Developer/publisher Sega (Sonic Team) Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Origin Japan Release Q4 2022

The reveal trailer may have given little away, but those rolling green hills sure look pretty, as Sega’s long-standing mascot goes open world. Ordinarily, this would be cause for concern: it’s fair to say Sonic hasn’t adapted to the third dimension to the extent Mario has, his particular set of skills seemingly best suited to linear 2D obstacle courses. But elsewhere this issue we examine how indie open-world games have started to focus on traversal, and with Square’s Forspoken and now this, it seems bigger studios are following suit. The acid test will be how it feels when the Blue Blur is invariably forced to slow down.

THIRSTY SUITORS

Developer Outerloop Games Publisher Annapurna Interactive Format TBA Origin US Release TBA

Outerloop’s narrative action-adventure is quite the departure from Falcon Age, and it looks fantastic: a vibrant hybrid of Scott Pilgrim and Jet Set Radio Future with acrobatic cooking interludes, in which protagonist Jala battles a succession of exes in turn-based combat while dealing with the expectations of her disappointed parents. Add in a dumbbell-twirling auntie and one of the funniest eye-rolls we’ve seen in a game, and we’re itching to find out more.

NIGHTINGALE

Developer Inflexion Games Publisher Improbable Format PC Origin Canada Release 2022 (Early Access)

‘Survival crafting game’ – not our favourite combination of words. Still, the shared-world game from former Bioware boss Aaryn Flynn’s new studio Inflexion also has towering monsters to bring down, stylish Victorian-era garb for its characters, and a certain lady with a lamp wielding a pistol in her free hand.

ALAN WAKE 2

Developer Remedy Publisher Epic Games Format PC, PS5, Xbox Series Origin Finland Release 2023

Remedy says it’s “going dark” on this long-awaited sequel until the summer. Indeed, it seems that’s true of the game itself: if the studio is claiming it as its “first foray into the survival horror genre”, it’s a fair bet to expect something grislier and nastier than the now-12-year-old original.

SLITTERHEAD

Developer Bokeh Publisher TBA Format TBA Origin Japan Release TBA

It’s more action-packed than we expected from Keiichiro Toyama, but Bokeh’s debut delivers on the horror front, with human mouths yawning open to reveal grotesque assemblies of flesh and bone, which you’re encouraged to carve apart.

There’s comedy, too (well, the title reveal amused us, anyway).