From long-awaited sequels such as Horizon: Forbidden Forest and God of War: Ragnarok to new IPs like Hogwarts Legacy and Forspoken, 2022 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for Sony’s next-gen console.
These are the best upcoming PlayStation 5 games of 2022.
Forspoken
Forspoken is a new IP from Square Enix that was formerly known as Project Athia and will be released as a PS5 exclusive in 2022.
The game will have players fill the shoes of protagonist Frey Holland, who must harness her powers to survive in a “thrilling, otherworldly adventure,” according to the game’s official description.
Forspoken was first teased at Sony’s PS5 games reveal in 2020. We still don’t know if this will be a timed exclusive, allowing the game to be played at a later date on other consoles, or if it will remain as a hard PS5 exclusive.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy has been subject to numerous controversies over the course of this year, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting for fans of the Harry Potter franchise. Originally planned for a 2021 release, the title was recently delayed and is expected to release in the second half of 2022.
Hogwarts Legacy is a new story within the Wizarding World of the Harry Potter franchise. Set in the 1800s, the story that unravels in the upcoming game won’t feature the characters we’ve come to know in the books and films. Players assume the role of a fifth year student who is admitted to Hogwarts on late admittance and becomes the center of the story as they are the only one able to understand and wield an ancient kind of magic that will uncover hidden truths about the Wizarding World.
Hogwarts Legacy is an action/adventure single-player game which will feature an open world extending far beyond the walls of Hogwarts, where players will be able to attend classes, tame fantastic beasts, fight dragons, and create their own Hogwarts story.
God of War Ragnarok
The ninth installment of the God of War series, God of War Ragnarok is planned for release in 2022. Like its predecessor, the game is vaguely based on Norse mythology and continues the story of Kratos and his son Atreus. The events that unravel in God of War Ragnarok will be the ending to the Norse-era series.
The game was originally announced in September 2020 and was initially planned for a 2021 release, but with the issues brought on by the world pandemic of COVID-19, the game’s launch was delayed to 2022.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a role-playing game and possibly the most hyped game announcement of the year. Written collaboratively by Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones’ author George R.R. Martin, the game is scheduled to release this February.
The game takes place in the Lands Between after the destruction of the Elden Ring. Featuring many elements from its Souls series predecessors, Elden Ring will have a heavy focus on combat and exploration. Players will be able to explore six different map areas, which will include castles, fortresses, and catacombs. The combat system will have a heavy focus on character-building, just like in other Souls games, where skills and the use of defensive mechanics will be important to survive.
Elden Ring is set to be released on Feb. 25 2022.
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7 is the latest installment in the Gran Tursimo series developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony.
Originally announced in 2020, the gameplay trailer revealed some core similarities with its predecessors, including the comeback of the GT Simulation Mode and a single-player campaign. There were several elements shown in the trailer which are features that have been absent from the latest titles but will be making a comeback in Gran Turismo 7, such as certain racing tracks, special events, or Driving School.
Gran Turismo 7 on PS5, specifically, will take advantage of ray-tracing and the DualSense controllers to support advanced features as well as reduced loading times.
Gran Turismo 7 is set to be released in 2022.
Marvel’s Midnight Sons
Marvel’s next gaming project, Midnight Suns, is a tactical RPG which will feature a considerable amount of familiar comic book characters, such as the Avengers and X-Men apart from the Midnight Sons.
Developed by Fireaxis Games, it was first announced at Gamescom 2021 and is set to be released on every major platform. Players will fill the shoes of The Hunter, a new superhero that was created specifically for the game, and will be able to customize their hero with 40 different powers to choose from. The Hunter won’t be the only hero available for players, though. There will be an extensive playable roster, including Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and many others fans will be familiar with from Marvel’s comics and the MCU.
The game’s turn-based combat is being compared to that of XCOM. Players will also have the chance to manage a base of operations between missions, and there will also be a significant exploratory component to the game.
Marvel’s Midnight Sons is set to be released in the second half of 2022.
Stray
Stray is one of the most intriguing titles to be coming next year. Developed by Blue Twelve Studio, this game was previously known as HK_Project and is now set for a 2022 release.
Developed as a third-person adventure game, players will get to control a stray cat in a world full of robots as they make their way across this strange world to reunite with their family. Stray will have a big focus on open-world exploration as well as puzzle-solving.
Stray will be released in 2022.
Instinction
Instinction is another intriguing release coming in 2022, if only for the fact that it’s a game about dinosaurs, something that hasn’t been particularly exploited in the gaming industry over the last few years.
Developed by Hashbane Interactive, many regard this title as the spiritual successor to Dino Crisis, the 2003 survival horror featuring dinosaur and monster outbreaks in an island laboratory. Just like Dino Crisis, Instinction is described as “a dinosaur survival game with modern mechanics and a compelling story.” Players fill in the shoes of a crew member and can choose between going single-player or multiplayer.
This first-person shooter will feature an advanced degree of customization on weapons and will offer support for the PS5’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
After the success of A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem is the direct sequel which will have players continue on the story of Amicia and Hugo on a new quest involving a terrible curse that is hunting them both down.
Amicia, the protagonist, is the eldest child of the de Rune family and was trained to hunt while being kept away from her brother. It is likely that hunting will play a role in the game as Amicia is seen with a crossbow strapped to her back, and fans could even see more combat gameplay than the previous title.
Requiem, like its predecessor, is a narrative-driven survival horror that will be released on next-gen consoles and PC, as well as being available through Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon: Forbidden West has kept fans waiting for a long time. The sequel to the highly acclaimed 2017 Horizon Zero Dawn will be coming this coming February on PS4 and 5.
Forbidden West, like the previous title, is an action RPG where players control the protagonist, Aloy. The upcoming sequel will be set in a post-apocalyptic world which will primarily feature the states of California, Utah, and Nevada. With a larger map area to explore and new locations such as San Francisco in ruins and the Yosemite Valley, players will have the chance to uncover new mysteries and experiment with new mechanics such as the Valor Surge system, freeform climbing and new tools.
Horizon: Forbidden West is set to be released on Feb. 18 2022.
