2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for gamers across all platforms. While PlayStation users await the next chapter in Marvel’s Spider-Man saga with bated breath, Nintendo Switch users will finally get their hands on a sequel to the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fans of remakes will get a revamped look at Dead Space and Resident Evil 4. Some much-awaited titles such as Skull and Bones and Dead Island 2 might finally see the light of day in 2023 as well.
So without further ado, here are 20 of the most-awaited video game releases to look out for this year.
Forspoken
Release date: January 24
Platforms: PS5, PC
Promising a unique cross-map traversal system that resembles the memorable style of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Infamous Second Son, Forspoken comes from the developers of Final Fantasy XV. Forspoken will make full use of PS5’s ray-tracing features and SSD prowess to make loading times and fast travel feel almost spontaneous. If Forspoken does deliver, it could very well become a benchmark for next-gen performances across platforms.
Dead Space
Release Date: January 27
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Since the release of the original Dead Space in 2008, horror survival games have been trying hard to replicate its jumpscare-infested excellence without success. Now, the classic has been remade on EA’s Frostbite engine, reworking everything from camera angles to minute gameplay details. The remake also promises to offer a one-take-shot approach to the entire game, à la God of War. If you like space survivals like Aliens, this is one title you shouldn’t miss.
Hogwarts Legacy
Release Date: February 10
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch
Easily one of the most-awaited RPG releases this year, Hogwarts Legacy will let you play out your wildest Harry Potter dream — be it flying around Hogwarts grounds on a hippogriff or be it trying out unforgivable curses in a dark arts combat arena. You will get to create a completely new character and experience Hogwarts and the wizarding world like never before. The PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC versions will release in February, with PS4/Xbox One following in April and Switch in July.
Atomic Heart
Release date: February 21
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PC
What do you get when you fuse Wolfenstein and Bioshock? Atomic Heart promises to be a first-person shooter like no other, with a healthy mix of shoot-em-up and superpowered abilities. Atomic Heart in an alternate post-World War II era where USSR emerged victorious against Nazi Germany in 1941. You play as a disturbed KGB agent who must take on an evil empire infested with vile robots and villains.
Company of Heroes 3
Release date: February 23
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Strategy fans got a taste of a brand new Age of Empires last year and now it seems a new chapter of Company of Heroes is on the offing. The classic real-time strategy title will focus on the Italian and North African theatres of World War II this time around. The third instalment introduces a unique Tactical Pause feature, which will let players pause an ongoing battle to make changes to commands and setpieces before resuming the skirmish again.
The Day Before
Release date: March 1
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
The Day Before is not just another open-world zombie MMO, primarily because it has been built almost entirely on Unreal Engine 5. And the results are easy to note. Just check out the gameplay trailer below to understand what we are talking about.
Skull and Bones
Release date: March 9
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna
If you liked the piracy elements and naval battles of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Skull and Bones is a title you shouldn’t miss. This began as an expansion of Black Flag but with years took a form of its own since it was first teased in 2017. It should be noted that Skull and Bones have been delayed by Ubisoft for nearly 5 years now, but fans are hoping 2023 will finally be the year that Skull and Bones break cover.
Stars Wars Jedi: Survivor
Release date: March 17
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) came at a time when there honestly weren’t many genuinely enjoyable Star Wars games. The Respawn production, however, changed the narrative with a truly enjoyable story clubbed with an affable protagonist and revamped lightsaber-based combat. It is expected that Survivor should be able to replicate the success of Fallen Order with next-gen graphics and fun gameplay elements.
Resident Evil 4
Release date: March 24
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Ask any horror fan what their all-time favourite survival horror title is, and chances are nearly all of them would swear by 2005’s Resident Evil 4. Well, RE4 is back, this time with rebuffed graphics and more modern controls to suit the next-gen era.
Crime Boss: Rockay City
Release date: March 28
Platform: PS5
Crime Boss: Rockay City boasts of a star-studded cast which includes the likes of Michael Madsen, Kim Basinger, Danny Glover, Danny Trejo, and — wait for it — Chuck Norris! If that isn’t reason enough to check out Rockay City when it drops on PS5 in March, check out this sweet trailer below and see if that doesn’t change your mind.
