Can we talk about what stacked games look like in 2022?

We are currently in the early stages of the holiday window, the time when, traditionally, most of the year’s top-grossing releases hit store shelves and digital window displays. This year’s holiday window promises a ton of great releases that we’re all eagerly anticipating from franchises like Halo, Far Cry, and Metroid, but we can’t ignore the looming leviathan that is 2022.

Elden Ring

The stage is set

Next year looks to carry the momentum of this holiday season and give players little time to recover from relentless pitches. Right out of the box, we have two highly anticipated games: from Software’s collaboration with George RR Martin, Elden Ring, and Game Freak’s most unique experiment with the main Pokémon franchise in decades, Pokémon Legends: Arceus – launch the same day in January. But if you think it’s a mere coincidence, look no further than February. In the shortest month of the year, we have Dying Light 2 Stay Human, West horizon forbidden, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, row of saints, The King of Fighters XV, and the extremely promising fighter Sifu.

However, after those first few months, things slow down … at least in terms of games with tough release dates. Sure, you have the newest entry in the long-running racing simulation series, Gran Turismo 7, the looter shooter from D&D and Borderlands, The Wonders of Tiny Tinaand the exciting retro strategy RPG, Triangular strategy, hitting in March, as well as STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl It will arrive in April, but after that, solid release dates are few and far between. You know, aside from Bethesda’s next big title, Starfield, which for some reason already has a release date of November 11, 2022; I guess maybe this date pays tribute to Bethesda’s most popular game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which was released on November 11, 2011. Who knows? But the hits don’t stop with games that have solid release dates.

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Beyond the opening acts

Most of the games that already have dates are undeniably strong, but if you dig into the list of games currently scheduled for a wider release window within 2022, you’ll see that we’re only scratching the surface. If you look solely at triple-A titles, we have a ton of great games, including The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, God of War: Ragnarok, Redfall, Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3, Marvel Midnight Sun, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Rainbow Six extraction, Kirby and the forgotten landand many others. That doesn’t even include smaller (but just as exciting) titles reminiscent of beloved past franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Metal Slug Tactics.

Popular game sequels including Two-point campus, Salt and sacrifice, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Company of Heroes III, Slime rancher 2, Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince, and Earthlock 2 they are also on the agenda, giving players even more to look forward to. In the meantime, The Callisto Protocol is set to pay tribute to Dead Space, while Eiyuden Chronicle: One Hundred Heroes Suikoden fans are sure to please. Those embedded in the comic book world have a lot more to look forward to than the aforementioned Midnight Suns, as DC is also bringing the heat with the two WB Games Montréal. Knights of gotham and Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League scheduled for next year.

God of War: Ragnarok

It’s undeniable that 2022 has some amazing games ready for release, but before we get carried away with the coronation ceremony, I think some perspective is necessary.

Stack

When I look at the long list of games currently scheduled for 2022, I absolutely think it overshadows the last few years. However, how would it compare to some of the greatest years of all time? Many point to years like 1997 (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII, GoldenEye 007, Star Fox 64), 1998 (Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Half-Life, StarCraft, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro the Dragon, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Pokémon Red & Blue, Baldur’s Gate, Mario Party) or 2007 (Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Portal, BioShock, Super Mario Galaxy, Rock Band, Crysis, God of War II) as the best years in video game history, but the later years in the 2010s are often overlooked.

For example, just a few years ago, in 2017, we received a new contender for the greatest years of all time, as gamers were able to enjoy a flood of outstanding games, many of which are now considered among the best of all. time. In that calendar year, which also included the launch of the Nintendo Switch, players received Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5, Nier: Automata, Fortnite, Resident Evil 7, Hollow Knight, Sonic Mania, Night in the Woods. , Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Splatoon 2, Injustice 2, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Nioh, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Cuphead, Divinity: Original Sin II, Prey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Metroid: Samus Returns , Destiny 2 and a shocking amount of other massive critically acclaimed games.

Then, just a year later, the industry doubled in greatness with 2018, a year that included Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Forza Horizon 4, Return of the Obra Dinn. , Dragon Ball FighterZ, Frostpunk, Monster Hunter: World, Celeste, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Into the Breach, and Dead Cells. However, despite how great 2017 and 2018 were, those early years, which laid the foundation for series and genres that we still enjoy to this day, will always have an advantage when it comes to the best years of all time. .

While the list of games due out in 2022 mostly includes sequels and new series from established developers, gamers can expect many new franchises to take hold next year as well. The catch with future forecasts is that we don’t know that many new franchises are worth keeping an eye on until we get closer to their launch dates and learn more about them. Are we likely to get the first game in the next series to rival Grand Theft Auto in 2022? It’s not nice. But it’s also quite possible that we are completely taken by surprise, and the game that we most clearly associate with 2022 when our future selves remember isn’t even mentioned in this article.

The Senua Saga: Hellblade II

The unknown

Who knows if 2022 will have the same historical significance as 1997, 1998 or 2007, but with so many games building on past successes and continuing the formulas of previous games, there may be games that are more likely to be good. than any of those years. This list also does not take into account the number of surprise hits that could arise and that are not in our radars. After all, how many people in 2014 could have anticipated that a crowdfunded indie favorite like Undertale would burst onto the scene as one of the most beloved games of 2015?

Not to mention, many publishers have recently gotten used to shorter marketing cycles. Look at 2021, for example; We didn’t know that games like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Metroid Dread, and Forza Horizon 5 existed as we entered the year. How many games like that will be announced in the summer of 2022, only to be released in the upcoming Christmas season? Also, other games that currently don’t have an official release window, like Overwatch 2, The Senua Saga: Hellblade II, and Fablefinally get release dates in the next calendar year? As wild as 2022 seems, it could get substantially more stacked.

Of course, as we’ve seen these past two years, no game release date is guaranteed, especially as the pandemic continues to affect the performance of development studios. Plus, any game, regardless of studio, pedigree, or franchise, could turn out to be a flop. Still, with so many exciting games slated to enter our homes in the next 15 months, the bigger question is figuring out where we will find the money to buy all of these games and how the heck will we find the time to actually play. them.

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How is 2022 looking for you so far? What releases excite you the most? If everything scheduled for 2022 goes according to plan and is as good as expected, where would the year rank among the best of all time? Speak up in the comments below if you feel so compelled. Otherwise, have a great day.