2023's Most Anticipated Video Games: A Preview

Dead Space Remake

One of the video game body horrors of all time, Dead Space is returning to scare you with mutilated monstrosities once again, this time in a next-gen form. This is a perfect moment for both the newcomers to experience the Necromorph terror and the old-time fans to relive the nightmare.

Image credit: Motive Studios

The original Dead Space games are about the adventures of Isaac Clarke, an engineer who responds to a distress signal sent by USG Ishimura, a massive mining ship. There, he gets attacked by human corpses turned into horrifying monsters. Clarke’s goal is now to save the surviving crew members and get out of there in one piece, uncovering the truth behind these horrid events along the way.

One of the coolest things about the series is that your character is an engineer and not someone with military training. You get to wield weapons that are basically repurposed mining tools and combat is all about dismembering enemies.

While the Dead Space remake will retain the basic story structure of the original, models and environments will be redesigned. Even Isaac Clarke will be fully voiced by his voice actor from Dead Space 2 and 3, Gunner Wright. Additionally, the game will be devoid of loading screens, so that the whole experience is uninterrupted by anything. There might be even some restored content that was cut from the first Dead Space game due to technical constraints. Jason Graves’ creepy orchestral music will be bolstered by additional compositions by Trevor Gureckis.

All in all, this will be a fantastic opportunity for the series to gain new followers, while old-time fans will surely have a great time revisiting their favorite horror. Ready to dismember some space undead?

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The upcoming new addition to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl surely is experiencing troubled development. First, there were some cancellations.

Now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine again halted production. Still, the developers resumed their work and the game is supposed to be out sometime in 2023.

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What do we know about the game so far? Once again, you’ll get to play as a lone stalker in a place known as the Zone, created after the second explosion of the Chornobyl reactor in 2006, which resulted in mutations, anomalies, and various factions vying for control over the area.

Once again, you’ll get to explore the Zone where you’ll either side or fight against the humans you encounter, in addition to dealing with the deadly mutants that roam the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, as well as avoiding all sorts of radioactive anomalies.

The game looks fantastic and will surely be a phenomenal addition to the immersive sim canon. If you love the post-apocalyptic theme, but can’t stand the Fallout series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will most likely steal your heart.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

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Resident Evil 4 Remake

The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 were very well received by critics and gamers alike, so it’s no wonder that another classic game in the series is being redone from the ground up. And it will most likely be yet another smash hit.

Image credit: Capcom Development Division 1

The game once again puts you in the shoes of Leon S. Kennedy, a US agent tasked with rescuing the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. She’s been kidnapped by a mysterious and violent cult known as Los Illuminados and taken to a creepy Spanish village. By the way, the kidnappers worship some sort of an ancient parasite, so expect all sorts of weird stuff to happen along the way. REALLY weird stuff.

The game has been described as a modern re-imagining of the original that keeps the spirit intact, anyway. Expect improved visuals and a much tenser atmosphere. The Merchant and the attaché case will return. There will be some new moves and mechanics in the game as well. You will be able to push enemies away with roundhouse kicks and parry chainsaw attacks with a knife, for example.

All in all, 2023 is shaping up to become another good year for survival horror fans. By the way, the game’s official title is just Resident Evil 4, it’s being referred to as RE 4 Remake is just what people call it in general, just like it was with the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2.

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Diablo IV

The legend of hack and slash games is returning in 2023! Diablo IV will pit you against Lilith, the demonic daughter of Mephisto, summoned by some cultists. Are you ready to banish evil from the world of Sanctuary once again?

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

The game will be a mix of the features that defined the series – and the genre – such as procedurally generated dungeons and the focus on looting with new elements, such as an open-world environment and player versus player elements. Five character classes will be playable: Barbarian, Necromancer, Sorceress, Rogue, and Druid. They have all appeared in previous games, so you can’t expect total freshness in the gameplay, but these classes will surely receive various changes that’ll shake things up a bit, perhaps even a lot. This time, however, you will be able to customize the appearance of your characters more freely.

Now that the game features an open world, it has become a non-linear affair. You can complete the five zones in any order you wish; the enemies will be scaled to your level. The over-world will feature PVP interactions and boss events that you can join as you pass by. It’s definitely shaping up to be a massive game that seamlessly blends single and multiplayer modes. Keep in mind, though, that Diablo IV requires you to be online at all times.

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Final Fantasy XVI

One of the most renowned Japanese RPG series is also returning! The upcoming new installment will be darker than the previous games, which will surely freshen things up. Are you ready to embark on a revenge quest in the world of Valisthea?

Image credit: SQUARE ENIX

The story is about Clive Rosfield who looks after Joshua, his younger brother. Their kingdom has just been destroyed by a dark Eikon known as Ifrit. Eikons are magical creatures with incredible powers that represent the elements. Ifrit disrupted the balance between the Eikons, as it is the second Eikon of fire.

