Last year was a quiet one for gaming as major studios delayed big titles owing to pandemic-induced challenges. From Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R, Martin’s Elden Ring to the much-awaited God of War Ragnarok, a host of major gaming titles were moved to 2022, which means this year’s roster looks like a stellar one.
While Nintendo has announced a ‘marquee of game releases’ scheduled for 2022, Netflix is looking to expand its portfolio of games across both casual and core gaming genres. January and February were already crowded with blockbuster releases like Total War: Warhammer 3, Lost Ark and Pokemon Legends Arceus. March is packed with next-gen showcases, anticipated remasters and expansive DLC content. My Kolkata scoured the list to bring you the biggest titles that are coming your way this month.
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7 is the eighth mainline entry in Polyphony Digital's popular racing simulator. It expands upon the core appeal of the sim racing video game as a service to its long-time fans. The top-notch graphics, stunning attention to vehicle detailing and accurate driving emulation are features that made the series such a global phenomenon in the first place. The new edition brings back the GT Simulation Mode that focuses on a definitive single-player campaign feature and also lets players customise and trade cars or unlock new options.
Playstation just released a seven-minute opening movie for the game which spotlights the game’s long-standing history with racing culture, featuring a compact history of cars. Sony also confirmed that there’ll be 400 customisable cars from over 50 manufacturers along with 90 tracks across 34 locations as part of its Day 1 launch. “On the surface, it’s an arcade-style race where you enjoy some motivating, up-tempo tunes while trying to reach checkpoints before time runs out. For new players, this is also a way to experience GT’s driving simulation gameplay and an opportunity to set your steering and pedal operation type and driving assist presets,” Playstation said in a blog post.
Gran Turismo 7 is available on PS4, but the best way to experience it is with a PS5 console connected to a 4K television for crisp visuals and 60 frames per second (fps) performance.
Release date: March 4, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Grand Theft Auto V Remastered
The hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition received flak when it dropped last November for numerous bugs, repeat assets and graphical inconsistencies. Though Rockstar Games has worked towards fixing the bugs, all eyes are on GTA 6 at the moment, which is reportedly in active development. But before that, Rockstar is set to release the Grand Theft Auto V Remastered version on March 15, although the developers have not released a trailer for the same, which has made fans anxious.
GTA 5 was first released on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 almost a decade ago and reportedly sold over 140 million copies worldwide. Since then, the game has been remastered for the PS4 and the Xbox One, and now an Xbox Series X/S and the PS5 version is on its way. Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S promises new graphics modes with up to 4K resolution, up to 60fps, texture and draw distance upgrades, HDR options and ray-tracing. Rockstar has also confirmed that a standalone version of GTA Online will release in March and will be free to play On PlayStation 5 for the first few months.
Release date: March 15, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Elex II
Piranha Bytes, the award-winning developers of the acclaimed Gothic and Risen series, just dropped the follow-up to the sci-fi action role-playing game Elex, which was released in 2017. In the sequel to the open-world RPG, Alb Commander Jax must unite the free people of the planet Magalan and help them grapple with a new alien threat, the Skyands.
Though the game retains some elements of the first title, there are some major upgrades in gameplay. The jetpack is garnering a lot of interest among players since it can be used to explore Magalan by traversing the map and even lets players fly! Players can also interact with a lived-in world, full of unique NPCs, engage in fluid close and ranged combat with an improved control system. Piranha Bytes is taking the immersive experience a notch higher since most of the actions in the game now have consequences, players can interact with NPCs who remember what they have done and may choose to join their quests.
Release date: March 1, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
WWE 2K22
The smackdown series by Visual Concepts is returning for its PS5 and Xbox Series X debut, where players can fight the most realistic-looking WWE superstars — from The Rock and Sasha Banks to Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. The game features some stunning visual effects engines, fresh camera angles, rescanned and realistic superstars etc. The big new addition to the game is GM Mode, which was introduced in Smackdown vs Raw 2006. This requested game mode reportedly lets players take on the role of WWE’s on-screen authority figures, such as Adam Pearce, William Regal, Sonya DeVille etc.
“MyGM has been the most requested addition to the franchise for the better part of a decade. You can expect to draft superstars, book matches, manage contracts, and prove you have what it takes to manage the most successful brand in sports entertainment, progressively working your way up from high school gyms to prime-time TV,” creative director Lynell Jinks said during a preview.
Last month, rapper Machine Gun Kelly was announced as the official executive producer for the game via a short trailer featuring Kelly and The Undertaker. MGK will also be featured in the game as a playable character, a DLC wrestler to be precise.
Release date: March 11, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
FAR: Changing Tides
Okomotive’s vehicle adventure follows the daunting journey of a young boy across stormy waters, flooded forest valleys, submerged enclaves and forgotten ruins, as his ship embarks on a voyage to find a new home. The sequel to 2018’s FAR: Lone Sails expands on the desolate and dystopian setting seen in the first game.
The protagonist helms a submarine-like vessel that can also travel on land. It’s not exactly an action-packed adventure, but more like a contemplative odyssey, where the protagonist must find his own way, arrange fuel for the vessel, solve puzzles to progress and keep the ship functioning.
The hand-painted locations have the fandom very excited about this outing since it makes the gameplay more immersive.
“Experience the thrill of captaining a distinctive seafaring vessel. Together you’ll brave high seas, navigate intense storms, and plumb the perils of a briny deep. Along the way, you’ll need to keep things functioning by unlocking parts, fixing faults and searching the watery depths for precious fuel and salvage. The farther you travel, the more you’ll learn about your ship’s fascinating complexities,” the developers shared on their website.
Release date: March 1, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC