From traversing mythical lands to sports stadiums filled with roaring fans, the highly-anticipated video games releasing in 2023 and beyond promise experiences that will exhilarate and engage players. According to ExpressVPN, among the hundreds of titles slated for launch, these 10 standouts are already generating ripples of excitement across the gaming community. Let’s dive in and explore what’s in store.
1. Starfield
After a 25-year hiatus from new universe creation, the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios is gearing up to dazzle with Starfield — an ambitious action role-playing game set to break new ground. With over 1,000 explorable planets across 100 star systems, plus base building, ship customization, and in-depth character creation tools, Starfield promises intense engagement through discovery and exploration.
Slated for a November 11, 2023 release on Xbox Series X/S and PC, this sprawling single-player space epic invites players to join the adventurous ranks of Constellation, last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts. With epic factions, companions, threats, and mysteries to uncover across its galaxy, Starfield aims sky-high.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Few upcoming 2023 titles match the feverish anticipation surrounding this Switch-exclusive sequel to the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which drew over 2 million Google searches last June in the US alone.
Launching May 12, 2023, Tears of the Kingdom continues the story of Link and Zelda as they encounter mystifying new threats across Hyrule’s skies and landscapes. Trailers reveal enthralling additions like colossal floating islands and time-manipulating abilities, suggesting vertical exploration and temporal mechanics will play bigger roles. Honoring its predecessor’s spirit while innovating, Tears of the Kingdom aims to deliver a magical journey.
3. Final Fantasy XVI
With over 550,000 US Google searches last June, Final Fantasy XVI has RPG fans chomping at the bit. As the first mainline single-player Final Fantasy since 2016’s Final Fantasy XV, this new high fantasy promises to immerse players in its grand world of Valisthea and its warring nations.
Set in the land of Rosaria, players control Clive Rosfield, a Dominant wielding the power of the Phoenix. When his brother Joshua’s powers awaken, drawing the nations to war, Clive must embrace his role and turn the tide of battle. With its expansive world, real-time combat, and epic summons, Final Fantasy XVI brings together Square Enix’s finest.
4. Hogwarts Legacy
Step into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in this immersive open-world action RPG from Avalanche Software. Releasing February 10, 2023 on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC, Hogwarts Legacy invites players to live out their wizarding dreams, with over 30 hours of story content across a vast recreation of the Wizarding World.
Set in the late 1800s, the game puts players in the shoes of a student with unusual ability to track ancient magic. As dangers emerge, it’s up to you to hone your magical talents and unravel Hogwarts’ many mysteries across familiar locations like the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village. With customizable characters, companion quests, puzzles and more, this is set to be the definitive Harry Potter gaming experience.
5. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Swinging onto PlayStation 5 next fall, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 builds on the original’s success by introducing playable versions of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Their greatest challenge? Taking on Venom and his unnerving symbiote abilities.
With two web-slingers to control, enhanced combat and new storytelling dimensions, Spider-Man 2 taps into everything fans loved about 2018’s hit title while innovating in exciting ways. The addition of replayable co-op missions provides another draw. Coupled with jaw-dropping visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5, Spidey’s sequel aims to deliver a blockbuster superhero experience.
6. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Inviting players to ninth-century Baghdad, Assassin’s Creed Mirage marks a return to the stealth-driven roots of Ubisoft’s flagship series. You’ll step into the shoes of Basim, a cunning street thief uncovering his mysterious past while joining the ancient Hidden Ones.
With a greater emphasis on parkour, stealth combat and assassination missions, Mirage promises a gripping narrative adventure across one of history’s most vibrant cities when it launches in 2023. Ubisoft describes it as “a tribute to Assassin’s Creed’s devoted fans as well as an entry point for new players to experience the thrills of being a true assassin.”
7. Diablo IV
It’s been over a decade since the launch of Diablo III, but Diablo IV aims to captivate hack-and-slash fans once more with its gothic world packed with loot and evolving monsters. Five playable classes, customizable skills, mounted exploration, and four-player co-op offer plenty of variety when this dark-action RPG releases in 2023.
Set in the kingdom of Sanctuary years after Diablo III, Diablo IV promises a twisted story campaign across open-world regions like the Scosglen Coast and dry Fractured Peaks. Blizzard describes it as their “most ambitious vision for the Diablo franchise to date,” tapping into the series’ hallmark combat while innovating with new features.
8. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
DC Comics’ most chaotic antiheroes take center stage when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hits PlayStation, Xbox and PC in Spring 2023. This co-op action-adventure invites up to four players to wreak havoc as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark or Captain Boomerang on a mission to defeat brainwashed Justice League members.
With destructible environments and unique move sets for each Squad member, Rocksteady Studios’ first new game since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight adds a multiplayer dimension to their expertise in crafting immersive superhero worlds. It promises to deliver an irreverent, over-the-top antidote to traditional DC fare.
9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Slashing onto next-gen consoles and PC in 2023, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor picks up Cal Kestis’ quest five years after 2019’s acclaimed Fallen Order. With formidable new foes from the Empire and uncharted regions of the galaxy to explore, this action-adventure aims to build on the strong foundation of lightsaber combat, traversal and puzzle-solving established by its predecessor.
Once again, allowing players to customize Cal’s abilities via a skills tree, Survivor promises expanded Force powers, new lightsaber styles and the return of BD-1, Cal’s loyal droid companion. With iconic locales like the Wookie homeworld Kashyyyk and the Fortress Inquisitorius confirmed to appear, Star Wars fans have an exciting new chapter to anticipate.
10. Marvel’s Wolverine
Rounding out our preview is the reveal of Marvel’s Wolverine: a gritty, intense action-adventure developed by Spider-Man veterans Insomniac Games that will showcase Logan’s berserker rage on PlayStation 5. Though details remain scant following its announcement last September, the brief teaser trailer showcases Wolverine’s Adamantium claws and suggests a story set in an atmospheric, rain-drenched Japanese town.
As one of Marvel’s most popular yet enigmatic heroes, Wolverine is the perfect choice to receive Insomniac’s signature treatment. Their pedigree in delivering engaging superhero narratives promises to add depth and complexity to Logan’s savage ways when the game launches.
Whether it’s interstellar exploration, Quidditch matches, web-slinging showdowns or rage-fueled claw action, 2023 and beyond the brim with video game releases ready to immerse players in unforgettable worlds. These 10 anticipated titles, with their cutting-edge features and emphasis on engagement, are set to shake up the gaming landscape for years to come. Game on!
