Clockwise from top left: Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Image: Nintendo), Starfield (Image: Bethesda Softworks), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (Image: GSC Game World), Stray (Image: Annapurna Interactive), God Of War: Ragnarök (Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment)Graphic: Rebecca Fassola
As we look forward to 2022 (and yes, we’re aware of what an inherently paradoxical sentence fragment that happens to be), it’s not hard to see some bright lights on the gaming calendar. Sequels to some of the most beloved video games in recent memory dot the list of new releases, from the second coming of the (second coming of the) God Of War, to a direct sequel to one of Nintendo’s most successful reinventions of all time.
Meanwhile, we’ve got new titles from the minds behind everything from Skyrim to The Evil Within to Pokémon. That’s to say nothing of a genuinely interesting set of original offerings, including titles where you’re stalked by a murderous choo-choo train or play as an adorable lost cat.
And so, we present The A.V. Club’s Most Anticipated Video Games Of 2022.
Stray (2022)
Games allow us the privilege of across genres, swinging around with kitties in our backpacks as Miles Morales, and even riding a giant kitty around Viking-era England as Eivor. This year, we will be able to be the kitty. Stray, developed by BlueTwelve Studio, is a third-person adventure game set in a futuristic cyberpunk city—one that does not seem to consist of many living creatures save for our hero protagonist ginger cat. We steer the realistic cat through streets and obstacles, and their adorable little backpack/harness affords much greater use than undeniable cuteness; it is a device that allows the cat to power a drone through the urban wasteland and identify objects, talk to robot NPCs, and more. Stray seems to boast exciting third-person mechanics that will be new to players thanks to the naturalism of the cat’s movements, allowing for what will ideally be a really fun immersion into the unique physics felines are known for. [Liz Arcury]
I’m probably most looking forward to Triangle Strategy, as I love the graphic style and I’m really hoping it can fill that contemporary FF Tactics void. Every possibility it turns out to be an Octopath Traveler-sized disappointment, however. Otherwise: BOTW2, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon, Forspoken, Sifu, and Stranger in Paradise. (I’m going to put this hard-won PS5 through its paces, damn it.)
I am, but I am debating going with the inferior PS4 Pro experience or waiting for the PC release that I hope happens. Don’t have nor plan to get a PS5 any time soon.
Honestly the way Returnal was described to me, IE Souls-like. Put me off. Not really into those brutally hard Rogue likes. Its why I could care less about Elden Ring.
Oh, it’s definitely difficult. That’s the only thing it really has in common with Souls-likes, though. There’s very few RPG elements, and the gameplay is VERY quick. Plus, the story is so well presented, and the graphics and audio are sublime.
I figure I will give it a go when I eventually get a PS5(or if it gets a PC release) but it will probably be a few yearsI mean I am just finally starting AC: Valhalla plus finding myself really getting into VR gaming since I got an Quest 2. I got to much on my plate at the moment 🙂
Same. The idea of dying over and over again by design is not at all the type of game I like- which is why, even though I have a PS5, I haven’t had much interest in the highly praised Deathloop either.
I guess not! They obviously (somehow) forgot to include it. Or they just don’t wanna ruin the list as is with a nice even number of…. 11. 12 would just look weird.
That felt like a startling miss on the list. I mean regardless of how one feels about the original, personally my heart soared with it, it is still one of the generally most anticipated games coming out this year.
…So you read through a thread talking about most anticipated games of 2022, saw a comment about someone expressing how much they liked the predecessor of one of those games and decided to leave a snide comment because you didn’t like the wording in which those positive feelings were expressed in?Man, you must be an absolute delight in parties. I’m certain all there appreciate you correcting what is an appropriate way to talk about their good mood and how they have fun. Truly a gift to the world there.
Horizon: Forbidden West. It’s been five years and I cannot wait.I think Tiny Tina’s Wonderland could be a lot of fun with some of the new concepts they’re introducing to the series. Plus, it’s based on the most excellent DLC from Borderlands 2. (I could also call this list: Reasons to Love Ashly Burch.)I’m also really interested in Forspoken. And Lies of P, if only because the Bloodborne vibes are so strong.2022 is already looking to be an amazing year for games.
Horizon Zero Dawn is still one of absolutely favored gaming experiences of the past years.The funny thing is that I went to the game with relatively low expectations, thinking it would be this pretty, but superficial game, but man did it just blow me away. Aloy was such a fantastic character who managed to feel so human. And when it was revealed what kind of a post-apocalyptic tale it was, I can’t praise it enough. The only negative is that it makes it impossible to talk about it to anyone who hasn’t played the game as that slowly dawning horrific realization is such a core part of it all.
