Surprise, surprise: God of War Ragnarok is one of the best-reviewed video games of 2022. Even before the embargo on game reviews, you probably could have guessed that from the context clues. The sequel looked like it wouldn’t stray too far from the incredibly well-reviewed one God of war (2018), so the results of the reviews would probably follow right behind it. And with those results, there would surely be the inevitable “game of the year” chatter.
With little time to digest the game between now and December, the bias of late dictates that God of War Ragnarok it will probably top the list at the end of the year. It might be a well-deserved honor for Sony’s impressive epic, but 2022 isn’t over yet. Just as the final minutes of a basketball game can completely turn a team’s fortunes around, November and December have a history of providing incredible opportunities that can easily be lost once the biggest edition of the holiday season drops. Buzzers like Ashes of the sun and Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon were some of the best titles of 2021, but their late release dates meant they had trouble breaking into year-end conversations.
Looking at the rest of the game release calendar for 2022, it looks like that could happen again. God of War Ragnarok may be the last giant to launch this year, but there are still plenty of games that could become some of the most memorable experiences of the year. Here are some games to keep on your radar that show there’s still a full quarter of play left before you should lock up your “best of 2022” lists.
Pentiment
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It hasn’t been a great year for Xbox (to put it mildly), but that could change in a few weeks thanks to Pentiment. Developed by Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian Entertainment, the narrative RPG is probably not what you’d expect when you hear the term “Xbox exclusive.” This is exactly what makes it so intriguing. Pentiment is a 16th century murder deduction story that chronicles the life of Andreas, a journeyman who finds himself embroiled in a series of crimes and mysteries spanning decades. However, what draws attention the most is his illustrative art style, which beautifully draws inspiration from medieval art, from woodcuts to manuscripts.
I got a chance to play Pentiment at Gamescom this year and I was immediately hooked. Its beautiful art direction is immediately noticeable, but the RPG systems are what stuck with me the most. I was able to customize Andreas to my liking, giving him specific skills (like a background in occult studies) that would have a real impact on my story even in a short demo. If this is true for the entire game, Pentiment could end up being one of the biggest surprises of 2022, giving Xbox a much-needed hit.
Pentiment releases November 15 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Somerville
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Somerville is one of those indie critics’ favorites that seems to have come out of left field, even though it’s been right under our noses the whole time. The atmospheric adventure game is the debut title from Jumpship Studios, co-founded by former Playdead co-founder Dino Patti. Playdead was responsible for creating arguably the two best indies of all time in both Oblivion and From the insideso the expectations for Somerville are a little high.
However, based on what little we’ve seen so far, it looks like Somerville could live up to Playdead’s greatest hits. The announcements teased a haunting story about an alien invasion that looks like a small version of War of the Worlds. If nothing else, Somerville looks like it will deliver a striking visual style for what should be a creepy 2D thriller to say the least.
Somerville releases November 15 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
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The jury is still out on whether or not to Pokemon Violet and Crimson will be another win for the long-running monster-catching franchise, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it here. Nintendo’s last major release this year is a complete reinvention of the traditional Pokemon formula, adapting the game to a true open world format. Not only that, but it brings true co-op multiplayer to the series for the first time. That might be enough to make it one of the freshest mainline Pokemon games of the decade.
I recently spent a full hour with the game and the format change certainly seems to be working for the series. The traditional Pokémon hooks are there, but the adventure gives players a lot more freedom to roam around and tackle objectives in any order. That newfound freedom has already intrigued me, so I can’t count on Nintendo’s big holiday monster just yet.
Pokémon Scarlet and violet launching on November 18th for Nintendo Switch.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
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If you’ve never played a Warhammer game, I can’t say I blame you. The tabletop franchise releases several video games per year, which can make it overwhelming to keep up with. However, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide may be the one game to keep on your radar if you’re looking for an entry point. The multiplayer co-op game was cut from the Left 4 Dead mold, allowing players to group together and destroy hordes of monsters together (while collecting precious loot, of course).
I jumped into a few missions during the game’s recent beta and came away impressed. Its tense missions and close gunfights brought me back to mine Fate glory days when I would grind out strikes with my clan for hours. Taken into consideration that Dark Tide is set to have the DNA of live services, I imagine it’s the kind of game that could get bigger, better and more acclaimed over its lifetime. In a year where multiplayer competition is weak, Daktide could be one of the best in 2022.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide out November 30 for PC.
Marvel’s Midnight Sun
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Marvel’s Midnight Sun is currently the biggest question mark in 2022. The upcoming game from the tactician at Firaxis basically looks like XCOM with superheroes, which sounds like a winning elevator pitch on paper. However, there is legitimate reason for skepticism given that the game has been delayed several times since it was first announced, raising questions about its shape ahead of its December launch.
Even with those potential red flags, I’m very optimistic Marvel’s Midnight Sun. Firaxis generally performs well, with hits like XCOM 2 and Civilization VI in your name. His latest game, 2020 XCOM: Chimera Squad, was a particularly underrated gem that made the sometimes-daunting tactics genre much more accessible. If that energy is carried over to Marvel’s Midnight Suns, I imagine it could make for a fantastic one Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope a run for your money.
Marvel’s Midnight Sun releases on December 2nd for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
The Callisto Protocol
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Whatever you do, don’t conclude your game of the year lists yet The Callisto Protocol launch. The debut horror game from Striking Distance Studios is shaping up to be a worthy spiritual successor dead space — one that might even surpass EA’s upcoming remake dead space yourself. It seems to hit all the right beats with gruesome violence, a dark-as-dark atmosphere, and the typical game that made dead space such a hit in the first place.
We recently had the opportunity to meet him The Callisto Protocol and he certainly doesn’t hold back. “My adventure through the ruined water treatment plant highlighted the strengths of the game’s visuals, sound design, and difficulties that make me fear for the protagonist’s life the same way I did for Isaac Clarke in the original dead space”, recently wrote Tomas Franzese in a review of the game. If that sounds like your cup of disgusting tea, don’t let it slip under the radar.
The Callisto Protocol out on December 2nd for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
More games to watch out for
- A little to the left — November 8
- Among Us VR — November 10
- Ogre Tactics: Reborn — November 11
- Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 — November 16
- Anthology The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me — November 18
- Wicked West — November 22
- GUNGRAVE GORE — November 22
- The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2 — Retribution — December 1
- Need for Speed Unbound — December 2
- Sunshine Shuffle — December 6
- Hello neighbor 2 — December 6
- Choo-Choo Charles — December 9
- Dragon Quest Treasures — December 9
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy Reunion — December 13
- A sublime life — December 13
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn