ELDEN RING

Developer FromSoftware Publisher Bandai Namco Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release January 21

When we heard, around the time of its announcement, that Elden Ring was going to be essentially “open-world Dark Souls”, we weren’t entirely confident in the summary. Because isn’t that precisely what Dark Souls fans would ask for? And when did get fans get what they want? (And, in the rare cases that it happens, when have the results stood up to close scrutiny?) And yet here we are looking forward to one of 2022’s biggest games delivering pretty much everything Dark Souls devotees yearn for: screenfilling bosses, endlessly rewarding character builds, secrets by the sackful – plus magic, multiplayer and a whole lot more besides.

Because it delivered so comprehensively on what had been hoped for, surprises were a little thin on the ground. We knew already, for example, that the scale of the game’s play area introduces horseback as a means of getting around effectively, although to be fair we weren’t ready for our steed to be summonable out of thin air – or indeed capable of negotiating a sheer cliff face by simply leaping up it. Combat on horseback will also feature, although the focus will be on battles played out on just two legs (at least on the player’s side).

There is more clarity on the contribution of George RR Martin, too. The author says that his creative involvement with the project – which he calls a “sequel” to Dark Souls, presumably in accordance with how it was touted to him initially – ended “years ago”, and mostly amounted to creating a backstory for the setting of the game, upon which the game’s writers and designers would layer their own ideas in the shape of NPCs, enemies and beyond. During the development of the game the production team has checked in with Martin, offering updates on their progress, but the author is, by his own admission, not a keen follower of videogames, and you get the impression that such sessions have involved plenty of polite noises rather than a lot of fullthroated deliberation. Nevertheless, director Hidetaka Miyazaki says that the author’s contribution in the first instance was everything he and the team could have hoped for – even if the production agreement meant that they were free to cast aside anything that did not necessarily suit where they wanted to ultimately take the game.

Their goal? To deliver the defining fantasy-themed game of 2022. Elden Ring’s continued development on PS4 and Xbox One alongside more powerful hardware may hamper the journey to their destination, but you wouldn’t bet against them completing the quest.

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX EXTRACTION

Developer/publisher Ubisoft (Montreal) Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release September 16

Following a lengthy delay and a name change – the original subtitle of ‘Quarantine’ having, for some unfathomable reason, been dropped – this Siege spinoff is shaping up rather nicely. It’s a co-op shooter that pits your squad of operators against parasitic aliens rather than terrorists.

The aliens are sensitive to sound and have a soft bioluminescence, useful for identifying them through walls. Missions appear to have a risk-reward element, where players can decide how far to push their luck before calling for extraction (hence the new title). Push too far, lose a teammate and you’ll need to drag their body to the safe zone, or else lose access to that character permanently – at least, until you launch a rescue mission on the same map.

Extraction’s roots lie in Outbreak, a mode for Siege introduced as part of a limited-time event, and little effort has been made to hide this fact. There are familiar faces on the roster of operators, and most of the moments that shine brightest are lifted from that game: putting a bullet through wood because you know there’s a head on the other side, or throwing up a barricade to funnel enemies into a trap. It’s unlikely to win over keen Siege players but, for anyone who prefers non-human opponents, Extraction could be a way in.

TUNIC

Developer Andrew Shouldice Publisher Finji Format PC, Xbox One Release TBA

This isometric Zelda-like has been several years in the making, but it’s still startling to think it’s been put together by one man. The softly spoken Andrew Shouldice – who, if the game development thing doesn’t work out, could make a killing from ASMR videos – has crafted a quite beautiful world here. Gorgeously lit and with a certain spongy solidity to it, it bears comparison with the charming toytown aesthetic of Grezzo’s Link’s Awakening remake. It harks back to earlier Zeldas as far as its action goes: combat has a hardcore edge, and it’s easy to find yourself crowded by angular critters, bouncing blobs and tall knights with swords that dwarf your own. Elsewhere, we stumble into a skeletal warrior who we assume we’re not meant to tackle yet given how swiftly he dispatches us: just one among a clutch of mysteries we’re keen to learn more about in this captivating adventure.

CITIZEN SLEEPER

Developer Jump Over The Age Publisher Fellow Traveller Format PC Release 2022

It’s fair to say Gareth Damian Martin isn’t hugely optimistic about humanity’s future. His TTRPGinspired follow-up to In Other Waters plonks you aboard an abandoned space station, Erlin’s Eye, in which you eke out a fairly miserable existence as an artificial intelligence within a body designed for obsolescence. Cheery stuff, then, but In Other Waters tempered its bleak worldview with wry humour and compassion for its characters, and here you’ll have the opportunity to band together with fellow scavengers and misfits to break free of the corporate yoke. Invariably, there’s risk involved in the tasks you need to complete to achieve this – but then that’s inherent in any game where dice (and ticking clocks) are involved. Despite the sci-fi trappings, it’s a perceptive commentary on the precarity of the present-day gig economy. It’s an ugly world, but hey, at least the UI is beautiful.

IMMORTALITY

Developer/publisher Half Mermaid Format PC Release 2022

Look, it would be foolish to pretend we’re not interested in the latest from Sam Barlow simply because he writes in these pages. But to avoid any accusations of cronyism, we’ll report only the facts. Not that Barlow is giving many of those away: after a cryptic build-up, Immortality’s debut trailer proves similarly elusive. It’s another FMV game, this time surrounding fictional film star Marissa Marcel, who made three movies that were never released before disappearing. What happened to her? And why was there a 22-year gap between her second and third films? Barlow isn’t saying. He has, however, assembled quite the writing team. The Queen’s Gambit creator Allan Scott is on board, while Mr Robot scribe Amelia Gray returns after co-scripting Telling Lies, alongside Barry Gifford, who co-wrote the screenplay for David Lynch’s Lost Highway. We bet they submit their words on time.

TREK TO YOMI

Developer Leonard Menchiari, Flying Wild Hog Publisher Devolver Digital Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release 2022

Now this is Kurosawa Mode. Recognising that paying tribute to one of the greats of Japanese cinema involves more than slapping on a black-and-white filter and a bit of film grain, this samurai side-scroller appreciates the value of lighting and perspective when it comes to shooting chanbara action. The result is thrillingly cinematic, the camera zooming out to frame expansive vistas, and hanging low below a confrontation atop a bridge, silhouetting its two fighters against the moon. The story, written by Alec Meer, embraces samurai themes of duty and honour, while leaning into Shinto mythology: not all the enemies you’ll face will be human. This is a classier affair than we’re used to from Devolver, though there will be plenty of bloodshed. If it plays even half as good as it looks, this could be one of next year’s most exciting games.

RIDERS REPUBLIC

Developer/publisher Ubisoft (Annecy) Format Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One , Xbox Series Release September 2

Having smushed the Alps together in Steep, Ubisoft Annecy is pulling a similar trick with seven US national parks, creating a sprawling extreme-sports sandbox that runs through Yosemite Valley and Utah, up to Grand Teton in Wyoming. From dusty canyons to lush woodland and treacherous peaks, no beauty spot is safe from these whooping daredevils, who compete across five disciplines – mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, wingsuit flying, rocket wingsuiting – in groups of up to 50 players (on new-gen consoles; you’re limited to 20 on older hardware). Though we enjoyed Steep most away from the organised events, the new Tricks Battle Mode offers an enticing team-based challenge: a six-a-side stunt-off where you grind rails and pull tricks to capture ‘districts’, earning your squad of thrillseekers a potentially gamechanging score multiplier.

FAR: CHANGING TIDES

Developer Okomotive Publisher Frontier Developments Format PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release Late 2021

Another to add to the ‘Has it really been that long since the last one?’ list is this followup to the 2018 original, a sidescrolling charmer about a tiny girl and a chunky landship that seemed to come out of nowhere. This sequel is similarly unexpected, if only because the first felt so self-contained that we never considered it warranted a successor. Yet here we are.

Published through Frontier’s Foundry label (the same responsible for E358 cover game Lemnis Gate), Changing Tides sees our plucky hero take to the seas instead. It’s set in the same world as the first, and presumably we’ll discover how it went from parched to waterlogged (our money’s on this being a prequel). As in the original, you alternate between taking in the scenery and managing your vehicle – you can drop anchor and dive beneath the surface to search wrecks for salvage and fuel, and you may need to keep an eye on the weather, lest you need to batten down the hatches when storms approach.

Changing Tides may lack the original’s element of surprise, though ‘more of the same but wetter’ isn’t an unappealing idea. Assuming this talented Swiss team can sustain the delicate balance that made your relationship with your vehicle in the first game feel almost symbiotic, we’re confident we’ll enjoy the reflective ride as much as we did three years ago.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Developer Eidos Montreal Publisher Square Enix Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Release October 26

The general consensus around one of the worst-kept secrets of the summer was that a new Marvel licensed game would be a waste of the studio behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Doubtless the underwhelming launch of Marvel’s Avengers contributed to that cynical stance before so much as a second of footage had been seen. Well, we got more than a second. Much more. By common consent, this was a needlessly protracted overview, taking up almost half of Square Enix’s Summer Showcase – although once you saw the rest, you could understand why the publisher chose to spend so long on it.

The vibrant palette sets Guardians apart from most blockbusters, as does its sense of humour

As the first major opportunity to show off a game due out in a few short months, it surely made sense on paper. In practice, it sapped plenty of audience goodwill – and some of the zip out of a game that, granted, looks a lot like several other triple-A games blended into a colourful, easily digestible smoothie. Marvel’s Mass Effect? Uncharted In Space? Heck, it even had a ‘Rocket will remember that’ moment to remind us this isn’t the first Guardians videogame.

Yet there is plenty to admire here, too. The vibrant palette sets this apart from most blockbusters, as does its sense of humour: the wisecracks here have an edge to them, with the Guardians frequently bickering among themselves, delivering the sort of withering putdowns you’d only ever aim at your closest friends. Granted, the constant shouts during combat could well grow grating over a 15-hour adventure. Yet they’re useful, too. As Star-Lord you fight directly, combining your twin blasters with melee attacks. At the same time, you also command your fellow Guardians, choosing between four moves for each and working out which ones combine to most devastating effect. Launch an enemy with an uppercut, and Drax’s drop-kick will soon knock the wind out of them. Invite Rocket to leap into Groot’s harness, and he’ll become a mobile turret of sorts.