An attendee uses a Nintendo Switch game console while playing a video game at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris on October 29, 2019.Benoit Tessier/Reuters
The start of this year has been a bonanza for the gaming world. So far we’ve seen the release of Horizon: Forbidden West, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Elden Ring, which generated a lot of buzz within the gaming community. Looking ahead to the rest of 2022 there’s even more excitement in store for hard-core gamers, families and those new to the gaming world.
FOR THE KIDS AND FAMILIES
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC
From Anakin Skywalker’s humble beginnings on Tatooine through the final battle between Rey Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine – this game has it all. Spanning over three decades of the iconic Star Wars saga - starting with Episode I: The Phantom Menace and concluding with Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - this LEGO game will let players relive some of the most thrilling sequences, such as the Death Star run or the battle of Crait, and play as their favourite characters such as Han Solo or The Mandalorian. All of this, plus the comedic writing of the LEGO games team which features a cheeky nod to Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs film when free-roaming the Death Star.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Available June 10 on Nintendo Switch
Mario and his friends are back for another high-energy sports game. With the third Strikers game of the soccer franchise, players have access to new gear, items and powerful moves like Mario’s flaming super kick to ensure you get the game-winning goal in style. In the new and improved multiplayer mode, up to eight players can enjoy the insane antics that Mario and Co. are famous for. This is the first entry in Mario’s soccer game since 2007′s Mario Strikers Charged for the Nintendo Wii.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
2022 on Nintendo Switch
Mario, Princess Peach and the Rabbids return in another wacky adventure in a sequel to the 2017 RPG (role-playing game) hit. This one features improved gameplay mechanics to make the game less tedious - a problem for its predecessor - a less linear level design for more exploration, as well as the ability to take part in combat outside of the turn-based format. Loaded with tons of laughs, the Mario + Rabbids games offer fun for the whole family.
FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
Evil Dead: The Game
Available May 13 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Based on the cult classic film franchise, Evil Dead: The Game puts four survivors on a team as they explore and loot items to seal the breach between worlds and send those pesky demons back to where they came from. You can also switch it up and play as one of the creatures looking to breach into our world and fend off the heroes who seek to thwart you. If you’re a fan of asymmetrical horror games that pit groups of players against one monster, such as Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th, then this game should certainly be on your radar.
Hogwarts Legacy
2022 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
The first open-world RPG set in the wizarding world of Harry Potter will give you the opportunity to create your own character and live out the fantasy of attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It will be up to the player to understand why dark magic has made a resurgence in the world and to uncover those who seek to harness its power. Along your journey, you’ll be able to encounter NPCs (non-playable characters) such as Nearly-Headless Nick, Peeves the Poltergeist and Ranrok the Goblin.
Gotham Knights
Available Oct. 25 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbone One, PC
Developed by Canada’s own WB Games Montréal, Gotham Knights puts players into the cowls of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood, who must restore and uphold the peace in Gotham City. While the four vigilantes investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Dark Knight, they come into conflict with the dangerous Court of Owls, a secret society as old as Gotham City itself. Gotham Knights will also provide an open-world Gotham City for you to explore as you uncover the truth about what happened to Batman.
FOR ADULTS
God of War: Ragnarok
2022 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Set three years after the previous God of War entry, Kratos and his son Atreus face the nearing end of Fimbulwinter (a three-year winter). It is prophesized that once it ends, the Ragnarok (Norse apocalypse) will begin. Kratos and Atreus set out for answers and to discover a way to prevent the end of all things from coming to pass. For fans of the first game, Ragnarok will build upon the last entry’s ending with Atreus having foreseen the arrival of Thor and the conflict between Kratos, Atreus and the infamous (and dangerous) God of Thunder.
Sniper Elite 5
Available May 26 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
The acclaimed sniper franchise returns with enhanced gun mechanics, third-person tactical gameplay and a brand new kill-cam. Players take up the mantle of Karl Fairburne, who is part of a covert U.S. Rangers operations in 1944. As you make your way across the battlefields, you discover a secret Nazi operation designed to end the war and prevent the allies from invading Europe.
Saints Row
Available Aug. 23 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
The newest Saints Row game lets players build their own gang, comprising unhappy members of rival gangs, and battle for territory in the fictional city of Santo Ileso. The developers of the game say that this reboot intends to pull back on the wacky tones of Saints Row IV and return to a balance of comedy and seriousness that was present in Saints Row: The Third.