10 Games to Look Forward to in 2023

2022 is ending and 2023 is full of excitement. With dozens of games revealed and set to release in 2023, we are going to look at some of the most anticipated titles. I also have a few honourable mentions that I will include at the end that are rumoured to release in 2023 but are not confirmed and a few games close to making the list, but just missed out.

We will also be excluding any expansions from this list. Though I do think there are some big DLCs to look forward to in 2023, like Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Destiny 2: Lightfall, we are going to focus on main game releases.

And if you have a game that you think deserves a mention, why not leave it in the comments below?

Forza Motorsport

Taking the number ten spot is the Forza Motorsport remake. The remake of Forza Horizon was revealed in the Xbox and Bethesda showcase in June and even caught me off guard with how incredible the graphics looked.

The game looks incredible so far, with 4K support, ray tracing and high frame rate support. It is safe to say that the game will be able to reach up to 120fps on the Xbox Series X. And who can say no to that?

But graphics are not the only improvement that we will get as well. A new and highly accurate damage system is going to be implemented, along with a dynamic weather system and day and night cycle.

To see a classic game like this being built up with this much detail is something that most gamers should look forward to. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the best-looking racing games I have played, and I am expecting this to be even better.

When will the Forza Motorsport remake be released? No exact release date has been confirmed, but we know it will release in Spring 2023 and exclusively on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Minecraft Legends

There is no denying that Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, if not the most popular. And the reason is clear, the game has endless possibilities and offers a lot of entertainment value. This brings us to the third spot on the list: Minecraft Legends. A new Minecraft action strategy game.

We are all used to the creative and exploration aspects of Minecraft, but Minecraft Legends will bring a new aspect that we have not experienced in this franchise before. And from what we have seen so far, it looks good!

From the trailers and demos, we have seen so far, we have seen a lot of wicked level/area designs, a vast variety of enemies to face, and promising gameplay. Not to mention the game seems to be impressive performance-wise.

As we know so far, Minecraft Legends is about an invasion from the Nether and the Overworld is being corrupted. It is your job to bring together the mobs of the Overworld and prevent the corruption from spreading and destroying your home.

When will Minecraft Legends be released? No exact release date has been confirmed, but we know it will release in Spring 2023 on all platforms.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Next on the list is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. I would put this higher on the list if we had more information, and I would not have put it in the top ten if we did not recently get confirmation that it was coming out in 2023. But considering the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales, this game deserves a spot.

Again, we know truly little about this highly anticipated sequel. But we know it will follow both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in a fight against Venom. It will be a PS5 exclusive, and I have extremely high hopes for the game.

When will Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 be released? It has been confirmed that Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 will release in the fall of 2023.

Final Fantasy XVI

Next up on our list is the sixteenth main entry in the Final Fantasy series. I am sure many would put this higher on the list, and this was a difficult list to make.

Regardless, Final Fantasy is a series that keeps delivering. And Final Fantasy XVI looks like it will deliver an amazing experience for both new and returning players. The trailers have done a wonderful job at building the hype, displaying super strong visuals, fun gameplay and hopefully a story that does not disappoint.

Not only that, but the new realm of Valisthea looks like it's going to be a truly brilliant place to explore. Along with the new titanic clashes and boss fights that have been shown to us, it just looks great.

If you do not know what the new FF will be about, I will give a quick cover of the synopsis. Final Fantasy XVI takes place in Valisthea, a world divided into six nations. Tensions between all nations are rising as the Blight consumes the land. You play as Clive Rosfield who is pushed on a path of revenge and thrown into the conflict between the nations.

When will Final Fantasy XVI release? It is confirmed to release on the 22nd of June 2023 and exclusively on PS5.

Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy takes number 6 on our list. It was already quite difficult to decide where to place all these games, and the decision between 6 and 5 for Hogwarts Legacy was super close. But I put it down to personal preference.

What is Hogwarts Legacy? Hogwarts Legacy is a new open-world action RPG set in the massively popular world of Harry Potter. You play as a student studying at Hogwarts, who holds the key to an ancient secret that could tear the world apart. You can manipulate mysterious ancient magic while learning about its origin and recent resurgence.

Hogwarts Legacy looks fantastic from everything that has been shown so far. And there is so much I could mention about the game, but I am going to reduce it as much as I can. First is that the game itself looks so amazing, exploring the world and environments I am sure is going to be such a unique and fun experience.

That combined with all the spells, creatures, and characters we have seen has given this game a lot of hype. So much of what has been revealed looks so promising, and I cannot wait.

Hogwarts Legacy releases on the 10th of February for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. But has been delayed until April for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Into the top five! And taking the number 5 spot is the recently announced and revealed: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The awaited sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order from 2019. Fallen Order was a massive surprise to players and Star Wars fans (or both). Its gameplay and story were incredibly enjoyable, and now the sequel looks to continue from that.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor had a new trailer at The Games Award, showing off new gameplay, teasing us as to where the story takes and a lot more.

Jedi: Survivor follows Cal Kestis five years after the events of Fallen Order. With Kestis doing whatever it takes to stay alive. We do not know much, but we know that we will go against a mysterious Imperial senator and will meet several new and returning allies.

We can expect the gameplay to follow close to the original. With your trusty lightsaber, along with new techniques and abilities. But also, a new combustion blaster as we can see in the pre-order bonuses. But we can expect an immense variety of environments, bosses, enemy types and much more to be available in this game.

Jedi: Survivor is coming sooner than we thought as well. With the game set to release on the 15 of March for all platforms.

