Earlier this week, our team shared the films they’re most excited about in 2023, but today, we’re taking a look at the games we can’t wait to play in the New Year!
As is typically the case, some of the games we were eager to play in 2022 were pushed back in 2023. Even so, there was no shortage of impressive titles spread across all platforms for gamers to enjoy. 2023 looks to be another massive year for gamers with the official return of E3 and a ridiculous amount of great looking titles to play. Here, we’ve tasked our gaming team to select just a handful of games they’re most excited to play in 2023.
Jordan
It seems pretty funny to look at all the incredible games I want to play next year, while I’m STILL trying to get through titles that arrived this past year! Seriously, my backlog is so hilariously stacked that I shouldn’t even be thinking about new games. And yet…
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Jedi: Fallen Order was such an impressive game. From sleek mechanics to gorgeous cinematics, and a touching all new story, there’s a lot to love. As such, I’m very eager to see where Cal’s story goes next. There seems to be some interesting new mysteries to uncover and even more action to be had. If they manage to keep the same impressive narrative going, while improving some of the more frustrating elements, this will be an early Game of the Year contender in 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – While this technically hasn’t been given a release date, Insomniac has made several comments to the fact that their Spider-Man sequel is “on track” to release in 2023. As such, I’m putting it on my most anticipated list until I hear otherwise!
I’ve always been a sucker for Spider-Man games, and Insomniac’s 2018 release remains one of the best around. A solid story combined with all the cathartic fun of swinging around the city gave eager fans the Spidey action they’ve been craving. It pays homage to some of the best Spider-Man games from the past while paving the way forward for something new. With the sequel fully incorporating Miles Morales and bringing on Venom, I have no doubts this game is going to consume me.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – It’s popular to hate on Avatar, but I’ve always loved the story and world created. As much as I’m eager to enjoy the new film, I’m just as excited to be able to explore Pandora MYSELF, thanks to Ubisoft’s upcoming game. While details on the overall story still seem scarce, what little we’ve seen of this game so far has my hype in overdrive.
Fire Emblem Engage – Thankfully I don’t have to wait much longer for this one, as the game is set to arrive just next month! Even so, considering how Fire Emblem games suck me in, it’s probably a good thing it’s hitting early, so I can spend much of the first part of the year enjoying it.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth – I’ve made this confession before, but it bears repeating again…I never played the original Final Fantasy VII. I understood (and appreciated) the things it did for gaming, but it was not something I ever sought out. When I got my hands on the remake, I was blown away and totally understood the obsession gamers had with the story and characters. As such, I’m very much all in on the remaining chapters in the remake, and it sounds like there’s a chance we’ll get Rebirth at some point in 2023. I have no choice but to put it on here and hope.
Honorable Mentions: Forspoken, Starfield, Aliens: Dark Descent, Final Fantasy XVI, Fae Farm, Armored Core 6
Katy
Some games I’ve been waiting (not so) patiently to release are finally on deck.
Ark 2 – I played more of the first Ark: Survival Evolved over the years than I admit and it quickly became one of my favorite survival games even if I don’t dare to touch the PvP. I’m hoping the sequel takes all of the game mechanics that hooked me (who doesn’t want to make a dinosaur farm?) and make them better when it launches next year on next-gen consoles and PC.
Roots of Pacha – First revealed during Summer Game Fest this year, Roots of Pacha is heavily inspired by Stardew Valley but is its own unique game in the life and farm sim genre. The game turns back the wheel of time to the conceptualization of community. You can play the demo on Steam now.
Pikmin 4 – A long awaited new entry into one of my favorite Nintendo franchises. Pikmin is the epitome of Nintendo’s charm and I’m excited to jump into its fascinating little world, (possibly, depending on the story) going on a simultaneous journey of awe and wonder as the explorers we’ve had the pleasure of controlling in the first three games or entirely new ones.
Nightingale – Another day, another survival game, this time by a new studio full of industry veterans with credits that include Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate, Jade Empire and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Go on the Realmwalkers journey and survive.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria – You thought we were done with the survival crafting? Lol. Take the genre and set it in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and give it online co-op and violà, one formula on how to get on my “most anticipated” list. Expected sometime in Q2 next year.
Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy XVI, Skull & Bones, Skate Story, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Creature Keeper, Dead Space Remake, Tales of Symphonia Remastered, Octopath Traveler 2, My Time At Sandrock
Becky
Street Fighter 6 – I never thought I’d see the day when I was excited for a Street Fighter game, but here I am all excited to check out Street Fighter 6. Everything that’s been teased thus far looks amazing and I’m looking forward to checking it all out.
Atelier Ryza 3 – Next year’s entry in the long-running Atelier franchise is set to wrap up the story of Ryza, something that has many Atelier fans, myself included, quite excited. This game should get things off to a fun start in 2023 for fans of JRPGs.
AEW: Fight Forever – Having been a hardcore fan of AEW for almost two years now, I was all ears when I heard a video game was in the works. Now that I’ve seen several gameplay trailers, it’s safe to say that AEW: Fight Forever is firmly at the top of my list of games I can’t wait to play in 2023. I never got to play any of the “classic” wrestling games that game out around the turn of the millennium, but I like that so many people are comparing this game to those, I feel like it’ll give me a taste of what that must’ve been like.
Dead Space – I initially thought this game was a completely new entry in the Dead Space series, but once I realized this was a straight-up remaster of the original game, well, what could I do but get excited? From the little I’ve seen of the original game on my PS3, I know Dead Space looks really cool and really terrifying. I shudder to imagine how scary this game will be on a next-gen console.
Sword Art Online: Last Recollection – Finally, I was thrilled to learn there’s a new Sword Art Online video game on the way in 2023. Just announced earlier this month, the new game is titled Sword Art Online: Last Recollection and is based on the “War of Underworld” anime arc. I’ve played most of the Sword Art Online games and enjoyed them for the most part, so I will definitely be checking this game out next year.
S0LEB
Forspoken (January 24, 2023) – Recently during the game awards, Square Enix announced the release of a Demo for the game. Up to this point, I can say the game was not even on my radar. After playing about two hours of the demo, I can say Square Enix just won themselves a pre-order! The game is very fast-paced, with a huge open world map to discover. The magic gameplay and upgrade system felt new and fresh, though the main character and “companion” banter felt very lacking. After the release of the demo, SquareEnix has assured fans that the game is much further along and it is a better all around experience than the released demo!
Dead Space (January 27, 2023) – Though I was somewhat disappointed with the recent release of Striking Distance Studios’ The Callisto Protocol, I always have the remake of the one that started it all, Dead Space! The game will not just be slapped with new polish and better graphics, new features like Issac will be fully voiced, Interactive Immersion (No Load Screens), and Zero-G floating has been added. Yes, there are all features the original game didn’t have! Be on the lookout for our review and stream when it releases in January!
Atomic Heart (February 20, 2023) – Atomic Heart has been in the making for sometime and I am still trying to keep any game information away from my eyes. I want to jump into the Bioshock/Fallout style world with no idea what’s going on. Just know the game looks crazy ass hell, has some amazing looking gameplay, and will probably be one of the best games on any platform when it releases in February!
Honorable Mentions: Resident Evil 4 Remake, Diablo 4, skull and Bones, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Silent Hill, RedFall, StarField
Dustin
Dead Island 2 – There are multiple games stuck in development hell at this point, but I’m glad this one is finally getting out, and based on the game doing rounds with actual gameplay it seems we have seen the last of the delays. Dying Light 2 was one of my favorite games released this year and it was all because of the co-op, so another zombie slashing game with some co-op elements is all the more welcomed to me, I’ll probably spend twice as much time in this one.
Sons Of the Forest – I’m not entirely sure what is happening with this game, it’s made by a smaller studio so it keeps flying under radar, but I’m extremely excited for it. The Forest is one of the best digital games on PlayStation and Xbox, and the survival elements are better than almost every game in this category. With such a strong basis for a follow up I can only assume it’ll be the best game in the genre.
