Another year has come and gone during a pandemic that has taken a toll on all of us, in one way or another. That’s especially true for gaming, but for the better. Video games have never been more popular, and this, along with the very real chip shortage, has made it incredibly difficult to acquire the latest generation of gaming gear, be it PC components or a PS5 or Xbox Series S|X. 

Were you able to get a hold of a shiny new console that you have been waiting oh so patiently all year for? No? Me either, but that’s ok, as the start to 2022 is thankfully a bit slow. There are a few notable entries like an all-new Pokemon game, a full game based on a seasonal event for Rainbow Six, and Kratos making the jump to the realm of PC. I was personally looking forward to Weird West this month, but, sadly, my fantasies of killing cowboys with tornadoes will have to wait since it has been delayed until March.

If you are a fan of indie games, there are a slew of them making their way to Switch, and now may be the time to play them. February will be a monster of big releases, so suspend any mid-pandemic Valentine’s Day plans you may have. For now, use this time to play some smaller releases or catch up on the backlog.

January’s Highlights

God of War – Jan 14th (PC)

Kratos and boy—ahem, I mean Atreus have traveled to many a realm, and now they have found themselves on PC after almost 4 years. As part of Sony’s PC initiative to port PlayStation exclusives to PC, God of War (2018) joins the likes of Horizon: Zero Dawn and Days Gone. Hopefully, we won’t see more videos of die-hard fans smashing their controllers and consoles over this latest release of the beloved PlayStation exclusive, which many believe to be one of the best games ever made. The PC version comes with similar enhancements as the PS5 upgraded version, but it also supports true 4K resolution, ultra-widescreen aspect ratios, a swath of PC enhancements through NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), and controller support for a wide range of gamepads, including the PS4 and PS5 DualSense controller. If you are a PC gamer who’s been waiting to see Kratos be best Dad, now you can on January 14th.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Extraction – Jan 20th (PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC, Stadia, Luna)

Extraction started life as a limited-time event in Rainbow Six Siege, where players had to fight monsters instead of other players. Now it is a full stand-alone game where (gasp) aliens have invaded earth and it’s your job to stop them. It might not be the most original idea, but it’s nonetheless fun. You will pick from a roster of operatives that are part of REACT (Rainbow Exogenous Analysis & Containment Team), each with unique skills and perks. Unlike Siege, Extraction will have a deep progression system to unlock new gear, improve abilities, and boost the stats of your operator. In an extra twist, Ubisoft has decided to offer Extraction at a lower price point of $40, and anyone who purchases the game will get two Buddy Passes that allow friends to play the full game with them completely for free for up to 14 days. Plus, all future DLC and planned content will be free! A little hard to believe, I know! This new PvE Rainbow Six looks akin to Back 4 Blood with its focus on teamwork, but with a much more tactical approach, and, it supports Cross-Play on any platform, which is a big plus. Drop-in and fight the hordes of Archaeans on Jan 20th.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Jan 28th (Switch)

Are you tired of catching Pokémon yet? Does anyone tire of it? Assumingly not since the 50th entry in the series is here. (Well not literally the 50th, it might be, I don’t know, there are a lot of them.) Anyway, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the first new mainline Pokémon game in some time, and it looks to have gotten the Breath of the Wild treatment as it is now a large open world with a very similar visual style. Acting as a prequel to the series, Legends takes place in the Hisui region, in a time before people and Pokémon lived in harmony. As in all Pokémon games, you play as a young girl or boy who sets out on an adventure to study and collect Pokémon for the Survey Corps. Collect Pokémon and battle on your journey to complete your Pokédex and take on fierce Alpha Pokémon. Unlike previous Pokémon games, this entry has only one title as opposed to the normal release of two simultaneous games, which have some slight differences. Choose your starter and see the world on Pokémon Legends: Arceus coming to Nintendo Switch on January 28th.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – Jan 28th (PS5)

Nathan Drake is swinging on to PS5, but not in the way you hoped. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy are getting the upgrade treatment with improved frame rates and visuals for PlayStation 5. This version will also have DualSense features so you can now feel things like “rope tension and vehicular traversal…”. OK. Sure. More importantly, the games will now offer Fidelity, Performance, and Performance+ Modes to experience these great adventures in the best way possible. They will be upscaled to 4K in Fidelity mode at 30fps or up to 120fps on Performance+ Mode. This package will be available for $49.99 or for an upgrade fee for those that already own the PS4 versions of the games. Sadly, the amazing multiplayer experience will not be getting any upgrades. But you can get a voucher for a free ticket to the upcoming Uncharted movie! A PC release was expected to hit around the same time as this PS5 release, but as of this writing, is still TBD.

January 2022’s Release Schedule

Sorcerer Knight – Jan 1st (Switch)

Biker Garage: Mechanic Simulator – Jan 3rd (Switch)

Crumble –  Jan 3rd (Switch)

Arcadia Fallen – Jan 5th (Switch)

Dead Cells: Road to the Sea Bundle – Jan 6th (PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC)

Justice Chronicles – Jan 6th (Switch)

Sword of Elpisia – Jan 6th (Xbox, PC)

Super Sami Roll – Jan 9th (Xbox)

Mushroom Wars 2 – Jan 12th (Xbox)

Astroneer – Jan 13th (Switch)

Dual Princess – Jan 13th (Switch)

Eternal Radiance – Jan 13th (Switch)

Headland – Jan 13th (Switch)

The Last Friend – Jan 13th (Switch)

God of War – Jan 14th (PC)

Pinball Jam –  Jan 14th (Switch)

Labyrinth Legend – Jan 18th (Switch)

Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom – Jan 19th (PC)

Strategic Mind: The Pacific – Jan 19th (PC)

Vivid Knight – Jan 19th (Switch)

Animal Revolt Battle Simulator – Jan 20th (Switch)

Expeditions: Rome – Jan 20th (PC)

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Extraction – Jan 20th (PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC)

Windjammers 2 – Jan 20th (PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC)

Blackwind – Jan 25th (PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC)

Chicken Range Bundle 2 – Jan 25th (Switch)

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife Definitive Edition – Jan 25th (Switch)

Super Street Racer Bundle – Jan 25th (Switch)

Train Sim World 2: Rush Hour Deluxe Edition – Jan 25th (PS5, Xbox)

WWI: Tannenberg – Eastern Front – Jan 25th (PS4, PS5)

WWI: Verdun – Western Front – Jan 25th (PS4, PS5)

COGEN: Sword of Rewind – Jan 26th (PS4, Xbox, PC)

Unforeseen Incidents – Jan 27th (Switch)

Human: Fall Flat Anniversary Edition – Jan 28th (PS5)

Pokemon Legends: Arceus – Jan 28th (Switch)

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – Jan 28th (PS5)

Miss last month’s update? Check out December 2021’s releases right here!

Are you planning to get or currently playing any of these releases? Let us know what you think of them in the comments!