Right? It’s so crazy that there actually does turn out to be a very plausible explanation for robot dinosaurs. And everything else, really. It all just fits and works together perfectly. It’s definitely one of the most well-realized worlds I’ve seen in games. It’s kind of magical how close it gets to being silly without ever quite tipping over that line into goofiness. The stakes feel weighty and real. The emotions feel raw and earnest. The spirituality feels understandable and well thought out. I seriously cannot wait to explore more of that world.
I’m kinda sad I couldn’t enjoy H:ZD as much as other people did. Ghost of Tsushima and Breath of the Wild, games I played before H:ZD, kind of spoiled me with certain quality-of-life changes that H:ZD lacked. Things like being able to just climb stuff as you wish and not slowing down when gathering resources while on your mount. I really hope H:FW implements enough of those to make the experience feel more comfortable to me.
I also hope I get more control over when and how to engage in combat encounters. The robots felt just a bit too aggressive to me (yes I know there’s a lore reason, that’s no excuse), or placed in such a way that I couldn’t avoid them if I just wanted to explore or go somewhere. Snowballing happens a bit too often, with me preparing for a big Rockbreaker fight and while I’m busy with it oops here comes a Shellwalker patrol with some Ravagers and oh dear now you ventured juuust a meter too close to a pack of Snapmaws and now they’re in the mix too and oh well I don’t have the resources for this goodbye. It’s kind of funny how a world that big often felt so claustrophobic to me, mostly I think due to the density of the robot population and their almost uniform aggression. I wonder if H:FW will feel any different. I hope so.
Are we really looking forward to “Choo Choo Charles”? It looks like another crappy “horror” game designed almost exclusively for streamers to play on stream and scream a bunch while doing it. Crap like Five Nights at Freddys. The fact that its on the list but Horizon: Forbidden West isn’t is really shitty. Personally I am looking forward to playing God of War finally because I did not get in on PS4 and want to see how pretty it is on PC
If I’m not mistaken, Choo Choo Charles looks entirely based off that Resident Evil mod that puts Thomas the Tank engine in game. That’s not not enough to make a game with.
Don’t have a X-Box and rarely game on my PC but considering it for Tunic. Will wait to see how it reviews but the trailers look fantastic and I’m a sucker for Zelda-like games.Also hopeful for Sonic Frontiers – Sonic games have been up and down but there’s definitely potential in an open-world Sonic game.But really I’ll probably spend majority of my time playing smaller indie games that I discover throughout the year like the last two years. I tend to like point-and-click adventure / puzzle-based games and most big titles don’t really focus on those genres.
Going to just add one more game since the release date just got announced today – Another Tomorrow by Glitch Games is going to hit iOS and Android on February 11th. Glitch Games is one of my favorite indie developers, they reliably makes great adventure games and their entire library is worth checking out.
I really hope Sifu delivers, some of the gameplay trailers have left me a little more “meh” than I like. But – we need more games like it and I’m an optimist.
Stray is what I’m most looking forward to. I really hope it doesn’t disappoint. I won’t want to try it until I get a PS5 though, so I’m sure enough reviews will let me know if it worth it when I finally get the console in (checks supply) 2026.
Untitled Goose Game was a big hit. Goat Simulator found success by intentionally being bad. You could take a ride on the Wayback machine and play Ecco the Dolphin. And I can’t tell you how many math classes I spent playing Snake on my TI-82.
The game I’m most looking forward to is the adaptation of GTA: San Andreas for the Quest 2. I played the crap out of that game years ago, and I can’t wait to dive back in with VR. There’s a good chance that it ends up being a disaster, but I’m trying to be optimistic.
Nintendo just announced Kirby and the Forgotten Land which looks great. Also gotta try the new Saints Row, it’s already pissed off the purists who think the series ended at 2 so on principle I support it.
It’s kinda strange that the Saints Row reboot has pissed off the purists, because it seems like it’s largely going back to 2 in tone and gameplay. Kinda makes you think they’re pissed off about something else…
Top 5 big-budget games I’m looking forward to in 2022:5. Digimon Survive 4. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 3. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope 2. Kirby and the Forgotten Land 1. AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA InitiativeTop 10 indie games I’m looking forward to in 2022:10. Needy Streamer Overload 9. STONKS-9800 8. Chinatown Detective Agency 7. Afterlove EP 6. Neon White 5. Way to the Woods 4. She Dreams Elsewhere 3. Silt 2. Harold Halibut 1. Sports Story
I think Kirby is number one for me this year (at least as far as games which have been officially announced). Rescuing Waddle Dees to populate the hub town is sure to be addictive.
