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Instead of a new year’s resolution, how about a list of games to play?
2021 saw the release of some pretty iconic and memorable games. Last year, we got to enjoy The Forgotten City, a remake of a Skyrim mod that became its own standalone detective game about a time traveler who uncovers the secrets of a civilization.
There’s also It Takes Two, a cute-looking platform game about a couple going through a divorce that many gamers remember for that controversial scene.
Last but not least, the horror card game Inscryption combined roguelike elements, Hearthstone, and Doki Doki Literature Club to create one of the most unique horror experiences in gaming this decade.
With so many amazing games from the previous year, we can’t help but wonder what we’ll get to play this 2022. Good thing there’s already some news about what releases we can expect in the coming months. Among them are follow-ups to well-loved games from the previous years, a few interesting mobile games, and one-of-a-kind premises that are sure to make you at least Google them.
1. Steelrising
First up, we’ve got Steelrising. This action RPG is set to be released in June 2022 by Nacon Games. The video game is set in an alternate history world that reimagines the sociopolitical climate of the French Revolution with a steampunk twist.
In the game, Louis XVI, the Clockwork King, is portrayed as an evil tyrant who rules France with a literal iron fist in the form of a mechanical robot army. You get to play as Aegis, an automaton created by Vaucanson for King Louis. What the Clockwork King doesn’t know, however, is that you are destined to free his people from him.
There are still a few months until we get our hands on Steelrising but it’s shaping up to be a beautiful game. The trailer and gameplay snippets we’ve seen so far show Aegis as a hauntingly beautiful and deadly Angel of Death that looks no more out of place dancing ballet in Versailles than she does slaying enemies on the battlefield with her iron fans.
2. God of War: Ragnarok
Long-time fans of the God of War franchise have something to be excited about this 2022. The nearly two decades old video game series is getting a fifth installment in the form of God of War Ragnarok.
Just like the previous God of War game we played in 2018, the upcoming God of War will have us join Kratos and his son Atreus as they go on a perilous journey across the Nine Realms.
By the way!
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God of War Ragnarok will focus on Atreus’ discovery of the truth behind the prophecy of Loki. Older players of the previous God of War, especially the ones who were already parents at the time, complained about the brutally cold relationship between Kratos and his son. But with the shadow of Ragnarok looming over Atreus’ head, maybe there’s hope for players waiting to see fatherly moments between the two.
3. Honkai: Star Rail
Come on, did you really think this list would ignore mobile players?
Honkai: Star Rail is an upcoming video game set to release between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. If the word “Honkai” sounds familiar to you, that’s because Honkai: Star Rail is part of the multiverse of Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact. While you don’t need to play any of the other games mentioned, you can expect to see some lore connections if you’ve played either of the other two miHoYo games.
Honkai: Star Rail takes us on an intergalactic journey across the stars aboard the Astral Express. Joining us on our journey is a cast of scientists, captains, and mysterious fighters. Players will get to use these characters in a turn-based battlefield.
Though the game is currently still in closed beta, footage available so far shows that miHoYo has combined everything they’ve learned from their two previous hit games to create it.
There’s still no word on what business model Honkai: Star Rail will have, but given the two previous miHoYo games, it’s safe to assume that we’ll be treated to a premium gacha experience.
4. Hogwarts Legacy
If turn-based games aren’t your style, you might want to play Hogwarts Legacy on the PS4, PS5, and Xbox One instead.
Developed by Portkey Games, Hogwarts Legacy is a leveled-up version of the Pottermore experience that sets players loose in an open-world RPG full of wonder and magic. The game is set in decades before the Harry Potter books and promises that players will “experience Hogwarts in the 1800s.”
You play as a self-insert protagonist who will uncover an ancient secret that has the potential to tear the wizarding world apart. Accepting your invitation to Hogwarts will set you on the path to learning spells, brewing potions, taming magical beasts, and learning what that secret is.
Harry Potter fans who don’t have a PC or console to play on don’t have to feel like they’ve completely missed out, though. While Hogwarts Legacy isn’t coming to mobile, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened offers a similar gaming experience for mobile players on a budget.
5. Nightingale
You’re going to want to sit down for this. Okay, ready? Nightingale is an open-world survival crafting game where your Victorian-era character has to survive in the Fae Realms. That’s a lot to absorb in one go so take the time to let your imagination run wild on how that would translate into a video game.
Nightingale describes itself as a gas lamp fantasy that gives you control of a Victorian-era adventurer. The era setting means that you’re equipped with nothing else but steampunk tech in a dangerous world where fae creatures are waiting to deceive and kill you.
