I saw of couple of trailers this week for some upcoming titles that look interesting. Later in 2022, but that just gives me time to make sure all my projects are done. So…let the games begin…in 2022. Take a look.
Elden Ring
Elden ring looks promising, haven’t played anything from this developer before though. What’s interesting about this game…it’s co-created by George R.R. Martin. Heard of him? He wrote the Game of Thrones series, so I fully expect this will be an interesting game.
Sort of reminds me of Dragon Age: Inquisition or even The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, but on a bigger scale. With George R.R. Martin as a co-creator I’m expecting a pretty deep, well-developed story line.
Starfield
So this one is a bit farther out in 2022…but frankly if its coming from Bethesda its going to be worth the wait. Possibly best known for its Fallout and Elder Scrolls worlds, Bethesda is a powerhouse studio. I’ve played The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Fallout: New Vegas and none have disappointed. Each of those games has massive open worlds with rich character development. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is quite possibly one of the best open world games I have ever played with respect to playability, story line, and game graphics.
If Bethesda holds up to its usual standards…Starfield is going to be absolutely massive and well worth the wait.
Let the games begin-with some other titles for now
Since 2022 is still a long way away…there’s plenty of time to play through some of these other titles. In some way or another, the above games make me want to play through some old favorites again. And by old…2011 or earlier. They’re just that much fun to play.
Mass Effect
Probably the best sci-fi RPG series I have played, Mass Effect just received a facelift with a remastered edition for Xbox One and PC. While I liked Mass Effect: Andromeda, it really lacked the deep story line of the first three games. Set in humanity’s near future, you play the role of Commander Shepard. Faced with an ancient threat, it is up to you to unite the galaxy to prevent the extinction of all sentient life.
Mass Effect consists of a semi-open world that invites exploration, a deep story line that you can learn more about through investigation and character interactions, and a robust character development system.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
From Bethesda game studios comes the absolutely massive open world of Skyrim. The graphics on this game are absolutely stunning, frankly, and the gameplay is as much about questing and finding the next adventure as much as surviving. Playing as the Dragornborn, you find yourself in the province of Skyrim. This is the land of the Nords, a viking-like people hardened by the harshness of the land. It’s up to you to prevent the destruction of the world by the dragon Alduin.
There is also a active modding community for Skyrim, and it can further enhance your playthrough experience (again). From adding new homes to new companions, mods can significantly change the gameplay experience.
X3: Terran Conflict and X3: Albion Prelude
Hailing from 2008 the X3 series of games really doesn’t have all that deep of a story line. However, the fun is in the exploration. A space-based role playing game, you as the player have the entire X Universe to explore and build an empire. Whether your empire is built through trade or conflict is up to you. The X games are really for those in for the long haul, as there is no such thing as a short game.
The X3 games have a very robust community forum with many mods that enhance gameplay. Given that your empire can consist of thousands of ships and hundreds of stations, many of these mods are geared towards efficient management. Be forewarned, a fairly decent gaming rig is required to run these games. Both can be purchased on Steam, and as a bonus the new community-created expansion pack X3: Farnham’s Legend is available to owners of X3: Albion Prelude.
Homeworld
A defining game of the space-based RTS genre, Homeworld goes waayyy back. You are tasked with leading your people, exiled to a remote desert planet, across the galaxy to reclaim their homeworld. Available on Steam as a remastered collection containing Homeworld and Homeworld 2, this game provides a little more direct gameplay and some high quality graphics considering that it was made in the early 2000s.
Author: Zack
Pharmacist, tech guy, pianist, lover of beer, gamer, beach bum. Probably missed something. Just assume I'm into a little bit of everything.
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