It's been a big year for Microsoft — and by extension, Xbox. Its acquisition of Bethesda was finalized, formally securing the powerhouse studio as a first-party developer. And while Game Pass was already a fantastic deal for gamers of all stripes, the sheer glut of titles announced for day-one release on the premier subscription service during E3 2021 was nothing short of jawdropping. In summary, Xbox devotees have been utterly spoiled with good news lately. And that trend looks like it'll be continuing well into next year.
An absolute wealth of banging titles slated for the coming year, ranging from understated indie masterpieces-in-the-making to AAA heavyweights that are sure to dominate gaming discourse for the entirety of the calendar. But what are we excited about personally? We're flattered you asked, and we've conveniently prepared an itemized list beforehand. Here's what TheGamer's hyped to see on the Xbox Series X (or S, if you're one of those "all-digital is the future" types) in 2022.
Slime Rancher 2
By Meg Pelliccio
Prepare yourself for adorable slime overload as Slime Rancher 2 is set to launch next year for PC and Xbox Series X|S. The story will follow Beatrix LeBeau — the protagonist from the first game — as she explores the brand-new Rainbow Island area.
Naturally, with this new area comes a wealth of exciting new mysteries to solve and new slimes to capture and befriend. The trailer for Slime Rancher 2 teased us with strange angler-fish-like slimes, exceptionally cute bunny slimes, bat slimes, and even some kind of new bird to replace your boring old chickens. Of course, plort poop inclusion is a given.
Details are still pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but it’s likely a safe bet that we’ll see new ranch upgrades, gadgets, and Slime Science. I can’t wait to explore the beautiful new land beyond the Slime Sea and start ranching once again.
Saints Row Reboot
by Stacey Henley
Unfortunately, Goodbye Volcano High is not coming to Xbox, so despite writing about it as my most anticipated game of 2021 (pre-delay) and 2022 (post-delay), as well as in the list for most anticipated PlayStation 5 games, I can no longer write about it here. Except, I guess I just did. Goodbye Volcano High is gonna be rad, everyone.
The Saints Row reboot looks cool too though. It's a shame Kinzie isn't going to be there, but it was probably time we moved on from the old Saints anyway. Miss me with the complaints about the game being woke too - gender was tied to a slider and it had a diverse, sex-positive, female-led cast that didn't take anything too seriously. Saints Row was always woke. This reboot looks like middle ground between the gritty-but-still-silly first two games, and the space-faring, super-powered dildo bat shenanigans of the latter two. It's the perfect formula for success.
Redfall
by Harry Alston
An open-world co-op first-person shooter from Arkane Austin, the team behind Prey and Dishonored? Waves of mutated super-Vampires? Yes, please. We've just written about why playing Deathloop means you should go and check out Prey, and if you liked Deathloop, then Redfall should definitely be on your radar for Summer 2022. And no, unfortunately, the codename "Project Redfall" had nothing to do with the next Elder Scrolls game. You might have to wait a little longer for that.
There are four playable characters in the game, each with their own playstyles. Layla, one of the characters, has the ability to spawn a magical, telekinetic elevator that lifts your allies onto nearby rooftops. If Arkane can keep the game packed with more unique oddities like this, it looks like we'll be in for something a little different from your regular co-op looter shooter (if it is even a looter shooter, we don't really know yet.) In fact, there's quite a lot about the game we don't know... except that it, uh, looks amazing.
The Outer Worlds 2
By James Troughton
The Outer Worlds was, for all intents and purposes, Obsidian's return to Fallout. It's the series in everything but name with the key difference being that it's an intergalactic-trotter that takes note from Mass Effect to create a grander sense of scale among the dystopian band of capitalist colonies. It was before the Microsoft buyout, however, so the budget was smaller as was the scope. Yet, with limited resources, Obsidian created one of the best RPGs of the 2010s (right before the cut-off year, might I add).
Imagine then what Obsidian will be able to bring us with the backing of the Xbox and Windows goliath, the same publisher that houses Halo and now, ironically, Bethesda, the actual IP holders of Fallout. The Outer Worlds has the potential to become an RPG staple among the greats if its sequel lives up to the first. I have faith that it will. So, when it comes out for Xbox, I'll be there day one, because you know Obsidian doesn't miss.
Elden Ring
by Damien Lykins
Well, I'm certainly not going to get any points for originality here. But look, I love the Dark Souls trilogy more than I love most people. If you give me another excuse to crow about how excited I am for Elden Ring, then I'm going to take full advantage of it. I've always taken issue with the consistent "Dark Souls hard" journalism meme because learning from failure is arguably a core hallmark of the series' gameplay loop (it certainly is for me, anyway) and thematic basis. Put simply, it overlooks so much of what makes these titles distinct, compelling, and... well, special.
I'm not necessarily looking forward to more "git gud" tier difficulty, but the more subtle nuances of a FromSoft game and the notoriously impenetrable narrative that generally accompanies them. Today, I found myself wondering over FromSoft's pedigree for level design — our own James Troughton recently mused over Bloodborne's Central Yharnam and I can't help but wonder how this sort of cyclic interconnectedness and spatial economy might play out in Elden Ring's open-world. However it manifests, I'm probably going to love it. And I'll probably be back to confirm that I love it in January.
Dying Light 2
By George Foster
It sucks that Dying Light 2 has managed to slip onto the most anticipated 2022 list having previously been dated for December of 2021, but a little delay doesn't stop us from being excited. From what we've seen of the zombie drop-kicking simulator so far, it's looking like more of the great first-person platforming action that the original game delivered, but with a world that's even further into a zombie apocalypse and expanded mechanics that look to make it even more satisfying to play.
Let's hope the lofty promises of a world changed by your decisions come to pass, but even if this ends up being just more Dying Light goodness - is that such a bad thing?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles
By Roxxy Haze
After crying in the theater while watching Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - the Movie: Mugen Train, I have been waiting for Demon Slayer to finally release season two. It was recently confirmed that it will finally be happening this fall, so the fact that I will not only get to watch Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu continue on their slaying journies but get to play those adventures myself makes me almost annoyingly happy.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles takes place after the events in the movie. It was leaked that developers added playable demons - members of the Twelve Kizuki, Rui and Akaza. After what Akaza did to one of the sweetest, most caring characters in the series during the Mugen Train movie, I am looking forward to slicing his demonic head clean off his shoulders. I'm coming for you!
Somerville
by Amanda Hurych
Sometimes, the most understated of game trailers can just captivate me. Somerville's trailer simply includes some soft piano-playing, quick flashes of a family trying to flee from an end-of-world scenario, and straightforward gameplay snippets. But even with just the trailer as a guide, I can sense this is a game that will haunt me years after I've played it. Somerville is the first game released by independent studio Jumpship, and it is one of my most anticipated titles of 2022.
It calls to mind games like Limbo and Inside. Those two titles ensnared your attention with their riveting environmental story-telling, and Somerville appears to follow that pattern. It doesn't even matter that its gameplay might consist of light puzzles and moving either right or left in a moderate platforming experience. I just know that Somerville is going to hit me in the feels with the utter immersion of trying to survive with those characters. If Somerville was not on your radar before, I hope it is now.