Video games are one of my many media related pastimes. I find myself immersed in completely fictional worlds as if they were tangible and it brings me such joy to attach myself to them. Every year there are a handful of games that make me stare at my bank account and think that I don’t need all of my food intake this week because a video game will suffice instead. Here are the five video games I am most excited for in 2023.
“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” – Fall 2023
It is such an “amazing” year to be a Spider-Man fan. The release of “Across the Spider-Verse” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” takes me back to 2018 when both their predecessors were released, and now five years later, the pattern repeats itself. This game will incorporate both Miles Morales and Peter Parker as a dynamic duo against the forces of Venom and Kraven the Hunter. The fluid and intuitive movement and fighting systems that made the player feel like Spider-Man will only get better which means more swinging through an incredibly vivid and lifelike New York City as you fight hordes of enemies that are there to take the very city you are swinging through. I cannot wait to play this game, and you best believe I will be first in line.
“Resident Evil 4” – March 24, 2023
You might be asking why a game from 2006 is listed as a new game 17 years later, it technically is new, but not in a conventional sense. The game is a remake of the 2006 game of the same name, meaning it will feature the same story and general gameplay, but with the added raw power of next generation consoles. The game’s protagonist is Leon Kennedy, a special agent for the U.S. government. Kennedy is sent on a mission to rescue the president’s daughter from a cult in Spain. So far all of the remakes from the “Resident Evil” franchise have been visually stunning with an incredibly haunting atmosphere. If you are a fan of running for your life from bio-weapons, you are in luck, especially because this is the one game on the list which is already out.
“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” – May 26, 2023
The “Batman: Arkham” series is my favorite series of games ever. I do not think I have ever replayed anything more than this game series, and this game is the fifth of the series. The premise of the game is the Justice League is being mind-controlled and are out on the loose trying to incite chaos, so a team of up to four players have to stop them. Role playing games are always fun due to the customization aspect of the gameplay, but they’re even more fun when the main goal is to stop someone like Superman by using your entire team of customized DC characters.
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” – May 12, 2023
The direct sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time has some large shoes to fill, but it has all of the elements from the first game that made it so wildly successful. The gameplay is determined by the player with a freeform story in an open world that is meant to cater to different play styles. The graphics team that pushed the Nintendo Switch hardware to its full capabilities are once again at the helm. Not to mention that “The Legend of Zelda” games have a reputation for being consistently good, innovative and fun. This is set up to be one of the best games of the year if not the decade and I expect Nintendo to deliver.
“Alan Wake 2” – 2023
I am a huge fan of thrillers in the medium of film, and when done right, they can also work quite well in video games, which is what “Alan Wake” did in 2010. “Alan Wake” operated with episodes, spanning six episodes in the base game with an additional two available as downloadable content. The last episode ended on a cliffhanger seemingly setting up another game that would take 13 years to make. It will continue the storyline from the first which centered around titular character Alan Wake living out a thriller novel he does not remember writing and uncovering the mystery of his wife’s disappearance. If you love unraveling mysteries as much as I do you’re sure to love what “Alan Wake 2” has to offer.