Dead Space Remake

Next on the list, is a remake of a game that is close to my heart. Dead Space is getting a remake, and it is coming very soon. The original game was released in October of 2008 and is one of the most iconic survival horror games of all time. And is the game that got me originally hooked on the genre. Enough said, I cannot wait for this remake.

Dead Space Remake is coming out on the 27th of January, and we have already seen quite a lot. Including the first 18 minutes of gameplay from IGN and boy does it look so good. The visuals look top-notch, the characters are well-acted, and the atmosphere looks as good and tense as I remember it. I cannot wait to re-experience this game next-gen.

You follow Isaac Clark, a systems engineer who is part of a search and rescue operation for the USG Ishimura. If you have played the original, you will know how good the story was. And though I do not imagine it will be much different, it is worth replaying or playing for the first time.

And as we know recently, development on the game is now finished and the game has gone gold. Meaning that will be no delay and is confirmed to release next month!

Diablo IV

Taking the number three spot is Diablo IV. The fourth main instalment in the Diablo franchise. This upcoming action RPG is one of the most anticipated releases for next year, and for good reason. Diablo is an extremely popular and highly rated game series, with the first three main games bringing a simply awesome gameplay formula that you can enjoy for hours on end.

Diablo IV continues after the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and follows the strong core formula of the series so far. You progress through the game and story by obtaining new and more powerful equipment from difficult enemies.

But there is a lot more to look forward to, not only improved returning classes, but also new attributes, a variety of new enemies and gear, procedurally generated dungeons, a larger open world to explore and a lot more. It is 100% worth checking out the trailers too, the gameplay and atmosphere look immense.

When will Diablo IV release? Diablo IV releases on June 6th for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, and PC.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Taking the #2 spot is another remake. Granted quite a few remakes are coming out in 2023, but they look truly exceptional. And the Resident Evil 4 Remake looks incredible.

I have remarkably high hopes for this game, not only because the revealed gameplay so far looks amazing, but because of Capcoms previous success in remaking the Resident Evil games. In particular, the Resident Evil 2 remake. The RE2 remake is one of the best survival horror games I have ever played and gives me a lot of hope that the RE4 remake can achieve the same success.

We can only tell so much from trailers, but the atmosphere appears a lot tenser, the character designs are a massive improvement (though this is expected from a remake of this stature), and the environments look strong.

Back to gameplay though. We got a gameplay trailer not too long ago, and it looks top-tier. Including new attacks and new parry mechanics, while also featuring improved mechanics from the original.

If you have played the original, you will know all about the story. The game follows Leon on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter. Who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. Though the game is a remake, you can expect some details of the story to have been reimagined. This has happened with the RE2 and RE3 remakes. The premise of the game is the same but expect the journey to be a bit different.

Resident Evil 4 remake releases on the 24th of March for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

And the best for last, taking the top spot, is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Another long-awaited sequel. This time to the critically acclaimed Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This is a game that I included on my choices for 2022 last year, but the game was pushed back to the 12th of March, and I was made foolish. But it is very worthy of being the most anticipated game of 2023. It even got the award for most anticipated at the Game Awards.

Just like BotW, in Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we will get the opportunity to explore an expansive and incredibly vibrant open world that is packed with quests, puzzles, fights and so much more. We do not know much about the story, but it will pick up from where Breath of the Wild finished and hopefully deliver an even better narrative.

Honourable Mentions

As said at the start, several games did miss the list. And I want to dedicate a quick section to them.

• Alan Wake 2 – Alan Wake 2 is in development, and we have known about the game since 2021. But since the reveal, we know little to nothing about the game. Or even if it will release in 2023. But it is a game to look out for. The first Alan Wake was an exceptional game, and another horror game I hold close to my heart, and I cannot wait for the sequel.
• Atomic Heart – Atomic Heart is a new game that I am looking forward to. With a host of insane enemy and boss designs that captured my interest. In particular, the 10-minute gameplay trailer, and a boss fight seemed very reminiscent of the Omnidroid from The Incredibles. Atomic Heart releases on the 21^st of February on all platforms. 
• Starfield – Starfield is Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years. With a lot of big promises. Hundreds of fully explorable planets, massive customisation, a giant story, and a whole lot more. It is truly one of the biggest upcoming releases. Why didn’t it get into the top ten? First is that I feel this game could be delayed again, and the scale of the game does not fill me with confidence. Nonetheless, if it does release in 2023, I will be sure to play.
• Redfall – Another Xbox exclusive that misses the list. This one is because I think the selections above were a bit ahead, and again because since being delayed we have not heard much of the game. Redfall is a game I am super excited about, Arkane studios have a strong record of games, and this game looks like a ton of fun.
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – again, another game that came incredibly close to the list. This action RPG is packed with just awesome enemies, combat techniques, interesting environments and so much more. And only missed out because I feel the mentioned games will be bigger and/or more impressive. I also blame Elden Ring and God of War for raising my expectations too high.
• Pragmata – here is an interesting one that I am sure most of you have either never heard of or have completely forgotten. Pragmata. This game was revealed in 2020 with a 2-minute-long announcement trailer. It is a next-gen and PC-exclusive game and when I saw it, I wanted to see more. Well, it is set for a 2023 release, but we still know extraordinarily little.
• Silent Hill 2 Remake – It is uncertain when this will release, but I am going to hope anyway. Silent Hill 2 is one of the highest-rated horror games of all time, with raving reviews, and is confirmed to be getting a remake. This is easily one of the biggest games I am looking forward to but could not put it in the top ten because of uncertainty. I would also like to put Hades 2 on the list, I know it is unrelated, but I doubt it will release in 2023. I will be incredibly happy if it does though.