Skip to main content

Silent Hill, Bioshock, and 4 more video game revivals we might see in 2022

Like a zombie-bitten corpse, video game franchises rarely stay dead for long. Even when once-popular series go dark for a decade, it feels like publishers are always willing to try again … eventually. In 2021, Metroid Dread showed downtrodden fans that Nintendo still cared about the classic series. We also got several revival announcements this year, with games like Dead Space and Alan Wake set to make a return in the next year or two.

While there are tons of exciting returns in the works, lots of beloved franchises are still waiting for their much-deserved resurrection. Heading into 2022, I’m less curious about the upcoming releases I already know about and more interested in what could make a surprise comeback. And with all the rumors floating around, I’m already getting my hopes up. Here are six franchises that could get the revival treatment in 2022.

Recommended Videos

Silent Hill

Two characters chat behind bars in Silent Hill 2.
Konami

Claiming that Silent Hill could return soon is the new “boy who cried wolf.” Over the past few years, players have speculated that the iconic horror series could be revived any day. The most popular theory is that Hideo Kojima would helm a new game in the franchise. That desire for that to be real led gamers on a bizarre odyssey this year as many convinced themselves that the upcoming indie horror game Abandoned was secretly a new Silent Hill (it’s not).

Conspiracy theories aside, there’s good reason to think that Silent Hill could reappear soon. Several rumors made the rounds last year, speculating the project was in the works at either Bloober Team or Kojima Productions. The former denied the claim, noting that the rumors were based on outdated information. However, an October rumor indicates that Sony may be bankrolling a new installment with Kojima at the helm. For now, it’s still wishful thinking, but it does sound plausible given Sony’s history with Kojima.

Bioshock

A Big Daddy stands tall in Bioshock.
2K

It’s been a long time since we’ve entered the world of Rapture. Bioshock Infinite was the last release in the dystopian action series and that was back in 2013. The series is overdue for a new installment. 2K Games already confirmed that a sequel is coming back in 2019, but new rumors indicate that it could finally make its debut soon.

Several supposed Bioshock 4 leaks popped up this year to varying degrees of believability. One popular rumor claims that the game is titled Bioshock Isolation — and it even had a mock-up logo as supporting evidence. That rumor also noted that a reveal was coming in early 2022, so it hasn’t been totally debunked yet. Journalist Colin Moriarty added more fuel to the fire, noting that the upcoming game would be set in Antarctica in the 1960s, a claim supposedly backed up by VGC’s sources. With so many credible rumors floating around, it seems likely we’ll see this in some form in 2022.

Titanfall

A pilot standing in front of a titan with a sword in the ground.
EA

When it comes to Titanfall 3, fans got some mixed signals this year. Back in September, Respawn Entertainment Community Coordinator Jason Garza was asked about the possibility of a new Titanfall game during one of his streams. “We don’t have anything in the works. There’s nothing there,” he responded. That seemed like as good a confirmation as any, so websites reported it accordingly.

Respawn’s Twitter account clapped back at the claims shortly thereafter, tweeting, “Contrary to what some folks are reporting, Titanfall is the very core of our DNA. Who knows what the future holds…” That made it sound like a deliberate tease for a future game, though Titanfall 3 has yet to be officially confirmed. In any case, Respawn may want to lock down its messaging about the franchise rather than calling out journalists for reporting what its own staff says about it.

Twisted Metal

A Sweet Tooth mech fires in Twisted Metal.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Twisted Metal was once synonymous with PlayStation consoles. The edgy, vehicular combat game was a staple of Sony’s early game library. Despite that, we haven’t seen a mainline entry in the series since 2012. There’s good reason to think it’ll return though. A TV series is in the works with Anthony Mackie reportedly on board, so it’s rational to think a game could come out to coincide with that.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what the rumor mill claims. In September, journalist Jeff Grubb noted that a game revival is quietly in development. Out of all the rumors on this list, this one carries the most water. We know that Sony is putting much more effort into broadening its media strategy, adapting games like Uncharted and The Last of Us into film and TV. With Twisted Metal in development, it’d be weird for the company to launch a TV show based on a series that’s been inert for a decade.

