The year 2022 was undeniably significant for the PC gaming community, ushering in a plethora of new releases that spanned every conceivable genre and pushed boundaries in innovative ways. As the accompanying video highlights a top 50 list, this supplementary article aims to delve deeper into a selection of these noteworthy titles, offering an expanded perspective on their unique mechanics, developmental insights, and the impact they have had or are anticipated to make within the gaming landscape. The sheer volume and diversity of these new PC games 2022 underscore a vibrant era for players seeking fresh experiences and refined gameplay.
Exploring the Landscape of New PC Games 2022
The year presented an impressive array of titles, from highly anticipated blockbusters to innovative indie darlings. Each game, in its own right, contributed to a rich tapestry of interactive entertainment, providing players with countless hours of engagement. A deeper look into some of the standout entries reveals the creativity and technical prowess driving the industry.
1. Elden Ring: A Redefinition of Open-World Action RPGs
Positioned at the apex of many “best of” lists for 2022, Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware, masterfully evolved the studio’s signature “Souls-like” combat and environmental storytelling within an expansive, seamlessly interconnected open world. The game’s design, often compared favorably to *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* for its revolutionary approach, actively encourages player exploration and discovery. Critical path progression is frequently bypassed in favor of organic encounters and hidden secrets, ensuring a consistent sense of mystery and reward. The narrative, enriched by the contributions of George R.R. Martin, provides a dense lore that players are invited to uncover at their own pace, moving away from explicit quest markers towards a more intuitive, curiosity-driven journey. Its impact on open-world design principles is expected to resonate for years, influencing future RPG titles with its emphasis on freedom and emergent gameplay.
2. Starfield: Bethesda’s Ambitious Galactic Odyssey
Bethesda Game Studios, renowned for its expansive RPGs like *The Elder Scrolls* and *Fallout*, embarked on a new frontier with Starfield. This open-world RPG transports players into a vast, uncharted cosmos, offering a fresh universe to explore. The premise of taking the familiar Bethesda formula—deep lore, extensive exploration, and choice-driven narratives—and projecting it into space immediately captured the attention of the gaming world. While concerns were noted regarding the continued utilization of the Creation Engine, Bethesda’s proprietary technology, the promise of interstellar travel, diverse alien species, and intricate faction dynamics suggested a compelling experience. The game was unveiled with an estimated release date of November 11th, highlighting its potential as a flagship title for the year.
3. Hogwarts Legacy: An Immersive Wizarding World Experience
For enthusiasts of the Wizarding World, Hogwarts Legacy offered an unprecedented opportunity to enroll as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This action RPG, set in the late 1800s, predates the familiar narratives of Harry Potter, allowing for a fresh, unencumbered story. Players are tasked not only with attending classes and mastering spells but also with embarking on a grand adventure to uncover ancient secrets and confront dangerous foes. The emphasis on player agency within an iconic setting, coupled with open-world exploration, resonated strongly with fans who had long desired an immersive, interactive journey through this beloved universe. The game’s success was largely contingent on its ability to faithfully reproduce the magical ambiance while introducing engaging gameplay mechanics.
4. Atomic Heart: A BioShock-esque Soviet Dystopia
Atomic Heart presented a visually striking and narratively intriguing first-person shooter with pronounced action RPG elements, drawing clear inspiration from the atmospheric depth of *BioShock*. Set in an alternate reality Soviet Union of 1955, the game posited a history where advanced robotics, developed in the 1930s, had enabled the USSR to achieve an early victory against Nazi Germany. However, an ambitious project involving artificial intelligence and organic tissue merging spirals out of control, transforming a utopian vision into a nightmarish dystopia. The game’s biopunk aesthetic, characterized by organic machinery and grotesque human-robot hybrids, contributed to a truly unique and unsettling atmosphere, promising a challenging and thought-provoking experience.
5. Dying Light 2: Stay Human: The Apex of Parkour-Driven Survival
Building upon the foundations of its predecessor, Dying Light 2: Stay Human expanded the concept of open-world zombie survival with an unparalleled emphasis on parkour. The fluid and dynamic traversal system became a central pillar of gameplay, allowing players to navigate a sprawling, infected city with remarkable agility. This mechanic not only facilitated escape from hordes of the undead but also provided strategic advantages during combat and exploration. The day-night cycle was ingeniously integrated, transforming the environment and enemy behaviors to create distinct gameplay rhythms. At night, the danger escalates significantly, compelling players to utilize their parkour skills to remain on rooftops and elevated structures, making for a truly engaging risk-reward system within the zombie apocalypse.
Highly Anticipated Sequels and Remakes Further Enriched the Gaming Year
The year 2022 was also marked by the arrival of long-awaited sequels and meticulously crafted remakes, catering to both veteran players and newcomers alike. These titles often aimed to modernize beloved experiences while preserving their core appeal, ensuring a continuous stream of engaging PC gaming content.
