The first few months of 2022 have gotten off to a flying start for blockbuster game releases. Games like Elden Ring and Dying Light 2 Stay Human have dominated the casual discussions among gaming communities. But, while the initial busy months of the year have given away to a quieter start to spring, the year is far from over. This year is set to continue to release several potentially excellent games in a variety of genres such as racing, action RPG, and more. Here are just 10 of the PC games we’re looking forward to in 2022.
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Gotham Knights
Batman: Arkham Origins was praised for its creative prequel story and bosses, but it was also held back by a lack of innovation. Gotham Knights is a chance for WB Games Montreal to prove that it can make a high-quality Batman adventure — and the ingredients are shaping up. Controlling characters like Batgirl, Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood should create plenty of variety thanks to unique abilities and skill trees for each character.
Protecting an open-world Gotham was already a blast, but with seamless drop-in co-op, it could have even more potential. WB Games Montreal has reworked combat with co-op in mind, but the game can still be played entirely offline and solo. With Bruce Wayne seemingly out of the picture, and the Court of Owls as a new threat, Gotham Knights might also surprise us in the story department.
Release date: October 25, 2022.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy looks to be the game that Harry Potter fans have always wanted. Players will get to create a student and enter their fifth year at the titular school for witchcraft and wizardry. An original story will task players with investigating a goblin rebellion in the 1800s alongside new characters like Professor Figg. Avalanche Software is demonstrating a clear love of the source material with how faithfully the team is recreating famous locations like the Great Hall and Hogsmeade. The team is also smartly expanding on places that were mentioned in the books but never seen in the films, such as Ravenclaw common room.
Living the student life is naturally a huge focus for the 2022 PC game. Taking classes like potions or herbology looks like it might recapture some of the old Bully magic, and the endless secrets of Hogwarts and its surrounding environments could make for rewarding exploration. Forming bonds with friends unlocks new abilities, similar to Persona, and there seems to be a morality system based on decisions the player has to make. Let’s hope that the final release can live up to the magical ambitions Avalanche has for the game.
Release date: Holiday 2022.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Developer Firaxis Games is most well known for its work on the excellent XCOM series. Now, the PC games-focused studio is turning its expertise towards the Marvel license in 2022 with Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Midnight Suns is a turn-based tactical RPG that utilizes a new card-based combat system. Pitting Marvel heroes like Doctor Strange, Blade, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider against villains who force players to use varied tactics feels like an ideal fit for the genre.
Firaxis Games is taking the story in a darker direction by drawing on the supernatural side of the Marvel universe. Hydra has revived Lilith, Mother of Demons, and it’s up to The Hunter, the protagonist, to stop her with the help of Marvel’s finest. Between the combat encounters, players will get to forge bonds with the heroes at a home base called the Abbey. Dialogue options, a morality system, and unlocking new powerful abilities by deepening relationships with the heroes sounds like a perfect mix of Mass Effect and Persona.
Release date: Second half of 2022.
Saints Row
Some may agree that the Saints Row franchise probably got a little too zany with its later entries. The new reboot by Volition, simply titled Saints Row, looks to be pulling back the shenanigans for a more grounded approach. Players will get to fight for control over the fictional city of Santo Ileso, as they rub up against the gangs of Los Panteros, the Idols, and Marshall Defense Industries. The Boss, a customizable protagonist, will lead the Saints Row gang across a fight for nine distinct districts.
All told, it sounds like standard fare for an open-world game, but it may end up being a fairly worthwhile PC game when it launches later in 2022. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had an open-world crime-a-thon in the vein of Saints Row or Grand Theft Auto, and going back to basics could work in its favor. Volition has promised rewarding verticality to environments, as well as interesting features like opening up illegitimate businesses to generate money for the gang. Finally, Saints Row will playable cooperatively with two players, which should add an enjoyable dynamic to how players tackle missions.
Release date: August 23, 2022.
Soul Hackers 2
Soul Hackers 2 looks to be a vibrant and neon-infused cyberpunk JRPG unlike anything else in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Two groups of Devil Summoners, the Yatagarasu, and the Phantom Society are at war, and it’s up to Aion agents Ringo and Figure to stop it before it wreaks havoc on the world. Much like any game in the franchise, the cast is completely new, so it’s likely that Soul Hackers 2 can be played without any knowledge of the prior game.