Alan Wake 2 – It’s honestly hard not filling my whole list up with horror games, but Silent Hill 2 and Alone in the Dark still don’t have release dates so I can’t add those, yet. Remedy on the other hand is a great new addition in this space because every game they have made has been some of my favorite experiences. The first Alan Wake was one of the best games I played, so I’ll happily be returning with the follow up.
Layers Of Fears – Like I said, horror games. I’m super excited for this remastered release for two reasons. First I like Layers of Fear, and haters can keep on hating, I don’t care. Second, it’s a horror game that is utilizing the new Unreal Engine and that makes me beyond excited. Bloober does a phenomenal job with environments and the new engine is just going to heighten that even further.
Final Fantasy XVI – I’m excited for this and the second part of FF7, but the new more mature approach to Final Fantasy has me extremely intrigued and I can’t ignore it. Every time we see a further glimpse in FF16 my jaw just drops to the floor because it looks so spectacular.
Honorable Mentions: Judas (If this game gets a 2023 release date, its #1 on my list by FAR), Silent Hill 2 (or any Silent Hill), Alone In The Dark, Fatal Frame: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse, Wronged Us (It looks amazing, I just don’t know enough about it), Resident Evil 4 Remake
Matt
Final Fantasy XVI – FINALLY, Final Fantasy XVI is almost here. It felt like an eternity from the moment it was announced in 2020 to now. It instantly became my most anticipated title then and not much has changed since. The combat looks incredible, kinda teetering on the Witcher side of things, and the large-scale Eikon battles. Seriously, the trailers showing the giant Kaiju battles have me so hyped! All that said, while I’m very much excited for the game, the game’s lack of diversity cannot be overstated. The game is filled with so many intriguing kingdoms with cultures unique to those kingdoms, but no one of a different race. It’s very weird and should be questioned.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – When The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases, no one will hear from me. Not anyone at Cinelinx, not my girlfriend, not my friends, not even my cat whom I live with. That’s because I am going on a journey to the city above the land of Hyrule. Breath of the Wild was easily one of the best games to ever release and it’s changed how we look at open-world games. In fact, literally every open-world game now is compared to Breath of the Wild.
With Tears of the Kingdom, we have a chance of getting even more of what made Breath of the Wild so iconic. Moreover, with how quiet Nintendo has been about the game, it appears there are tons of mysteries to uncover, including Link and Ganon’s connection, the infection of the Master Sword, Link’s messed up arm, the possibility of being on a dilapidated Skyloft, and so much more. The release of this game can’t come soon enough.
One Piece Odyssey – This may be the most excited I’ve been for a One Piece game. In such a short amount of time, the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates will embark on a whole new adventure that will see them explore the memories of their distant past. The trailers shown make the story feel like such a nostalgia trip, that it makes you wonder what pivotal moments we’ll re-live. Moreover, what will the present story be? That’s been very much kept under wraps. What also has me excited is the turn-based combat that One Piece Odyssey will employ. It’s well-documented that that combat style is my favorite. So add in the characters of One Piece and you can feed this game directly into my veins.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – You may be seeing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hit my Most Anticipated Games of 2024 list, in addition to this year. That’s because the next chapter of the remake is designated to release “Next Winter”. Therefore, it’s not beholden to be in 2023. Still, there’s a chance. So of course it’s on my list. Final Fantasy VII Remake moved me more than I thought it would. As a long time fan of the series, I was blown away by how Midgar had been remade into this sprawling metropolitan city that I could actually explore. Furthermore, the characters and the voice acting were sensational and I could go on and on about the combat and the music and well everything. So, if Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is anything like Remake but even more expansive and heartfelt, this could easily be the Game of whatever Year it’s released.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Ever since Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was revealed, I’ve been so counting the minutes until its launch. What pulled me in was the game’s unique humor and the art style. However, what’s made this game even more anticipated is that it’s the final performance of Kevin Conroy as Batman. Thus, making this game even more meaningful than any of us ever could have imagined. There are many reasons why Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a must-play title in 2023.
There’s no shortage of great looking games coming in the New Year, and narrowing down our lists were really difficult. Not to mention the many games still to be revealed and launching in 2023! Regardless, we’re excited for what’s coming and 2023 looks to be another stellar year for gamers all around.
