It’s almost halfway through 2022, and between Horizon Forbidden West, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Elden Ring (and many more), gamers across all platforms have surely had a great time. But it seems that the industry has played all its cards because, despite having such a packed beginning, the second half of the year doesn’t seem to hold much to be excited about.
Some major video game releases that were scheduled this year, such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi RPG Starfield and the highly anticipated Breath of the Wild 2 have all been delayed to 2023. But even after some unfortunate delays, the second half of 2022 still has some releases worth looking forward to, such as Gotham Knights and God of War: Ragnarok, among others, discussed below.
Diablo Immortal (iOS, Android) – June 2nd
Diablo Immortal was met with some serious backlash from long-time PC fans when it was first announced in 2018 who were not pleased with the fact that the game would be a mobile exclusive. Eventually, it was announced that it would be released on PC as well, free on all platforms and with support for crossplay.
The game will have features commonly found in RPGs, such as character creation where players will get to choose from six character classes, all with unique and upgradable powers. Being an MMO game, players will have the opportunity to group with others and complete dungeons and other activities together.
Sonic Origins (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – June 23rd
Sonic Origins is a compilation of the first four Sonic games – Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic CD (1993), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) in remastered format, releasing on all major modern platforms. Compilations of other Sonic games have been released in the past, but none on such a wide scale.
The game will come up with various updated features, such as a “classic mode” and an “anniversary mode” that will support widescreen, unlike the original games. Also included are some new animated sequences, and the ability to play as Tails and Knuckles at any time, alongside many other features.
Saints Row (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – August 23rd
Saints Row is an over-the-top, action-packed video game series with many similarities to GTA, that has delved into a more surrealistic nature with every sequel, a shift not liked by many. The upcoming Saints Row will be a complete reboot of the franchise, starting fresh with a completely new set of characters and a new city, Santo Ileso.
Reaction to the news of the reboot has been divisive, but from what is known about the Saints Row reboot, so far, it will be more grounded than Saints Row IV and focus on the conflict between rival gangs in the fictional city of Santo Ileso.
Forspoken (PlayStation 5, PC) – October 11th
A highly ambitious action RPG, Forspoken will have players will step into the shoes of a young woman named Frey Holland who is transported to a fantasy world where she has to use her newly gained magical powers to survive.
Teasers released, so far, boast of some impressive visuals that will undoubtedly take advantage of the full power of the PS5, the only platform it is releasing on besides PC. A big part of the gameplay will focus on fluid and quick world transversal, which is important for any open-world game and is one of the most exciting aspects of the PS5 game.
Gotham Knights (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – October 25th
The highly celebrated Batman: Arkham series is finally returning after seven years, except not really. From what is known about Gotham Knights, it is a Batman game for sure (although Batman is dead in it), but set in a different universe than the Arkham games.
Instead of playing as Batman, players will get the chance to roam the streets of Gotham City in the role of the extended Bat family, which consists of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood. In the fallout of Batman’s apparent death, these four come together to protect Gotham from the villain’s attacks the city is so prone to.
A Plague Tale: Requiem (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) – TBD
The sequel to 2017’s award-winning A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem continues the tragic story of the siblings Amicia and Hugo as they try to survive after the events of the first game, set in France during the historical Hundred Years’ War.
One of the best things about the first game was how it blended a strong narrative and enjoyable stealth gameplay, and fans are undoubtedly expecting that again from the sequel. Combat can be expected to play a bigger part, as promotional images show Emelia with a crossbow, suggesting that she won’t be as helpless as in the first game.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, PC) – TBD
After a long time in development, James Cameron’s Avatar 2 is finally releasing in theatres this year, and accompanying it is (provided that neither are delayed) Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Set on the same planet of Pandora that moviegoers in 2009 loved, players will be given the opportunity to play as the Na’vi and explore the lush, beautiful world, while also fighting against the villainous RDA.
Being developed by the studio behind Tom Clancy’s The Division and published by Ubisoft, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will be an open-world first-person shooter and tell a standalone story within the universe established by the film and has the potential to become a licensed game that is actually good.
God Of War: Ragnarok (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – TBD
Playstation fans always have something to look forward to in the form of the awesome exclusives that Sony always has in development, and few games come close to God of War: Ragnarok in terms of anticipation. The fact that a release date has not been announced yet has convinced some that the game might be delayed, but the developers have assured fans recently that the release is still on track.
Ragnarok will continue the story of Kratos and his son, now a young adult and not just a “Boy” as his father likes to call him, as they face off against the legendary figures of Norse mythology, such as Thor and Zeus.
Hogwarts Legacy (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – TBD
Hogwarts Legacy is far from the first Harry Potter game, but it is certainly the most ambitious and largest in scale. Set in the Wizarding World, the game will be an open-world RPG that will allow players to experience being a wizard or witch in training at Hogwarts.
The game will take place in the 1800s, long before the events of the books and movies, although there are some important Harry Potter characters alive at the time of the Legacy game who might appear. But for the most part, the game will be trying to tell its own story independent of what people are already familiar with.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – TBD
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is being made by Firaxis Games, the studio behind popular strategy games such as Civilization and X-COM, and will revolve around the conflict between Marvel heroes and the demon Lilith. Players will be able to fully customize their character, called “The Hunter”, and choose from a multitude of superpowers.
Among the list of other playable characters, there are many big names such as Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, and many more, not to mention the comic villains who should appear. But even though the large rooster of characters is bound to draw a lot of attention, the card-based tactical gameplay of Midnight Suns targets a very niche group of gamers.