Castlevania

A Belmont slashes a monster in Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Castlevania series isn’t exactly dead. In fact, it’s thriving in some ways. It has a successful Netflix series and still routinely gets retro collections featuring old games. That said, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a full, proper Castlevania game. Considering that Metroid had a successful 2D revival in 2021, I for one am hungry to see if Castlevania can take the same approach.

That might not be a dream. Anonymous sources reportedly told VGC that Konami has several franchise revivals in the works, ranging from Metal Gear to (surprise!) Silent Hill. Castlevania is supposedly on that list, with a new game in development internally at Konami. While it’s a flimsy rumor due to the anonymous sources, it does make sense considering the Netflix series’ popularity. Just like Twisted Metal, it would be strange for a publisher to not capitalize on a franchise’s success in other media.

Gex

Gex stands on a TV.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bet you didn’t see this last one coming. Yes, Gex, the snarky gecko of 90s fame, could be making his return in 2022. On December 15, Square Enix filed a new trademark for Gex, which was enough to pique fans’ interest. It could just be a routine IP clean-up, but Gex fans can believe, can’t they?

Frankly, a Gex revival makes as much sense as anything else. Classic 90s franchises have routinely made nostalgic comebacks over the past few years. Crash Bandicoot returned in a big way with an all-new game and the original Spyro games got a remaster treatment in 2018. It’s easy to see how Square Enix might want to capitalize on that trend by remastering Gex’s old adventures or making a new one entirely. I’ll take anything at this point; Gex fans aren’t allowed to be picky.

Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
This Acer gaming PC with RTX 3050 is on sale for just $700
The Acer Nitro 50 gaming PC on a white background.

You don't need to spend more than $1,000 when buying a new gaming desktop, and you can spend much lower than that if you take advantage of the discounts from gaming PC deals. Amazon has an offer for the Acer Nitro 50 that you wouldn't want to miss: $100 in savings off its original price of $800, so you'll only have to pay $700 for this machine. It won't stay at 13% off for much longer though, so you better hurry and buy the gaming desktop right now.

Why you should buy the Acer Nitro 50 gaming PC
The Acer Nitro 50 is a decent choice for playing the best PC games, as it's powered by the 14th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM that will be enough for most gamers, according to our guide on how to buy a gaming desktop. It's not going to challenge the performance of the top-of-the-line models of the best gaming PCs, and it may struggle to run upcoming PC games at their highest settings, but the Acer Nitro 50 is an excellent and affordable option that will let you explore the world of PC gaming.

Read more
Where to find the cartographer in Dawntrail in Avowed
An environment shot of the Dawnshore Eastern Overlands in Avowed.

After the tutorial teaches you the essential tips and tricks for playing Avowed, you will be set free in the Living Lands. Almost right away you will encounter a man named Sanza who has an important side quest for you to locate a missing cartographer. While you might be eager to complete the main story, side quests are important for unlocking new abilities and exploring the world. Unlike most side quests, however, this one only gives you a vague written description of where the cartographer is instead of a marker on your map to travel to. Even though each zone in Avowed isn't massive, there is still a lot of ground to cover when looking for a single person. Here's where you can find the cartographer in Dawntrail.
Where to find the missing cartographer

The side quest only says that the cartographer should be located near some cliffs on the east side of Dawntrail, which is quite a big place to search. The area you're looking for is called Usher's Hand and is directly east of Paradis. If you go out the eastern exit and head north, you will find it no problem.

Read more
How to respec in Avowed
A player casting an ice spell in Avowed

Avowed is a very flexible game in terms of letting you use any weapon or piece of armor you want. Having a variety of offensive options is one of the best tips and tricks we can give you, but skills are slightly different. You will be investing points into your stats, to unlock abilities, and unlock companion abilities as you earn XP and level up. These skills will completely change how your game plays both in and out of combat, but you don't have to stick with whatever direction you picked first if you end up regretting it. Here's how you can respec your character in Avowed.

Read more