SIX months into 2022, and the gaming industry has seen several heavy releases such as Forbidden Horizon West, the reinvented Pokemon Legends: Arceus, along with the critically and commercially acclaimed Elden Ring.
While the rest of the year has seen the release dates of big games being delayed to 2023, such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Breath of the Wild 2, the year could possibly still ended on a high note rather than on a whimper, if the release of the following games aren’t pushed to next year, that is.
Saints Row
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Release Date: August 23
A complete reboot of the franchise, Saints Row developer Volition has promised that the game will be returning to the era of Saints Row 2, where the reboot will have a balanced sense of humour and seriousness, with the current social climate and Gen Z sensibilities in mind.
This change, or course correction, was due to the last main game in the franchise, Saints Row IV in 2013 pushing the series’ over-the-top comedy and parody to its absolute limits.
Due to the change in creative vision being criticised by longtime fans of the franchise, it remains to be seen until the game releases on whether this was the right decision.
Forspoken
Platform: PlayStation 5, Windows
Release Date: October 11
The second game being developed by Square Enix’s subsidiary, Luminous Productions after Final Fantasy XV in 2016, Forspoken is a completely new IP that will take place in the fantasy land of Athia after protagonist Frey Holland is transported there from her modern world.
Developed with the Luminious Engine, Forspoken will utilise the power of the PlayStation 5 and PC for its massive open world, gameplay and magic-oriented combat.
Gotham Knights
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Release Date: October 25
The Court of Owls, a villainous secret society, will be making their debut outside Batman comic books in Gotham Knights, the next big Batman-related video game.
Taking place in an open-world Gotham City much like the Batman: Arkham games, Gotham Knights will place players in the shoes of Batman’s first four sidekicks: Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl and Robin.
The characters will have their own distinct play styles that mirrors their counterparts in other media, though Red Hood will have several changes, notably being that the traditionally violent vigilante’s lethal guns will be changed to non-lethal.
Gotham Knights was initially also supposed to be released on last-generation consoles, but development on it was ended.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: November 18
Fans of the Pokemon franchise are living in a golden era, with Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet dropping in the same year as the previously released Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, Pokemon Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The new games will mark the start of the “ninth generation” of Pokemon games, and - based on the trailers released - will most likely follow a combined amalgamation of Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Shield and Arceus when it comes to the new generation’s approach of the open-world gameplay, while retaining the core formula that has existed since 1996.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Release Date: To be confirmed
The story of Amicia and Hugo continue after 2017’s A Plague Tale: Innocence, with Requiem taking the siblings far south of France, as they attempt to start a new life and find a way to cure Hugo’s curse.
The rats, however, soon return, causing the duo to flee for an island rumoured to contain a cure.
Requiem will follow Innocence’s core gameplay of action with puzzle and survival horror elements, with the groundbreaking narrative-heavy storytelling returning to tell a compelling tale of survival and familial bonds.
Added improvements are certain to come, with one being the crossbow seen throughout promotional images and trailers.
God of War: Ragnarok
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Release Date: November 2022
Set three years after 2018’s God of War, Kratos and his son, Atreus (and the players) are set to face off against the Norse pantheon of gods.
Unlike the previous God of War games that took three main games and several in-between games to tell the story across almost 15 years, Ragnarok will wrap up the Norse era of God of War with just two games.
Producer Cory Balrog explained this was due to the sheer size and scale of the game that will tell the story of a trilogy in a duology.
An actual release date is expected to be revealed sometime in June or July.
