2022 is set to be perhaps one of the biggest years for gaming, and it’s no part due to the long list of the most anticipated games finally arriving this year. Some of the most lauded games of the last decade are getting new entries this year, including Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War and Gran Turismo. Hollow Knight and Breath of the Wild are also (supposedly) debuting sequels in 2022, though given the scope of these games and previous delays, those release dates may well slip into 2023.

Here are the 10 most anticipated games of 2022 that you can look out for.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

Photo: PlayStation

An untitled sequel to the 2017 action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (colloquially referred to as Breath of the Wild 2) is in development by Nintendo. The sequel is part of The Legend of Zelda series and is currently aimed to be released in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo announced the game's development with a teaser trailer in the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct. In a Nintendo Direct in February 2021, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma stated that the developers would disclose further information regarding the game later that year. In the subsequent E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo debuted a trailer revealing gameplay, story, and a 2022 release. Although the trailer did not feature an official title or a frontal look of the protagonist's face, several fan theories emerged about the plot of the game.

Naturally, this has only made Nintendo fans even more excited to see exactly what this game has in store, to the point where even The Game Awards couldn’t ignore the hype, and not for a good reason. Breath of the Wild has only been out for 4 years, and it’s already cemented itself as a nigh-iconic piece of gaming history, selling nearly 24 million copies worldwide and counting and continuing to spark conversation, fan projects, and videos to this day. And as the sequel to such a successful title and the first direct Zelda sequel in years, it’s fair to say that the hype train won’t slow down anytime soon for this game as it heads into the new year.

2. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Photo: iMore

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an upcoming 2022 action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. It is part of the eighth generation of the Pokémon video game series and is set in the same region as Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (2006) and their remakes. It is scheduled to be released on January 28, 2022. The game was announced as part of the Pokémon 25th Anniversary event alongside Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an action role-playing game that preserves the core gameplay of past entries in the main line series. The game is set in a bygone era of the Sinnoh region's history (which appears to be based on Japan in the 19th century), when it was known as the Hisui region, long before the events of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and its remakes take place. It was stated that the objective of the game would be to create Hisui's first Pokédex. The mythical Pokémon Arceus will play a major role in the story.

Players can capture Pokémon directly in the overworld immediately without going through a battle and can engage in battle by releasing Pokémon they have previously captured near a wild Pokémon. Some wild Pokémon must still be battled to be caught. Poké Balls in this era were made of wood and puffed steam when the Pokémon was caught. At the start of the game, three starter Pokémon options are available: Rowlet (from Pokémon Sun and Moon), Cyndaquil (from Pokémon Gold and Silver) and Oshawott (from Pokémon Black and White), making it the first main series game to feature starter Pokémon from three different generations of games.

3. Horizon Forbidden West

Photo: CBR

Horizon Forbidden West is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is set to be released on 18 February 2022 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn (2017), it features an open world in a post-apocalyptic western United States.

Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game played from the third-person perspective. Players control Aloy, a huntress in a world populated by dangerous machines. Set in an open world, the game will explore the mysterious frontier known as the Forbidden West, a post-apocalyptic version of the western United States, specifically the states of California, Nevada, and Utah. The map will be larger than in the previous game, filled with secrets that lie beneath ruins from the world of the Old Ones. The game will feature a multitude of recognizable locations including a ruined San Francisco and the Yosemite Valley with various biomes. One of the main additions to the sequel is the element of underwater exploration. Players will be able to uncover the mysteries beneath the surface of seas, lakes and rivers. The game will also feature enhanced melee combat, revamped climbing mechanics and improved traversal options over the original game with the addition of the Valor Surge system, freeform climbing and tools such as the Shieldwing, Focus Scanner, Diving Mask and Pullcaster.

4. Elden Ring

Photo: Instant Gaming

Elden Ring is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, was made in collaboration with fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, who provided material for the game's setting. Elden Ring is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25, 2022.

Elden Ring takes place in the realm of the Lands Between, sometime after the destruction of the titular Elden Ring and the scattering of its shards, the Great Runes. Once graced by the Ring and the Erdtree which symbolizes its presence, the realm is now ruled over by the demigod offspring of Queen Marika the Eternal, each possessing a shard of the Ring that corrupts and taints them with power. As a Tarnished—exiles from the Lands Between who lost the Ring's grace—summoned back after the Shattering, players must traverse the realm to ultimately find all the Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.

5. God of War Ragnarök

Photo: PlayStation

God of War Ragnarök is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and will be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). It is scheduled to be released in 2022 for the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation 5 (PS5). It will be the ninth installment in the God of War series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's God of War. Loosely based on Norse mythology, the game will be set in ancient Scandinavia and feature series protagonists Kratos and his teenage son Atreus. Serving as the finale to the Norse era of the series, the game will cover Ragnarök, a series of events that bring about the end of days and depicts the deaths of the Norse gods, which was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the Æsir god Baldur.

