Gaming news decided to go into turbo drive on Tuesday, with PlayStation's new Game Pass competitor being quickly followed two hours later by news of Breath of the Wild 2's delay into 2023. It's a move that seems to leave the Game of the Year title all sewn up for Elden Ring already, but hey, that coveted 'Most Anticipated Game' trophy at The Game Awards looks to be in the bag for Zelda. Much more importantly though, it's a delay which seems to have interrupted the rhythm of what was otherwise set to have been a pretty perfect year for major releases.
I've always said that the many pandemic-induced delays of 2021 were going to be 2022's gain, making it the strongest year in some time. It can weather delays to the likes of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but Breath of the Wild 2 is a major loss. Still, there are a lot of big titles. The problem might just be their rhythm.
We've had a busier first three months of the year than usual, but all in all it has been a sensible mix. Elden Ring is obviously the biggest hitter, but the games we might call 'major' that followed it, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Gran Turismo 7, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, and Ghostwire: Tokyo, are all aiming at different, smaller audiences. There seems to be something of a gap in the calendar right now with interesting experiments (Ghostwire, Tiny Tina, Chrono Cross) and light entertainment crowd pleasers (Kirby, GT7, Lego Star Wars), so if you're the type to keep slogging away in The Lands Between, you can, and if Elden Ring isn't your thing, chances are you'll find something that is.
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
January was more typically slow, but gave us our first salvo of the Game of the Year list contenders through Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This was followed by a hectic February which saw Lost Ark, Dying Light 2, Sifu, Horizon Forbidden West, and of course, Elden Ring. January 2021 gave us Persona 5: Strikers, which made my GOTY list, but it wasn't until It Takes Two on March 26 that 2021 properly arrived. This year, by March 26 you could fill an entire top ten list with real contenders.
Now, however, there's a bit of a drop off. I mentioned Chrono Cross and Lego Star Wars above, but that's it for April (plus maybe Switch Sports), while the only thing I'm interested in for May is Evil Dead: The Game. June brings a few more games with Mario Strikers, The Quarry, and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, but do any of those sound like major contenders in a year that has Horizon, open world Pokemon, GT7 and Elden Ring already in its locker? It's being billed as a bad thing that games are dropping off, but it's the opposite. We've had a load of great games, and now we have time to catch up. There are still some games awaiting release dates, and indies like TheGamer's 2021 Game of the Year The Forgotten City could emerge from nowhere, but this is the calm after the storm.
Following that lull, things will pick up again. Warner Bros. delayed Suicide Squad, but Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy are still on the horizon, as are Gollum, Redfall, and Bayonetta 3. August brings Saints Row, which may kick things off again, but there needs to be a major challenger to Elden Ring arriving late in the year to offer a bit of balance. Without Breath of the Wild 2, the contest feels over before it begins. Starfield has a launch date in November, but given how little we've seen of it, I'm not holding my breath. God of War Ragnarok too feels like a risky bet. If one (or, ideally, both) arrive in the final few months of the year, then the flowing rhythm of the year can still be saved, but Breath of the Wild tapping out early has me worried this year that started with a bang might end with a whimper.
There is time for a lot of surprises, and I still think I'm yet to play whatever my GOTY will be - in fact, I'm convinced I haven't even heard of it yet - but without a strong finish to bookend the year, 2022 might be less of a great year and more of a great three months followed by a loss of momentum. Breath of the Wild 2 being delayed isn't the end of the world, but it might be the end of 2022's chances at being recognised as an all-time great.