5 Video Games That Should Have Been Delayed in 2022

It's 2022, which means standards are higher than ever when it comes to developing, pre-ordering, and, of course, playing video games. It makes sense, then, that anyone would much rather wait for a game to spend longer in the oven until cooked properly than devour something half-baked and flavourless. Clearly, though, a lot of developers never really received this memo, as a lot of games have proven over the last twelve months via technical errors and questionably bad settings, gameplay, and characters.

In spite of their best efforts to meet company deadlines, a lot of studios just failed to win the audience over this year with all-round bad games. Would they have been slightly better if they had spent a while longer on the drawing board? It's hard to say. And yet, if we had to put just five video games from 2022 back on the chopping block for a second shot at playing the field, then we'd happily slap these on the slate.

5. Saints Row

Volition's long-awaited reboot of the cult-classic Saints Row series was initially met with a lot of mixed feedback, primarily because of its questionable decision to abandon the original Saints and nudge an all-new and borderline hipster-based cast into the spotlight. From this, the reboot wound up becoming shrouded in early criticism long before it released on consoles and PC. And when it did finally drop, its cast and setting weren't the only things that OG fans found holes to pick at.

Unfortunately, Saints Row ended up releasing as a half-baked and evidently buggy disaster, with countless graphical errors and mismatched dialogue to boot. Add the fact that its open world was also barren and somewhat redundant, and Volition had all the stale ingredients to conjure a rather miserable and lackluster follow-up to an otherwise memorable saga. Would it have turned out better if it had another year in the oven? That's debatable, but it definitely would've given the reboot a fighting chance at best.

4. CrossfireX

Take a gander at Metacritic, and you'll notice that one of the worst-rated first-person shooters of 2022 was, in fact, CrossefireX, Smilegate's third attempt at reigniting the Remedy Entertainment-led series. Why all the hate? Well, what wasn't to hate? It was laden with sloppy UI, buggy combat, and copious amounts of spawn traps and poorly designed maps. And that's just the icing on the cake to a bottom-of-the-barrel B-list shooter that possessed barely any heart or soul at all.

On paper, CrossefireX had the potential to be something spectacular, and could very well have been on par with the likes of some of the top-shelf Call of Duty entries on the market. Instead, the 2022 instalment in the unfinished series left a gaping hole in what should have technically been a memorable finale. Did Remedy and Smilegate spend enough time polishing it to be the marvel it could've been? Not even in the slightest, and it showed in the worst way imaginable.

3. Babylon's Fall

In spite of PlatinumGames' best efforts to envelope a painting inside of an action-packed RPG, Square Enix fans couldn't shed the thought that Babylon's Fall was a game best left for the Android and iOS market. So visually and mechanically underwhelming was it, that players just couldn't come to grips with enduring what could only be described as an eye-sore of a fantasy game. Its only saving grace was PlatinumGames' signature combat palette, with which it used rather well to bridge the countless holes left in its overall structure.

The question that remains even to this day is mostly the same: is Babylon's Fall salvageable? And it's a question best served with a doorway to speculate, as there's no real telling whether or not PlatinumGames has the resources to bring back what's already dead and buried. Perhaps, then, it should've been left in the oven, to begin with? Maybe there's an update that'll at least cross a few forgotten t's en route? Only time will tell on that one.

2. LEGO Brawls

It's a crying shame, really, as The Lego Group has the keys to build a slew of fantastic brawler games. In reality, though, LEGO Brawls was based on pure laziness, and it stained an otherwise well-loved and respectable name as a result, too. Of course, you'd imagine a brand like LEGO coming up with a powerhouse of a family-friendly party game, when instead, the 2022 entry just reeked of mediocrity and ill designs.

On the surface, LEGO Brawls is a fun game, and one that has a whole lot of customization to keep any avid builder swapping parts out for hours. But that's about it. As far as gameplay goes, though, there really isn't a whole lot going on. It's mid-range entertainment at best, and most reliant on the good name of LEGO than anything else. Although fun in short bursts, there's definitely a lot of wasted potential here, and a little bit of additional time on the back burner probably would've done it some good.

1. In Nightmare

In a last-ditch effort to cash in on the fame that Little Nightmares accrued, Beijing Magic Fish developed In Nightmare, a top-down puzzle horror game that tapped into all the same voids as its source of inspiration. The only difference with the latter was its poor design and technical difficulties, with which there were almost too many to tally. The result of this was a complete and utter shambles with more broken parts than formed ones.

The fact is, In Nightmare has the potential to be a good horror game. Unfortunately, though, it isn't scary, and its world is surprisingly empty and boring. To add, the narrative is far too confusing, as are its puzzles and overall chosen format. Can it be rescued with a little TLC? It's a tall order, but definitely not out of the question.

So, what's your take? Are there any video games that released in 2022 you would've gladly waited for? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.