The Games We're Most Excited For In 2023

From indie darlings to massive AAA titles, some excellent video games are coming.

This year’s Game Awards gave us a look at some incredible video games! The event showcased all kinds of upcoming titles, from the biggest showiest mega-hits to the most intimate indies, we saw it all. And now, as the calendar turns over to 2023, we’re starting to get even more excited. Here’s a look at the ten games we’re most excited for going into 2023.

Judas

Judas is, undeniably, the game we are all most hyped for in 2023. Its creator Ken Levine’s first game since the beloved Bioshock series. And to say Ken is “back on his bullshit” is an understatement. The mysterious sci-fi presence, replete with biomechanical powers and futuristic firearms, will surly deliver a big unexpected twist at the end. I’m desperately hopeful that this game ends up coming out this year. But any players anxious to get their hands on Levine’s newest game can always bide their time with the System Shock rerelease coming in the Spring.

-Ryley

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

I’m pretty late to the game when it comes to Jedi: Fallen Order, having only played it in late 2022. But it has quickly become one of my favorite Star Wars games. It does a wonderful job making the combat look and feel like an actual Jedi, once you’ve mastered it. I think that’s what I’m most excited for when it comes to Jedi: Survivor; with new force powers and a dual wielding lightsaber mechanic. It seems like it will allow players to feel even more like a Jedi master.

-Jack

Hades 2

If you have played the original Hades, it's pretty clear why we would be excited about the sequel. If you haven't… play Hades.

Set in the underworld of Greek mythology, Hades is a rouge-like slasher where players fight as as Zagreus, the son of the Greek God Hades and Persephanie, through an ever changing labyrinth. Hades 2 will take a similar approach except instead of fighting for your freedom to escape Tartarus, you'll be playing as Zagreus’s sister, Melinoe, as she fights her way further into hell to rescue father Hades and defeat Kronos, the Titan God of Time. Hades has always had fantastic and stylized art and from what we have seen of Hades 2 it looks like they have even improved it. For all these reasons and more Hades 2 is looking to be one of our most anticipated games of 2023. 

-Fred

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

For those who don’t know, or maybe have chosen to forget, Cyberpunk 2077 is a first person RPG set in the dystopian Night City. A fleshed out and cybernetic filled landscape that allowed for all kinds of ways to play and to customize their player character. The near endless ways a player could engage with the setting was maybe the best part of this game, as shortly after launch players were left with not much else to do in this truly great world CD Projekt Red had created.

Which is why I could not be more excited about the newest expansion: Phantom Liberty. Starring Idris Elba and featuring a brand new section known only as Dog Town. With the recent Netflix adaptation breathing new life in the player count, Cyberpunk 2077 has seen a resurgence and Phantom Liberty could not come at a better time. 

-F.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd

For some reason, Hellboy has proved unadaptable for anyone who has tried their hand at it. Guillermo del Toro’s original film was a tremendous take on the original source material, but the 2008 sequel was swallowed up by the massive box office success of The Dark Knight. The attempted 2019 reboot was a complete disappointment that left cast and crew disowning the project. But the upcoming game, Hellboy Web of Wyrd has something that none of the films had: the cooperation of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Preserving the original style of the comics, the cell-shaded Action Adventure game looks like it is set to be the perfect adaptation of the Hellboy comics.

-R.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

We were already excited about Harley Quinn Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, then they added Batman. Rocksteady has a great reputation with their Arkham series and any new addition to their roster is more than welcome. This time they have departed from playing as Batman and giving us the role of Task Force X members: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang as we take on the super-powered pantheon who have been corrupted by Brainiac. It doesn’t sound super fair but we also love a good challenge. 

-F.

Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon

In one of the more surprising announcements, FromSoft announced a new game in one of their oldest franchises, Armored Core. While From Soft has spent the last decade perfecting the “Soulslike” genre which it invited, they became a household name for most gamers. In that time, the Armored Core IP has been gathering dust, unused — until now. It’s not yet clear if this next game will play like Dark Souls, or if it will be its own genre, but I’m excited to what see the studio’s next move will be!

-J.

Earthblade

I’ve always loved some good pixel art, and when you mix it with fantastic gameplay I can easily lose hours to a game. That’s exactly what happened with Celeste, and it seems like it will happen again with Extremely Okay Games’ next project, Earthblade. This game seems to feature a heavier focus on exploration as well as platforming, similar to Celeste, yet somehow with even more gorgeous visuals. Sadly, this game is slated for 2024, but I’ll still eagerly await it all year.

- J.

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2

Take Gears of War, add a touch of Xenomorph, and increase the shoulder size to 11 and you have a Warhammer 40k Space Marine game. Set in the far future where humanity is at war with all manner of aliens and demons, the Space Marines are masters at defeating thier enemies in the most outlandish and over the top methods imaginable, which is why we love them so much. The original Space Marine had our protagonist Captain Titus fight off against the Orcs and forces of Chaos, he returns this time around with a demotion to Lieutenant and a (chain)axe to grind against the Tyranid swarms. It’s going to be bloody, and chaotic and maybe a bit heretical, but it's going to be awesome. 

- F.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania

Dead Cells is an addictively fun roguelike-Metroidvania that originally debuted in 2018. The story follows a headless protagonist trying to escape the bowels of an ever-changing island. Its souls-lite combat and permadeath format impressed fans and critics enough to earn it the Game Award for Best Action Game in 2018. And since then, Dead Cells has done a lot of work cross-promoting other indie hits like Hollow Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, Splay the Spire, and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Their newest addition incorporates a more well known game, but one just as comfortably at home within the Dead Cells environment. Return to Castlevania will bring the wildly enjoyable of Dead Cells to the exploration of Castle Dracula.

- R.