TOP 7 New Upcoming Sci-Fi Games of 2022

by Mike Alexander / Top Lists, Articles / 01 Jan 2022

Innumerable galaxies, massive space cruisers exploring an infinite void, and endless stars serving as the home for an unknowable number of alien races. These are some of the captivating aspects of games like No Man’s Sky that make up the sci-fi genre. These games can take us into a shiny future where humans work together towards a better tomorrow with all species of creatures, or into a desolate version of the modern-day where man’s grip on technology has slipped and caused us to be taken over by our own creations. Let us observe what the genre has in store for us with the top 7 insane upcoming sci-fi games of 2022 and beyond.

Unknown 9: Awakening

First on our list is the video game portion of the Unknown nine multi-media sci-fi event: Unknown 9: Awakening. In it, you will play Haroona, an Indian youth growing up in Kolkata. The game’s first trailer shows Haroona being chased and bullied by a group of other children, only for her to unlock a mysterious power that allows her to access The Fold, a dimension beyond our own that defies explanation. Unknown 9’s other media includes novels, comics, and podcasts, and all of those stories intertwine with Awakening’s, hopefully giving players a better understanding of what makes Haroona special and what it means to be able to utilize The Fold. The game’s release date is currently unknown after having missed its 2021 launch window, but become part of the mystery of the Unknown when the Unknown 9: Awakening phase shifts sometime after 2022 for PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Stray

Some of the best stories are told from the perspective of someone who has no stake in that story, and that is the method being pursued by BlueTwelve Studio’s first game: Stray. Explore an open sci-fi city as a stray cat, interacting with robots using the help of your companion bot B12 to translate the conversations. Solve puzzles using your cat instincts (e.g., knocking things down and climbing platforms), and progress through a story viewed through the eyes of a lone feline. Pour some milk and secure fragile objects on high shelves; Stray is meowing onto PlayStation 4 and 5 exclusively in early 2022.

Somerville

Everyone loves an alien invasion story, and developer Jumpship’s debut game Somerville looks to be one of the most interesting ones yet. Being developed by a team of people that includes Dino Patti, who is known for working on the very successful Limbo and Inside games for the studio Playdead, Somerville seems to be the next entry in that style of narrative platformer. Play as a family that includes a man, woman, child, and a dog as they try to survive a hostile alien invasion and work together with other survivors to make it through the night. Take shelter and keep your family close when Somerville invades Xbox One and Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass in 2022.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

If you aren’t familiar with Jet Set Radio, you missed out on one of the most stylish, prolific titles for the Dreamcast. While it and its sequel have been updated for more recent consoles, the series has never been revisited with a modern entry. While fans languish, Team Reptile has finally had enough and took matters into their own hands, revealing the fantastically named Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. It makes no bones about being a spiritual successor to the ancient franchise, sporting similar graffiti tagging, cop busting, and insane trick systems while making additions of its own, like providing BMX bikes and skateboards in addition to the classic inline skates. The soundtrack is even being created by the man who made Jet Set Radio’s iconic music: Hideki Naganuma. The wait is nearly over, and you can do tricks, tag walls, and knock cops on their butts when Bomb Rush Cyberfunk bumps its way onto Nintendo Switch and PC in 2022.

The Callisto Protocol

The next game on our list is the survival horror sci-fi game The Callisto Protocol from developer Striking Distance Studios. Glen Schofield, the founder of Striking Distance Studios, is also known for co-creating the Dead Space games, which The Callisto Protocol is clearly using as inspiration. Dark hallways, flickering lights, and unspeakable horrors that resemble the worst creatures seen in The Thing are some of the similarities these games share. The Callisto Protocol also takes place in the PUBG universe, further expanding the lore of that series to include monsters and desolate space stations. Plan your prison break while avoiding nightmare fuel when The Callisto Protocol terrifies the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2022.

Replaced

Few games have made an impression like Replaced did upon its announcement. A 2.5D perspective amplified by fantastic pixel art and a killer soundtrack wowed us back in 2020, and it continues to be one of our most anticipated upcoming releases. Take the role of R.E.A.C.H., an AI that is trapped in a human host while it uses a free-flow combat system to work its way through an alternate history version of America in the 1980s. Gritty cyberpunk has never looked or sounded this good, and we should be able to free R.E.A.C.H. from its torturous penitentiary when Replaced rides a synthwave onto Xbox One, Series X/S, and PC in 2022.

Horizon: Forbidden West

Sony consoles are in for a big treat when the sequel to their robo-dinosaur hunting, survival, crafting, sci-fi hit Horizon: Zero Dawn finally arrives. After a few delays, Aloy’s latest adventure, Horizon: Forbidden West, is on track for release, and it’s bringing new systems, bigger robots, and more factions of humanity along with it. Use new stealth mechanics to hide from mechanized velociraptors, a new climbing system to scale forests as well as run-down buildings, and craft new weapons to combat a threat, unlike anything Aloy has faced before when Horizon: Forbidden West parkours onto PlayStation 4 and 5 on February 18, 2022.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.

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