Here are 10 lesser-known late 2022 games to keep on your radar

The end of August is fast approaching, meaning there are, effectively, only four months left of 2022. Time flies, eh?

Naturally, this last third of the year is always a big one for entertainment, as companies plan all kinds of releases out in time for the holidays. In the world of gaming, specifically, we have such major upcoming 2022 titles as Splatoon 3 (September 9th), the Canadian-made Gotham Knights (October 21st), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (October 28th) Sonic Frontiers (November 8th), God of War: Ragnarök (November 9th) and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (November 18th).

But while those games are undoubtedly exciting, it’s safe to say most people already know about them. Instead, then, we want to highlight some other titles that are still on the way this year — those that you likely aren’t familiar with. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that any of these could, in theory, get delayed, but for now, here are 10 lesser-known games set to release in late 2022 that are worth keeping your eye on.

Atomic Heart

Platforms: PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC (also on Xbox Game Pass day one)
Release date: TBA late 2022

While we’re still who-knows-how-many-years away from the next BioShock, developer Mundfish has a new action-RPG that should hopefully fill that void. Enter Atomic Heart, a retrofuturistic adventure set in an alternate USSR in 1955. In the game, players assume the role of a mentally unstable KGB agent who must investigate a facility overrun by robots and other freakish experiments. The appropriately creepy atmosphere gives off BioShock vibes, as does the first-person combat, which mixes traditional gunplay with a special glove that gives you the ability to shoot the likes of fire, lightning and ice.

The Chant

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: November 3rd, 2022

Good horror games don’t seem to come by too often nowadays, but The Chant, the first game from Vancouver-based Brass Token, certainly looks promising. Jess Briars (The Quarry‘s Siobhan Williams) heads to an island for a spiritual retreat, only to discover a deadly cult and all kinds of cosmic horrors. To survive, Jess will have to explore the interconnected areas of Glory Island, manage resources for crafting and use both melee weapons and supernatural abilities. Oh, and Mike Skupa, the lead designer on fan-favourite games Bully and Sleeping Dogs, is the creative director and CEO at Brass Token, which just sweetens the deal.

Harvestella

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Release date: November 4th, 2022

Sims have become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to the likes of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and now, Square Enix is offering its own unique take on the genre. Notably, the game isn’t just about farming, although that’s certainly a key part of it. In addition to gathering crops, Harvestella has you venturing out to find resources, and you’ll occasionally battle enemies through an MMO-esque combat system. All told, it looks like Stardew Valley meets Final Fantasy, which certainly makes for an intriguing mix-up.

Immortality

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, Android, iOS (also on Xbox Game Pass on day one)
Release date: August 30th, 2022

Sam Barlow (Her Story, Telling Lies) is back with a new interactive FMV game, which features screenwriters Allan Scott (The Queen’s Gambit), Amelia Gray (Mr. Robot) and Barry Gifford (Lost Highway). The game is about a missing film star named Marissa Marcel, who made three films that were never released. As the player, you’ll have to explore lost footage from each film, carve your own path in the mystery and, ultimately, discover what happened to Marcel.

Pentiment

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC (also on Xbox Game Pass on day one)
Release date: November 15th, 2022

Josh Sawyer is a big name in gaming thanks to his work on Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. Now, he’s leading a small team at Xbox-owned veteran studio Obsidian on a fascinating and unique adventure game, Pentiment. Set in 16th-century Bavaria, the game follows journeyman artist Andreas Maler as he investigates a prominent murder for which his friend has been accused. But instead of presenting any gameplay challenges, Sawyer is instead focusing on an open-ended narrative, wherein the game will never outright identify the murderer, but players will have to come to their own conclusions through branching dialogue. Throw in a striking painterly aesthetic that enhances the historical setting and Pentiment looks like a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch (cloud only), PC (also on Xbox Game Pass on day one)
Release date: October 18th, 2022

A Plague Tale: Innocence was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2019, and soon, developer Asobo will put forth the sequel. Picking up after the first game, young siblings Amecia and Hugo must find a cure for the latter’s blood disease while fleeing from both French Inquisition soldiers and deadly plague rats. While there’s still a heavy emphasis on stealth, Amecia is a much more capable fighter this time around and can wield a knife and crossbow on top of her handy sling. The first game’s novel historical setting was gripping, and the sequel’s significant gameplay improvements should only make for an all-around tighter experience.

Tactics Ogre Reborn

Platforms: PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release date: November 11th, 2022

Although Yasumi Matsuno is best known for his “Ivalice” games (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII), his original work on the Ogre Battle strategy series remains a cult favourite. Therefore, it’s exciting to now be getting a modern remaster of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, the PSP remake of Matsuno’s SNES classic of the same name. In particular, Reborn features enhancements like HD characters and backgrounds, an updated UI, improved sound, a new unit-by-unit levelling system and other quality-of-life tweaks. Not to mention the well-regarded politically-charged civil war story — branching paths and all — remains intact. Fans of Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem or, most recently, Triangle Strategy should pay attention to this one.

Scorn

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC (also day one on Xbox Game Pass)
Release date: October 21st, 2022

Ebb Software looks to be cooking up something delightfully twisted in Scorn. This first-person game has you controlling a skinless humanoid who must explore a nightmarish alien planet. Areas are interconnected but can be explored in a non-linear fashion, and you’ll need to use various biomechanical weapons in order to survive. However, Scorn isn’t a traditional shooter, so each and every encounter, even with a single enemy, is intended to be tense and challenging. The world itself is also quite mysterious with little context directly given to the player, so you’ll need to parse things together through environmental storytelling instead.

Session: Skate Sim

Platforms: PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release date: September 22nd, 2022 (full release — has been in early access)

The next (Canadian-made) Skate game is still far out, so Montreal-based Crea-ture Studios has its own spiritual successor to the EA skateboarding series. Made by a team of self-described skaters, Session: Skate Sim features a dual-stick control scheme and real-life iconic skate spots to create an authentic experience. Customize your skater with gear from the top brands, rack up high scores and use a robust video editor to capture your best moments.

Somerville

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC (also on Xbox Game Pass on day one)
Release date: TBA 2022

If you liked indie darling Playdead’s Limbo and Inside, this one’s definitely for you. Dino Patti, the co-founder of Playdead, has a new studio called Jumpship, and its debut work is an adventure game called Somerville. Like Playdead’s games, Somerville uses the world to tell its story — about a father, mother, son and their dog surviving the post-apocalypse — in place of dialogue. However, Playdead says the game isn’t strictly a 2D puzzle-platformer like those other games as some have believed and is instead focused more on exploration in a 3D space.

Which of these games are you looking forward to? Are there others you’re excited for? Let us know in the comments below.

Image credit: Brass Token