Xbox had a respectable 2021. Although Microsoft’s gaming platform only received two major AAA exclusives in the form of Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite, the Xbox Game Pass turned out to be the best deal when it comes to gaming. Even without significant exclusives, Microsoft’s subscription service has provided a wide variety of old and new games, some of which landed on Game Pass during their respective launches.
2022 holds enormous potential for Xbox. We expect to see a wide range of exclusives, large and small. The most notable game released in 2022 is that of Bethesda Starfield. Redfall (another Bethesda game) has the potential to be a major multiplayer title while Replaced looks like a sleek indie title.
While there are a fair number of games coming to Xbox in 2022, there are several with unconfirmed release dates. This includes titles like the upcoming Forza Motorsport and Obsidian’s Confessed. Another flagship title with no confirmed release is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Games like The Elder Scrolls VI, The Outer Worlds 2, Everwild, and Fable probably won’t release in 2022 (or even 2023). As such, we have not included them in this list.
Below, we’ve rounded up the most anticipated Xbox Series X games for 2022.
Starfield (November 11)
We’re kicking things off with what will undoubtedly be the biggest Xbox exclusive of 2022: Starfield. While Bethesda is releasing little more than concept artwork and (presumably) minor clips of in-game footage, many people are salivating over this release. There are several reasons why.
The main thing is that this is the first all-new solo title from Bethesda Softworks in years. While Bethesda-developed titles like Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are known to be buggy, their gameplay and open-ended storylines are different from similar open-world games. Starfield is indeed Fallout and Skyrim in space, which is something to be excited about.
Then there’s the gritty sci-fi setting. Instead of having the kind of fantastic gadgets you see at properties like Star Trek or Mass Effect, Starfield is more akin to The Expanse or the original Alien. Bethesda delivers a realistic representation of space where the laws of physics reign supreme. Yes, there will be plenty of alien worlds to explore and plenty of distinct civilizations to interact with, but it seems to be more ingrained than what you would see in a standard sci-fi game.
Finally, Starfield will be the first high-profile Bethesda game to be released after Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax. This means that Starfield will only be released on Xbox and PC consoles. This point may frustrate PlayStation users, but it gives Microsoft a chance to bring those same players into the Xbox ecosystem. Starfield could significantly increase the number of players on Xbox Game Pass … which would justify the 7.5 billion dollars spent to acquire Zenimax.
Starfield will be released on November 11, 2022.
Redfall (summer 2022)
Redfall is the other major Bethesda exclusive on this list. Like Starfield, we don’t know much about this open-world co-op shooter. But the few details we know of are worth getting excited about.
Redfall pits you, along with up to three other players, against hordes of dangerous vampires. In-game challenges and item locations change based on your actions. Based on that, Redfall looks a lot like Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood, only with vampires instead of zombies. The constantly evolving gameplay will certainly keep the missions lively and give the title additional replayability.
Developer Arkane Studios’ unique aesthetic imprint is all over Redfall, with stylish moody environments and striking character designs. Arkane titles like Prey, Dishonored, and Deathloop can be hit or miss in terms of gameplay and storytelling, but no one can deny that they are visually striking. At the very least, Redfall will be one of the nicest Xbox exclusives.
Redfall will be released in the summer of 2022.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl (April 28)
Xbox has long been considered the home of first-person shooters, so it’s fitting that STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is coming to the platform as a console exclusive. The game’s first trailer wowed us with visions of a gloomy post-apocalyptic world filled with deadly monsters and equally brutal weather phenomena. Now that developer GSC Game World abandoned his NFT plans, we have even more reasons to pay attention to this title.
On the surface, STALKER 2 has many similarities to the Metro franchise. Both are FPS games set in post-apocalyptic locations in Eastern Europe and have a plethora of mutated monstrosities to contend with. What sets STALKER 2 apart from Metro is its emphasis on horror and survival gameplay. The game’s narrative will not be linear and will change based on player choices. This last point is appealing because it potentially means that two players will not have the same experience. STALKER 2 will eventually receive a free multiplayer add-on after launch, which is certainly another selling point.
Expect STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl on April 28, 2022.
Contempt
Scorn is one of the scariest games to come to Xbox. Originally slated as the launch title for the Xbox Series X, this HR Giger-inspired survival horror title will finally scare Xbox owners in 2022.
Although Scorn has been in development since 2014, we know very little about it. You will play as a skinless humanoid and explore a strange alien environment in a non-linear fashion. There are creatures to fight and there will likely be survival elements like the need to scavenge resources. The developers have stated that Scorn will not have a dialogue and that its story will be told in a contextual way across the environments you visit.
We expect these same environments and their otherworldly, disturbing design to appeal to gamers. I’m as ignorant of Scorn as anyone, but I want to play it to feast on the gruesome visuals. Not only is Scorn visually similar to the work of HR Giger, but it is also reminiscent of the original Quake in some ways. Even if the gameplay falls flat, Scorn will be one of the more distinctive titles of the next year.
Scorn will be released in 2022.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is another Left 4 Dead-style four-player co-op shooter, available exclusively on Xbox Series X. This one sets itself apart from other games inspired by Valve’s zombie shooter by taking place in the universe. Warhammer. This same universe is admittedly intimidating for newcomers, as there is so much Warhammer content. But Warhammer 40,000 seems like a good entry point into the franchise, to say the least.
All we know about the history of the game so far is that you play as one of four Imperial Guards who must battle hordes of undead creatures in an ancient ruined city. Based on the game’s trailer, it looks like Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will have a slightly comedic tone. I don’t know enough about Warhammer to know if this is normal for the franchise or not. But since you’ll be blasting monsters with friends for hours on end, a little humor shouldn’t get in the way.
Co-op shooters like this are almost always nice. As such, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide should be a great choice for Xbox Game Pass when it releases next year.
Replaced
Replaced is a sleek 2.5D platformer that should serve as a respite from all of the big AAA titles coming to Xbox in 2022. We don’t know much about this one but its’ 80s cyberpunk-inspired art style and its beautiful pixel art graphics have intrigued us.
From a gameplay perspective, Replaced will have a mix of platforming and action. The trailer shows the main character using melee combat and weapons to take out enemies. There is little information about the history of the game. What we do know is that you play as an artificial intelligence called REACH that is trapped inside a human body. It’s a title to watch out for if you’re a fan of retro-futuristic sci-fi.
Replaced is due sometime in 2022.
CrossfireX
CrossfireX is an updated version of the original Crossfire released in 2007. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it as the game was only released in Asia. This western adaptation of the hit first-person shooter had an open beta in summer 2020 but will finally be released in 2022.
An interesting thing about CrossfireX is that it will feature two brand new Campaign Missions developed by Remedy Entertainment. This should add some variety to what is an otherwise straightforward multiplayer title similar to Counterstrike: Global Offensive. Like CS: GO, CrossfireX has two enemy factions competing against each other to achieve objectives such as planting / diffusing bombs or maintaining control of specific areas of a map.
We’ll see if CrossfireX becomes as important in the West as it does in the East when it releases on February 10, 2022.
Somerville
If Somerville looks like a spiritual successor to Limbo and Inside, it’s because it’s developed by Playdead co-founder Dino Patti. Like these two games, Somerville is a moody platformer where players face heartbreaking challenges in order to survive.
Instead of controlling one character, you’ll control four of them: a mother, father, son, and the family dog. Somerville has a near-war of the worlds feel as the planet has been devastated by alien machines. As with many games on this list, we don’t know much about Somerville. If it’s something like Limbo and Inside, it will be an unforgettable trip.
Somerville is coming to Xbox and PC in 2022.