Dead Island 2
Release date: April 28
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
Yet another game that has been doing its round in development hell for nearly a decade. Dead Island 2 will unfold in the open-world maps of Los Angeles and San Francisco. The series-signature crafting mechanism and ‘rage’ mechanics will make a comeback, as the zombie survival game also promises some fun new features.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Release date: May 12
Platform: Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) has been cited by critics and fans as one of the greatest video games ever made. It also went on to be one of the most-selling games of all time, with over 27 million copies as of 2022. It’s no wonder that Tears of the Kingdom has also generated massive hype around it. So much so that it won both Golden Joystick Awards and The Game Awards for the most anticipated release of the year.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Release date: May 26
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Developed by Rocksteady Studios — the same folks behind Batman: Arkham series — Kill The Justice League will feature coop gameplay starring King Shark, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and Harley Quinn as they are tasked with a simple goal — kill the Justice League. For fans, this game will be particularly special as it will feature the final voice performance of the late Kevin Conroy as Batman.
Street Fighter 6
Release date: June 2
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S
If you have ever visited any arcade gaming parlours, chances are you have already played some version of Street Fighter already. The latest instalment to Capcom’s hit fighting game series will bring back series favourites such as Chun-Li, Ryu, and Zangief, along with some new fighters such as JP, Jamie, and Kimberly.
Diablo IV
Release date: June 6
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
It's been nearly a decade since the last Diablo came out and given the incredible success it tasted in terms of sales, it’s not a surprise that Diablo IV made it to our list of top 2023 games. The fourth instalment will introduce new elements such as an open-world structure and even PvP interactions. Probably the best thing about the Diablo series is that it doesn’t mess around much with the tried-and-tested class-based strategy RPG formula, which makes all games easy to pick up and thoroughly enjoyable.
Forza Motorsport
Release date: Q2 2023
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Forza Horizon 4 was hands-down the best racing simulator of 2022, and the upcoming Forza Motorsport looks to continue the streak. Officially the eighth entry into the Forza Motorsport lineup, the upcoming game promises to bring 4K gameplay with ray tracing and next-gen graphics along with dozens of beautifully replicated vehicles, from the 2019 McLaren Senna GTR to the 1958 Aston Martin DBR1.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Release date: 2023
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
It’s been 13 years since S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat came out. Call of Chornobyl promises to stay true to the series’ first-person shooter-slash-survival horror roots. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was first announced way back in 2010 but the game was eventually delayed dozens of times, with the latest release date set for December 8, 2022. However, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war forced the Kyiv-based GSC Game World studio to further the date to sometime in 2023. All this wait does mean that the game has now been built entirely on Unreal Engine 5, so the results are expected to be great nevertheless.
Alan Wake II
Release date: 2023
Platforms: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X
A sequel to 2010’s Alan Wake, the survival horror will put you in the shoes of the eponymous author trying his luck against mysterious forces of evil. Unlike the last game, which was claimed to be an “action game with horror elements”, the sequel promises to be a true survival horror, with some yet-unrevealed ties to another Remedy hit, Control. A specific launch date hasn’t been revealed yet.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Release date: 2023
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
The thirteenth major instalment to Ubisoft’s uber-popular action-adventure franchise will be set in ninth-century Baghdad, revolving around Basim (who we first met in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla) and chronicling his journey from a common thief to a top member of the Brotherhood. Developer Ubisoft Bordeaux said that Mirage will be a departure from the RPG mechanics of Origin, Odyssey, and Valhalla and see a return to the series’ signature stealth and linear storytelling.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Release date: Fall 2023
Platform: PS5
The first Spider-Man (2018) was one of the highest-selling games on the PS4, and the sequel is expected to put the next-gen console’s graphical prowess to best use and deliver a memorable story that will revolve around Spidey and Miles Morales taking on none other than the Venom itself.