“A new title from Bethesda Game Studios is always going to be a big deal, especially since the last proper sequel in one of its main franchises has been printing money for a decade now.”
I hope Starfield is great and I think it will be (I’ll happily start playing it as soon as it hits GamePass), but man do I wish all that sweet, sweet Microsoft money would’ve meant that BGS could, you know, hire enough development resources to create a new game without leaving a skeleton crew on Fallout 76 and allowing it to wither despite a very strong creative community and dedicated player base.Then again, Microsoft didn’t buy Zenimax to spend more money, they bought it to make more money (and to harm SIE, of course), so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that BGS is still operating like they have indie studio resources.
I’ve vaguely heard that there’s some decent updates, but I haven’t really heard anything about a big comeback. Has it really become so good now? Good in what regard? How did they do that, can you give a summary? I wouldn’t mind some good Fallout after the TTRPG adaptation kind of scared me off.
I know HP is an old franchise now but I’m guessing Hogwarts Legacy might be a big deal if it taps correctly into the nostalgia market and rides on the coattails of the next Fantastic Beasts movie. The wizard school trope still has legs I think and we haven’t had a non-mobile HP game of substance since the Wii days I think. Which is a shame because imagine an open world Wizarding world game during the last generation of consoles or getting on board with VR like the delightful Waltz of the Wizard or the humorous Mage’s Tale. The former delivering this sense of magic and reckless exploration a la the Sorcerers Apprentice and the latter, well, its just wickedly fun to throw magical fireballs at people. The Fantastic Bests movies are, of course, terrible and JKR a bigoted monsters, so this is definitely a tarnished halo in terms of a tie-in, but I think the nostalgia market of millennials pushing 40 is going to result in a lot of sales if the game is even, at best, average.
A game based on a Stanislaw Lem book? I assume that in the final level you have to surrender to the fact that alien consciousness is ultimately unknowable and unapproachable. How many buffs is that going to take?
60 Comments
I’m probably most looking forward to Triangle Strategy, as I love the graphic style and I’m really hoping it can fill that contemporary FF Tactics void. Every possibility it turns out to be an Octopath Traveler-sized disappointment, however. Otherwise: BOTW2, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon, Forspoken, Sifu, and Stranger in Paradise. (I’m going to put this hard-won PS5 through its paces, damn it.)
No Horizon Forbidden West is…something
Are we not anticipating Horizon: Forbidden West?
I am, but I am debating going with the inferior PS4 Pro experience or waiting for the PC release that I hope happens. Don’t have nor plan to get a PS5 any time soon.
You should get it just for Returnal.Source: Returnal fan.
Honestly the way Returnal was described to me, IE Souls-like. Put me off. Not really into those brutally hard Rogue likes. Its why I could care less about Elden Ring.
Oh, it’s definitely difficult. That’s the only thing it really has in common with Souls-likes, though. There’s very few RPG elements, and the gameplay is VERY quick. Plus, the story is so well presented, and the graphics and audio are sublime.
But you do you! Plenty of good games out there. 🙂
I figure I will give it a go when I eventually get a PS5(or if it gets a PC release) but it will probably be a few yearsI mean I am just finally starting AC: Valhalla plus finding myself really getting into VR gaming since I got an Quest 2. I got to much on my plate at the moment 🙂
It’s nothing like Souls
Same. The idea of dying over and over again by design is not at all the type of game I like- which is why, even though I have a PS5, I haven’t had much interest in the highly praised Deathloop either.
I guess not! They obviously (somehow) forgot to include it. Or they just don’t wanna ruin the list as is with a nice even number of…. 11. 12 would just look weird.
That felt like a startling miss on the list. I mean regardless of how one feels about the original, personally my heart soared with it, it is still one of the generally most anticipated games coming out this year.
Please don’t say “my heart soared with it” unless you’re talking about a Kate Bush song
…So you read through a thread talking about most anticipated games of 2022, saw a comment about someone expressing how much they liked the predecessor of one of those games and decided to leave a snide comment because you didn’t like the wording in which those positive feelings were expressed in?Man, you must be an absolute delight in parties. I’m certain all there appreciate you correcting what is an appropriate way to talk about their good mood and how they have fun. Truly a gift to the world there.
It’s just a really pompous thing to say, is all
Isn’t it pompous to tell someone not to say a phrase unless it refers to an indie musician?
We are…I am shocked it’s not on this list but Cho Cho Charles is? I mean..COME ON
Better put on some patient shoes, because Stalker 2 got delayed this week to December.
