2023's Most Anticipated Games - Shaun's Picks
2023 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in video games of all time. No matter whether you play on PC, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X|S, or the Nintendo Switch, you’re going to have a lot to play in 2023. Given that, we couldn’t simply pool the team’s thoughts into one top 10 countdown of the most anticipated games, so we solicited 10 from each person to discuss. Today, hear what Shaun has to say about his 10 most anticipated games of 2023.
10. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
I played through the demo for P2 Plays and I fell in love with this game. The mix of traditional Chinese sword fighting and soul-like gameplay elements had me hooked from the beginning and very eager to see the full result. Wielding your sword and magic you will have to take on both human and mystical creatures. Fortunately, if you are having trouble you can bring in another player to help you in your battles, although I must admit I don’t know if it is just for boss battles or in general. One thing is for sure though, this is one of the games I will be playing on launch day.
9. Broken Roads
An Aussie made CRPG that has been on my radar since 2019, this game looks great and I got to have fun with the demo at PAX last year. With promises of lots of crazy antics in the outback I am looking forward to it.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Breath of the Wild marked a major shift in how Zelda games were played and was a massive success for Nintendo on the newly launched Switch. The freedom of exploration and the many different ways in which you could combine your new powers for some wild experiences. With new powers to be introduced and even more verticality, the sky seems to be the limit for Tears of the Kingdom.
7. Wild Hearts
A lot of people may say that this is just a rip-off of Monster Hunter. To them, I say what’s wrong with that? MH: World introduced a lot of brand new players to the franchise and looked gorgeous, but since then we have only had MH: Rise on the Switch, a console with much less power than the current generation of consoles. Wild Hearts is built for this current console generation, meaning not only should your hunts be smooth but they should look damn good as well and we only have a few weeks to wait for it.
6. Fire Emblem: Engage
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the first in the long-running series that I ever got around to playing and I was hooked. While there were times it felt tedious as I strived to max out the relationships with my students (in a non-creepy way) the strategic gameplay had me hooked, and I am looking forward to losing myself in the next instalment.
5. Assassins Creed: Mirage
The last few games in the Assassins Creed universe have been huge, open-world adventures that take hours to play. What they did not have was a protagonist that was actually a part of the Assassins Brotherhood. While Origins did have a link to them, Odyssey and Valhalla felt only connected to the universe through the pieces of Eden and the animus. Thankfully, Mirage will bring us back into the fold, putting us in the white robes of Basim as he does what an assassin does best.
4. Final Fantasy XVI
6 years after the last mainline Final Fantasy entry we are on the cusp of getting Final Fantasy XVI. Leaning more into the action-based real-time combat introduced in FFXV, this new instalment is also rumoured to be more darker and mature in tone. I must admit that I have had a terrible habit over the years of putting many hours into the FF games but never finishing them until FFXV and the FFVII Remake. Hopefully, FFXVI can keep me engaged and I’ll be able to make it a trifecta.
3. Starfield
Probably one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. The brand-new IP from Bethesda has seen multiple delays but hopefully, we will finally get it in the first half of this year. With thousands of lines of dialogue, hundreds of planets to explore and choices that will affect the universe around you, Starfield does look to be Skyrim in space and I’m down for that.
2. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The sequel to the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order the game which proved that good Star Wars games can still be made, picks up the story of Cal Kestus and BD-1 five years on from Fallen Order. We know the Empire is strong and Cal is fighting them but where the story goes will be interesting to see along with what sort of new force powers you can unlock as you battle against the Empire on different planets.
1. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
There has not been much released about Spiderman 2 since the reveal trailer but really after the original Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, do we really need to know more? Two Spidey’s, Venom and next-gen, that’s all I need to have me playing it day one.
So that concludes Shaun’s list of his most anticipated games of 2023. What are some of yours? Hit us up via social media to let us know what games you are keen on in 2023!