The game is advertised to feature both single-player and co-op options so you don’t worry about being forced to play with strangers. Right now, the game is slated for release on PC this 2022 with Alpha and Beta tests expected to start within the year.
6. Valorant Mobile
Okay, this one has the most tentative release date out of all the games on this list so try not to get your hopes up.
If you love first-person shooters and you enjoyed the PC version of Valorant, you might be interested in picking up the mobile version of the game. In June 2021, Riot Games announced on Twitter that they’ll be releasing a mobile version of their popular FPS game in order to expand Valorant‘s player base.
The game currently has nearly a million active daily players and while that already makes it extremely popular, Valorant can expect to have players in the millions each day once it releases its mobile version. Valorant Mobile will likely go toe to toe with current big mobile FPS titles like PUBG.
7. The Outlast Trials
Let’s face it: the Outlast franchise has long since left behind what made the first Outlast game so mind-bogglingly good. If you come into The Outlast Trials with that in mind, you could probably enjoy a new survival horror game that lets you play either solo or with four other players.
Just like the previous Outlast games, The Outlast Trials is a first-person game that pits you against inhumane opponents that are seeking to torture and kill you. This time, you have to make it out of the reach of the Murkoff Corporation’s sadistic scientists.
The cold war era game was initially slated for a 2021 release, but that has since been pushed back to 2022 with no specifics on what quarter or month it will be released in.
8. Horizon Forbidden West
You’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer who played Horizon Zero Dawn and didn’t like it so this sequel is more than welcome to make its debut.
Horizon Forbidden West puts us back in control of Aloy who is on a mission to restore the vitality of the land. Her quest to fix the famine sends her to the war-like western side of the world where she’ll be faced with brutal warriors and powerful machines of war.
This action-packed open-world adventure is expected to release on the PS5 and PS4 on February 18, 2022.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild convinced more than a few people to buy the Nintendo Switch just to play it when it came out in 2017. Now, Link is back with a new adventure for us to step into.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is set to release this year after rumors of its cancellation. Nintendo released a trailer for the game on June 16, 2021 that featured Link showing off new gameplay features, locations, abilities, and potential plot points.
Just like its precursor, the game looks beautiful and has a captivating soundtrack that will no doubt be a delight to play the game to.
10. Scorn
2022 isn’t just an open-world game RPG fest. Fans of the horror genre can expect to play a biopunk delight in October 2022 when Scorn drops.
Just from its trailer, you can already tell that Scorn is going to be something else. Its freakishly bizarre architecture features a hellish landscape with enough body horror to make your skin crawl.
The game’s release has been delayed a few times prior, but we’ve already gotten some gameplay footage that shows us that Scorn will be a first-person shooter.
The game puts us in a disturbingly fleshy-looking building filled with creatures that look like badly conceived genetic engineering projects. The game will likely appeal to you if you enjoyed the Doom franchise, the Alien movies, or if you just like film in general because it draws heavy inspiration from the work of Swedish artist, H.R Giger.
For those unfamiliar with Giger, he was part of the production of the original Alien movie and was involved in the unreleased and unfinished adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune created by Alejandro Jodorowsky. With that said, you can expect Scorn to be a very sci-fi influenced horror game.
11. Stray
Stray puts you behind the controls of a more humble creature. Unlike the heroes, demigods, and daredevil sharpshooters of the previous games on this list, Stray places you in the streets of a rundown city as a stray cat.
Our unlucky feline friend is injured and needs to get home. It’s your job to get him home safely while navigating the perilous terrain of dirt streets, shadowy back alleys, and rat-infested sewers. The game has a lot of platforming and puzzle-solving elements that require you to figure out how to get through ducts and vents.
The city isn’t an ordinary dystopian urban hellscape, though. It’s actually a mysterious cybercity filled with non-human, electronic inhabitants. You have little to fear from them, though.
The game makes sure you really feel like you’re playing as a cat because aside from the camera’s perspective, you get to enjoy cute interactions with the city’s inhabitants. You can have your cat rub itself on people’s legs to get a pat on the head or ask a musician to play you a song while you lie down in a mound of dirty pillows.
12. Little Devil Inside
Little Devil Inside takes you on another supernatural adventure in a Victorian era inspired world. The game features a delightfully blocky art style and a variety of biomes ranging from forests to deserts to the open sea.
Your journey will take you to the ends of the world where you’ll duke it out with Kraken-like creatures, dragons, and mysterious giant knights. At the end of your journey, you’ll finally uncover the secrets of this world.
