The beginning of the year opened with some surprisingly high-profile releases packed together, including a mainline Pokémon game, PC ports, FromSoftware's latest Souls-like epic, and remasters of acclaimed PlayStation games. However, 2022 is still posed to have a respectable close going into December.
Coming off the back of a strong November packed with blockbusters, this month will bring some smaller, but no less exciting titles. December will be mostly characterized by some original releases with the potential to spark some intrigue, as well as a remaster of a beloved Compilation of Final Fantasy VII game and a welcome next/current-gen update to CD Projekt Red's greatest achievement.
The Callisto Protocol
Over the course of the next year, the horror genre in games will be getting another welcome surge in popularity. Remakes for Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, and Silent Hill 2 are all set for early next year but, in the meantime, game director Glen Schofield (of Dead Space fame) is leading Striking Distance Studios for The Callisto Protocol.
The game certainly makes no secret of its influences, with the sci-fi/alien-themed setting and use of visceral combat and body horror. It's set on a moon-based prison this time, with players taking on the role of an inmate tasked with escaping as the inmates around him are afflicted by a horrific disease. The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2nd for PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, and PC.
Marvel's Midnight Suns
The superhero genre has seen a resurgence in gaming, but, at the same time, more recent releases have been proving lackluster. Square Enix's take on the Avengers was maligned for its soulless game-as-a-service model, and WB Montréal's latest in Gotham Knights is still firmly living in the shadow of the Batman: Arkham series.
Hopefully, Firaxis Games' Midnight Suns will break that streak, taking a unique spin on what players have come to know of the superhero gaming subgenre. Known for their XCOM games, this developer team will be taking a tactical-RPG spin on the Marvel universe, complete with a supernatural theme, original story, and original protagonist. Midnight Suns releases for PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on December 2nd.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
Originally released on the PlayStation Portable as part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII collection, Crisis Core easily became the most well-received spin-off game. The game served as a prequel to the main game, putting a spotlight on Cloud Strife's best friend and comrade in arms Zack Fair, chronicling an emotionally charged story that gives even more powerful context to the story so many have fallen in love with.
And in a surprising turn of events, Square Enix is set to release a modern-day remaster of the game, now titled Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion to (presumably) go along with the ongoing Remake series. Aside from a stunning graphical facelift -- especially by remaster standards -- Reunion will incorporate a host of quality-of-life changes to the gameplay loop. The game releases on December 13th for PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, Switch, and PC.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Next-Gen Update)
CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still stands as one of the greatest modern fantasy RPGs, and the game is also set for something of a makeover. Somewhere beneath a remaster and a remake in scope, the Polish developer will be releasing a free next/current-gen update to give the game a refresh on modern hardware. The game will feature new 4K textures for just about everything in the world, ray-tracing capabilities, framerate boosts for consoles, various new accessibility options, mod integration, and more.
The Witcher 3 is revered for its deeply immersive dark fantasy world, superb storytelling, an abundance of meaningful content, and gripping characters. This, in addition to being free, should be enough to convince players to dive back in on December 14th for PS5, XSX|S, and PC.
Sonic Frontiers
The Sonic franchise has been rather tumultuous in terms of releasing quality games for some time now, but Sega is looking to push its ambitions forward with the upcoming Frontiers. This platforming game will implement the series' first-ever open world while implementing classic Sonic gameplay conventions like rail grinding and collecting rings.
Its open world will also incorporate puzzle-solving elements in addition to robots to fight. Longtime fans will surely be eager to see this pay off, with Sonic Frontiers releasing on November 8th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Commonly regarded as one of the earliest pillars of the tactical-RPG subgenre, Tactics Ogre is finally getting a modern-day revitalization through Reborn. The recent resurgence of the subgenre can be partly attributed to the success of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems' Fire Emblem series, but much of that can be owed to the strengths of Tactics Ogre's deeply layered turn-based combat combined with an equally compelling high-fantasy story.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remaster of the game, touted with new features like full voice acting, improved graphics, and streamlined battle mechanics. The remaster is set to release on November 11th for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
God Of War: Ragnarök
Acclaimed as one of the best games to come from the PS4 console generation, the long-awaited sequel is finally just around the corner. God of War: Ragnarök is a direct sequel to the 2018 game, picking up from the revelation surrounding Atreus' lineage and set to close the Norse saga of the series.
The latter game was recently ported to PC to capitalize on the excitement, and Ragnarök will almost surely deliver a rich cinematic experience on top of the gripping and cathartic combat gameplay. God of War: Ragnarök launches on November 9th for PS4 and PS5.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
After the refreshing and much-needed gameplay shakeup that was Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Game Freak will look to follow up on that ingenuity with Scarlet and Violet. While the former was also considered a mainline game, this new pair will usher in the 9th generation of the series, complete with new species to meet, catch, train, and battle.
On top of the colorful new creatures, Scarlet and Violet will introduce the series' first truly seamless open world in addition to a new multi-player component that allows four players to share the same world to explore. There's a lot of potential in these new games that could excitingly push the franchise to long-awaited new heights. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18th for Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta 3
After fans spent an agonizing amount of time in radio silence, Bayonetta 3 is just about to reward their collective patience. Developer PlatinumGames has built up a pedigree of developing high-tier action-oriented titles, and fans are optimistic that this long-awaited third entry will be a return to form.
The titular and fan-favorite Umbra Witch is known for her colorful adventures that take inspiration from other acclaimed action games like Capcom's Devil May Cry, but she also stands proudly on her own two feet. On top of new abilities to deepen the addictive hack-and-slash combat, the story will feature an exciting multiversal twist to incorporate new characters. Bayonetta 3 launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 28th.
The Last Of Us Part I
It admittedly doesn't make much sense on the surface for a game as well-aged as Naughty Dog's The Last of Us to get a PS5 remake, especially considering how it holds up even better thanks to 2014's PS4 remaster. This could very well be an attempt to capitalize on HBO's highly-anticipated upcoming TV adaptation, but since the game is commonly hailed as one of the greatest story-driven titles ever, The Last of Us Part I will no doubt take the lion's share of the limelight this fall.
On top of remade visuals taking advantage of the PS5's impressive hardware power, the game aims to modernize the controls and combat mechanics to match the streamlined changes in The Last of Us Part II. The Last of Us Part I was released on September 2nd, with a PC release at a later date.