2022’s only just started, and there are already a ton of exciting new video games to look forward to in these early months. For all the RPG fans out there, there’s plenty of new games in the genre that will be releasing throughout the year as well. Here’s a list of all the RPGs that have been confirmed for a 2022 release at the time of writing.
Nobody Saves the World (Jan. 18)
Starting us off this year is Drinkbox Studios’ colorful new game, Nobody Saves the World. If you’ve seen the Guacamelee! games and you loved the art style in those, this might be right up your alley.
Nobody Saves the World features a beautiful and distinct world to explore, where you control Nobody, who comes into possession of a wand that allows them to transform into various different forms in combat. The game can be played solo, though there’s also the ability to play in co-op if you’d rather explore with a friend.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Jan. 28)
One of the biggest releases of Q1 2022, Pokemon Legends: Arceus marks a pretty huge departure from the Pokemon series as we know it. Whereas the traditional Pokemon games have always been rather linear, Legends features a large open-world where players truly have the freedom to explore and go where they want. Though we’re sure there’ll be a few limitations in place, of course.
Players can choose a clan to join near the start of the game, and even encounter wild Pokemon just roaming about in the open-world. Think wild areas from Pokemon Sword and Shield, but on a much larger scale.
Lost Ark (Feb. 11)
Developed by Smilegate and published by Amazon, Lost Ark is a Diablo-like, action MMORPG that’s based around beating up enemies and looting their corpses.
We checked out the closed beta last year and were pleasantly surprised with how much variety there was in terms of gameplay. The different classes are all very distinct from one another, with different sub-class styles you can choose from.
The world itself is gorgeous, too, and while I did come away from the beta feeling like the story was just a whole bunch of nonsense, at least the looting is fun.
Horizon Forbidden West (Feb. 18)
After the critical and commercial success of Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s no surprise at all to see the IP get greenlit for a sequel. Horizon Forbidden West sees the return of Aloy as she continues her journey in a beautiful and dangerous post-apocalyptic world.
The robot dinosaurs are back, and there are plenty of new fiends for her to hack and fight as well. RPG fans can expect to see the crafting and leveling systems make a return, along with a narrative-driven adventure to check out alongside Aloy.
Elden Ring (Feb. 25)
FromSoft fans have been waiting for the company to put out yet another traditional Souls-like game, especially since Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was such a departure from the developers’ usual formula. Developed together with George R.R. Martin as a consultant, Elden Ring is easily one of the most anticipated game releases of the year.
From what we’ve seen in trailers, gameplay footage, and our own experience with the network beta, this is basically a Souls game with a huge open-world setting. The bosses still look terrifying and grotesque, we still get cryptic lore tidbits from item descriptions, and invasions and co-op are still a key element of the experience. We just get to do it all on a much larger scale now.
Babylon’s Fall (March 3)
Babylon’s Fall seemed to have been stuck in development hell for a while, especially as we went a couple years without hearing much about this game. However, Platinum Games and Square Enix have a March release date in mind for it, and things are looking up.
This is a hack-and-slash action game, which means that you can expect the kind of stylish and flashy combat we’ve seen in past Platinum projects. Players can choose from various weapon types and go on quests together to climb a tower in search of better loot and gear, with their ultimate goal being to reach the top of the tower.
Triangle Strategy (March 4)
While the ending and story structure might have been divisive among players, Octopath Traveler was still widely praised for its fun turn-based combat system, and more importantly, the visually stunning graphics and art style made possible with Square Enix’s HD-2D engine.
Enter Triangle Strategy, which also sports a similar graphical style. Except this time, we’re getting a tribute to the tactical RPG roots of Final Fantasy Tactics instead of more classic turn-based gameplay like in Final Fantasy VI.
The Triangle Strategy demo already sold me on this one, and it’s clear that this is meant to be a homage to tactical RPG fans who spent countless hours on games like FF Tactics and Tactics Ogre. Triangle Strategy (I feel silly even typing out its clumsy name) also features a morality system, where players can make decisions that will impact the narrative, but with a twist: you also need to be able to convince your comrades to see things from your perspective and get them to vote your way.
It’s like… Survivor meets FF Tactics. Not the best analogy, but you get what I mean.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (March 18)
Stranger of Paradise was unveiled with a really cringy announcement trailer that might’ve put off some people, but after spending a bit of time with the game, it actually seems pretty solid.
