin for sure.
@Nintendo4Sonic I don't have game pass and I buy games on disc unless a digital game is really cheap.
I like turtles.
@Nintendo4Sonic
I used to have everything on physical media and it is sort of nice to have the collection.
I then at the start of this year 2022, went all digital, movies, games, music.
It’s easier in a car with all your music on one tiny usb stick.
I guess also with physical Game discs you can always trade them in etc.
@ZYDIO nice, so there are still others on XBox like me.
@Dezzy70 I'm totally with you about music. My last CD I bought is years ago. In the meantime, I use Spotify.
But with games, I have the problem that I don't enjoy them, unless i own them. And owning means, I need a box in my shelf and physical media.
I don't pay much attention to release dates, but some gems in general below, with a long ass write-up accompanying. XD
Infernax, def 2022, but the game is just so damn fun. A throwback to old school Castevania style (and art) exploration, acquiring new skills, and exploring new areas. What sets it apart is the morality system built in, and the multiple endings, and has a ton of cheat codes that don’t effect achievements. On gamepass, but I bought it anyway to support the devs.
Haven, a gorgeous game about a world where your significant other is apparently predetermined and enforced with harsh punishment. The draw to this game, other than lushish colors, is the story about fighting for love (yes, cliché), all while exploring the broken planet and enjoying the freedom you have with your SO (again, yes, cliche and sounds corny, but the game is amazing).
Undertale, you've probably heard of it before, reached peak popularity about 7-8 years ago and finally hit Xbox in 2021 after after coming out on everything else in 2018. The story isn't new, it adds a few steps to similar existing plots, but the characters are what make the game great. Undertale also has a morality system which also impacts various plot points, and has multiple endings. Strongly suggest playing through at least twice, each time going for a different ending.... the game rememberswhat you're done in previous playthroughs, some choices have severe consequences. The game also has the best character in gaming, Sans. ;P
@Nintendo4Sonic Yes, and I hope there are more. According to a poll in one of the other recent threads, we may be a dying breed.
It has got to be either Soul Hackers 2 or Diofield Chronicles. Nobody mentions them, nobody talks about them, nobody even knows they exist, and among the few that do, nobody thinks they're on Xbox.
Both are fantastic games. Diofield may deserve criticism as it can be grindy, but SH2 is pure Atlus goodness. Super underrated!
@NEStalgia yes man, I own Soul Hackers 2 on PS5 and I really like it.
@Nintendo4Sonic I think Phil said that GP is about 17% of revenue, so I'd say purchases are still far and away the most common way of getting games on xb, though I think something like 80% of that is digital .
And yeah Soul Hackers 2 really got unfairly forgotten on all platforms. I kinda get it to going under the radar on Xbox since it got railroaded by the entire persona series hitting the platform and on GP right after it though. If it released half a year earlier it may have done much better. But it's forgotten even on switch and ps!
@ZYDIO here's my Xbox nick:
AtzePhil41
We have to stick together 👍
@NEStalgia at least I see that games in physical form are more rare on XBox compared to PS and Switch and partly more expensive on XBox
Infernax for me. A classic game inspired by the classics.
Archvale a close second.
Citizen Sleeper. Best written game I've ever played.
@Nintendo4Sonic Awesome, mine is the same as on here.
Signalis, Prodeus, Pentiment, Tunic, Blacktail, Metal Hellsinger, Nobody Saves The World on Xbox. On PC Sunday Gold and The Case Of The Golden Idol. Did purexbox review Saturnalia? Looks interesting
Tinykin & Tunic
Signalis, Beacon Pines, Infernax, and Immortality. It’s hard to call Immortality underrrated, but I still feel like it didn’t get on with gamers.
@Nintendo4Sonic Yeah Xbox being mostly focused on digital and PC like services, they actually have higher minimum print requirements for physical licenses, so games not expected to sell high volume are less likely to purchase physical print runs on xb. Nintendo and PS are definitely more physical oriented, though, with PS, I think the writing is on the wall for them to pull back on physical as well, especially if the rumors of PS5 Slim being sold disc less with an add on bd drive accessory are true. Nintendo will keep on Nintendoing for another few generations I think. Though I never try to predict Nintendo, they could end up being the first to go digital only.... But I think their retail footprints are too important to them for that.
One thing right physical xb games is supposedly they actually take less of a cut from the retail price than the other two, at least in the US. I remember GameStop used to prefer selling xb copies because they got a better margin than ps.
