2022 has been a busy 12 months for gamers, to say the least. Elden Ring taking over our lives feels like several lifetimes ago, while it feels like July’s crime caper As Dusk Falls launched just last week.
- READ MORE: The 20 best games of 2022
But as winter’s bitter cold sets in and we roll credits on 2022, it’s time to get cosy, work through that backlog of games (though it’s not real if you don’t acknowledge it), and look ahead to warmer times. 2023 is going to be jam-packed with brilliant games – some of this year’s biggest titles were pushed back to next year, which means we’ve already got several potential world-beaters coming in 2023.
While some of these games we’ve played, and some we’re in the dark about, everything on this list seems like it could offer up something truly special. Special mention here to Dead island 2 which is somehow, improbably, shambling towards release looking like it might be pretty good. Here are a few of the games you should look forward to getting your hands on in 2023.
12. Fire Emblem Engage
Release date: January 20
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
For anyone who’s already lost weeks of their life to Fire Emblem: Three Houses and real-time spin-off Three Hopes, January is going to be a terrible month for productivity due to the launch of Fire Emblem Engage. In the boots of protagonist Alear, players will travel across four realms to prevent the resurrection of the apocalyptic Fell Dragon, fighting in turn-based encounters and summoning heroes from past Fire Emblem games along the way. Three Houses hooked a whole new generation of Fire Emblem fans on the social-strategy series, meaning Engage will be a strong start to 2023 for legions of Switch owners.
11. Company of Heroes 3
Release date: February 23
Platforms: PC
Company of Heroes 3 is set to launch in just a few months – and looks like it will deliver an ambitious breath of life to a series that’s been quiet for nearly a decade. With a Total War-style campaign map tying each RTS battle into a bigger picture, players will have more freedom to explore their own strategies – while the game’s traditional real-time battles look more explosive than ever. We’ve already previewed Company of Heroes 3 and loved what we played– so strategy fans, take note: this one’s going to be big.
10. Diablo 4
Release date: 2023
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, PC
It’s been over a decade since the last mainline Diablo game launched, and we’re feeling particularly starved for more gratuitously gory isometric action. In Diablo 4, Blizzard Entertainment will transform the series into an open-world adventure with a nonlinear campaign. The latest in a line of near-apocalypses, Diablo 4‘s main villain will be Lilith: the creator of Sanctuary who’s returned with a horde of demons after a lengthy banishment. Since the launch of Diablo 3, Blizzard’s iconic series has more competitors than ever – so let’s hope 4 comes with some new tricks to take back its crown.
9. Redfall
Release date: 2023
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S
When vampires take over a small Massachusetts town, it’s up to you – and optionally, three pals – to knock their fangs out. An open-world shooter from Arkane, Redfall looks like a ridiculously good time – and with Harvey Smith serving as creative director, it’s certain to be something we’ll still be talking about months after it launches. If you’re a fan of Dishonored or last year’s Deathloop, the prospect of another immersive sim from the studio will be very hard to resist.
8. Resident Evil 4 Remake
Release date: March 24
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Following the success of Capcom’s last Resident Evil remakes, it seemed inevitable that the studio would eventually revisit one of the series’ most iconic entries. Launching in March 2023, Resident Evil 4 follows Leon Kennedy as he searches for the President’s missing daughter in a Spanish village that’s home to a murderous cult. Our hands-on preview left us thinking this gory remake is going to be “absolutely amazing” when it launches, so horror fans watch out – this is shaping up to be a must-play.
7. Dead Island 2
Release date: April 28
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
This one may take some pinching, but it’s true: Dead Island 2 is real, and it’s coming out in 2023. Though the first game received a mixed reception, marketing for the sequel suggests that Deep Silver is willing to embrace a lighter, sillier vibe going forward. As a result, Dead Island 2’s sun-soaked vision of Los Angeles looks like gory, gratuitous good fun – and even if you’re not a fan, aren’t you just curious to see how Dead Island 2 finally turns out?
6. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Release date: 2023
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, PC
A return to Ubisoft’s earlier, more linear entries in the Assassin’s Creed series, Mirage takes players to Baghdad, at 861 AC. Mirage follows the journey of Basim – a familiar name for Valhalla fans – as he goes from street thief to trained killer under the tutelage of master assassin Roshan (played by Shohreh Aghdashloo). A “tightly crafted, narrative-driven” title, Mirage sounds like a fantastic chance for fans to revisit everything they originally fell in love with the series for.
5. Final Fantasy 16
Release date: 2023
Platforms: PS5
Set in the continent of Valisthea, Final Fantasy 16 will take players on a kingdom-hopping adventure through a land on the verge of a catastrophic war. Early trailers paint an epic that’s bursting with Game of Thrones-style political intrigue, fast-paced combat, and some of the series’ most monstrous creatures yet in the form of Eikons. 2023 is looking particularly quiet on the high fantasy, so Final Fantasy 16 patches a hole that few can fill like Square Enix.
4. Street Fighter 6
Release date: 2023
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
In Street Fighter 6, Capcom is returning the fighting game series to its stylised, colourful roots. With 18 fighters available from launch and features like arcade mode and a social battle hub to enjoy, Street Fighter 6 oozes promise – and if you’ve been on the fence about getting stuck into Street Fighter, this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for – especially because of the game’s promising new social features, which we fell in love with.
3. Hollow Knight Silksong
Release date: 2023
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC
After years of fans swarming every publisher’s showcase to ask for Silksong news, we finally have a trailer and a release window – the Hollow Knight sequel is planned for 2023, and will be a day-one Xbox Game Pass title. While we’ve not been shown too much of Silksong, the most exciting news is that we’ll be cutting around as Hornet, who looks to be far more agile than the titular Hollow Knight. The effect that will have on the game remains to be seen – but if you’re one of the countless metroidvania fans enamored with Team Cherry, this is one of the most exciting releases in years.
2. Starfield
Release date: 2023
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
With thousands of planets to explore, Starfield is shaping up to be an ambitious sci-fi wonder from Bethesda. In this space-bound role-playing game, players will control a member of the Constellation – a group of explorers – as they traverse across the universe, two decades after a destructive interplanetary war wreaked havoc. With The Elder Scrolls and Fallout under Bethesda’s belt, the prospect of any new RPG from the studio should be enough to excite – and Starfield is looking to be another trophy to add to the team’s shelf.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Release date: May 12
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
A long-awaited sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom takes Link back to a Hyrule that’s seen better days. After Link and Zelda stumble upon a suspiciously Ganon-shaped corpse, magical shenanigans ensue and chunks of Hyrule are sent soaring into the air. Though it’s a follow-up to one of the most celebrated games on the Nintendo Switch, new Skyward Sword-style aerial exploration and a whole new set of creative Sheikah Slate tools for Link to wield mean Tears of the Kingdom isn’t just looking to match Breath of the Wild – it’s aiming to build upon it.
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