35 video games to look forward to in 2023

Alan Wake fans almost gave up hope for a sequel after a decade, but the success of Control finally gave Remedy the push it needed. The studio purchased the rights to the franchise from Microsoft and is partnering with Epic Games for publishing.

Mecha fans screamed with delight when Armored Core 6 was announced at the Game Awards. FromSoftware shows again that it's a risktaker, as this game is pretty much as far as its mega-hit Elden Ring as you can get.

Ubisoft has promised a return to the series' roots with Assassin's Creed Mirage. Instead of a massive RPG, this will be a more focused action-adventure title set in ninth-century Baghdad. Expect gameplay to center more around assassinations and maneuvering than it did in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

Atomic Heart looks pretty good, despite having nothing to do with the hit 1994 J-Pop album by Mr. Children. It's set in a bleak alternate Soviet Union full of paranoid androids and is reminiscent of BioShock. Hopefully, reports of a tumultuous development are exaggerated, but it'll likely be a wild ride just for the visuals alone.

We're antsy about whether this game will release in 2023. It's been in development for six years and delayed once. However, if it does launch and fulfills its promise of showing players a completely new section of Pandora, it could be a hit.

The latest game in the venerable RTS series will take players to Italy and North Africa during World War 2. In addition, it brings new features like a dynamic campaign that can have different endings depending on your actions. So, will you hunt or be hunted by the Desert Fox?

Few games have had as tumultuous development as Dead Island 2. It's been through three different studios and taken almost a decade, but it's finally going to release in April. Of course, we'll believe it when we see it. 

After The Callisto Protocol was released to mixed reviews, we're putting all our sci-fi horror eggs in Dead Space Remake's basket. The developers have hinted that a few changes are coming to make the game more expansive and eliminate loading times, sure to make this iconic classic even better.

Lightfall will take Guardians to a secret enclave of humans on Neptune, where they'll go head-to-head against the Shadow Legion for the first time. It's the dawn of a new chapter of Destiny 2's story and a great time to get into (or come back to) the game.

Blizzard fans are hoping Diablo 4 will be a win for the beleaguered developer, and early impressions are good. This summer, we'll see whether hell still burns bright or if the embers are dying out.

The creators of the cult classic JRPG series Suikoden have reunited for a spiritual successor. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes looks like it'll include many of the same systems and themes, including the ability to recruit 108 characters, updated for a modern audience. Expect awesome retro-style graphics and fantastic gameplay from this one.

The next part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is coming soon, and almost nothing has been revealed about it. Fans can assume that Cloud and party will remain on the beaten path for now, and the retelling of the Nibelheim incident in the Kalm Inn might be where the game starts.

It looks like Final Fantasy 16 is looking to return to the series' roots with a dark medieval fantasy motif. However, it will not be all moogles and chocobos this time. This might be the grittiest entry in the franchise, which will hopefully turn out for the best.

A warrior with Crest toothpaste-colored hair will use the power of heroes throughout the Fire Emblem series in Engage. Despite the popularity of Three Houses, this entry will be less slice of life and more battles. Fans of the franchise will love this, as characters from practically every game are slated to make an appearance.

Hogwarts Legacy is set around a century before Harry became a wizard. Players will take the role of a fifth-year Hogwarts student who holds the key to a secret that could tear the wizarding world asunder. Fans have been clamoring for a simulation of the school of wizarding for over two decades, and hopefully, this game will be as magical as its subject matter.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting this Metroidvania for years, and it's finally releasing in 2023. The original Hollow Knight was released to excellent reviews and became an instant indie classic. Hopefully, Silksong is more of a good thing.

After the release of Homeworld 2, the story-rich 3D RTS series went dormant for over a decade until it was revived in 2016 with the prequel Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak by Blackbird Interactive. Now, this year, we're finally getting a continuation of the Hiigaran's story.

This PlayStation VR2 launch title gives players a chance to get hands-on with the world of Horizon. It's a spin-off, so we're not expecting an expansive new adventure. Instead, it looks like it'll largely be an on-rails experience, which is fine as long as it does an excellent job of showcasing the new hardware.

