The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was one of the most eagerly awaited Nintendo releases in years, and so far fans are not disappointed. — Photo: Nintendo/dpa
SAN FRANCISCO: The year is half over and 2023 is already one of the most impressive ever in video games. Stellar titles have hit the shelves nearly every week along with some solid original projects.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leads the way by somehow making a perfect game even better and ultimately refining a paradigm shift in its gameplay and approach. Meanwhile, Street Fighter 6 and Diablo 4 have gone back to the past iterations to come up with an approach that polishes and streamlines winning formulas while also introducing daring new elements that haven’t been seen in either series.
Diablo 4 was just one of many blockbuster game releases in 2023. — Photo: Blizzard/dpa
EA and Capcom released remakes of their respective classics Dead Space and Resident Evil 4, allowing a new generation of fans to experience the thrill of the survival-horror genre.
Resident Evil 4 allowed a new generation of fans to experience the thrill of the survival-horror genre. — Photo: Capcom/dpa
Elsewhere, new sequels gave fans more polished experiences or a full-scale revamp of franchises. When it comes to newer franchises, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor continued the saga of Cal Kestis, and Respawn Entertainment developers created a sequel that balanced the gameplay that attracted fans to the original and brought it to a more open-world style of adventure.
Longer-running series saw continued strength in the first half of the year as well. Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Engage didn’t do anything novel, but it did sharpen and touch up a strategy series that has found its footing. More recently Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI, which I’m playing through, forged a new path for the series with a deeper change to the combat and return to its high-fantasy roots.
These games would stack up against any year’s top 10 list, but what’s remarkable is that 2023 isn’t over. Gamers still have another six months to go and that stretches into the popular fall and holiday season when publishers release their big blockbusters. Here are the bigger projects to watch:
July
Pikmin 4: The latest entry to Nintendo’s real-time strategy game brings new species of the title creatures and a new helper in the form of the canine-like Oatchi. This is the first entry designed specifically for the Nintendo Switch, so it should take advantage of the system’s unique control scheme to make the game more accessible and add depth to the gameplay.
Exoprimal: This new take on the team-based shooter has players fighting an army of dinosaurs conjured up by an artificial intelligence that may or may not be hostile. Teams compete by finishing goals before their rivals before the contest comes to a head in a final battle against each other. It’s a little bit of “Overwatch” and a little bit of “Monster Hunter.”
August
Immortals of Aveum: Ascendant Studios’ first title is an unusual take on the military shooter. Instead of a gritty World War II campaign or a fight to stop terrorists, players are thrown into a fantasy realm, where they have to fight a rival nation. Instead of guns, players shoot out spells in a fast-paced game action game that will leave some thinking of Call of Duty.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Although it’s been in Early Access for years, Larian Studios is finally completing this turn-based role-playing game. It carries the tradition of the seminal PC title, but Larian updates the visuals and the game systems.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon: How do you follow up an instant classic like Elden Ring? FromSoftware is going in the opposite direction of its previous dark fantasy games and revamping one of its cult sci-fi series. Armored Core titles focuses on giant mechs that players can customize. with a talented team behind it, this is a serious dark horse candidate for game of the year.
September
Starfield: The other game-of-the-year challenger to Zelda is Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi RPG. Players create their own character and join the space-faring group called Constellation. From there, it’s up to players to craft their own adventure as they run into potential allies and enemies while explore thousands of worlds.
Mortal Kombat 1: In an already great year for fighting games, this Street Fighter rival returns to the arena. As the title implies, it’s a reboot of sorts that follows the events of the previous Mortal Kombat 11. The big gameplay addition is the introduction of a rotating cast of allies called Kameo Fighters that players can use in a match. It’s a needed twist to a formula, and yes, that includes fatalities.
Payday 3: This co-operative heist game has built a strong following since its 2011 introduction. After a successful sequel, the developers at Overkill Software and Starbreeze Studios appear to bring players more teamwork-inspired robberies where players have to work together to escape with the loot.
October
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Spider-Man will be doing the heavy lifting for PlayStation 5 this holiday season, but Peter Parker will have help with Miles Morales taking a more prominent role in the adventure. If you’ve seen the trailer, you can see the bones for an intriguing Spidey adventure with jaw-dropping action sequences and stunning moments.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder: If you’re looking for a classic 2D Mario adventure, then look no further than this upcoming title. It’s the first side-scrolling Mario game since New Super Mario Bros. U, and it’s one that harnesses the power of the Nintendo Switch to revamp the visuals and be a little more whimsical than the usual fare.
Alan Wake 2: After 13 years, Remedy Entertainment is finally releasing a sequel to its beloved horror game. In a meta way, the title character has been trapped in an alternate dimension all this time, and he teams up with an FBI agent Saga Anderson in order to escape. Expect mind-bending twists as the developer loves to play with video game narrative.
Forza Motorsport:Turn 10 Studios is back on track with the latest entry to its venerable racing franchise. With the advancement in visuals over the past few years, the eighth Forza Motorsport title will undoubtedly be a showpiece for gamers and the developers will likely have some of the most realistically behaving cars in a racing sim.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Ubisoft is returning to its roots with this chapter in its long-running action-adventure series. This iteration follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, who was introduced in a previous entry, and it takes place in the Baghdad. The setting harkens to the original, which took place in the Levant. This chapter features new moves as it follows Basim’s journey to becoming a master assassin.
Cities: Skylines II: The SimCity series may be dormant but this city-building franchise is thriving. Since its 2015 release, the team at Colossal Order has been adding more features through downloadlable content. The sequel provides a clean slate and adds new features that fans have been clamoring for.
November
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name:The series formerly known as Yakuza is bringing back a familiar face. Kazuma Kiryu returns, and this chapter brings back the beat-’em-up gameplay that longtime fans love. Expect more chaotic encounters and soap-opera storyline.
Persona 5 Tactics: This spinoff of the popular franchise takes a different tack. Instead of a turned-based RPG, players will have to use Joker and his friends in strategy-based battles (think Mario + Rabbids), where they have to outmaneuver their foes. The combat system from Persona 5 appears to lend itself to the genre.
December
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora: Fans of the James Cameron films can now get closer to the action in this first-person adventure. Players take on the role of a Na’vi orphans raised by the RDA. After the humans were driven off, they were put in stasis and wake up 15 years later. Players will explore Pandora’s Western Frontier and embark on a journey to become reintegrated with Na’vi society. – tca/dpa
