Feature: Xbox Series X|S Games To Look Forward To In 2022

hoping for a new achievement list for Witcher🙏

I can't believe you haven't listed Sonic Origins.

Certainly could be a 'Strong' year for gaming - assuming that they all release this year in a 'fit' state to release and without any NFT's or other 'unwanted' BS.

@Joabra01Swe I very much doubt it - its not a 'new' game but a free 'update' and your 'progress' is carrying over so its incredibly unlikely that you'll have all the Achievements to 'earn' again. At best, they may release some DLC with some 'new' achievements to earn but the existing achievements should carry over - like they will with Cyberpunk 2077 and all the 'other' games that get upgrades.

Its not 'new' release as such - not like a 'remastered' package with its own 'unique' version that you have to start from 'scratch' again.

Starfield and Elden ring are my most hyped games for 2022 but looking forward to a lot of games on all systems including god of war

Is it likely that Forza Motorsport could be coming out this year? Looks like another good lineup of the first party games: Starfield, Redfall, Hellblade 2 but would be awesome if they also throw in Motorsport.

I hope hogwarts Legacy isn't delayed. Easily my most anticipated game.

Is replaced or midnight fight express releasing this year?

Happy new year's, to all

@CrazyJF holding out for it on Xbox, but it still may get a Steam purchase if they string it out too long..

Good list here, and I do think there are quite a few tasty things we don't know about yet....

@BAMozzy
okay thanks, sad news for me, I chose to play Skyrim on ps5 recently because there were a new list unlike Xbox. I may be too addicted

@antifyre @CrazyJF Final Fantasy VII Remake new-gen version could be coming to Xbox in June or soon after, when Epic's exclusivity deal expires. It's very likely considering that that version runs on Windows like Xbox and enough time to iron it out.

Mainly looking forward to the big games getting added to gamepass such as Starfield, red fall and hellblade 2 and hopefully state of decay 3 whilst all my multi plats will be on ps5

I hope starfield is a return to form for Bethesda, not that I hated fallout 4 but compared to their previous work is was a bit of a drop. I have a good feeling about it however.
Elden ring is no.1 for me as I imagine it is for a lot of people. Redfall looks very interesting, could be my new go to multiplayer game but will have to wait and see.
Nobody saves the world demo was really addictive and fun so the full release will be a must play, as will be hellblade and plaques tale sequels.

Looking forward to Redfall and Elden Ring..

@Joabra01Swe If you buy the Witcher 3 on a 'new' platform, like buy the Xbox version after playing on PS4, you will get a new set of Achievements. The Trophies for Skyrim were probably for a 'new' version - the Anniversary edition perhaps which had its own unique set of Trophies to any other version on that hardware.

Free 'upgrades' are just that - an 'upgrade' to the 'existing' game. Its not a 'separate' game release. Its like getting a PS4 Pro patch or 'X' patch and all your progress, trophies/achievements etc all carry over. Its no different from playing Forza Horizon 5 or Halo: Infinite on XB1, then upgrading to Series X and getting the X version installed - all your progress and achievements carry over.

If they were releasing a 'remaster' as a 'unique' release, then you would expect to have to start from scratch and unlock all the achievements again, but you don't expect them to 'reset' all your achievements/progress with an 'update'...

It's a solid list so far.
Really looking forward to Hellblade 2 and intrigued to see how Sonic Frontiers fairs..
No Forza Motorsport on the list, is there any chance of it releasing in 2022?

@BANJO wondering the same about motorsport. Would love to play that!

It’s not a “bad” list it’s an ok “list”. A few for me to “look forward” to still a “bit” light. The “two” driving games at the “top” for “me”.

If I have the console, I'll be swapping my lego star wars preorder to xbox. Can't wait for that. Same for plague tale 2 and hogwarts legacy.

You guys didn't include The Invincible from Starward Industries.

