Gamers are all on Game of the Year 2023. This year continues to favor the new console generation, within the sort of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
And saw the discharge of some big-hitter games we’ve been waiting years for. Together with some dark horses. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. And a few big titles are delayed until next year. It’s also highlighted the importance of gaming, as we’ve seen gamers from all walks of life embrace the ability to play.
Game of The Year 2023
Here are some of the games we expect to storm the game market in 2023.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Platforms: Switch
Due: May 12
Is this the direct sequel to the greatest game of the generation, if not all time? The latest Legend of Zelda installment appears to be expanding on the groundbreaking sandbox open world of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild by literally building a whole new world in the skies above.
We still don’t know what to expect from this game, aside from a few cryptic teasers that show off glimpses of Link’s new tools, including what appears to be a method of reversing time.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Platforms: PS5
Due: Autumn 2023
A sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man, one of the most popular PlayStation exclusives of one of the most popular superheroes, is a no-brainer. Following the success of the Miles Morales expansion, it’s only natural that you’ll be able to play as both Peter Parker and Miles’ versions of the web slinger as they face off against new villains Kraven the Hunter and fan favorite Venom.
So far, little else has been revealed, but we’re hoping for a more interesting twist on the open world formula to go along with the already awesome feeling of swinging around the city. With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse also hitting theaters in June, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic year to be a Spider-Man.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Due: March 17
The ultimate power fantasy of any Star Wars game is to wield a lightsaber as a Jedi, which was the biggest selling point for 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, even if it felt a bit derivative cobbling bits of Uncharted and Sekiro, though the saber combat is somewhat more forgiving than the latter.
Still, the groundwork is laid for a more exciting sequel, which follows Cal Kestis five years later, in more grizzled warrior mode after years of constant Empire pursuit. Although we’ve been promised some combat evolutions, such as new saber stances, we’re most excited about Cal’s new traversal abilities, such as the ability to tame and ride wild animals.
Resident Evil 4
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
Due: March 24
After remaking Resident Evil 2 and 3 for modern platforms, Capcom is reimagining the game that not only transformed the franchise but also pioneered the over-the-shoulder perspective, which influenced all third-person shooters that followed it, such as Gears of War, and is still regarded as one of the greatest games of all time.
Because the original Resident Evil 4 can be played on almost any modern platform and still holds up, there’s even more pressure on what this remake can offer aside from improved graphics.
Although the iconic opening village ambush is almost exactly as you remember it, including the terrifying guy wielding a chainsaw, first impressions point to a more horror atmosphere than the original’s action-packed B-movie camp.
Starfield
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Due: 2023
Starfield, Bethesda’s first major new open world IP since The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, sounds massive in scope. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that the game has been delayed from its original November 11 release date in 2022, presumably to break the studio’s reputation for buggy releases or to avoid comparisons to the divisive launch of another vastly ambitious space sim, No Man Sky.
However, while Starfield is set among the stars and allows you to assemble your own customized spacecraft to visit over 1,000 worlds across over 100 systems, it is still primarily an action RPG in which you can choose your alliances or fight space pirates in either first or third-person with a mix of shooter and melee combat.
Street Fighter 6
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Due: June 2
Fighting games appear to be a dying breed, but if anything is going to resurrect the genre, it will be Street Fighter 6.
Early hands-on reveal a supremely polished fighting game with exciting new systems, with a bold hyper-real style and a more accessible control option. The ability to create your own fighter to use in an expansive single-player mode and an online battle hub, on the other hand, is what will help build a confident new platform for both veteran fighting game fans and a new generation.
