WELL, a new year is upon us and with that, the future’s looking bright for another year of new release titles to come out.
We’re an enthusiastic bunch here at Game On Aus and are very much looking forward to some of the new releases this year.
Out talented writers have put together a list of what games we are looking forward to over the next twelve months. Here are their nominations:
Mikeey – Silent Hill 2 Remake
It’s been far too long since Konami blessed us with this influential series in the psychological horror genre. I remember being so excited when Silent Hills was first teased, only for it to be taken away.
Now while Silent Hill 2 is not a new game, it is the start of what is promised to be a revival and a kick start to re-introducing the world to the Silent Hill franchise. Where else better to start then with arguably the best of the bunch.
I’m excited to see what the Bloober team can do with the Unreal Engine 5 and if they will make any overall changes to this absolute classic. I can’t wait to return to Silent Hill and its many cast of characters that remain so iconic.
This is also going to be a great introduction to the people who have yet to experience this masterpiece when it was released all the way back in 2001.
Natty – The Wolf Among Us 2
The Wolf Among Us, developed by Telltale Games, brought the award winning comic series Fabled to gamers back in 2013; it was a narrative adventure filled with fairy tale characters, grit, mystery, detective noir and impossible decisions.
A decade later, despite the Telltale studio closure in 2018, the sequel is coming! Some of the original dev team formed their own development studio, Adhoc Studio, and have been working with the newly formed Telltale Games team to bring the dark tales back for another series
Str8JaktJim – The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Breath Of The Wild broke Zelda traditions for the better. It’s fresh take on the franchise was amazing. Straight up the game tells you that you need to defeat Ganon and you can do that from almost the start (it’s one of the first quests received in the game). But it also teaches you things really well. The only complaint I really had about the game was the dungeons. It felt like so much time was spent on the amazing open world that the series staple suffered.
When a sequel was announced in 2017 I was very excited. Flash forward to 2022 and we finally get a release date of 12th May 2023 and I cannot be more pumped! Trailers show sky islands, expanding on an already epic open world, new abilities that look so cool, as well as the return of Gannondorf (different to Ganon by the way). I’m also hoping for improvements to dungeons to complete what looks to be an excellent addition to the Zelda series.
Ravensky – Resident Evil 4 Remake
I’m looking forward to seeing how they work the darker turn to it but seeing how faithfully it sticks to the original. I’m waiting to see if those characters I love in the original (ie Luis) are still loveable for the reasons I loved them before, or it turns to a love-hate relationship. Plus also how the sound design and the controls will have evolved.
GrumpyGoron
Although I was late to the Resident Evil party having only started playing the series when Resident Evil 7 was released, the franchise has since become one of my favourites in gaming.
The original Resident Evil 4 is still touted by some as one of the greatest games of all time, so I can only imagine how great it’s going to be with a brand new coat of Resident Evil Remake paint
Arlentric – Super Zoo Story
My most anticipated game for 2023 (if we are fortunate enough for it to release this year) is Super Zoo Story. It’s Stardew Valley in a zoo, and I don’t really need to say much more than that (considering I’ve logged almost 1000 hours in Stardew over four platforms).
Zulu – Starfield
Why? I love gargantuan open-world role-playing games and Bethesda do them extremely well. I’ve been on a sci-fi game kick lately and Starfield seems like a very appealing combination of a lot of things I like.
Doomcutie – Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the upcoming (February 10, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, April 4, 2023 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and July 25, 2023 for Nintendo Switch) action role-playing video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games. The game is set in the Wizarding World of the Harry Potter series, specifically in the 1800s, and players will take on the role of a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Players will be able to attend classes, cast spells, and explore the Hogwarts castle and grounds, as well as other locations from the Wizarding World. The game will also feature an open-world aspect, allowing players to explore and discover new locations and secrets.
I personally am so excited for this release. Firstly, I can’t wait to create a character with the vast amount of choices available to players. This will allow players to fully immerse themselves in the game and make it feel like their own personal journey. Secondly, I am excited to dive into the story of the game. It is set in the 1800s, which is before the time of Harry Potter, and it will feature new characters and storylines. This provides an opportunity for players to discover new aspects of the Wizarding World and engage with new characters. Lastly, from everything I have seen so far, this game looks stunning; it is being developed by Avalanche Software, known for their previous work on the Disney Infinity series, and published by Warner Bros. Games, known for the Batman Arkham series.
As as you can see, we have quite a diverse selection of anticipated games to look forward to over the next 12 months.
Let us know what game you are most looking forward to this year or if you agree with some of our selections over on the GOA discord or Twitter!