Like with Nintendo life's list the only games that I'm interested in on this list are multi platform & I'll get on my playstation probably won't be hyped for another Xbox exclusive till the next gears of war

@Chaudy

Yeah, I see Starfield and Forza dropping in the holiday period (Nov/Dec 2022) to drive holiday sales, like Halo and Forza H5 did this year.

@antstephenson Starfield + Forza, that would be such 🔥 hot combination

@Joabra01Swe I don't understand why all games don't get new achievements each year. Even if it's only one or two to bring fans back in.

@CrazyJF I don't think FF7 will ever get an Xbox release. I think Sony partially funded the project as they had a goal to increase the Playstation 4 popularity by releasing FF7 exclusively. I remember reading that somewhere.

Elden Ring and Starfield are what I want most. Of course, Witcher 3's Series X update is something to look forward to since I stopped playing the game on X1 specifically for that update.

Has anyone played elden ring? I'm trying to decide if I want to play it. I didn't like the dark souls I felt too forced down narrow hall ways oh and I stunk at it.

I don't think Dead Space and Hellblade are coming this year. Still a lot of great games to look out for.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force, King of Fighters XV, Stranger of Final Fantasy, Edge of Eternity.

Less and less to play and buy as I hate multi-cheater games.

@Chaudy Have you got links to anything that actually says that Sony funded FF7R, partially or otherwise? I'm absolutely certain it's a myth.

I know they promoted the game at E3, paid for some form of exclusivity and may have covered some advertising costs but I've yet to see a single shred of real evidence that they funded development for it in any way whatsoever.

@Shigurui I think the funded part I just read on forums may or may not be true, but there is this bit:

"Another reason for developing the remake was that Square Enix was creating a growing library of PlayStation 4 titles, and the team hoped to increase the console's popularity."

This is in the development section of FF7 remake on Wikipedia, it's even cited from another article. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_Remake

This suggests that it was made exclusively for the Playstation in mind so that it makes Console more popular with consumers.

Only 2 games on the list i would consider playing. Scorn and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

Very hyped for a new Test Drive Unlimited!

@Chaudy I was asking because I always see people say Sony funded FF7R but nobody ever has anything to back it up, it's always anecdotal at best. Not having a pop at you btw, I've seen it said many times by many people, I just don't think it's true.

That's not to say Sony don't have lifetime console exclusivity, I mean Splinter Cell Conviction never went to another console beside the 360 and that baffles me too lol.

@Shigurui yeah same I've seen the funding thing a few times as well but I also can't find any sources to back it up. I'm not sure how the exclusivity for this game works to be honest, but it released all the way back in 2020 and there is absolutely no sign of it coming to Xbox anytime soon.

Then there's also rumours about part 2 being in development for Playstation. Would love to play the game one day. Hopefully I'm proven wrong and it does release on Xbox.

Ouch, not a good line up for me. Nothing I am excited for but I will get the new saints row and a plague tale. Well gamepass will keep me until something I want comes out.

Goldeneye, slappers only, online

The games I really looked forward to have already been released! My most anticipated game that remains now is easily Hogwarts Legacy.

I don't really get "excited" for games any more as I find I'm far more impressed by stuff I've never heard of than those I anticipate.

Still good to see that a decent number of high profile titles coming to Game Pass. Hopefully we'll get to hear more info about a lot of these as we know little besides "this game exists".

There are no Xbox One games to look forward to in 2022? Given that (at current run rate of production) the Series machines will still be less than 50% of the total install base by the end of the year that's pretty disappointing...guess I should start to look for a PS5

Looking forward to GTA V in 2022, who'd have thought. I forgot about Scorn again, but I think Atomic Heart will do well for my shooter needs after whatever happened to CrossfireX, it should do me well until both Scorn and Stalker 2 drop. And SR ofcourse 😍

I dont think its the best year for xbox so far, but I hope we will get a few surprises too. Its probably just as well as there are some big hitters on the otger side that may take me a while to finish off!
Intrigued to see if bethusda can still cut it, and I hope starfield is everything we are all hoping for.... could be something special.

