Good Morning Friends! I am very much in vacation mode right now because I am off work until the New Year. As we wind down things for 2021, I usually end up starting to think about what is going to be releasing next year. More specifically since months fly by so quickly… I am focused on the games we already have release dates for during the first quarter of 2022. In an attempt to make content happen without talking about Endwalker spoilers… I thought I would spend some time this morning going over some of the upcoming releases that I specifically care about.
Weird West
Technically this is already available if you are interested in playing early access. What really interests me about this game is how much it looks like a classic Fallout game, that is set in the wild west… but with vampires and zombies and such. Essentially two folks from Arkane left to found a new studio and the game is being published by Devolver Digital… which usually means it is going to be some nonsense. I’ve been waiting for awhile for this game to officially launch and I am ready to spend a bit roaming around this setting.
- January 11th – Windows, PlayStation, Xbox (Game Pass)
Monster Hunter Rise
I get that this has been out for half a year now on the Nintendo Switch, but truth be told… my “console” of choice is likely always going to be the PC. Since I never really got into Monster Hunter Rise before now, I am hoping to give it a spin when it releases on Steam. I’ve played the demo and it controls pretty much like Monster Hunter World did, which felt far better on PC for me personally than it did on console. Mouse and Keyboard makes everything better for me, so hoping that it gives me the desire to actually play the game and experience it all.
- January 12th – PC Release – Already available on Switch
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
I loved Dying Light. It was such a great take on the Zombie game and was way more detailed and engaging than I expected it. Since this was first announced I have been waiting for it to release, and now it finally is coming out. This has had an extremely fraught release schedule and gone through development hell… so I have to say I am a bit concerned about how good of a game it is going to be when we finally get our hands on it. I am a sucker for this sort of game though so I figure I am going to be on board for trying it regardless of how big of a mess it might end up being. I mean I loved Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect Andromeda when the rest of society seemed to be panning them as awful… so my tastes may be slightly different than the zeitgeist.
- February 4th – Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Horizon Forbidden West
This friends is why I own a PlayStation 5, pure and simple. Horizon Zero Dawn was my favorite game of the PlayStation 4 generation, and I am so ready to join Aloy on another adventure. I wish this was coming out on PC at the same time as the PS4/PS5 versions but I know I will probably double dip on this title and play it again when the PC version eventually releases. I enjoyed this so much more with a Keyboard and Mouse, but I was able to enjoy every last minute of it with a controller as well so regardless… I am so damned ready to be revisiting this world.
- February 18th – PlayStation 4/5
Destiny 2: Witch Queen
I have to admit that I had all but sworn off this expansion for Destiny 2. I am still annoyed at the vaulting of content, however after coming back to the game recently I have had this whole experience of just how damned fun it can be. There is an almost truly oppressive amount of content that is relevant, so I guess I now sorta get why they are vaulting some of it because it really is almost too much stuff to juggle. I might be a sucker, but I guess I am now on board for this nonsense.
- February 22nd – Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Stadia, Luna
Elden Ring
I have to admit I am not fully bought into this game. I am nowhere near as hyped as everyone else seems to be. I don’t really like souls games in general but I do really like the world surrounding them. Open World games are my jam and I am curious if the souls formula will work for me… when in a big damned exploration game. I am still not certain if I am going to be playing this game, but it is definitely on my radar at least to be watching.
- February 25th – Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Tunic
This honestly is one of the games that I am looking forward to full stop. Tunic is essentially the original Legend of Zelda with a super cute fox character. I’ve played the demo for this game and have waited and watched as it got subtle updates each year… until now we finally have a release date. If you loved the original Legend of Zelda, maybe give this game a look.
- March 16th – Windows, Mac, Xbox
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
So this is one of those games that I am interested in… but maybe not as hyped as some folks are about it. I feel like Tiny Tina is a character that is great in small doses… but can be a bit much at times. I think I am going to dig a Borderlands game but with Melee and Magic. I did not really enjoy Borderlands 3, so that also gives me pause because I am not exactly sure that Gearbox has the same magic that they once did. However I did really like the latest trailer so here is hoping it ends up being phenomenally fun.
- March 25th – Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons
Me and Guild Wars 2 have had a fraught history. The next expansion is coming soon, and I know I will probably give it a spin to see if it grabs me. There is a lot about this expansion that looks interesting, but also I know how much I have generally bounced off Guild Wars 2. So we will see if this one does it for me.
- Early 2022 Release Date – Windows
What did I end up missing that you are anxiously looking forward to? I really only covered the first few months of 2022 since so many other games don’t have definite launch windows. I would love to hear the games you are looking forward to. Drop me a line below.