Taking a party of four characters into turn-based battles and exploiting enemy weaknesses will be familiar to fans of SMT and Persona. Other returning elements include familiar demons, creating new demons through fusion, and recruiting them via negotiation to end battles peacefully. As expected, there are even some light social simulation elements, including exploring a city and building bonds with your party members. All told, Atlus has a knack for significantly improving upon the foundations of its previous games, so we can’t wait to see where it takes this unique brand of JRPGs next.
Release date: August 25, 2022.
Starfield
Bethesda’s first original RPG in 25 years has a lot to live up to. Luckily, early indications show a lot of promise for Starfield. As part of a human explorer group called Constellation, players will get to create a character as they take to the stars and come across warring factions like the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective.
Bethesda games have been known for technical bugs in the past, but the implementation of Creation Engine 2 could result in a huge graphical leap forward for Starfield. Exploring a galaxy with the depth of world-building Bethesda became famous for sounds mighty exciting, especially if it involves flying a starship. And, if the reports about Starfield having more than double the amount of recorded voice work as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are anything to go by, it looks like the studio is going all out with branching dialogue options.
Release date: November 11, 2022.
DNF Duel
Arc System Works has been on a roll with stellar fighting game releases in recent years, and that trend could soon continue with DNF Duel. In collaboration with Neople and Eighting, DNF Duel is a new 2D fighting game based on the world and characters of a Korean MMO brawler called Dungeon Fighter Online. Characters are based on the MMO’s classes, including the Berserker, Fighter, Grappler, Inquisitor, and Ranger. Arc System Works has now used two open betas to gather player feedback and improve the speed of all characters, among other tweaks.
What sets DNF Duel apart is an emphasis on using simple directional inputs to execute flashy special moves. This is bolstered by the “conversion” mechanic which lets you sacrifice your own grey health to recover more MP and execute even more special moves. DNF Duel could be a fighter that nails being accessible for newcomers while having enough depth to master for fighting game veterans. It also helps that it looks gorgeous, as expected from Arc System Works.
Release date: June 28, 2022.
Redfall
Cooperative shooters have been having a comeback in recent years, and Arkane Austin, the team behind Prey and Dishonored, is throwing its hat in the ring. Redfall will place a group of up to four players in the fictional vampire-infested city of the same name. The upcoming 2022 PC game promises an open world that adapts to player actions, as well as a variety of creative guns, such as a stake-launcher, and supernatural powers, like Layla Ellison’s telekinetic abilities. If Arkane can merge its signature immersive sim game design with the inherent fun of a cooperative shooter, we could be in for something special this summer.
Release date: Summer 2022.
Stray
Stray will place us into the paws of a lost kitty trying to make his way home through a dystopian robot-controlled world. The meat of the game involves light platforming and using a companion drone called B12 to translate robotic speak to interact with the androids. It sounds too charming to be true, but the threat of bug-like creatures called the Zurks could create some intense combat encounters and chases to keep players on their toes. If it can nail the thrill of escape sequences like the Ori series, as well as create a fascinating world to interact with, Stray could be an adorable adventure not to miss out on.
Release date: TBA 2022.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a new cooperative first-person shooter set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Hopefully, developer Fatshark can build upon the already refined first-person melee combat that Warhammer: Vermintide 2 excelled at.
Dan Abnett, a best-selling 40K author, is helming the story. The plot will center around a team of Inquisitorial Agents as they investigate a cult known as Admonition in the hive city of Tertium. Taking on hordes of zombie-like Poxwalkers and other monstrosities could be satisfying with signature 40K weaponry like the Chainsword. Beyond combat, the Inquisitor’s starship will serve as a fascinating hub to interact with NPCs and customize gear.
Release date: September 13, 2022.
There’s no doubt that there will be plenty of other great PC games to look forward to this year. And we may even get a few surprises in the coming months. Stay tuned for more on these games and whatever comes next.
