18 Most-Anticipated Games Still Coming in 2023

2023 has already had some massive game releases, but things are only getting started. The remainder of the year is full of some action-packed adventures, spine-ripping fighters, and some haunting horror to round out the year. We’ve highlighted some of the biggest games heading your way for the remainder of 2023.

Exoprimal

Release date: 14 July 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

If you’ve looked at the squad-shooter space and thought: where are the dinosaurs? Well, you’re in luck. Exoprimal is a four-player co-op horde shooter where you hop into some gnarly exoskeleton mech suits and battle tons of raptors, genetically modified T-rexes, and more monstrosities.

Immortals of Aveum

Release date: 20 July 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC)

Ever wanted to be Doctor Strange in an FPS video game? Well, the closest you’ll get is likely Immortals of Aveum. This new IP from EA is a single-player first-person magic shooter that tells the story of Jak as he joins an elite order of battlemages to save a world on the edge of abyss. Players need to master three colours of magic and unleash spells with deadly skill in a game that defies FPS conventions with some interesting magical twists.

Remnant 2

Release date: 25 July 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC)

2019’s shooter/slasher RPG Remnant: From the Ashes was a surprise hit, and its sequel is arriving in July. The game basically tasks you with taking on hordes of enemies and grotesque monsters, and features a mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat. Players can choose specific gear and weapons to optimise for the different biomes and enemy challenges, and you can also team-up to play through the game in co-op.

Atlas Fallen

Release date: 10 August 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC)

Coming from The Surge and Lords of the Fallen developer Deck 13, this Unreal Engine 5-powered adventure is set in world dominated by giant sand monsters, and brings a lot of interesting ideas, gorgeous visuals, and a very addictive combat system that will not only attract fans of familiar RPGs, but true action-nuts as well, with a lot of similarities to Devil May Cry.

Armoured Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

Release date: 25 August 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

The Armoured Core series disappeared for a while, but it’s back with a bang with Fires of Rubicon. Developed by From Software (those masochists who brought us Dark Souls), the action title gives players the power to customise and battle mechs in fast-paced, omnidirectional battles. Players will have to work hard to take advantage of the massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.

Daymare 1994 Sandcastle

Release date: 29 August 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | Switch | PC)

Daymare 1994 Sandcastle is the sequel to 2017’s underrated love-letter to classic Resident Evil games, Daymare 1998. The third-person survival horror follow-up puts you into the shoes of agent Dalila Reyes, a former government spy now in the service of H.A.D.E.S. unit, who has to investigate a secret facility full of some monstrous secrets. The game uses classic survival horror combat, but mixes it up with an elemental freezing gadget to stop enemies in their tracks and solve puzzles.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Release date: 31 August 2023 (PS5 | PC)

It’s been a long wait, but Baldur’s Gate 3 is on the horizon and gives players unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. You can choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and team up with some friends in multiplayer co-op.

Starfield

Release date: 6 September 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PC)

Coming from the creators behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, Starfield is the next big RPG from Bethesda, which throws players into a world of uneasy alliances and intergalactic threats in the year 2310. You’ll be able to create your own character and explore a number of worlds and regions as you set out to make your mark and play the adventure how you wish to do so. It’s looking like a cross between Mass Effect and Skyrim, and we can’t wait to see more of Starfield when it touches down in September.

Rugby 24

Release date: [Update: Delayed until January 2024) (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

Just in time for the Rugby World Cup, Nacon’s Rugby 24 will hit store shelves in September. The game will feature 130 teams to choose from, as well as the URC, Top 14 and PRO D2 competition and participating clubs. Of course, it will include the RWC license, allowing you to play through the global tournament. Arguably the most exciting news is that Big Ant Studios will be developing the game. The Australian developer is best known for their work on the rugby league gaming franchise, Rugby League Live, which has evolved excellently over the years and has a huge fanbase.

