The next six months look absolutely packed.
Nintendo
Sorry to alarm you, but we’re already halfway through 2022. After countless game delays and TBAs, there’s finally a clear picture of releases for the next six months. And folks, it’s looking pretty good.
July 19 (PlayStation, PC)
Stray fulfills the power fantasy we’ve all been waiting for: being a cat, and therefore answering to no one. Stray is a puzzle-filled exploration game set in a cyberpunk city populated solely by robots and cats.
July 29 (Switch)
The recent Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Nintendo Direct made series fans excited and confused the hell out of anyone else. Layered with complex systems, it looks like a captivating, emotional RPG set amidst an unending war.
August 23 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
Saints Row reboots the over-the-top franchise for a more grounded direction. It promises to be the biggest entry in the series, and you can already check out its absurdly robust character creator.
September 1 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
Lord of the Rings: Gollum hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with details. We know it’s a third-person stealth game following Gollum’s hunt for his precious ring, and little else.
September 9 (Switch)
Nintendo’s premier paint ‘em up returns with Splatoon 3. The idiosyncratic shooter pits two teams against each other to claim territory by coating it in enough bright colors to make Willy Wonka cry.
October 4 (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC)
Overwatch 2 will completely replace the original Overwatch on release, which is just one of many controversial changes for the hero shooter. The sequel brings new twists to Overwatch’s winning formula, including new modes and characters.
October 11 (PS5, PC)
Square Enix’s isekai action RPG Forspoken is still mysterious. Following a woman transported from modern New York to a fantasy world, it features flashy combat and little else that’s been revealed yet.
October 18 (PS5, XSX, Switch, PC)
The sequel to a 2019 surprise hit, A Plague Tale: Requiem continues the first game’s gut-wrenching story. Siblings Amicia and Hugo are still running for their lives and trying to lift Hugo’s curse.
October 20 (Switch)
Who expected one of the best turn-based tactical games in years to star Mario? As strange as it sounds, Mario + Rabbids was a huge hit, and its sequel Sparks of Hope adds free movement in combat.
Warner Bros. Interactive
6. Gotham Knights
Superhero brawler Gotham Knights puts Batman’s side characters in the spotlight. Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin each have their own method of (supposedly non-lethally) dispatching enemies.
October 28 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
It’s not déjà vu. Modern Warfare II shares its name with a 2009 release, but it’s the sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare. Questionable naming conventions aside, it tweaks the Gunsmith system and adds new game modes.
October 28 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
Resident Evil Village’s upcoming DLC adds a third-person mode, new story chapters, and Mercenaries arcade mode. Best of all, you can play as Lady D herself in Mercenaries.
November 4 (Switch, PC)
With farming, relationship-building, and combat, Harvestella is like a Square Enix take on Stardew Valley. It has an intriguing in-game time system that changes the game with the passing seasons.
November 18 (Switch)
Pokémon certainly needs to introduction. Scarlet and Violet follow Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ lead with a 3D open world.
Striking Distance
1. The Callisto Protocol
Third-person sci-fi shooter The Callisto Protocol packs all the space-based horror and gore of Dead Space but has plenty of ideas of its own to keep things fresh.