You can't ignore Sonic Origins! It's the first time that the best game in the series is remastered: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.

A plaques tale 2 and starfield are my top picks for Xbox this year (and hellblade 2 if it is this year).
Gotham knights, Hogwarts, Trek to Yomi and Redfall are likely but will I'll wait to know more.
Also have Tunic, FAR and new game plus on Nobody Saves the World backlogged so my Xbox should be getting a fair bit of use

Hogwarts Legacy is the easy day 1 purchase for me!!!

Lego Star Wars, MLB the Show, The Quarry, STALKER 2, Starfield, Gotham Knights, Scorn, Saints Row, Witcher 3, Hogwarts Legacy, A Plague Tale Requiem, Atomic Heart, Dead Space, Prince of Persia and Hellblade 2.

All will be physical buys for my collection.

@FraserG Thank you 😊.

@FraserG

Hellblade 2 gets on there with no release date but Sonic needs one!?!? Not impressed with this treatment of the Blue Bomber😝

I'm certainly getting my money worth with GP.

@Moto5 Thanks!

@FraserG It's only fair! What were you thinking?! Sonic 3 & Knuckles gets remastered for the first time👌 and it's one of the best 2D platformers ever made 😍.

That's a lot of Gamepass games. Sweet!

There's a surprising amount for me to look at this year. Elden Ring has been one, and Sonic Origins is my childhood so hopefully it's a good compilation title on par with the old mega collection or gems collection releases. Frontiers could be cool, but it's hard to say with sonic team.

Otherwise everything but hogwarts that I'm interested in will be on gamepass which is very nice.

Wow, I didn't realise how barren 2022 was until reading this. Pretty much just Starfield and Hogwarts Legacy that I'm really excited about, although I have to imagine we're getting Forza Motorsport this year too, but understand it not being on the list as it's not got a 2022 release date for now.

The second half of 2015 was where last gen took off, and 2022 is the same time frame this gen, but not seeing anywhere near the quantity or quality this time around.

Hogwarts Legacy is my day 1 purchase, assuming that it’s good!

@Peach64 I'd argue that the last gen consoles were not really offering developers too much ambition due to CPU limitations and that meant that games looked 'next-gen' because of the GPU upgrade, but were not that ambitious in terms of game-play.

Games were also 'quicker' to make in general and were not 'interrupted' by a global pandemic that 'slowed' down the teams considerably. That's impacted a LOT of developers who perhaps expected there projects to be released by now, but have been delayed and delayed - some into 2023.

Sony has a 'great' start to 2022 with H:FW, GT7, Ghostwire and God of War:Ragnarok 'expected' this year too, but all of those were originally planned to release by 2021.

A LOT of the games we are 'waiting' on from MS, games like Forza Motorsport, Hellblade 2, Avowed, Everwild, State of Decay 3 etc were all revealed before the pandemic hit and no doubt had a big impact on the big AAA game development time and therefore, the 'quantity' of games, quite probably the quality too as you can't exactly get 100 QA testers together to test your 'project' in a secure way.

Quality though can be somewhat preference - MSFS, Halo, Psychonauts 2 and FH5 contributed to MS's highest average metacritic score for the publisher so that would say hat critically, the games released have been 'quality' too - whether you actually want to play or not is a different matter.

Redfall could well be another 'highly rated' game too - along with Starfield, Forza Motorsport and whatever else is 'ready' to release this year.

To authors of this article - just to be clear: it's not 'Russia and Ukraine situation', it's a full-scale, cruel war of russia against Ukraine. They invaded my country and are killing, raping and torturing our people, including elderly and children. They destroyed a whole big city Mariupol by shelling it with 500kg air bombs. They abducted and deported to far sides of russia tens of thousands of our people. It's a genocide. Calling it a 'situation' is totally wrong. You can at least support Ukraine by calling this cruel war a war.