Well, babes. Here we are in the final stretch of 2022, in that odd liminal space where we’re still pretty tuckered out and feeling the weight of the year and holidays … yet as always, time pushes on. I find that it helps to bear in mind the things we’re looking forward to in order to make the days pass by in less of a soup-like fashion.
And hey, times are a-changin’. It’s no longer weird to admit that there’s some pretty damn cool video games to look forward to in 2023! We’ve got a substantial roster to cover here (excluding, you know, the wizard game), and I’ve organized them by their confirmed release dates. Titles with dates that are yet to be determined are at the bottom, and sorted by month versus projection. Let us know which ones you’re most excited for in the comments!
Fire Emblem: Engage (January 20)
So for most people, I think the anticipation surrounding this game has more to do with whether or not it’ll actually be good. Three Houses was a pretty unique entry that created its own world, and many fans were hoping that world would be expanded upon further (especially since they felt the writing was rushed and sloppy).
Instead, we got Engage, which was meant to be released sooner to commemorate the series, but now it feels unintentionally odd. The more I see of this game, the more curious I am about it, but I still don’t like how babyish the women look in comparison to the men. At the end of the day, though, Fire Emblem is kind of like Pokémon—expecting newer games to hold up as much as the old ones is a little optimistic, but we’ll probably buy them anyways.
Forspoken (January 24)
Every gaming year needs a random newcomer with promise, and this coming year’s contestant seems to be Forspoken. It looks pretty fresh and ingenious, and I like to think that if your game makes a certain crowd get all up in arms, you’re probably doing something right.
Now, I will say that it could very well end up being a Horizon: Zero Dawn-type game, i.e. a seemingly new concept that turns out to be just like all the others. And that’d be disappointing. But Square Enix is built different, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (March 17)
I honestly don’t know what to say—it always surprised me that the original Star Wars Jedi game took off the way it did! I guess people are really, really starved for good lightsaber content? Since I’m a little out of the loop here, I’ll share the official game description from its Steam page:
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third-person, galaxy-spanning, action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively driven, single-player title picks up 5 years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times — but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?
Steam Pre-Order page
Resident Evil 4 remake (March 24)
Well, people were waiting for this particular remake, and now it’s upon us! Will the new version of Resident Evil 4 have the same amount of camp and replayability as the original? Will it add to itt? Will Snapcube’s dub play-through be as funny as their RE2 Remake dub? All remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: Leon Kennedy’s center part is still bangin’.
Related: Most Played Games in 2022, Ranked by Average Monthly Players on Twinfinite
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 12)
Do I even need to say much? I’m gonna be brief here because at this point, I’m sick of hearing about this game, which isn’t healthy considering I’m definitely gonna play it!
Y’all know the drill, it’s gonna be a good time. Get your wallets ready.
Final Fantasy XVI (June 22)
Man, I wish I knew more about Final Fantasy (or at least grew up playing these games) because the fan response to this announcement was incredible! Final Fantasy XVI has apparently been in development for a very long time, so I can only imagine how thrilled fans are to finally have a release date.
Hell, even to a newcomer it looks really good! It’s like Elden Ring meets Devil May Cry, with the slightest nod to The Witcher. And what can I say, I’m a sucker for masculine soft boys.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (August 2023)
After such a long, long time spent with this devilish party in Early Access, we finally have a release date. Baldur’s Gate 3 has already promised to be a fantasy classic (just like every other Larian title), and longtime fans are more than ready to lose themselves to the full game for a week or two.
It’ll have adventure, romance, betrayal, and all those other good things that make us love fantasy in the first place. I’d say, “Shut up and take my money,” but I’m so excited and they already have my money! I have no more money to give. All outta moneys. Gimme elf, please.
Starfield (Projected early 2023, TBD)
Ah…I still remember when this game was announced, and all of us Elder Scrolls nerds just looked at our screens like, “WTF, Todd?” But while the ad team for Starfield has been somewhat coy and low-key, what they have shared makes it seem like it’ll be pretty compelling—almost like an open-world Mass Effect.
Would I rather play as a half-elf in any given situation, as opposed to a space bitch? Duh. But this is Bethesda, and I’ve been eager to see what they do next after all that Fallout 76 mess. No more lies, Todd. Give it to me straight, baby.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth (Winter 2023)
I’ve yet to play the original Final Fantasy 7, but I absolutely loved the remake! Well, the first half. The second half gets a little lost in the plot sauce. But that only makes me more curious to see what they do with Zack’s story in Rebirth.
One of the most compelling elements of the original story is how Zack ties Cloud and Aerith together, and how tragically his overall narrative ended. Now there’s a chance that the plot can be rewritten, and Zack can get his big break. It remains to be seen if the plot will somehow get out of the sauce this time around …
2023 Hopefuls
For the sake of all the other clowns in the class (with me honking in front of the whiteboard), I will also share some games that are expected to be released in 2023. The speculation here is merited, but please don’t take my word definitively.
Hades II
Oh yeah, baby. This is one of the biggest titles on this list. Nobody was really expecting a sequel to the beloved Hades, but nobody’s really complaining, either. This time, we follow the lord of the underworld’s other child, whose goal is to save the underworld rather than escape it. I’d make a joke about how typical it is that the daughter is cleaning up the bigger mess while the son just gets to do whatever, but I’m not gonna put a damper on everyone else’s hype.
I’ll be real, I didn’t love Hades (“punishing” games tend to bore me and I put them back on the shelf after beating one major boss. I’m a weenie, what can I say), but I love how much you guys love it. So I’m very happy for y’all!
Silent Hill 2 remake
Let’s GOOOOOOOOOO. This was the release I was most hyped to hear about this year, even though I don’t have a PS5 yet. I haven’t even played the original yet (it’s so hard to find!), but I’m still incredibly excited for this game. It looks beautiful, the tone of the original seems to have been skillfully modernized, and I mean, damn, how’d they make James hot?
People love the original for a reason: It did something with horror that most creators couldn’t even dream of, let alone within video games. Silent Hill 2 is a masterclass in what video game storytelling is capable of, and I’m so thrilled to give it a shot for the first time ever … even if it ends up being a flop.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
As a commenter pointed out on one of my other articles, yes, we support the devs at Bioware taking as long as they need in order to make their next masterpiece. We support them wholeheartedly. We do not want to rush them and/or the product.
And yet. And yet. While it really seems like 2023 might be our year …
(featured image: Nintendo)
