Elden Ring, the 2022 mega-hit from FromSoftware, is on pace to win the most Game of the Year awards in video game history.
Researchers for the ResetEra community are compiling the award winners for the 2022 season. Between eligible critics, websites, and polls, Elden Ring has currently won 321 GotY awards. That is just short of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II. The Naughty Dog title took home 322 awards.
The highlight may be its recent win at The Game Awards. Elden Ring was nominated for eight awards at this past year’s show. It won four awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Roleplaying Game, and Game of the Year. Hidetaka Miyazaki took home an award as well for Best Direction.
Of note, the data at ResetEra notes certain websites or awards that aren’t eligible. For example, any website or source with just one voting person isn’t counted. Still, with more Game of the Year awards to be dished out, it’s safe to say Elden Ring will keep taking home trophies.
What’s the Big Deal About Elden Ring, Anyway?
First revealed in 2019, Elden Ring was teased as a collaboration between FromSoftware and George R. R. Martin. After delays, developer silence, and speculation, we finally saw a new trailer two years later. Summer Game Fest 2021 confirmed what we all were hoping for: an open world From Software game taking place in a brand new world.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Martin discussed what he did for the game’s development. He tells Colbert that he wrote a 5,000 year history for Elden Ring’s lore. He praises FromSoftware for making one of the most beautiful games he has ever seen.
Martin admits, however, that he has not played it because “people seem to want this Winds of Winter book.” He continues that due to his addictive personality, he has been sucked into games.
When we reviewed Elden Ring at the start of the year, we loved every minute of the experience. “Elden Ring is one of those rare moments that make you fall in love with gaming again,” we said. “It strikes a perfect balance between old and new, between difficulty and accessibility, in a way that entices newcomers into the Souls genre without losing its identity in the process.”
Souls games, the unofficial moniker for FromSoftware developed games, have a reputation for being brutally difficult. However, Elden Ring’s ability to keep the challenging foundation while making the game more accessible has resulted in a smash hit. Combine that with the open world fans have always dreamed of, and it’s no wonder why the game is winning so many awards.
Examining the Other Best Games of 2022
After Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök has the second most Game of the Year awards with 74. It’s another steep drop-off after that. Immortality is in third place with six awards. Pentiment, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Xenoblade: Chronicles 3 have four. A Plague Tale: Requiem, Citizen Sleeper, and Vampire Survivors have three. Seventeen other games round out the list with one award.
Elden Ring is also the top-rated new game on Metacritic for 2022. With a Metascore of 96 on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, it beats every other new game released last year. Technically, it’s tied with the Portal Companion Collection for Nintendo Switch. But, honestly, we’re just arguing semantics here. The PC version is right behind the console titles with a Metascore of 94.
In terms of other top-rated new games in 2022, God of War Ragnarök, Dwarf Fortress, and Chained Echoes all rank in the top five. Cuphead in the Delicious Last Course, the new DLC release for Cuphead, rounds out the top five. Critics also loved the PC port for God of War, Persona 5 Royal, and the next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