Payday 3

Release date: 21 September 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC)

Bank-heisting co-op shooter Payday 3 is arriving in September, following-up the much-loved Payday 2. The game moves its location from Washington DC to New York City, which brings a host of new heist opportunities, tougher challenges, and some inevitable curveballs when every bank-job goes wrong.

Mortal Kombat 1

Release date: 19 September 2023 (PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | Switch | PC)

Developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, MK1 will introduce a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe that has been created by the Fire God Liu Kang, featuring reimagined versions of iconic characters as they’ve never been seen before. NetherRealm’s genre-defining Story Mode returns with an immersive cinematic narrative featuring unexpected twists on classic rivalries and original backstories for a wide-ranging cast of legendary fighters, including Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Kung Lao, Kitana, Mileena, Shang Tsung, Johnny Cage, and many others. Mortal Kombat 1 will also introduce Kameo Fighters, a unique roster of partner characters that can assist during matches, creating expanded gameplay possibilities for players.

Lies of P

Release date: 19 September 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | PC)

Lies of P is essentially a dark reimagining of the story of Pinocchio, if he was a mechanical creation and hunted by deranged robots, of course. The South Korean-developed game is a third-person action RPG inspired by the likes of Bloodborne and Dark Souls, and sees the player looking for Pinocchio’s maker, Geppetto, as he fights his way through the Paris-like city of Krat.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

Release date: 12 October 2023 (PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PS4 | Xbox One | PC)

Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in ninth-century Baghdad and centres on the coming-of-age story of Basim Ibn Is’haq, the Hidden One who appeared in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, however, the game is set twenty years before Valhalla. The game will be somewhat of a throwback to the classic gameplay of older Assassin’s Creed games, with a focus on story, assassination missions, and parkour, with less emphasis on RPG mechanics and XP building.

Alan Wake 2

Release date: 17 October 2023 (PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PC)

Remedy will finally be releasing a sequel to 2010’s Alan Wake. The game takes a far more third-person survival-horror spin on the formula, where you indulge in some light-manipulating combat and twisty narrative beats. Interestingly, you get to play as two characters, Alan and an FBI agent named Saga.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Release date: 20 October 2023 (PS5)

2018’s Spider-Man game from Insomniac was a smash hit, and after the standalone expansion/spin-off, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the game is getting its full sequel this year with Spider-Man 2. One of the lead villains will be Kraven the Hunter, who comes to New York to hunt the heroes and villains who reside there. Players will have access to more suits and abilities, and delve deeper into the story-arc hinted at the end of the first game, along with the introduction of Venom.

Alone in the Dark

Release date: [Update: Delayed until January 2024) (PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PS4 | PC)

Fans of 90s horror will undoubtedly have fond memories of the original Alone in the Dark from 1992, and the franchise will see a reboot with a brand-new entry in October. It’s a reimagining of the original game in a similar style to the Resident Evil remakes, which leverage the latest technology and implement a third-person action survival approach, rather than a static camera like in the originals. The game is set in the 1920s, where players can choose to play as Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, as they make their way through Derceto Mansion to uncover the mysteries and horrors within.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Release date: 7 December 2023 (Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC)

While the Avatar franchise has dominated the box-office, it’s never really hit similar heights in the gaming world. However, a new first-person adventure game, Frontiers of Pandora, is hoping to change that, throwing you into the blue feet of a Na’vi warrior as you parkour your way around the world, take on the RDA, and protect Pandora from all types of threats.

Warhammer: Space Marine 2

Release date: [Update: Delayed until 2024) TBC 2023 (PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PC)

The underappreciated gem that was the first Space Marine game is getting a sequel this year, as Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive announced Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. The third-person action title will allow you to explore iconic Warhammer lore environments and unleash deadly abilities and an arsenal of devastating weaponry to obliterate the relentless Tyranid hordes.

What games are you most looking forward to this year? Let us know by tweeting @MenStuffZA, posting on our Facebook page, or commenting be