In the months following the game's announcement in September 2020, many gaming journalists and websites regarded the sequel as one of their most anticipated games; the game won awards for Most Wanted Game and Most Anticipated Game from the 2020 Golden Joystick Awards and PlayStation.Blog awards, respectively. Originally slated for a 2021 release, the game was delayed in part due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development, and also because of Kratos actor Christopher Judge's health problems in August 2019.

6. Gran Turismo 7

Photo: PlayStation

Gran Turismo 7 is an upcoming racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game will be the eighth mainline installment in the Gran Turismo series. The game was announced on June 11, 2020 at the PlayStation 5 reveal event and is expected to be released on March 4, 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, making it the first multi-console installment in the series.

During the gameplay trailer, the game's main menu was revealed to be similar to that of the menu style of Gran Turismo 4. This game brings the return of the GT Simulation Mode, encompassing the long-established and definitive single player campaign feature. Other classic features were shown such as the return of traditional racing tracks and vehicles, Special Events, Championships, Driving School, Tuning Parts Shop, Used Cars dealership, and GT Auto while still retaining the new GT Sport Mode, Brand Central, and Discover that were introduced in Gran Turismo Sport. The game will also feature the return of dynamic time and weather effects, which previously appeared in Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6.

For the PlayStation 5 version, the game will take advantage of the console's increased processing power, dedicated ray-tracing hardware, custom solid-state drive storage, Tempest Engine, and DualSense controller to support features such as advanced haptic feedback, real-time ray tracing effects, 3D spatial audio, and reduced loading times. The PlayStation 5 version of Gran Turismo 7 will also run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with support for high dynamic range.

7. Metal Slug Tactics

Photo: Nitendo

Metal Slug Tactics is coming to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo announced that the latest game in the Metal Slug franchise is on its way to the platform during its August Nintendo Indie World event.

Metal Slug is known for its run-and-gun shooting, but the latest entry switches things up a bit with turn-based tactical gameplay. Metal Slug Tactics is all about approaching fights strategically and placing your troops in the correct positions for special bonuses. The game also adds roguelike elements to help keep each run fresh.

But not everything about Metal Slug Tactics is new. The game still keeps the pixel-art graphics fans are used to from the Metal Slug franchise, along with some of its characters like Marco, Tarma, Fio, and Eri. Of course, since it’s a Metal Slug game, there are still plenty of guns and explosions too.

Metal Slug Tactics is set to come to Nintendo Switch and PC sometime in 2022.

8. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Photo: PlayStation

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Koei Tecmo Games and Team Ninja, and published by Square Enix. As an alternate universe retelling of Square Enix's original Final Fantasy on the Famicom, the storyline follows a set of characters brought into a fantasy world to face the malevolent Chaos. The game is set to be released in March 2022 for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is set in a dark fantasy interpretation of the setting for the original Final Fantasy game, with a group of people drawn into it from another world. The main character is Jack Garland, a man consumed by a need to destroy Chaos. He is accompanied by other companions, including similar newcomers Ash and Jed, and during the journey faces a knight who has taken on the role of Chaos; while seemingly the foretold Warriors of Light, each has doubts as to whether that is their role.

Stranger of Paradise is an action role-playing game in which players explore environments and fight monsters of the Final Fantasy series. Combat takes place in real-time, with Jack being able to switch between two assigned jobs and use physical and magical attacks. Once an enemy's "break gauge" is depleted, Jack can perform a finishing blow that crystallizes the enemy, allowing Jack to harvest them and restore a portion of his magic meter.

9. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

Photo: PC Gamer

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is an action role-playing first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. It is a spin-off in the Borderlands series and a successor to Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. The game is set to be released for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S in March 2022.

Similar to its predecessors, the game is a first-person shooter with elements of an action role-playing game. The game can be played solo or with three other players in online or local split-screen multiplayer. The game is set directly after Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, and like that expansion, the campaign is set within the world of a fantasy-themed tabletop role-playing game. Tiny Tina will be its dungeon master and can change the game's world on the fly.

In Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, players can create their own playable characters. The game features six different character classes, and for the first time in the series, players can mix and match these skills for their characters. The playable avatars have stats which can be upgraded using "hero points". Players have a large arsenal of weapons and firearms at their disposal, and for the first time in the series, players can wield melee weapons. The game features the same procedurally generated loot system from the Borderlands series which is capable of generating numerous combinations of weapons and other gear. Players can also cast different magical spells such as summoning meteors, or transforming enemies into sheep. The game features an overworld, which is used by the playable characters to transverse to various locations in the game. There are random combat encounters and quests that can only be completed in the overworld.

10. Stray

Photo: Instant-Gaming.com

Stray is an upcoming adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. Formerly known as HK_Project, the game is scheduled for release in early 2022 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. It follows the story of a stray cat who falls into a world populated by robots and ventures to return to his family.

The game is a third-person adventure game. It has open world elements, with a focus on atmosphere, exploration, and art. The player controls a stray cat who falls into a world populated by robots and ventures to return to his family. They must solve puzzles to progress the narrative, including moving obstacles and traversing platforms. The player is accompanied by a drone companion named B12, who can assist by translating the language of the robots and storing items found throughout the world. One of the game's enemies are Zurks, who will attack the player in vicious swarms.

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