The gaming industry in all forms has collectively decided to drop a plethora of popular game titles in 2022. Even though its only March, people are already buzzing about what has been released and what has been officially announced for this year.

With so many games released, it can be a little tough trying to decide which games you should spend your money and time on. Below is a list of five games that have gained a lot of attention from the gaming community.

Elden Ring

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Elden Ring boomed in popularity, especially with its own players. The game continues to carry the company’s staple in difficult and dark fantasy RPGs that can be traced back all the way to one of their most popular games, Dark Souls.

Players who are well-versed in the genre often said their expectations were met. One player when asked how he enjoyed it said “I love the game and despise it at the same time, so now I’m going for a 100% percent run because I want to die.”

The game is notoriously difficult but gives players great satisfaction after completing their objectives, making one want to play more. The game was released on February 25 and is currently available for purchase.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Pokemon fans have been raging about the pros and cons of this game even before its release. While the graphics might not be the best the franchise has seen, it’s clear that Nintendo was finally testing some new boundaries with the game. 

Many players have described the game as feeling like “a breath of fresh air” compared to other games. The player, instead of being a trainer preparing for the game’s final battle, travels the region as a research assistant in charge of creating the first Pokedex in ancient Sinnoh.

The game introduces all sorts of new ways to interact with Pokemon they find in a world that many believe is Breath of the Wild inspired. The game was released on January 28 and is well worth looking into whether or not you’re a Pokemon fan.

Horizon Forbidden West

This RPG is an exciting sequel to the popular Horizon Zero Dawn released back in 2017. With amazing graphics, monster designs and facial animation, Forbidden West holds high expectations for what fans can expect. 

Many people recommend new players to play Zero Dawn before this, as it reintroduced many of Aloy’s old friends and acquaintances along with new ones. Players who currently have access to the game have reported bug fixes with every update, proof that the game is being polished right up until its release date. 

The game was released on February 18 at midnight and is a great option to look at if you’re into post-apocalyptic RPGs that merge machines with nature.

Martha Is Dead

This game has been increasing in popularity due to its rather extreme and grotesque scenes. It’s a dark first-person psychological thriller that takes place in 1944 Italy following the story of two twin sisters Martha and Giulia. 

The game easily holds up to its genre because the developers held nothing back when writing its story. The controversy this game has brought up had led to several scenes being censored on PlayStation. It’s a shame since many claims that these scenes are necessary and almost hypnotizing in their bluntness. 

Martha is Dead was released on February 24 and is available for purchase on steam for all platforms. It has an interface and subtitles in all languages and full audio in English, Italian, German and Simplified Chinese.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction

Rainbow Six Extraction is less of a new game and more of a spin-off of the already popular Rainbow Six Siege from 2015. The gameplay continues to hold the model of being a teamwork-oriented tactical shooter combined with an interesting new story-line. 

The basic premise of the game, in short, is to fight off a new parasitic alien. It isn’t a classic campaign style that most players would expect though, as instead, it’s a gradual story that reveals itself as the player goes on.

The game was released on January 20 and has had decently high reviews from players over the past month. It’s definitely worth checking out.

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The games on this list only include those that have already been released. With even bigger titles like Breath of the Wild 2 and Sonic Frontiers said to be released sometime in 2022, there’s always more to be excited about in every genre of video games.