Let’s say that 2022 was a bumper year for games. In addition to barnstorming RPGs like God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West, gamers were also treated to a slew of excellent indie titles, including cat-focussed offering Stray and the Satanic minigame Cult of the Lamb.
With that in mind, 2023 looks set to keep the standard high. Whether your thing is horror or fantasy, there are some very exciting titles coming down the pipeline in the next twelve months. Here are the one’s that I’m most excited to get to grips with.
Forspoken
This exciting game is the debut project of new gaming studio Luminous Productions. It stars Frey as a girl plucked from 21st-century New York and deposited in the fantasy realm of Athia where she discovers that she has powers.
Luminous was originally assembled from developers working on Final Fantasy XV, and it looks like a fair amount of inspiration made the leap too: players will be able to flex Frey’s magical abilities to explore the sprawling open world and fight enemies in the corrupted world of the Break.
Out January 24, 2023 on PlayStation 5 and PC
Dead Space
The long-awaited Dead Space remake is finally here. Though horror fans had their appetite somewhat sated with The Callisto Protocol (the other space-horror game from creator Glen Schofield), a modernisation of the iconic 2008 is also long-overdue.
The premise is the same as the original: you play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer for a repair ship whose trip goes disastrously wrong when the ship is invaded by the sinister Necrophage.
Out January 27 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Hogwarts: Legacy
Regardless of your views on the author of the Harry Potter books, it’s impossible to deny that Hogwarts: Legacy is set to be one of 2023’s biggest releases. It’s for good reason: set in the late 1800s, the player will finally have the chance to attend Hogwarts as one of its students and explore the grounds in a massive open-world RPG. In addition to doing things like brewing potions and flying around on your broomstick, you can pick your appearance, pick your House and even pick your narrative arc: will you end up as a Dark Wizard, or one of the goodies?
Out February 10, 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 4 remake
Horror fans will be eating well in 2023. In addition to games like Dead Space and Slitterhead, the beloved Resident Evil 4 is also set to get a complete remake from its 2005 version.
This isn’t just a case of improving the graphics (though that will happen, too): the game’s developers have said that they want to improve on the gameplay and on the storylines to give players an all-round improved experience. Yes please.
Out March 24, 2023 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Legend of Zelda is rightly acclaimed as one of the best-ever video games. More than five years later, Nintendo are bravely attempting to create a sequel. Development on this started as early as 2017, and while few details have been released about what the plot entails, it looks like we’ll be heading back to Hyrule to help Link and Zelda save the kingdom once more. Oh, and this time there will be floating islands to explore, and possibly even some underground cave systems. What more could you wish for?
Out May 12, 2023 on Nintendo Switch
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
What’s more satisfying than playing the hero? Playing the villains destined to take them down. After several panned film adaptions, this action-adventure game (now due to be released in 2023 after a series of delays) might just be what makes you fall in love with DC’s most famous miscreants.
Not too much has been revealed about the plot, but it seems to be in line with other Suicide Squad stories: formed by Amanda Waller, this group of reluctant heroes (including Harley Quinn, King Shark and Deadshot) must work to save the day in an open-world Metropolis. Each playable villain has their own set of skills, which makes swapping between them as you traverse the game a must.
Out Spring 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Street Fighter 6
This cult game promises more violence and more creative ways to beat up your opponents than ever before. Street Fighter 6’s game platform has been changed to the RE Engine, which in theory has allowed the developers to change up the graphics, gameplay and playing experience; there’s also the introduction of in-game commentary for fights.
This time around, players will also be able to visit either the online Battle Hub, the Fighting Ground (boasting all the Street Fighter classic game modes) and the World Tour, for an immersive single-player story.
Out June 2, 2023 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and X/S and PC
Diablo IV
Hell is opening its doors once again in the latest instalment of the Diablo franchise. This time around cultists have summoned the demon Lilith and you must band together with other allies (the game is online-only) to kill as many demons as possible on your way to defeat her.
In a change from previous games, Diablo IV is open-world, with five regions for players to explore. It also boasts a brand-new Codex of Power, which will let players build their character to suit them, picking buffs and bonuses to match their playsuit.
Out June 26 2023 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and X/S and PC
Spider-Man 2
The first Spider-Man game as a triumph: released in 2018, it quickly garnered awards for its open-world setting (in particular Spidey’s web-slinging skills), plot and graphics. This sequel sees Peter Parker and Miles Morales return to the streets of New York to solve crime and they’ll be facing off against Venom.
Anticipation is already building: in an interview, Venom’s voice actor Tony Todd said that the “game is massive” while its director has said this game will be a little darker in tone than previous entries.
Out Autumn 2023 on PlayStation5
Redfall
Bethesda is set to have a busy old year. In addition to releasing Starfield (more on that below) they’ve also managed to squeeze in the time to create what looks like the vampire game of dreams.
Redfall is a town in Massachusetts, where a band of brave resistance fighters must defeat the vampires swarming the town (and the inhabitants that worship them). You can play solo or with up to two other players; the characters’ powers are fun (ranging from turning invisible to shooting lightning bolts) and the gameplay looks exciting: a winning combination.
Out 2023, on Xbox Series X/S and PC
Starfield
It’s still a while until Starfield comes out, but anticipation for this one is already at fever pitch. Bethesda’s latest offering has been dubbed “Skyrim in space” for its massive ambition – and with over a million lines of dialogue, you get a sense of the sheer size of the game, even if director Todd Howard’s boast that players will get to explore a “thousand planets” does seem a tad unrealistic.
Set in the year 2310, fifty light years from Earth, you will join Constellation, an organisation dedicated to exploring the furthest reaches of the galaxy. However, with a tenuous peace existing between the United Colonies and Freestar Collective, tensions are high – and the player is free to do whatever they wish, whether that’s ruling the skies as a pirate or staying an explorer. Very exciting.
Out 2023, on Xbox Series X/S and PC
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
If you can believe it, the last Dragon Age game came out all the way back in 2014. Almost a decade later, and after several lengthy delays, it appears that the sequel (the fourth in the series) will be coming out in 2023.
Taking place as it does after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisitor’s DLC Trespasser, it is set to return to Tevinter Imperium and will star Solas as the main antagonist. The official teaser trailer also showed glimpses of a magical cyberpunk city, which seems most likely to be the Tevinter Empire’s capital city Minrathous- while lead writer Patrick Weekes has said that “we want to tell a story of what happens when you don’t have power.”
Out 2023 on Xbox One and X/S, PlayStation 4 and 5 and PC
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
Assassin’s Creed is taking a slightly different approach with its latest game, Mirage. Set in 9th century Baghdad, we’ll be picking back up with Valhalla’s semi-villain Basim Ibn Ishaq as he learns the trade of becoming an Assassin for the first time. It’s shorter than modern Assassin’s Creed games, and Ubisoft has promised that the game will return the franchise to its stealth roots. With the action taking place in a single city, parkour will also making a long-overdue return; hurrah!
