With games such as God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, 2022 has seen no end to the list of bangers we've had the opportunity to play this year.
While it's sure to be a hard-fought battle to determine Game of the Year, there are no signs of the bangers slowing down as we look towards our favourite games to be released in the first months of 2023.
Of course all release dates below are correct at the time of writing so these are always subject to change or delay.
1. The Callisto Protocol
In a world set similar to Dead Space with monsters similar to the Clickers from The Last of Us, there are many reasons to be afraid to play through this survival horror.
I've been obsessed with how this game plays and one thing I have noticed is that there is a masterful balance between stealth and power fantasy with the utility of melee weapons and guns. One cool thing about the gun featured in the gameplay demo is how you can use it to pull and throw enemies in order to kill them.
You play as Jacob Lee and in a pretty nice detail, your health bar is displayed on the back of your character's neck so it will be natural to see how you are faring and if your health hits zero... Jacob will die in some of the most violent ways in video game history! Some of these death animations will put Mortal Kombat to shame!
There is next to no chance of me playing this game myself but I can't wait to tune into other people's suffering via streams and videos of this game from December 2. The Callisto Protocol is available on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
2. Dead Island 2
It’s been nearly a decade yet it feels like yesterday that Deep Silver showcased gameplay footage of the zombie action RPG at Gamescom 2014.
This time around we’ll be tackling the zombie outbreak in L.A. which has been quarantined and fallen victim to a new and stronger plethora of zombie mutations. There’s plenty to look forward to with different zombie types to fight, wacky weapon modification and several characters to choose from.
I can’t wait until this game gets released after years of reminiscing about playing Dead Island the first time round. I only hope that Dead Island 2 can meet our expectations.
Get ready to wreak havoc all over again on February 3 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.
3. High on Life
I always tell people I don’t really like shooting games but that’s a lie because I like Ratchet & Clank and Saints Row.
I dislike serious games about shooting and High on Life is anything but. From the makers of Rick and Morty, I’m expecting comedy meets excessive violence. Maybe not to the extent of Saints Row's purple dildo baseball bat, but something similar all the same.
It’s rare I look forward to a game on Xbox (potentially on Game Pass) but hopefully I’ll have my gaming laptop by then. If not, I’ll be living vicariously through other YouTubers from December 13 on Xbox and PC.
4. Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Japan gets all the coolest stuff! Well, I’m glad they’re sharing this gem with the rest of the world.
Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by SEGA, this title focuses on the late Edo period (1853-1867) with you playing as Sakamoto Ryoma (yes, the actual samurai).
This Yakuza spin-off was one of the most popular announcements featured on the September 13 State of Play and for good reason. In the short trailer, there were vague political notions stated and I was left wanting more as Sakamoto was easily dispatching foes with his sword and his gun.
I was completely won over as I saw Ryoma slice a bullet in half and this game reminded me why the beat ‘em up genre is one of my favourites.
With a much more polished Shenmue vibe, I am looking forward to swinging, slashing and stabbing on February 21 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and PC.
5. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
I was incredibly impressed by the presentation of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe on the September 13 Nintendo Direct.
In this game, you will work to help your friend Magolor find their way home after they crash their spaceship on Planet Popstar.
All of my Kirby knowledge comes from Smash so I’m aware of his ‘Copy Ability’. In addition to Kirby’s Sword and Whip abilities, there will be the new Mecha ability, allowing you to blast enemies from afar or punch opps into oblivion if you prefer the up close and personal approach.
I am glad this game will incorporate 4 player local co-op mode and will allow you all to play as Kirby but I am most looking forward to playing sub-games (or mini-games if you’re a normal human being). Mini-games such as Ninja Dojo and Samurai Kirby seem like they’ll be taking up as much of my time as the main story, if not more.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that you will be able to have 4 people playing together online as well as locally but either way, I can’t wait for Kirby to hop onto the Nintendo Switch once again on February 24.
Did we mention your most anticipated winter release? If not, which game are you most looking forward to playing during the cold months?
What's your shout for 2022 Game of the Year?