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February was a doozy for game releases, and players are still struggling to keep up. With not enough hours in the day to commit to your consoles or PC, we’re ready to dole out some new titles to add to your ever-lengthening backlog.
#10 THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV
- Developer: SNK
- Publisher: SNK, Koch Media
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Release: February 17, 2022
The newest addition to the King of Fighters franchise and the first in the series to use Unreal Engine 4, The King of Fighters XV manages to be a visual delight and an excellent callback to fighting games of old. With a stacked roster of characters and smooth online play, newcomers may find it a little different to master the controls. (Isn’t that all part of the fun?) Additional characters will also be added as downloadable content, with the Garou Team coming in March. Three more teams will follow throughout 2022.
#9 Total War: WARHAMMER III
- Developer: Creative Assembly, Feral Interactive
- Publisher: Feral Interactive, Sega
- Platform: PC
- Release: February 17, 2022
A turn-based strategy and real-time tactics title, Total War: WARHAMMER III is the third game to be set in the Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. Players will be asked to manage settlements by attacking intruders or engaging in diplomacy with outside factions, with the title’s new campaigns and setting garnering positive reviews from critics. While it may be a little intimidating for newcomers, the payoff is well worth the study time.
#8 Infernax
- Developer: Berzerk Studio
- Publisher: The Arcade Crew, DotEmu
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Release: February 14, 2022
While not as showy or modern as other titles on this list, Infernax is attractive for its nostalgia factor alone. Developer Berzerk Studio calls it “a cursed game about a curse,” and a “2D splatterfest homage to NES action games with…so much blood.” Available on pretty much every system for a bargain, those wanting to embark on a quest to purge the lands of unholy magic shouldn’t miss this one. It’s tough, it’s smooth, and it has an absolutely killer soundtrack.
#7 Diplomacy is Not an Option
- Developer: Door 407
- Publisher: Door 407
- Platform: PC
- Release: February 9, 2022
Born a minor feudal lord, the player character in Diplomacy is Not an Option is sick of the same old hunting trips and tournaments. Suddenly forced to engage in battle with majorly powerful outside forces, players will need to go to war with over ten thousand enemy units. Facing impossible odds, will you be able to save the kingdom while also managing the economy and caring for your subjects?
#6 Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
- Developer: Bungie
- Publisher: Activision
- Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia
- Release: February 22, 2022
Destiny 2 needs no introduction. The Witch Queen, the newest major expansion for the 2017 Bungie title, became the most pre-ordered expansion in the game’s history with over 1 million copies sold prior to release. The expansion follows Savathûn, The Witch Queen, the sister of Oryx and the antagonist of the original Destiny‘s first major expansion, The Taken King. New missions, new maps, and new weapons galore.
#5 Dying Light 2: Stay Human
- Developer: Techland
- Publisher: Techland
- Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Release: February 4, 2022
Dying Light 2 has been garnering praise since its release earlier this month, with Kotaku stating that the game has one of the “best parkour systems ever seen in a game,” and Polygon praising the extremely fun melee combat. Set 22 years after Dying Light, players step into the shoes of Aiden Caldwell as he seeks to survive the post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested city of Villedor. Choices made in the game impact the game world, and the map is four times larger than the one in the original Dying Light. Yeah, you’ll be busy for a while.
#4 Sifu
- Developer: Sloclap
- Publisher: Sloclap, Microids
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
- Release: February 8, 2022
Sloclap’s action beat ’em up Sifu might be on the shorter side, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in creativity. When a player takes fatal damage in the game, they simply “reset.” Rather than a simple respawn, the protagonist returns multiple years older. As the player character ages, their strikes will be more powerful, but they will have less health. It’s a challenging and rewarding grind worthy of the highest praise.
#3 Martha is Dead
- Developer: LKA
- Publisher: Wired Productions
- Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
- Release: February 24, 2022
A dark first-person psychological thriller, Martha is Dead isn’t for the faint of heart. Some of the game’s content is so gruesome that it was censored on the PlayStation, though PC players can look forward to all the decapitating details. Set in 1944 Italy, as conflict intensifies between German and Allied forces, a woman’s desecrated body is found drowned. Her twin sister, the young daughter of a German soldier, must find a way to cope with the loss–and find the murderer.
#2 Elden Ring
- Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
- Publisher: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Release: February 25, 2022
Elden Ring isn’t a game, it’s a lifestyle. Made in collaboration with George R. R. Martin, the game features similar to those found in its predecessors the Souls series, as well as Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game contains a total of six open-world areas for players to explore, with each featuring a unique map. Social media has been completely covered in screenshots and death screens for the past week, and that likely won’t stop any time soon.
#1 Horizon Forbidden West
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Release: February 18, 2022
Those wanting to see the full graphical capabilities of the PlayStation 5 won’t want to miss Guerrilla’s newest classic. Horizon Forbidden West is absolutely massive, improving on the original title in every way while not altering things that players fell in love with back in 2017. The landscapes are sweeping, the character animations are uncanny, and slaying robotic dinosaurs is a pastime that never seems to get old.
Bonus: Blood West
- Developer: Hyperstrange
- Publisher: Hyperstrange
- Platform: PC
- Release: February 10, 2022
Not many horror games take place in the Wild West. An immersive FPS like no other, Polish studio Hyperstrange has created a unique world with Blood West. Players are brought back to life by strange native spirits. While scavenging and exploring, you’ll need to build an arsenal and hunt down enemies before they hunt you. A complex game with certain amounts of sandbox gameplay, the early access title is something to be watched.
Bonus: Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
- Release: February 25, 2022
Upon release in 2015, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book was a hit. The 17th game in the Atelier series (yes, really), fans of anime-style RPGs couldn’t put it down. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream deserves even more praise, with a gorgeous soundtrack, engaging story, and impressive dungeon design. Those who like lengthy turn-based RPGs and lots of crafting won’t be disappointed.