God of War: Ragnarok will be a day-one purchase for me.
So obviously I’m sworn to choose the Cyndaquil for Pokemon Legends but my questions is what to nickname them.
Fire Poker?
A real fan would follow the novelization and use “FireFriend” in all its cringey glory.
Friendly Fire
Plague Tale was interesting, but I was ready for it to end, and felt no need for a sequel.
Horizon: Forbidden West. It’s been five years and I cannot wait.I think Tiny Tina’s Wonderland could be a lot of fun with some of the new concepts they’re introducing to the series. Plus, it’s based on the most excellent DLC from Borderlands 2. (I could also call this list: Reasons to Love Ashly Burch.)I’m also really interested in Forspoken. And Lies of P, if only because the Bloodborne vibes are so strong.2022 is already looking to be an amazing year for games.
Horizon Zero Dawn is still one of absolutely favored gaming experiences of the past years.The funny thing is that I went to the game with relatively low expectations, thinking it would be this pretty, but superficial game, but man did it just blow me away. Aloy was such a fantastic character who managed to feel so human. And when it was revealed what kind of a post-apocalyptic tale it was, I can’t praise it enough. The only negative is that it makes it impossible to talk about it to anyone who hasn’t played the game as that slowly dawning horrific realization is such a core part of it all.
Right? It’s so crazy that there actually does turn out to be a very plausible explanation for robot dinosaurs. And everything else, really. It all just fits and works together perfectly. It’s definitely one of the most well-realized worlds I’ve seen in games. It’s kind of magical how close it gets to being silly without ever quite tipping over that line into goofiness. The stakes feel weighty and real. The emotions feel raw and earnest. The spirituality feels understandable and well thought out. I seriously cannot wait to explore more of that world.
I’m kinda sad I couldn’t enjoy H:ZD as much as other people did. Ghost of Tsushima and Breath of the Wild, games I played before H:ZD, kind of spoiled me with certain quality-of-life changes that H:ZD lacked. Things like being able to just climb stuff as you wish and not slowing down when gathering resources while on your mount. I really hope H:FW implements enough of those to make the experience feel more comfortable to me.
I also hope I get more control over when and how to engage in combat encounters. The robots felt just a bit too aggressive to me (yes I know there’s a lore reason, that’s no excuse), or placed in such a way that I couldn’t avoid them if I just wanted to explore or go somewhere. Snowballing happens a bit too often, with me preparing for a big Rockbreaker fight and while I’m busy with it oops here comes a Shellwalker patrol with some Ravagers and oh dear now you ventured juuust a meter too close to a pack of Snapmaws and now they’re in the mix too and oh well I don’t have the resources for this goodbye. It’s kind of funny how a world that big often felt so claustrophobic to me, mostly I think due to the density of the robot population and their almost uniform aggression. I wonder if H:FW will feel any different. I hope so.
Are we really looking forward to “Choo Choo Charles”? It looks like another crappy “horror” game designed almost exclusively for streamers to play on stream and scream a bunch while doing it. Crap like Five Nights at Freddys. The fact that its on the list but Horizon: Forbidden West isn’t is really shitty. Personally I am looking forward to playing God of War finally because I did not get in on PS4 and want to see how pretty it is on PC
If I’m not mistaken, Choo Choo Charles looks entirely based off that Resident Evil mod that puts Thomas the Tank engine in game. That’s not not enough to make a game with.
Yep like someone seeing a Skyrim Mod and making a game called “Macho Man Dragon”
Just go ahead and make that ‘11′ into a ‘12,’ and add Horizon: Forbidden West. Omitting it makes the whole list fairly suspect.
Don’t have a X-Box and rarely game on my PC but considering it for Tunic. Will wait to see how it reviews but the trailers look fantastic and I’m a sucker for Zelda-like games.Also hopeful for Sonic Frontiers – Sonic games have been up and down but there’s definitely potential in an open-world Sonic game.But really I’ll probably spend majority of my time playing smaller indie games that I discover throughout the year like the last two years. I tend to like point-and-click adventure / puzzle-based games and most big titles don’t really focus on those genres.
Going to just add one more game since the release date just got announced today – Another Tomorrow by Glitch Games is going to hit iOS and Android on February 11th. Glitch Games is one of my favorite indie developers, they reliably makes great adventure games and their entire library is worth checking out.
Also, Sifu and Weird West look great.
I really hope Sifu delivers, some of the gameplay trailers have left me a little more “meh” than I like. But – we need more games like it and I’m an optimist.
I assume the only reason Silksong isn’t on here is b/c it sadly still has no announced release date… I’m holding out hope though!
