Sometimes you want a game that has a strong narrative journey. We should have you covered if you want an emotional connection in the game narrative in 2022. In this list, we will highlight a few games that we think the narrative will keep you playing until you reach the credits. With that said, don’t pay too much attention to the ranking here. We’re just highlighting some story-driven emotional games coming out this year, and the ranking is opinionated. We very well could see these games change up as they eventually release.
Disclaimer: Dead Space was removed as the game is now slated for 2023.
#8 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Developer: Massive Entertainment
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Platform: PC, PS5, X/S
- Release: 2022
The Avatar franchise is soon receiving a video game. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a game coming out from Massive Entertainment’s development team. You might know the folks as the people behind The Division franchise. There next big game is set within the Avatar IP where we’re taking the role of the Na’vi as they are forced to trek through the Western Frontier and push out the RDA that begins to threaten Pandora. It’s a game we don’t have many details about yet, but since its release this year, that should change in the coming months.
#7 Far: Changing Tides
- Developer: Okomotive
- Publisher: Frontier Developments
- Platform: X/S, XBO, PS4, PS5, NS, PC
- Release: March 1, 2022
If you enjoyed Far: Lone Sails, then there’s a sequel to keep an eye out for its sequel. Far: Changing Tides is a game that has the same overall gameplay. You’re in a barren civilization and trying to find a new home. However, in order to do that, you’ll need to use a massive vehicle to move around the area. We’re also trading the environments out from the last game. Instead of the dusty planes and scorched grounds of a desert, we’re tossed in an area flooded with water. Taking the role of a young boy trying to survive, you’ll fight storms, rough seas and explore the dangerous environments within the depths below. Far: Lone Sails was a very atmospheric adventure, and we’re expecting nothing less with Far: Changing Tides when it launches this March.
#6 My Father My Son
- Developer: Blinkclick Games
- Publisher: Blinkclick Games
- Platform: X/S, PS4, XBO, PC, NS, PS5
- Release: NA
My Father My Son is an upcoming title that tells a story of a father and son trip that turns into a disaster. The duo ends up crashing their boat onto an uncharted and unmarked island. With no way of communicating for help, the duo is forced into searching and surviving the dangerous island environment. The game is played more of a puzzle game where you have to use both characters to progress further. Players can enjoy this game as a solo experience, but you’ll find that this game does offer cooperative multiplayer support. So two players can enjoy this game and work together.
#5 Forspoken
- Developer: Luminous Productions
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Platform: PC, PS5
- Release: May 24, 2022
Forspoken is a new IP from Square Enix. Their team, Luminous Productions, actually developed it, who helped out with Final Fantasy XV. Within Forspoken, we’re getting an action RPG that follows a young female protagonist named Frey Holland. Frey is from New York City and somehow finds herself teleported into a strange fantasy world called Athia. With plenty of hostile creatures and enemies lurking around the world, Frey begins her journey to find a way back into her home world. So far, this game looks incredible both visually, but the gameplay shows some fluid traversal speed action that we can’t wait to dive into. We also know that this is going to set in an open world, so not only are you getting a narrative-driven campaign but also freedom of exploration.
#4 God of War Ragnarok
- Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platform: PS4, PS5
- Release: 2022
God of War Ragnarok is a massively anticipated release. After the 2018 reboot of sorts for the franchise, fans can’t wait to follow Kratos again through another journey. I will be very brief with this game description to avoid as many spoilers as possible from that 2018 release. This is because the game just launched this year for the PC platform, so more players are actively enjoying the game for the first time. With that said, after the thrilling journey of Kratos and his son, Atreus, we knew that Ragnarok was coming. It wouldn’t be but a few years before a massive battle would once again find its way at Kratos’ doorstep. More gods will appear to fight off, and fortunately, it looks like we’ll get to enjoy this game within this year. We don’t know exactly when it will be coming, but quite a few fans are eager for its release on the PlayStation consoles. With that said, it might mean that we might finally get this game on the PC platform a few years later, but in 2022 you’ll need to own a PS4 or a PS5.
#3 Horizon Forbidden West
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platform: PS4, PS5
- Release: February 18, 2022
Horizon Zero Dawn fans have a new installment available with Horizon Forbidden West. The game will once again see players take on the role of Aloy, but this time she has a new threat emerge. The new threat is a virus rather than the massive mechanical beasts or rival tribes in the immediate area. A plague of some sort has begun to spread across the land, killing off all living life. To save humanity, Aloy is forced into venturing to the west in hopes of uncovering the source of the plague. However, it’s another harsh post-apocalyptic journey for Aloy to make as she battles off new deadly machines and even hostile local tribes that she must venture through. As a result of a new long journey, players will meet new interesting characters, enemies, and a wide array of environments to explore through.
#2 Life is Strange Remastered
- Developer: Deck Nine
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Platform: PC, PS4, XBO, NS
- Release: February 1, 2022
Life is Strange has become an episodic journey series that is full of emotional stories. But, it all originated from the first installment. Developed by Dontnod Entertainment, Life is Strange has players taking control of a young female named Max. Returning to her childhood hometown of Arcadia Bay, Max discovers she can rewind time while also having a vision of a massive storm taking out the entire town. What follows is an incredible story of Max alongside her childhood best friend, Chloe, using this power to uncover some dark, sinister secrets kept hidden within the town of Arcadia Bay. This is all while enduring the strange unusual weather patterns that have hit the immediate area. We’re actually getting a remastered edition of the game this year, including improved visuals for the characters and environments.
#1 A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Developer: Asobo Studio
- Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
- Platform: PC, NS, PS5, X/S
- Release: 2022
A Plague Tale: Innocence was a big hit when the game launched in 2019. The players took control of a young female named Amicia in 1348. You live within a peaceful homestead with your father, mother, and younger brother being of noble descent. But, of course, things take a dark turn quickly, and you soon find out that your brother Hugo, who has been ill and fighting off a strange disease, is actually cursed. The black plague, which is spread by massive swarms of rats, could be controlled using his blood. This has left players through an emotional journey of the two children fleeing their homes from an inquisition seeking to claim Hugo for their own control. We end that game with the group still seeking a cure for the curse and finding a new home. In A Plague Tale: Requiem, our party of characters is venturing to find an island that is said to hold power to lift the curse and potentially end the black plague spread.