6. A Plague Tale: Requiem: Continuing a Gritty Narrative
A direct sequel to the critically acclaimed *A Plague Tale: Innocence*, Requiem continued the harrowing journey of Amicia and Hugo as they navigated a plague-ridden medieval France. The original game was lauded for its poignant storytelling and atmospheric presentation, though its length was a minor point of contention for some. Requiem addressed this by offering a more substantial experience, clocking in at an estimated 16 hours of gameplay. This extension allowed for deeper character development, more elaborate environmental puzzles, and a broadened scope of the narrative, intensifying the emotional weight and expanding upon the compelling relationship between the two protagonists. The game was expected to further solidify the series’ reputation for impactful, story-driven adventure.
7. Redfall: Arkane Studios’ Vampire Hunting Co-op
Arkane Studios, celebrated for its immersive simulations like *Dishonored* and *Prey*, ventured into new territory with Redfall. This open-world action-adventure shooter featured both single-player and co-operative modes, allowing up to four players to team up against a vampiric menace. Set in the isolated town of Redfall, Massachusetts, the game presented a unique blend of Arkane’s signature environmental design and emergent gameplay within a co-op framework. Players were offered a choice of four distinct characters, each equipped with unique abilities, fostering varied strategic approaches to combat and exploration. The prospect of Arkane’s distinctive approach to world-building and player powers being applied to a vampire-hunting scenario generated considerable excitement among genre enthusiasts, with the game scheduled for a summer release.
8. Company of Heroes 3: World War II Strategy Reimagined
For fans of real-time strategy (RTS) titles, Company of Heroes 3 marked a significant return for the acclaimed series. Set across the Italian and North African theaters of World War II, this entry introduced a dynamic campaign map and innovative mechanics that allowed for greater strategic depth beyond individual skirmishes. Key improvements included enhanced terrain and structure destruction systems, offering a more visceral and impactful battlefield experience. The ambition to significantly update the series while honoring its legacy of tactical combat and historical authenticity was evident, positioning Company of Heroes 3 as a major release for RTS aficionados in late 2022.
9. Dead Space Remake: A Classic Horror Reimagined
The remake of Dead Space represented a significant event for horror gaming. The original, recognized as a pinnacle of narrative horror with its terrifying monsters and claustrophobic space station setting, was poised for a modern revitalization. Motive Studio took on the task of rebuilding the game from the ground up, utilizing contemporary graphical fidelity and refined gameplay mechanics, while meticulously preserving the atmospheric tension and iconic moments of the original. Expectations were high that this remake would not only appeal to long-time fans but also introduce a new generation of players to the visceral terror of the USG Ishimura, confirming the enduring power of its initial design.
Unique Experiences and Genre Blends Captivated Gamers
Beyond traditional sequels and remakes, several titles in 2022 distinguished themselves through innovative concepts and bold genre fusions, contributing to the rich diversity of new PC games 2022.
10. Stray: A Feline Adventure in a Cyberpunk World
Stray offered a refreshingly unique perspective, casting players as a curious cat navigating a mysterious, robot-populated cyberpunk city devoid of human life. This adventure game combined environmental puzzle-solving, platforming, and a poignant narrative focused on the cat’s journey to return to its family. The “cat-oriented traversal” and meticulous attention to feline behaviors provided an immersive and endearing experience, allowing players to interact with the environment in novel ways. Its distinctive aesthetic and heartwarming premise garnered widespread attention, showcasing the potential for unconventional protagonists in narrative-driven gaming.
11. Palworld: Pokémon Meets Survival-Crafting-Shooter
Palworld emerged as a distinctive open-world, multiplayer survival-crafting game that provocatively blended creature collection mechanics akin to *Pokémon* with elements of shooters and base building. While the immediate visual comparisons to *Pokémon* were undeniable, Palworld aimed to differentiate itself through its action-oriented combat and survival systems, offering a darker, more dynamic take on monster hunting. The concept of integrating “Pals” into base construction, resource gathering, and combat added layers of strategic depth not typically found in traditional creature-collecting games. This bold fusion of genres presented a title with significant potential to create a new niche within the multiplayer survival space.
12. Scorn: A Biopunk Journey Through the Macabre
After a protracted development cycle since its initial announcement in 2014, Scorn finally saw its release in October 2022, delivering a hauntingly unique biopunk horror experience. Inspired by the works of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, the game immersed players in a grotesque world where everything, including weaponry, appeared to be organic and disturbing. The non-linear design and lack of explicit guidance forced players to grapple with its alien logic, making the experience both unsettling and intellectually stimulating. Scorn’s aesthetic alone was a defining feature, pushing the boundaries of environmental storytelling and establishing a truly memorable, albeit disturbing, artistic vision.
13. Nightingale: A Bizarre New Frontier for Survival-Crafting
Nightingale redefined expectations for the survival/crafting genre by immersing players in a truly bizarre and visually distinct Fae-infused world. Revealed at the Game Awards, the game distinguished itself with its unique aesthetic and expansive building mechanics, allowing players to construct entire towns which then required defense against monstrous, sometimes “disgusting looking creatures.” The innovative approach to world generation and the rich, fantastical lore promised an experience unlike any other in the crowded survival space. Slated for early access, Nightingale offered an intriguing glimpse into a universe that consistently defied conventional genre tropes.
