This year has already been packed with massive titles to compete for your attention, whether you play offline or online. Here’s our guide to the best upcoming games for 2023 and beyond.
1. Starfield
Starfield, the first significant new open world IP from Bethesda since The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, sounds galactic in scope. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that the game was delayed from its original November 11 release date in 2022. The reason is to break the studio’s reputation for problematic releases and avoiding comparisons to No Man’s Sky’s divisive launch. Starfield is one of action RPG games where you can choose your alliances and engage in first- or third-person shooter. The game also has melee combat against space pirates. In this game, you can build your own customized spacecraft and visit over 1,000 worlds in over 100 systems.
2. Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy aficionados have two games to look forward to in 2023, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The XVI’th entry excites us the most because it is a wholly new experience.
With a more mature tone inspired by Western fantasy such as The Witcher and God of War, it’s a controversial departure for the long-running Japanese RPG series, though we can still anticipate a massive epic involving crystals and the legendary summoned Eikons.
While it appears that your protagonist Clive will have allies during his voyage across multiple timelines, this is primarily a single-player, real-time, action-oriented experience. You know it’s excellent when the battle director’s resume includes Devil May Cry and the criminally underrated Dragon’s Dogma.
Also, we might as well mention Final Fantasy VII Rebirth while we’re here. Although the release date is not until early 2024, the legendary PS1 role-playing game will receive a complete, two-disc (!!!) remake for the PS5.
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Since its 2017 debut, the cult status of the indie Metroidvania Hollow Knight has steadily increased. The producer team consists of three people only. Unsurprisingly, anticipation for its successor Silksong has consequently reached fever peak.
Set in a haunted world of insects, but presented in a beautiful hand-drawn style, you play as the nimble Hornet, previously a deadly antagonist in the original game, confronting all-new enemies and all-new challenges as you attempt to escape the kingdom you’ve been imprisoned in.
Silksong’s release date is still unknown, and it’s possible that Team Cherry will drop it out of the blue, but at least it’s been verified for every games major platform.
4. Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is always been in Early Access for what seems like an eternity, but a release date has finally appeared. And the indications are positive. Larian Studios, the creators of the Divinity: Original Sin games, continues the trend of modern sequels to classic game franchises (the last Baldur’s Gate game was released in 2000).
Consequently, it has the potential to become the definitive Baldur’s Gate experience. It is a fantasy-themed top-down role-playing game based on the D&D 5th Edition rules. Your character, whichever one you choose, has a brain parasite and traverses the globe attempting to have it removed. The plot is quite specific, but Baldur’s Gate 3 is expected to be one of the largest releases of 2023.
5. Lies of P
There are an abundance of Pinocchio adaptations, yet the wooden child continues to influence new generations. His most recent work is Lies of P, which attempts to “Batmanize” an Italian folktale by making it even darker than it already is. You play as Pinocchio, or ‘P’ in this case. The boy awakens in a train station with a note reading ‘Find Mr. Geppetto. He has arrived in the metropolis.
It may appear to be a Hitman contract, but it is not. Instead, Lies of P is set in an alternate Victorian era, and Pinocchio has a robotic limb. This mechanical hand is upgradeable with new weapons and robot-knocking devices. We only hope it meets these elevated expectations.
6. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man is one of the most popular PlayStation exclusives based on one of the most popular protagonists, so a sequel is a no-brainer. Following the success of the Miles Morales expansion, it only makes logical that you’ll be able to play as both Peter Parker and Miles’ versions of the web-slinger as they face off against new foes Kraven the Hunter and fan favorite Venom. We’re expecting for a more interesting twist on the open-world formula.
7. Granny
If you would rather spend your free time engaging in an interesting game, then Granny is the right choice for you. Granny is a horror-based video game that challenges players to navigate mazes and solve puzzles. Also, the game incorporates elements of stealth, tension, and jump scares. You have to unravel the puzzles while staying under Granny’s radar. Hopefully,her acute hearing doesn’t pick up on your presence.
In order to protect yourself from the omnipresent Granny and make your way out of the room, you will need to look for objects, deactivate alarms, and find weapons. The game comes across as incomplete and sloppy in its entirety. The graphics are easy to understand but the controls is even less intuitive. The fact that there are only a few images could possibly work to the game’s advantage by preventing it from being too realistic.