The Most Exciting Games of 2022
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brand new year means another year for gaming. 2022 is shaping to be an exciting year for gamers. Tons of games are scheduled to release this year from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 to Sonic Frontiers. With the current state of the world, release dates are bound to change and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these games receive a delay. Regardless, let’s jump into my Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2022.
#10 — Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the first open world Pokémon game. With the genre becoming more and more popular over the years, it’s finally Pokémon’s turn to go open world. Described as an action-RPG, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is considered part of the 8th generation of Pokémon games, alongside Pokémon Sword & Shield and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Personally, I haven’t played a Pokémon game since Pokémon X but I’m willing to give this one a shot because of its jump to the open world. The first reveal looked a bit shaking due to the frame rate and the graphics but it did look better in the Pokémon Presents event in August 2021. Everything I’ve seen on Pokémon Legends: Arceus is what I expect from an open world Pokémon game. It seems like a good step in the right direction. I know Game Freak has been getting flack due to their poor presentation in the recent games but that didn’t stop people from buying the games. Pokémon games seem to sell well every single year and I haven’t played one since 2013. That could very well change soon as Pokémon Legends: Arceus is scheduled to release on January 28th.
#09 — Splatoon 3
When Splatoon 3 was announced, I was quite shocked because it feels not too long ago Splatoon 2 came out. Then again, I look at the time and it came out over 3 years ago. So, maybe it is time for a sequel to Splatoon 2. It looks like the same fun from its predecessor but with new weapons, maps, styles, and expanding lore? I know the story for the series is kind of crazy, so I’m interested to see if fans are pleased with the steps the devs take with Splatoon 3’s story. Personally, I’m all about the online play for Splatoon games. I played so much of Splatoon 2 online when it first came out, I burned myself out of the game. Whenever Splatoon 3 comes out, I’m ready to grind the online play once again.
#08 — Horizon Forbidden West
I loved Horizon Zero Dawn on the PlayStation 4. I don’t remember much of the story, aside from the beginning and ending. The gameplay kept me engaged the whole way through. This is an open world game where I was fully sold on it, purely on the gameplay. It’s just that much fun. With Horizon Forbidden West, it looks like more of the same but bigger and better. It’s also prettier because of the PlayStation 5. I don’t know what else to say because I’m eager to jump back into the world of Horizon Forbidden West later this year.
#07 — God of War Ragnarok
I wasn’t too crazy about God of War (2018) when it came out on the PS4. It’s a soft reboot with a new story and revamped gameplay style. The story is interesting, Kratos guiding Atreus as his father in becoming a warrior. The gameplay is super fun, swinging the axe around methodically while dodging and parrying attacks. I don’t have a problem with the game itself but it’s not 10/10 material in my eyes. The ending is probably the best part of the game and one of the main reasons why I’m excited for God of War Ragnarök. I want to see where this story goes. Where does this new adventure for Kratos and Atreus lead them? We know Thor is in the game which can be surprising to some people. The gameplay looks more of the same and I don’t mind that. Add a few bells and whistles to improve from its predecessor and I’m all good to go. God of War Ragnarök is scheduled to release later this year.
#06 — Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
This is Rocksteady’s next superhero game after their famous Batman Arkham series. Batman Arkham Asylum revolutionized what it meant to be a superhero video game. Literally every superhero game after Batman Arkham Asylum copied its combat system and only a few succeeded. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a action adventure shooter where, you guessed it, the Suicide Squad are tasked to kill the Justice League. Four playable characters where you can play this game solo or with friends. Playing a superhero game with friends, especially one made by Rocksteady, can be super fun. The shooting mechanics look pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary for a third-person shooter. It seems to be carrying the same light hearted spirit of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. I don’t know much about these characters outside of that movie but I think keeping the goofy and fun tone for these characters is the way to go. Also, having the Suicide Squad kill the Justice League can introduce cool boss fights and set pieces. I’m expecting this game to be a ton of fun, by myself or with friends, when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League comes out later this year.
#05 — Gotham Knights
I’m probably going to get toasted for putting this game over Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League but here goes. I’m actually more excited for Gotham Knights. The premise where Batman is dead and it’s up to his many sidekicks to protect Gotham City is a neat idea. I’m a pretty big fan of the Robins, especially Nightwing. Being able to play as him alongside Red Hood, Robin, and Batgirl is going to be a lot of fun. In addition, this game is multiplayer which means the fun can be enjoyed with a friend. The gameplay looks very similar to the Arkham series and I don’t have a problem with that. Like I said earlier, that series of games revolutionized superhero video games and keeping that gameplay style for Arkham Knights is fine. However, they are adding action-RPG elements to the game. Less focused on building up combos and more on leveling up and gaining experience. I can see what they’re going for here but I’m not sure if it’ll work. It could definitely make the game feel repetitive if there’s a heavy emphasis on leveling up and grinding experience. Regardless, I’m excited for Gotham Knights when it comes some time in 2022.
