GAME OF THE YEAR (GOTY)

Previous Winners
2012: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
2013: Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)
2014: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U)
2015: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
2016: Hyperdimension Neptunia V-II (Multi)
2017: Persona 5 (PS4)
2018: Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Multi)
2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)
2021: Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch)

It’s finally time to crown the oprainfall Awards 2022 Game of the Year! We narrowed the field down to three finalists who won in the previous categories we’ve posted throughout the week. Now, it’s time to show off the best of the best!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

Best Story

NA Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4
Review

The long awaited start of the Crossbell Arc, the official release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero finally happened last year. Everyone was really pleased with how it turned out, and Lloyd and the other members of the SSS finally got their time to shine. As with other games in the series, the solid gameplay, amazing story, and the top tier soundtrack made this a gimme as one our top games of last year.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

 Best Music

NA Release Date: July 29th, 2022
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Review

The Xenoblade franchise is near and dear to us here at oprainfall, and even though this entry gave some of the staff mixed feelings, it’s still one of our top picks of 2022. The fantastic story, stellar graphics, and simply amazing soundtrack will leave you wanting more after the final credits roll, and looking forward to what the team has coming next. If you haven’t had a chance to play this, you should do so, might even get it done before the upcoming DLC story expansion launches.

Stray

Best Action / Adventure, Best Atmosphere

NA Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Review

Stray is one of the most unique titles we’ve seen in a long time. I mean, games like this don’t come around very often. When is the last time you heard about a third-person cat adventure game set in the alleys of a decaying cyberpunk style city? The setting and tight gameplay really impressed some folks here, and helped it earn a spot in our top games of 2022.

And the winner is…

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero!

In the end, Lloyd and the SSS crew stood tall above the rest. This series is known for its powerful storytelling and amazing music, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is no exception to this. It’s no wonder it beat all the other amazing entries and became the 2022 oprainfall awards: Game of the Year. All fans of JRPGs owe it to themselves to check out this game and all the other games in the franchise, you won’t be disappointed!

That’s it for this year’s oprainfall awards! But, there is plenty of good gaming to look forward to this year. Be sure to check here for the latest coverage on all your favorite niche titles and visual novels!

A special thanks to Brandon Rose for creating the featured images for these Awards on short notice. You should check him and his works out over on Twitter.