Regarding the story and characters, the jury’s still out on that one, but at least from a gameplay perspective, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin seems set to deliver on all the fun action combat we’ve come to expect from Koei Tecmo’s Musou games. In addition to that, this is also meant to be a retelling or reimagining of the events from the original Final Fantasy game, which should prove to be interesting at the very least.
Rune Factory 5 (March 22)
Rune Factory is a series that will surely appeal to all RPG fans, just because of how simple and relaxing it is. The plot setup is very simple, as you take on the role of a male or female protagonist and get to work on protecting the small town of Rigbarth.
There are romance options to explore, and players will also have the ability to tame and train monsters in their spare time. You’ll have to farm and tend the land, while also making time to engage in combat to keep the peace in town.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (May 19)
Vampire: The Masquerade is returning in 2022 in a big way with the release of Swansong. Players will take control of three different vampires, and will be switching between them throughout the story as necessary. Each vampire specializes in different areas and have unique abilities, and you may find that one vampire might be better at sneaking around and picking locks than the other two, and have to make use of all of them accordingly.
There are, of course, plenty of moral choices and decisions to be made throughout the story, and Swansong promises to stay firmly rooted in the morally grey area where there are no right or wrong answers.
Forspoken (May 24)
Developed by Luminous Productions and published by Square Enix, Forspoken was originally unveiled as a PS5 title as Project Athia. It features seriously beautiful graphics that Square Enix games have become so well-known for, and will take place in the fantastical world of Athia.
According to the developers, there will be a large focus on terrain and traversal, which should make open-world exploration interesting at the very least. Forspoken is a narrative-heavy game that blends elements of fantasy and reality together, and it’ll be exciting to see what it has to offer when it finally releases in May.
Starfield (Nov. 11)
Starfield, otherwise known as the sci-fi game that needs to come out first before we get Elder Scrolls VI, is Bethesda’s big game of 2022. All jokes aside, this is also one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, especially since it’s been a while since Bethesda has released a huge single-player RPG.
Honestly, we still don’t know all that much about it aside from the fact that humanity has been split into various factions in space colonies just outside of our solar system. Players will be able to create their own character, a space explorer who travels to these different colonies, and presumably fight a bunch of aliens and humans alike while leveling up their speech and hacking skills to get out of sticky situations.
After Fallout 4’s lukewarm reception and the horrendous launch of Fallout 76, here’s hoping that Starfield can bring Bethesda back on track.
Baldur’s Gate III (TBD)
Baldur’s Gate is a widely beloved series among CRPG fans, and while it doesn’t have a set release date just yet, it’s still slated for launch sometime in 2022.
We played the early access build a couple years back, and it’s definitely got Larian’s DNA all over it. Fans of Divinity Original Sin will definitely find plenty to love in Baldur’s Gate III, as it features a similar tactical turn-based combat system with a DnD twist and skill checks that you need to pass in order to execute an action properly.
Hogwarts Legacy (TBD)
Man, I want this game so bad, and it’s looking more and more like this one’s gonna get pushed back to 2023 and beyond, but a girl can hope. Harry Potter video games have a horrendous track record, yet Hogwarts Legacy looks like it actually has the potential to let Harry Potter fans all over the world live their dream of being a student at Hogwarts and doing all sorts of magical stuff.
Character customization, spell learning, monster training, and dungeon exploring all sounds incredibly exciting, especially when set in the Harry Potter universe. There’s just something that feels so nostalgic and magical about this universe; let’s just hope this won’t be the latest victim of getting stuck in development hell.
Mario + Rabids: Sparks of Hope (TBD)
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was a bit of a surprise hit when it first launched on the Nintendo Switch, and we absolutely loved our time with it. It blended the characters and worlds of Nintendo’s iconic characters with Ubisoft’s Rabbids, and mashed them together with XCOM-like gameplay where you’d move your characters on a grid while trying to take out your foes, tactical combat style.
Sparks of Hope pretty much just looks like more of the same, but we’re not complaining. We never knew we needed characters like Rabbid Peach in our lives until we actually got them, and I’d be happy to see even more of them.
Salt and Sacrifice (TBD)
Salt and Sacrifice is the follow-up to the indie hit Salt and Sanctuary from Ska Studios. Following in the same vein of the original game, Salt and Sacrifice is a 2D side-scrolling Souls-like game that makes use of familiar mechanics such as bonfire-like checkpoints, a stamina-based combat system, and interconnected level design.
Unlike the Souls games, however, it also features a massive Path of Exile-like skill tree that really lets players create a build that’s unique to their play style. This doesn’t have a set release date yet, but it’s definitely one that Souls fans should keep on their radars.
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