Game delays are a part of life. You know the old saying, a delayed game is…well, you know. It’s undeniably a bummer to see a title you’re excited about slip into the following year, but it’s generally for the best to ensure a quality product at release. 2022 has had a growing handful of high-profile setbacks, and we’ve assembled them all in one alphabetized list for a handy reference.
EA Sports PGA Tour
First announced in 2021 with a Spring 2022 launch window, PGA Tour marks EA’s return to making golf games after a years-long hiatus. The publisher nabbed exclusive rights to the Masters Tournament and the game even includes the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Unfortunately, we don't know much more about the game besides a few courses and events, and EA has only offered vague timeframes for launch. It recently pushed the game to Spring 2023, a year after its original projected arrival.
Forspoken
Luminous Productions' fish-out-of-water fantasy adventure faced its second delay, moving it from October 11 to January 24. Square Enix states the game is essentially complete and is in the final polishing phase and that the delay was a "strategic decision." October has quickly become crowded with big releases, so perhaps Square wants to pluck Forspoken from the pack so it can garner more attention in the traditionally lighter month of January. Hopefully, the extra time does this promising action RPG justice.
Kerbal Space Program 2
Kerbal Space Program 2's launch has been delayed several times since its reveal in 2019. Developer Star Theory isn't shy about taking as much time as possible to make sure the space sim is as "breathtaking" as fans expect. Though it's a bummer to have stay grounded for several months longer, who would want to deny those adorable Kerbals a smooth liftoff?
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel
In March, Nintendo announced that Breath of the Wild’s yet-to-be-named follow-up will slip out of 2022 to arrive in Spring 2023. While we won’t get the Zelda vs Elden Ring Game of the Year throwdown some gamers salivated over this year, we’ve become increasingly conditioned to waiting around for this game. What’s nearly a year-long delay?
Pragmata
Pragmata’s delay has likely been met with the most indifference because we hardly know anything about its strange premise of an astronaut partnering up with a powerful young girl. It also never came close to approaching its original launch window. Capcom revealed the sci-fi title in 2020 and slapped it with a 2022 release. Two years is plenty of time to forget about Pragmata for a while, but in 2021 Capcom pushed the game to 2023 before we even got married to the idea of it arriving this year. Capcom has been tightlipped on Pragmata so it’s hard to know why it tacked on an extra year of development, but we’re itching to see more of this fascinating title in the near future.
Redfall
Arkane Studios’ bloodsucking co-op title needs to slumber a bit longer. On its face, Redfall is essentially Left 4 Dead with vampires as you and your crew band together to survive hordes of deadly night creatures. We’re itching to see if and how Arkane applies the immersive sim elements from Dishonored or Deathloop to a completely multiplayer format. We just have to wait until the first half of 2023 now.
Replaced
Replaced turned heads during the E3 2021 Xbox Showcase thanks to its stunning pixel art and dystopian '80s aesthetic. Unfortunately, world events have presented a roadblock. Developer Sad Cat is based in Belarus near Ukraine and some of its designers have been caught in the crossfire of Russia's invasion. Several team members had to relocate for their safety, adversely affecting the game's development and forcing a delay. Of course, the well-being of the employees is infinitely more important and we hope Sad Cat is able to bounce back sooner rather than later.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 developer GSC Game World is based in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, which has been heavily bombed in the ongoing Russian invasion of the country. Several of its developers had to flee the city, and some have even taken arms to help defend it. Needless to say, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 wasn't going to hit its December launch date and will arrive sometime next year, thanks in part to GSC resuming most of the development at a new studio in Prague, Czech Republic.
Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars comes from Sabotage, the team behind The Messenger, and serves as an RPG prequel to the 2018 action game. Players control two characters who wield the power of the sun and moon to battle an evil alchemist, and the game's influences include Illusion of Gaia and Chrono Trigger (even sharing the same composer). Though Sea of Stars never had a firm 2022 release date, Sabotage confirmed the game will slip into 2023 in order to avoid crunching the staff while polishing up the experience.
Starfield
In June 2021, Bethesda confidently announced Starfield would land on November 11, 2022; the eleventh anniversary of Skyrim’s launch. Unfortunately, the publisher’s new space-faring IP needs more time on the assembly line and was delayed in the same breath as Redfall. Despite the setback, we still expect Bethesda to unveil the first lengthy gameplay demonstration for Starfield at the Xbox/Bethesda Showcase in June.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Rumors had swirled about Suicide Squad’s delay before developer Rocksteady confirmed the worst, so at least the blow was softened a bit. While we won’t get to (hopefully) take down Superman and the League this calendar year, we trust that Rocksteady will take whatever time it needs to do the Suicide Squad justice.
Tchia
Tchia has been one of the most promising-looking indie titles since its reveal in 2020. The game stars a young girl who has the power to transfer her spirit into the bodies of animals and objects, controlling them from within. The game also takes cues from games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker with its focus on sailing between multiple islands, and you can also explore underwater and soar through the skies on a glider. Developer Awaceb wants to ensure Tchia lives up to its potential and needs the rest of 2022 to pull it off.
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown
Test Drive Unlimited's big comeback landed a September 2022 launch date a year in advance, demonstrating KT Racing's apparent confidence it could cross the finish line in time. Alas, it was not to be. In order to ensure Solar Crown reaches the sky-high bar of quality the team is aiming for, the game was not only delayed, but its PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were canceled. According to the studio, abandoning the last generation will allow Solar Crown to take full advantage of current hardware.
Source: Game Informer
Comments
Post a Comment