Anticipation is always taken to a new level when you’re talking about gaming. Where films and music is teased, at the very earliest, a year in advance, gamers can be waiting countless years for developers to be done with the job. This has resulted in a lot of virtual fist-waving at brands who haven’t released anything except updates to the online games (looking at you, Rockstar) or begging developers to please just release it, please, (looking at you, Naughty Dog).
Well, a new year is around the corner, and that means we are significantly closer to a lot of long-awaited releases. We can’t guarantee you can play some of them if you’re holding out for a PS5 because sadly, no one knows when that will be available, but you can at least plan what you’re buying the second you get your hand on it and the other console customers can smugly read on.
Starfield
After re-release, remaster, and sequel after sequel of Fallout and Elder Scroll properties, finally, Bethesda is giving us something new. We’ve been to the fantasy world of Middle Ear-I mean, Nirn, we’ve survived the nuclear apocalypse, and now we’re headed to space.
If the trailer is to be believed, we can expect more of the character studies that made the Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises so popular, with the ability to build your own character, interact with NPCs, and carve your own path through this open world.
It’s 2327, and you are on The Settled Systems, where a war between the United Colonies and The Freestar Collective is brewing. Come across mercenaries, spacers, pirates, and more as you navigate the galaxy and the political landscape.
Comparisons are sure to be drawn up to Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, who was famously the developers behind the best Fallout game ever, don’t fight me, and perfectly executed the same character development elements in their space epic game. However, it felt like it ended at the end of act two and didn’t give players enough substance in what is offered.
Can Bethesda do better? Find out on November 11th, 2022.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong
The next installment of the World of Darkness series, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong, is the third act in The Masquerade installment. In a world where Anne Rice became a game developer, you get a choice-driven role-playing game that offers all the horror, beauty, and tragedy that you want from an amazing vampire narrative.
Based on the World of Darkness tabletop games, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong offers a bewitching narrative split between three vampire characters. Customize the characters with their own powers to suit your style of playing and explore the wide, dark world full of mythical creatures and secrets to be discovered.
In Boston, the practice of vampires hiding from humans is known as the Masquerade and is upheld by the mysterious sect Camarilla. The new prince is looking to strengthen Camarilla’s place in the world, and so you, playing as vampires from different factions, must navigate this political landscape where anyone can stab you in the back.
Revisit the dark world in May of 2022.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl
The long-awaited sequel to STALKER is finally here. The first-person shooter is back, but there are more creepy mutants shooting, more guns, and more hunting.
Grab your ventilation mask and trek through the wasteland of Chernobyl, where the famous radioactive accident has left the ground rotting and the creatures mutating into horrifying monsters. The open-world is rife with creatures that will have your blood pressure rising as you wander through the decaying land.
Plus, it seems there is an element of the narrative building to this game, which offers a non-linear story that you can carve out as you wish. Navigate warring factions, deadly anomalies, and the radioactive creatures as you carve your destiny through The Zone. Combine different firearm elements to make one of the hundreds of weapon options. For creatures that deserve more than a bullet, you can make use of some fire or electricity to finish them off.
After the subpar reception of the previous releases by GSC Game World, it’s hopeful to see a lot of the favorite aspects of the original STALKER game come back in a more polished and detailed set of graphics.
Recently the wasteland feel has entered the world of online gaming; with an influx of “apocalyptic” themed slot machines becoming popular, sites like OnlineCasinos UK will help you find them if you can’t wait until April!
Venture into Chernobyl (virtually) on April 28th, 2022.
Martha is Dead
From the creator of The Town of Light comes a game that will appeal to those who love a ghost story.
The psychological horror game Martha is Dead is a dark first-person story that is set in 1944 Italy. The story combines the tragedy of war and superstition while blurring the line between reality and spirituality.
In the midst of The Second World War, Martha is found drowned in a nearby lake. Her twin sister, Guilia, is convinced of her murder and aims to search for the truth, dodging the eye of her German soldier father.
Folklore and history combine as the war draws closer to their home. This visually beautiful game is only what is expected of the creators of The Town of Light, but they push it to new levels with authentic era-specific Italian music and a multi-layered narrative to explore.
Pre-order the game and join the spirits on February 24th, 2022.
Weird West
The upcoming release from Devolver Digital asks a simple question: what would it look like if a cowboy was riding a unicorn?
Somewhat. Weird West is a reimagining of the Wild West with all the grit that Clint Eastwood can summon, but the land is shared with magical fantasy creatures. The top-down game is full of all the cliches expected: the outlaw land, the haunting past, the “every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in” narrative.
Travel through five overlapping narratives to create a story that is entirely your own, populated by atypical anti-heroes. Your decisions create legend as you journey through your ever-evolving narrative.
Explore the sandbox where everything is designed to react to your actions, including the characters, the factions, and the places.
Venture into the Weird West come January 11th, 2022.