I was one of those die hard physical collectors that thought I always would be, but after my library became so huge from so many consoles I finally changed to digital late last Gen after X1X came out not thrilled with the fact that physical is still usually cheaper though!
I think Diofield is very underrated… and most people don’t know that game
@Nintendo4Sonic Welcome back! You seem to have picked a good time to jump on board - a few belters from the last couple of years to catch up on (although you could argue, fairly imho, not quite enough) and the promise of great things to come in '23.
I would recommend taking a look at flight sim if you at all think it might be your thing. I'm obviously biased as I moved to Series X from PlayStation purely for it, and am now sitting on 1020 hrs played and a full yoke/hotas/pedal set up that cost more than the xbox did, but if it clicks for you, there's nothing else like it.
@Nintendo4Sonic I've got a fat stack of Xbox games as well. I normally collect Japanese franchises to show support for physical copies (Resident Evil franchise, Persona 5, Klonoa, Life is Strange, Elden Ring, Super Monkey Ball, etc) but I also just pick up copies of games I like (Hunt Showdown, Halo Infinite, Aliens Fireteam Elite, AC Valhalla, etc). Plus I have a whole catalogue from Xbox OG and Xbone that play in the disc slot as well. Wish Xbox did more physical releases!!
@Eejay thank you. I'm also excited what's to come. I already ordered Halo Infinite and all other Halo games and also Psychonauts 2. I hope some more interesting exclusives are to come.
@Kilamanjaro that's awesome.
@Nintendo4Sonic welcome to the community! I do love Gamepass and play a lot of games this way but since I got a series X mid 2021 I bought 46 physical games across all Xbox generations (altough not many recent released and some are games I played first on GP and then later added to the physical collection)
@Balta666 OK, nice to hear that.
I found Infernax to be an amazing game I played through it numerous times to get the most out of it.
Return to Monkey Island!
Beacon Pines. Beautiful little story game with lots of charm.
Problem with Physical Xbox games has been what both Halo Infinite and the most recent COD did, have blank discs that only function as a CD key for downloading. They don't even have the single player sections on the disc. What a shame.
Citizen Sleeper. Really great narrative game and it has some clever use of its game mechanics to tell a story. I'm a little shocked it wasn't talked about more during the awards season.
Hi there fellow gamers,
My underrated Xbox game of 2022 has to be Prodeus.
Man what a great homage to early doom like games.
It is visual striking and just dumb fun as it should be.
Oh and I really want to try Signalis. Heard nothing but positive things about that one as well.
Cheers, stay safe everyone and happy gaming to us all
@Nintendo4Sonic Hi there friend and welcome to the comunity
I am also one of those guys that likes to own physical copies of games that I really like and enjoy.
Wich is why I got Guardians of the Galaxy, Halo Infinite, Scarlet Nexus, Assassins Creed Valhala, Forza Horizon 5, Gears of War 4 and 5 and Samurai Shodown all on disc.
Having said that, there are some games that I just can´t get the disc version anymore so I just get them digital on a good sale like the Halo Master Chief Collection and Ninja Gaiden Black.
Gamepass does help as well in trying some games and if I like them enough, I´ll get them eventually when their cheap.
That is pretty much how I do with my Series X.
Here is my Xbox nick if you want to ad me: RaZieLDaNtE1084
Cheers, stay safe and all the best
@RaZieLDaNtE request is out. 😊 Yeah, older games are harder or more expensive to get. But not impossible.
Scorn - I derided it upon release having only completed act 1 with a guide. Picked it up again over the xmas break and stomped all the way to act 4 on my own, no guide, nothing just taking in the atmosphere and plodding through the game. Loving it now. Admittedly there's a time and a place for a game like that but cheez I love it now.
Lots of great games to add to the list here. I'd put forward Nobody Saves the World, Tinykin, Escape Academy & Powerwash Sim. Tunic also needs a shout, it got great reviews but doesn't get enough love!
EDIT: Also Scorn. It's a tough one to recommend as many will hate it! But I really enjoyed enough of it and I keep thinking about it. Let's be clear it's a terrible "game" in terms of gameplay as the combat is woeful (tip is to run away 90% of the time and they forget about you, and disappear, makes the game better) but exploring that world, withouth any handholding is wonderful for a small sub-set of people.
@BlackMayge Chained Echoes is firmly on my list, probably in February especially as it's also like a 90s RPG at about 25-35 hours not 50-100+ of today.
I don't know what games came to xbox in 2022 that I liked. Maybe persona 5 royal and danganronpa.
@Somebody I'm enjoying Tiny Tina's as well!
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