As usual, combat has you use a combination of melee and magic attacks. There will be also Eikon battles. Once you defeat these creatures, you’ll gain access to their powers. Chocobos will also return. You can also play the game in various modes. If you’re more on the “I want to enjoy the story!” side of things, you’ll gladly try out the Story Mode. The normal mode is also present, there will also be New Game, letting you keep your character level and equipment, so that you can complete the campaign again, but with a higher difficulty level.

It’s shaping up to be a very good addition to the Final Fantasy canon and should appeal to both newcomers and long-time fans of the series alike.

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Alan Wake II

Alan Wake, a successful thriller novelist who experienced what terror really means when on vacation in Bright Falls, is returning. Alan Wake II, however, will now be a full-blown survival horror. Sounds like 2023 is going to be a fantastic year for fans of scary games!

Image credit: Remedy Entertainment

What do we know about this title so far? Not much, really. Alan Wake II will remain a third-person game. Ilkka Villi, a Finnish actor, will once again serve as a model for the titular character, while Matthew Poretta will return as his voice actor. The game will be built using Northlight Engine, the same used for Alan Wake Remastered, Quantum Break, and Control (it’s Remedy’s own creation, by the way). In case you didn’t know: Control and Alan Wake constitute the parts of the same universe, known as the Remedy Connected Universe. Sam Lake also said that new players can totally pick up Alan Wake II without having to go through the previous games in the series.

As you can see, not much is known about the game, but if the success of Remedy’s previous productions is any indicator, we can be pretty sure it’s going to be yet another smash hit in the studio’s portfolio.

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Starfield

Fans of space-themed role-playing games can rejoice! Starfield, Bethesda’s first original intellectual property in twenty-five years, will surely be a treat for them. Are you ready to join Constellation?

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

Set in the year 2330, Starfield shows a world where humans have traveled beyond our solar system, becoming spacefarers bent on setting foot on every single hospitable planet they encounter. Your character begins as a space miner, but eventually, they will join Constellation, a group of space explorers who seek rare artifacts and explore the galaxy’s secrets. This will begin an epic adventure in the stars.

You will be able to create your own character and customize them thoroughly, explore various planets in the Settled Systems, and play in either first- or third-person perspective. All in all, it’s shaping up to be another major hit that’ll hit the shelves sometime in the first half of 2023.

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage

If you detested the fact that the most recent Assassin’s Creed games have become action RPGs, you’ll be relieved to learn that Ubisoft is planning on returning to its roots.

Image credit: Ubisoft Bordeaux

Mirage takes you to the 9th century Baghdad, to the Islamic Golden Age. You will play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief who is given a chance to become a member of the Assassin Brotherhood and fight against the Templar Order. It’s essentially a coming-of-age type of story.

Gameplay-wise, it drops most of the role-playing elements found in Valhalla or Odyssey, instead focusing on a mix of action-adventure and stealth, with a more linear, story-focused structure of the campaign. Expect wild parkour moves and engaging melee combat. If you missed the “Black Box” missions, you’ll be happy to hear that they will be back in Mirage. These missions will have you investigate the environment in search of different ways of eliminating your targets.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is essentially a modern tribute to the series, celebrating its legacy spanning fifteen years. While a “smaller” game than its predecessors, it may nonetheless be an amazing release. Expect it out sometime in 2023.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

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Homeworld 3

Following the success of the Homeworld Remastered Collection and Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak (a prequel), the series is returning in the third installment, which is again set in space. If you missed epic, fully 3D battles, this should totally be something right up your alley!

Image credit: Blackbird Interactive

Homeworld 3 continues the story that started in the previous two games. The Vaygr have been conquered, but a mysterious new threat dubbed the Anomaly arose and the universe is now in danger. Imogen S’jet, Karan S’jet’s successor, sends out a fleet to put an end to this menace.

The gameplay follows the model established in Homeworld 1 and 2, so the space battles are fully three-dimensional. There will be some new additions, though, in the form of megastructures known as the megaliths and the trench. They’ll provide cover for small spaceships and offer new tactical possibilities. Aside from a robust single-player campaign (and perhaps a regular competitive multiplayer mode), there will also be a roguelike co-op mode available.

Homeworld 3 is shaping up to be yet another real-time strategy classic. Expect it to be out sometime in the first half of 2023.

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Exoprimal

Of all the new games in 2023, Exoprimal is probably one of the most interesting upcoming releases. After all, it features both awesome exosuits and dinosaurs!

Image credit: CAPCOM

Your goal in the game is to destroy a sinister AI called Leviathan. In order to do so, you need to complete various challenges using a wide variety of exosuits, each featuring different weaponry and abilities.

The main feature of the game, however, is combating hordes of dinosaurs emerging from mysterious vortexes. If you always wanted to hunt down a T-rex, a Triceratops, or a raptor, Exoprimal will give you plenty of opportunities to do so! The objectives will be quite varied and they will sometimes involve fighting with other players.

No, this isn’t a sequel or a spin-off to Dino Crisis and it’s pretty much unlike any other action game in Capcom’s portfolio. Ready to blast some dinosaurs? Exoplanet is slated for a release sometime in 2023.

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