Editor's Note: Looking for honorable mentions and titles #11-20? Look no further:
10. Metal Slug Tactics (Switch/PC)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: You couldn't have asked me to name two things that I wanted slammed together more than the nonsense that is Metal Slug and turn-based tactical gameplay. It is certainly odd to see the usually frenzied Metal Slug action distilled down to the slower pace that is a tactics game. At the same time, I have a remarkably thick book about the history of Metal Slug on my bookshelf, so you could say I'm a fan of the franchise in all its forms. If it keeps the humor intact and has some of the same awesome music, I suspect it's going to click all the same, and I am hoping for a nice tactical loop to tie it all together.
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9. TIE: Bayonetta 3 (Switch) / Dead Space Remake (PS5/XSX/PC)
Andreas Salmen: The Bayonetta series is the gold standard of hack-and-slash games. After a great sequel, the third installment has large shoes to fill, but we haven't seen much about it in the four years since its initial reveal. While I am concerned that the limited power of the Switch may hold back the title, I'm here for whatever craziness Platinum Games has in store this time around.
Jared Hall: Get your heart medication and your blood thinners because 2022 plans to dish out a cardiac arrest with a remake of one of the most terrifying games ever released, Dead Space. The game features all of the essential elements of a sci-fi horror, and we can now guide Isaac through a fun house of space monsters that are lurking in the darkness and waiting to dismember us with even more advanced limb-severing technology. Whether you missed out on the original or are a die-hard fan, the Dead Space Remake is certain to please.
Read more WP impressions about Bayonetta 3
Read more WP impressions about Dead Space Remake
8. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5/XSX/PC)
Chris "Atom" DeAngelus: While Gotham Knights might feel like a thematic sequel to Arkham Knight, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has the OG developers taking on the multiplayer concept. Taking control of the titular Suicide Squad, players find themselves in pretty much the worst possible situation. Braniac has invaded and brainwashed the world's greatest heroes. A squad comprised of a guy who's good with boomerangs, a guy who's good with guns, a lady with a bat, and a giant talking shark have to figure out how they are supposed to defeat The Flash and Superman. The idea of being the ultimate underdogs has a lot of appeal, and Rocksteady has proven that it can make superhero gold when given the chance.
Read more WP impressions about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
7. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (XSX/PC)
Redmond Carolipio: If there's a game that's truly going to force my hand and invest in an Xbox Series X, it's this one. I loved the first Hellblade, not only because I thought it was an artistic masterpiece, but also because it dove into a complex aspect of humanity (mental health) and turned into a twisted adventure that offered some real, informed perspective. What are the voices in Senua's head going to tell her in next-gen, and how has she evolved? What's Ninja Theory going to do with all this time and power they've been afforded with the new system? Early on, it carries legendary potential.
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6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (Switch)
Cody Medellin: Whether Breath of the Wild 2 actually comes out in 2022 is anyone's guess, but it's easy to get excited for the sequel to a massive hit. The original's open world gave the player a near limitless amount of things to do, and the sequel would still be a fantastic, long-lasting experience even if no new mechanics were introduced. Knowing Nintendo's history with the franchise, it'll introduce something wild on this next go-round, and that's what's keeping this title on our radar no matter how long the development process may take.
Read more WP impressions about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
5. TIE: Horizon Forbidden West (PS5/PS4)) / Saints Row (PS5/PS4/XSX/XOne/PC)
Redmond Carolipio: The original story of Aloy is one of the best pieces of work in the entire PlayStation era. I've replayed it a handful of times, and I remain ensnared in Guerrilla Games' vision of a wide-open, reverse-dystopian vision of the far future. Fighting robotic creatures of an inspired design and seeing where else Aloy's story could go (underwater, from the early looks of it) makes this a preseason GOTY contender.
Rhi "StormyDawn" Mitera: This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I'm so glad that the new Saints Row is a reboot instead of a continuation of the original series. As much as I love the old Saints gang, where else can you go after you've been Emperor of the universe? Volition promises new characters to fall in love with but still all the same delightful chaos, so it's a win-win in my book. The only downside is that they didn't get to name the fifth franchise installment Saint5 Row.
Read more WP impressions about Horizon Forbidden West
Read more WP impressions about Saints Row
4. God of War: Ragnarok (PS5/PS4))
Chris "Atom" DeAngelus: Kratos and The Boy make their triumphant return in the follow-up to 2018's reboot-slash-sequel. Their previous adventures earned them the ire of the entire Norse pantheon, and once again the God of War will have to do what he does best: a whole lot of deicide. You can sum up what makes Ragnarok so exciting in three simple words: Kratos versus Thor. I think we can expect to throw Mjolnir in the final version, and a second take on Kratos against an entire pantheon of gods has the potential to be truly incredible.
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3. Elden Ring (PS5/PS4/XSX/XOne/PC))
Jared Hall: Dark Souls fans, rejoice! From Software is returning to the fray with a brand-new IP, Elden Ring. It looks like all of the challenge and discovery of the Dark Souls series is intact with a new coat of open-world paint, so we can all suffer in thrilling agony at those two beautiful words: You died.
Read more WP impressions about Elden Ring
2. Dying Light 2:Stay Human (Switch/PS5/PS4/XSX/XOne/PC)
Cody Medellin: The original game showed that there's still ample life in the zombie genre with some first-person melee and parkour. The sequel already promises an expansive environment to climb through and much meatier hand-to-hand combat, but it is the promise of narrative branching via choices made through conversations that has us interested. The only thing that might give us pause is the promise that a 100% completion will take 500 hours for all storylines combined, as we have to wonder how big those narrative differences really are.
Read more WP impressions about Dying Light 2:Stay Human
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: I'm not sure a game can have more buzz around it than Starfield at this point, given its years-long status as little more than a verified rumor and Bethesda being awfully tight-lipped about it. Even now, there's not a lot known about what the game will truly be. Per Todd Howard, it will apparently be "Skyrim in space," which certainly isn't a bad thing, and it will be the first game to be powered by the brand-new Creation Engine 2. Whatever happens, I bet the mod community is going to be lit.