10 Best Open-World Video Games Of 2022

With two mainline releases, it’s certainly been an interesting year for Pokémon. Big conversations definitely need to be had about Game Freak’s quality assurance but all the same it’s hard not to deny its successes. After years of people fantasising about Pokémon venturing into the open-world, it's not surprising that Scarlet and Violet was the most successful launch in Nintendo history.

Legends: Arceus was an intriguing hoeur d’oevure but the main course was the eighth generation of games, which emphasised player choice first and foremost. Trainers are encouraged to explore the region of Paldea however they see fit, with three story strands that can be completed in any order.

This is the drive to move forward but the real joy comes from, as expected, the mystery of what Pokémon - both new and familiar - you might encounter around every turn as you explore swamps, plains, canyons and mountains.

It’s certainly not the prettiest game and, for some, was marred with technical issues. That being said, these were not secrets in the pre-release material and clearly do not matter to the vast majority of Pokémon fans who took to the games like a Quaxley to water.

After the series had hit a brick wall of linearity and hand holding, having a full island of biomes to explore and plunder for Pocket Monsters is indisputable fun.