2022’s Lost Video Games

During the height of the pandemic, abandoned projects and half-finished IPs were commonplace. It wasn't unusual to see things go awry from time to time, nor was it a major shock to the system to see questionably bad games half-baked and laden with technical issues. A lot has changed since then, though a lot of projects are clearly still trying to reassemble the pieces, and it shows. The fact is, 2022's lost video game archive is looking surprisingly unhealthy right around now.

There is, of course, a glimmer of hope here. Turns out, the last few months have spread a little light on some projects we initially thought to be dead and buried. So, what are we talking about exactly? Well, let's dig a little deeper.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Ubisoft's Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an extremely ambitious sequel to 2009's Avatar: The Game. Like the first, the follow-up is set in and around the world of Pandora, a place which hosts the everlasting feud between the RDA and the Na'vi. Apparently, this sequel was originally set to release in 2021. Ubisoft later nudged this back to the next fiscal year, but refused to give it a concrete date to help keep fans at bay.

Unfortunately, there's no telling what has come of the upcoming action-adventure game. Nothing, other than the fact that it's coming between April 2023 and March 2024. As far as sneak previews or gameplay trailers go, Ubisoft has only let a slither of a snippet slip since first announcing it at E3 2021. You can see the final fragments of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora up above.

For more updates on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, check here.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake

Another of Ubisoft's mysterious projects, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake has also yet to see the light of day since being announced back in 2020. As it turns out, the remake has actually undergone three delays since then, with the game initially planned to launch in January 2021. Since 2020, Ubisoft has shifted the work from Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai to Ubisoft Montréal, which has understandably impacted the overall progress of the game. But as for what state it's in currently is really anybody's guess.

It goes without saying that, with so many bigger targets to hit and fish to fry, Ubisoft probably isn't all that bothered about getting around to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time anytime soon. In spite of the action-adventure game being one of the most requested in the world, its future clearly isn't a top priority for Ubi. And at this point, it's tough to picture it receiving the time of day it needs to be whole again.

For more updates on Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, check here.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

As of Q4 2022, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has slipped the net three times, 2021 being the first. Its second delay, which came in May 2022, had the game nudged back to September 2022. And finally, developer Daedalic Entertainment announced in July that the game would “need a few months” to make additional adjustments. From there, it's basically a long line of cold calls and echoed silence, which leaves us to think that Gollum, really, may not be coming as soon as we had initially hoped.

At this point, it's probably best to slap a 2023/2024 fiscal year label on it. Going by that, we could see the game arrive as early as April 2023. Even then, as there's been no recent evidence provided by Daedalic Entertainment, it's hard to say. Whatever the case may be, its current status reads as follows: lost in translation.

For more updates on The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, check here.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Netflix acquiring Night School Studios was a huge step in the right direction for its gaming branch. The fact it inherited Oxenfree, one of 2016's biggest and most surprising sleeper hits, was a major boon to the acquisition. Unfortunately, a few wires have been crossed since the announcement of its sequel, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, which has ultimately led to the game being pushed back to an undisclosed date.

Oxenfree Ii: Lost Signals is said to be set five years after the first game, a time during which strange radio transmissions disrupt the peace in an idyllic town. According to Night School Studios, it'll be their “best game” to date, so there's definitely a lot to look forward to here. As for when it'll arrive, though — now that's another question.

For more updates on Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, check here.

Stalker 2: Hearts of Chernobyl

A phantom first-person shooter that has finally returned from the dead is Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, a sequel that has been in development for just shy of thirteen years. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the team behind it have had to endure a number of other difficulties, including finding a new studio to continue work on the long overdue game. But if we're lucky, then we could see it arrive in 2023. That is, providing there are no sudden curveballs looming on the horizon, of course.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl will once again take players to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a place in which masked anomalies pluck the bones of the lost world. In a Q&A, GSC Game World mentioned that it will feature an “epic, non-linear story” which will be tailored by player choice. As it stands, the game will be a day-one exclusive on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S.

For more updates on Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, check here.

So, what's your take? Do you think we'll catch a glimpse of any of these games in 2023? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.