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Check out this list of the top games of 2022!
2022 has been rolling already and you know exactly what that means…a new year, and new video games to enjoy! Every year you can expect game developers of all different sizes to release new Esports games. According to Statista, in the year 2020, (drum roll please) 10,263 games were released. That’s a ton of games and tons of entertainment for everybody to enjoy. Of course, you can expect a Call of Duty to be released every year as well! This year I won't be listing all potential 10,000 plus games that are coming out, but I'll be listing the top 8 most anticipated Esports games of 2022. In no particular order, here are the top 8 games of 2022.
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders coming out this year in 2022 features several excellent features coming out of the gate. The game is free-to-play… I know, that makes it already very exciting for video game enthusiasts. Most AAA games that come out from major game makers are $60. In the past couple years we have seen free-to-play games become all the rage. Major games that come to mind that are free are Apex Legends! In addition to being free, Arc Raiders is co-op based, meaning that players will team up with each other to fight aliens that are coming to destroy the planet! Who doesn't want to play with friends, and destroy aliens that are trying to destroy you! The game is a 3rd-person shooter game - as you play the game you are able to see your character and the surrounding world easier! Speaking of the world the game takes place in, it looks beautiful and the graphics are off the hook.
Gran Turismo 7
Do you like cars and racing? If yes, I have the perfect game for you. The Gran Turismo series has been around since 1997. Gran Turismo prides itself in being the premiere racing game of Playstation and is exclusively on Playstation. This high quality racing game has 420 cars that come from various makers. Some of the car companies include: Ferrari, Auston Martin, and Honda. One of the great things about Gran Turismo is the customization of the cars! Players can spend hours in their garages tweaking the vehicles to their liking. Then they can take the cars out on the track for an intense race against friends. The online mode allows players to race against 20 other players! I can just hear the roar of the car engines now radiating from the track! Gran Turismo 7 will be available for players on PS5 and PS4 on March 4, 2022.
A special note about Gran Turismo 7 for car enthusiasts - the game has its own driving wheel that can be connected to your playstation. The wheel is designed to make the racing experience more realistic. Force feedback from the wheel gives players an added challenge to really handle the cars they drive! It's made by Fanatec who specialises in making car wheels for racing car games. Check out the wheel and the pedals!
God of War Ragnarok
God of War - it probably sounds familiar, and it probably brings back memories from years ago. If you are unfamiliar with this beast of a game series known as God of War allow me to introduce you to it! The God of War series is a Greek mythology based action game. The game is focused on the protagonist Kratos and his search for revenge against his former boss Ares. I can't reveal too much of the story line ( no spoilers, right? ) but Ares had tricked Kratos into killing his own family - remember this is a Greek mythology based game! The game series has been known to have beautiful graphics and intense action sequences. The main character Kratos has his own iconic look about him. A muscular warrior with broad shoulders, some kind of red paint or chalk across his face and chest, and of course his giant swords. Yes, Kratos carries two giant swords with him that players can use to slice and dice the enemies within the game. The original game was created back in 2005 for the PS2 and has been a hit with fans for the past 17 years! If you like character driven storylines, action, and greek gods then this is the game for you. This year fans can expect the new God of War Ragnarok to be released sometime later on in 2022.
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Stray
Stray is a 3rd-person game that focuses on a cat stuck in a futuristic and robot filled city who is trying to escape back to his cat family. I know it sounds crazy, but this game is definitely pushing the envelope by having players be a cat for an entire game! This game has cyberpunk written all over it - robots, bugs, and a dystopian type city can be found in this game. The dim lighting with the splash of neon can be found throughout the game. It definitely has an immersive feel to it that could have players spending hours on the game! The whole objective and story is about the cat who is trying to escape the city and get back to family. Along the way the cat meets a robot companion who helps the cat navigate through the city. The gameplay trailer showed the cat being able to climb up tall buildings and jump along roof tops. Since this is a cat game, players can have playful interactions with objects within the game and other non–playable characters. Also seen in the gameplay trailer is the cat interacting with a friendly robot who plays strings and tunes on his guitar. The camera angle of the game is also unique in the fact that it is low to the ground and has a cat-like perspective. Throughout the city small bugs try to harm the cat, and it's up to players to sneak past the bugs, or to destroy the bugs with help from the robot companion. The mood and the setting of the game remind me of the movie Blade Runner. Wondering when and where you can play Stray? Stray will be released sometime in the early part of the year! Check it out on PS4, PS5 and Windows!
The Callisto Protocol
Set in outer space on planet Jupiter this game has players play as an inmate stuck in a space prison where something has gone wrong. It's up to the player to figure out what happened inside of the space prison. The Callisto Protocol is also supposed to be set in the year 2320 - I am 99% Aliens are going to be a part of this game! I would like to point out that one of the creators of this game (Glen Schofield) also helped create the Dead Space Series. What does this mean for future Castillo Protocol players? This game is going to be scary and will most likely have you jump out of your seat as you play. The creator of the Castillo Project has been quoted as saying, “I love horror. And I love sci-fi.” A blend of horror and a super futuristic setting within a video game will give players plenty to enjoy. Currently the game has a rough release date for this year 2022 but further details are unknown. An interesting detail to take note of, is that players will be able to see their own character's health on a sidebar menu. Also this will be a 3rd person style game meaning players can see their own character and get a better idea of their surroundings! That ties nicely into the fact that the game will have players anxiously trying to maneuver about the space prison! The Castillo Protocol will be available on playstation consoles and PC sometime this year!
The Day Before
What’s a good video game list without a zombie video game on it? The Day Before is an upcoming open world zombie game. This game is similar to the series The Walking Dead - players in The Day Before have to survive hordes of zombies and scavenge for food. This zombie game has a cool twist to it, the game is an MMO, meaning that its a massively multiplayer online experience. Players will have the chance to fight against other players they encounter, or they can team up to fight against the onslaught of zombies! By teaming up with other players you will engage in a special mode within the game. This mode within the game is known as the survivor colony - I can tell you right now I would like to be a part of that! Lets not forget zombies love noise - by firing your weapon you will attract more zombies to you! Players in this game will have to find food, ammunition for weapons, and gasoline. Finding these essential items in the zombie world won't be easy though - these items will be in different buildings and locations. Look for The Day Before to be released on June 21, 2022.
Elden Ring
An open world game filled with dragons and elements of the environment that can be destroyed - has me excited! Just imagine fighting a fire breathing dragon in the pouring rain, and trees all around you are being knocked down. The gameplay trailer shows exactly this fight sequence and much more. Action, adventure, swords, the ability to explore fantasy type lands should have players excited for Elden Ring. This game had George R.R. Martin help to write some of the story in the game! Yes, the creator of the Game of Thrones series helped to craft the story inside of Elden Ring. Most major game releases dont have writers attached to the projects such as George R.R. Martin. Since this is an RPG style game - role playing game - players can expect the main storyline to take up to 30 hours! Players can look for this game to be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, February 25th, 2022.
The Wrap up!
Most of the games that we play can get a bit stale after a while. If you want to get more involved with esports, check out Coastline College esports! I am looking at you, Call of Duty and Overwatch! I am hoping to get updates on Overwatch 2 since the original was released on May 24th, 2016! I digress, as I can see that 2022 is going to feature games that have high replayability! It doesn't matter what console you are on - players will have the ability to enjoy a wide variety of AAA games. Esports games are great sources of entertainment that can offer escapes from reality! If you are not interested in movies or TV shows, but still crave a strong craving for stories then try video games. What are some games that you are interested in that didn't make my list? Let me know below! 2022 should be another strong year for video games and the people that play them.