KSP 2 will take all the excellent features of the original and add new aspects like interstellar travel, large-scale colonies, multiplayer, and more. In addition, the graphics are also seeing a much-needed update that gives a significant glow-up to the Kerbal system.

Who'd have thought a Soulslike based on Pinocchio could be so intriguing? Lies of P has you taking the role of Pinocchio as he tries to find Geppetto. The trick here is that you have to lie to others if you want to become human. How you lie will affect the game and determine your ultimate fate.

Like a Dragon Gaiden will cover what happened to Kazuma Kiryu between Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon and what he's up to between that game and Like a Dragon 8. Kiryu's story was supposed to be over, but we're glad he's back. 

We never believed this Edo-period spin-off would get an English release, but here we are. Ishin is getting a complete remake and will feature enhanced graphics and additional content. 

The Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with its predecessor, Lords of the Fallen) was an unexpected announcement, as the original game didn't get the best reviews. However, with the success of Elden Ring, Souls fever is in full swing, so we'll take whatever we can get to tide us over until FromSoftware drops DLC or a new game.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set to eclipse the original just because it features Venom. Not a ton has been revealed about the game yet, but we're hoping Spider-Man gets to play with the symbiote a bit. Maybe we'll see a team-up against Carnage? 

Classic JRPG gameplay has made a comeback in the last few years, and Square Enix's Octopath Traveler 2 continues that throwback feel. This title is unrelated to the previous game other than its format, and there are eight new characters to follow in Solistia, a world that's a bit more modern than the original's medieval setting. 

When Pragmata's trailer premiered two years ago, viewers swore it had to be something from Kojima and were surprised to see it was a Capcom title. Unfortunately, aside from a 2023 release window, we've got no new info about the game. Nevertheless, the mystery alone makes it one of the year's most anticipated titles. Hopefully, it's not terrible! 

Resident Evil 4 was revolutionary when it was originally released, and fans can't wait to get their hands on the remake. So far, it looks like a pretty faithful translation, and we've got our fingers crossed that it'll be more like the Resident Evil 2 remake than Resident Evil 3 remake.

The first three S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games give a unique survival experience set in an anomaly-filled wasteland. These games had their flaws but are still very playable. Unfortunately, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has had a tumultuous development cycle. It was first canceled in 2011, then revived in 2018. Unfortunately, as the devs were finally reaching the finish line, Russia invaded Ukraine, and studio GSC Game World had to continue work on the game under less-than-ideal circumstances. 

Skull & Bones has been in development for so long that most of us have turned into skeletons waiting for it. There's a very real chance this game will be a disaster. But it could be a surprise hit if it can capture the fun of Assassin Creed IV: Black Flag's naval battles.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor joins Cal five years after the original game's events. The galaxy has gotten even darker, and he'll have to be on his toes to stay alive. He also gets a cool new Kylo Ren-style lightsaber, which is neat.

It's hard to believe Starfield is Bethesda's first big original title since 2015's Fallout 4. After eight years in the oven, fan expectations are high for this sci-fi RPG, and hopefully, the delay from November 11, 2022, to Q1/Q2 2023 will give Bethesda the time to polish it to perfection.

The closed betas of Street Fighter 6 have shown that Capcom is a lot more focused with this release than it was with the last game. So we're hoping for a smooth launch without any of the controversy that Street Fighter 5 garnered.

This is yet another game that's taken more than a decade to come to fruition. It was in development after the release of Batman: Arkham Origins in 2013 but ended up being canceled at some point between then and 2016. Fortunately, that decision was reversed, and Rocksteady is continuing the Batman: Arkhamverse with this title.

The sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most anticipated video games ever. After one delay, it seems like the high-flying Tears of the Kingdom is finally coming, but can the ailing Switch hardware handle such an ambitious title?

Five years after its initial launch window, The Wolf Among Us 2 will finally hit consoles and PC. It's been a long road for this game, and it's been completely rebooted at least once. Here's hoping the wait is worth it.