2022 is here and as is the tradition at the start of a new year, we are looking ahead at what is coming to our PCs and Consoles in the coming months. As always this is based on what we know is coming, not unannounced titles that will surely get released during the year. Now for the hardest category to pick, Indies. Please note, I haven’t included titles that have appeared in previous year’s anticipated lists so don’t set fire to our servers because we didn’t include surefire gems like Hollow Knight: Silksong or Tunic.
The Most Anticipated Indie Titles for 2022
Atomic Heart
What happens when you cross Bioshock and Metro. Well, I am guessing that something close to Atomic Heart would be the answer. This upcoming indie FPS looks to combine the depressing, post-nuclear fallout Russian setting from Metro with special powers and combat from Bioshock.
To top it all off I have to say it looks pretty darn… well pretty and is sure to be a good way to show off those expensive new consoles. If the gameplay can live up to the promise of the setting this could be a real surprise hit.
There is no firm date yet for a release but recent developer progress suggests the second half of 2022.
Scorn
This H.R Geiger inspired horror title has been coming for quite some time. Built on a successful Kickstarter campaign, Scorn shot to fame when it was shown off as a part of the first Xbox Series X showcase, with the terrifying environments on full display.
Now with a confirmed release window of October this year, people can finally get excited (or terrified) for this game to hit their systems. Everything about it seems to indicate that this is going to be a premium horror experience so it will certainly be a game that genre fans should keep a close eye on.
Somerville
Knowing that Somerville is coming from some of the minds that brought us Inside and Limbo should be more than enough to get you excited for its release. This stunning looking platform adventure has been a highlight in recent Xbox events and the word-of-mouth buzz being generated is hard to ignore.
From the graphical style to the storytelling, Somerville is heading in the same direction as its forbears and that is straight into game of the year contention. We have no firm date as yet and honestly, this one could drop anytime, but I expect it to be around August or September.
Open Roads
In the world of Indie publishing, there is probably no bigger name than Annapurna. They have a knack for picking amazing and unique titles for their portfolio and the Annapurna name is almost always the sign of a title worth checking out.
With that in mind, Open Roads is shaping up to be something special. A tale about a mother and daughter on a road trip is somewhat unique in gaming and the graphical style warm and inviting. If the developers can nail the writing, Annapurna will have another hit on their hands when the game comes out in the middle of the year.
Dustborn
Dustborn is a fantastic looking title from Red Thread games and publisher Quantic Dream. Featuring a Cell-shaded look and a host of comic stylings to go along with it, the game immediately catches the eye of prospective players.
But what is really exciting is the ambition behind it. It looks to meld the storytelling of an adventure title like Life is Strange with the more traditional action tropes of a 3rd person title. This is no doubt going to be a difficult line to walk, but if they can pull it off then this could be a surprise hit upon its release late in 2022