Stray is what I’m most looking forward to. I really hope it doesn’t disappoint. I won’t want to try it until I get a PS5 though, so I’m sure enough reviews will let me know if it worth it when I finally get the console in (checks supply) 2026.
Have any of these “look what quirky animal you are now” games been any good?
Untitled Goose Game was a big hit. Goat Simulator found success by intentionally being bad. You could take a ride on the Wayback machine and play Ecco the Dolphin. And I can’t tell you how many math classes I spent playing Snake on my TI-82.
The game I’m most looking forward to is the adaptation of GTA: San Andreas for the Quest 2. I played the crap out of that game years ago, and I can’t wait to dive back in with VR. There’s a good chance that it ends up being a disaster, but I’m trying to be optimistic.
Nintendo just announced Kirby and the Forgotten Land which looks great. Also gotta try the new Saints Row, it’s already pissed off the purists who think the series ended at 2 so on principle I support it.
It’s kinda strange that the Saints Row reboot has pissed off the purists, because it seems like it’s largely going back to 2 in tone and gameplay. Kinda makes you think they’re pissed off about something else…
Yeah that’s what I’m getting. It seems to mostly come down to “they don’t dress like gangstas” and “that woman has dyed hair”
As long as a return to the tone of 2 includes a return of 105.0 Ezzzy FM; the superior open-world-game radio station.
I’m anticipating Gran Turismo 7. Maybe I’m alone…
I’m hoping to get a graphics card that can run games from after 2010
Top 5 big-budget games I’m looking forward to in 2022:5. Digimon Survive
4. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
3. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
2. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
1. AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA InitiativeTop 10 indie games I’m looking forward to in 2022:10. Needy Streamer Overload
9. STONKS-9800
8. Chinatown Detective Agency
7. Afterlove EP
6. Neon White
5. Way to the Woods
4. She Dreams Elsewhere
3. Silt
2. Harold Halibut
1. Sports Story
I think Kirby is number one for me this year (at least as far as games which have been officially announced). Rescuing Waddle Dees to populate the hub town is sure to be addictive.
“A new title from Bethesda Game Studios is always going to be a big deal, especially since the last proper sequel in one of its main franchises has been printing money for a decade now.”
[Fallout 4 cries in the background]
I’m still holding my breath for Descent Underground …
Frostpunk 2 is the highest on my list. then a plague tale: requiem. Hope I won’t need a new GPU for those.
I hope Starfield is great and I think it will be (I’ll happily start playing it as soon as it hits GamePass), but man do I wish all that sweet, sweet Microsoft money would’ve meant that BGS could, you know, hire enough development resources to create a new game without leaving a skeleton crew on Fallout 76 and allowing it to wither despite a very strong creative community and dedicated player base.Then again, Microsoft didn’t buy Zenimax to spend more money, they bought it to make more money (and to harm SIE, of course), so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that BGS is still operating like they have indie studio resources.
“Fallout 76″ is one of the great comeback stories in video gaming, so it would be a shame for it to end with a whimper.
I’ve vaguely heard that there’s some decent updates, but I haven’t really heard anything about a big comeback. Has it really become so good now? Good in what regard? How did they do that, can you give a summary? I wouldn’t mind some good Fallout after the TTRPG adaptation kind of scared me off.
I know HP is an old franchise now but I’m guessing Hogwarts Legacy might be a big deal if it taps correctly into the nostalgia market and rides on the coattails of the next Fantastic Beasts movie. The wizard school trope still has legs I think and we haven’t had a non-mobile HP game of substance since the Wii days I think. Which is a shame because imagine an open world Wizarding world game during the last generation of consoles or getting on board with VR like the delightful Waltz of the Wizard or the humorous Mage’s Tale. The former delivering this sense of magic and reckless exploration a la the Sorcerers Apprentice and the latter, well, its just wickedly fun to throw magical fireballs at people. The Fantastic Bests movies are, of course, terrible and JKR a bigoted monsters, so this is definitely a tarnished halo in terms of a tie-in, but I think the nostalgia market of millennials pushing 40 is going to result in a lot of sales if the game is even, at best, average.
A game based on a Stanislaw Lem book? I assume that in the final level you have to surrender to the fact that alien consciousness is ultimately unknowable and unapproachable. How many buffs is that going to take?
How anybody can get excited by Starfield, especially since core Beth haven’t released a good game in 10 years, without having seen it is beyond me.
Fuck slideshows.Anyone care to list the games here in the comments instead? Thanks.
Check out Lacuna. It’s like the good Blade Runner game we never got.