#04 — Life is Strange Remastered Collection
If you know me, I love the Life is Strange franchise. I’ve talked about it so much on this channel, you most definitely know I’ll be playing the Life is Strange Remastered Collection when it comes out next month. My first time playing Life is Strange (2015) was in the summer of 2017. I played through all five episodes in the same day and wow, that was an experience. I was so invested in the story of Max and Chloe, I wanted to solve the mystery of Rachel Amber. Additionally, the time travel mechanic made the gameplay the most engaging of any graphic adventure game ever and this statement still holds true in 2022. Being able to rewind time and see almost every possible choice before solidifying one of the options made decision making kind of hard at times. The characters, the town of Arcadia Bay, and the rewind power makes Life is Strange (2015) one of my favorite games of all time. The presentation of the original game could’ve been better along with the lip syncing for the dialogue. The remastered collection looks like it’s fixing those issues on the presentation side and I’m happy about it. They’re also updating Life is Strange: Before the Storm for this collection which is super nice. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is about Chloe and Rachel’s relationship before the event of the main game. It’s not perfect but does give much needed context for these characters. If you’ve never played any Life is Strange game before, this remastered collection will be the best way to get into the franchise (if they remaster it correctly). I’ll be playing Life is Strange Remastered Collection when it releases on February 1st.
#03 — Kirby and the Forgotten Land
When Kirby and the Forgotten Land was announced late September 2021, I was excited to get another Kirby adventure on the Nintendo Switch. While I found Kirby Star Allies to be slightly disappointing at launch, Nintendo did give the game a number of free updates. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is Kirby’s first full 3D game. Kirby has the freedom to move in all directions which is exciting. I’ve been wanting a full 3D Kirby game for awhile now and it’s great to see Nintendo finally make this jump. The post apocalyptic setting is kind of interesting because Kirby is known as the wholesome Nintendo IP. The world is destroyed and ruined while the cute pink puffball explores the land. I’m curious to see what happened in this “forgotten land” and how it ties back into the Kirby series. They haven’t shown any new powers yet but I hope we get some new abilities for Kirby to play around with. Kirby’s first true 3D adventure in Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches this Spring.
#02 — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Now, this game came out of nowhere. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge surprisingly dropped a trailer early 2021. Growing up, I watched the 2003 cartoon and fell in love with the franchise. I’ve played a lot of their games, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time on the SNES and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist on the Sega Genesis. When a new retro styled beat’em featuring the turtles was announced, I’m already sold. The game is taking heavy inspiration from the 80s cartoon and the games from that era. Four player local and online multiplayer is great to hear. A lot of these retro styled games tend to only have local multiplayer, so it’s nice to see them recognized online as a must especially with today’s world situation. April O’Neil is now a playable character which is kind of neat. The sprite work looks amazing and the soundtrack is pleasant on the ears too. Despite not a lot being shown outside of the few trailers dropped from the developers, I am eagerly awaiting for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge to release later this year.
#01 — Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers is my most anticipated game of 2022. Only one trailer released and no gameplay shown yet, Sonic Frontiers is the long awaited next mainline game in the series after Sonic Forces in 2017. My disappointment with Sonic Forces comes from the lack of commitment and direction. Sonic Team wanted to tell a much darker story for the series with Sonic and friends actually losing against Dr. Eggman but they failed to execute it properly. Infinite was supposed to be this menacing villain but ended up being a joke. They also brought in Classic Sonic and a custom character for no reason. Sonic Forces feels like another step backwards for the series. With Sonic Frontiers however, it seems to be taking Sonic into the open world direction. Sonic’s Breath of the Wild if you will. I’m excited about this decision because we’ve been doing the boost formula gameplay since Sonic Unleashed in 2008. A change in direction for the gameplay is needed in my opinion and many fans in the Sonic community feel the same way. The story is being written by Ian Flynn who is a longtime writer for the Sonic comic books by Archie and later, IDW Publishing. His writing style for Sonic and friends is good and I’m eager to see how he does writing for a mainline Sonic game. The story isn’t quite clear to us yet but it seems like Sonic is exploring an island with ancient ruins and Sonic’s friends are talking to him spiritually? They’re doing a lot of different things for this game which can be good. Obviously, they tried different elements in Sonic Forces too but I feel like Sega and Sonic Team knows their Sonic games haven’t been doing so well lately. The last good Sonic game made by Sonic Team was Sonic Generations back in 2011, over 10 years ago. Not to say this is do or die for the blue hedgehog but it’s time for Sega and Sonic Team to get it right with a new 3D Sonic game. Either way, I am really excited about Sonic’s newest adventure when Sonic Frontiers releases in the fall.
Travis “tvsonic” Vuong
Business e-mail: travisvuong56@gmail.com
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