2023 has been a pretty lukewarm year as far as new video games are concerned. While there have been a few games that have met and surpassed expectations, there seem to have been even more games than usual that have fallen off a bit of a cliff – ahem, we’re looking at you, Gollum.
Games like Gollum, Crash Team Rumble, and Minecraft Legends have had an even more disappointing reception due to the nature of the video game community in 2023. Just think, there was a time when the release of a game had little fanfare. In fact, most people only found out about new games when they walked into their local video game store and checked out the “new” section!
Nowadays, however, new game releases have basically derailed new movie releases in terms of anticipation and buzz. While this is great, it also means poor games can hit fans even harder, especially where preorders are involved. But hey, we kind of do it to ourselves, because even if we’re disappointed by an overhyped game, that doesn’t stop us from getting our hopes up for the next one!
With this in mind, let’s get our hopes up all over again. The year of 2023 is not over yet, and there are still several games that are due to make an impact. Here are the seven most anticipated before 2024 kicks off:
Starfield
Okay, so this one has technically just come out, but its release has been so recent that not everyone has experienced the full game yet. This means that there is still anticipation for a full picture of the game, and whether or not it will ultimately meet expectations. While it’s not looking great at the moment – were those faces generated in 2013?! – we’d say there’s still a few weeks before feelings settle down and we can get a good indication of whether the game works or not.
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
Oh, here we go. The anticipation is hot for this one, not least because the game’s creators state that Mirage will bring Assassins Creed back to its roots. Stealth, strategy, parkour. It’s all here and without a Viking hat in sight. But we’ve been here before with Assassin’s Creed games, so let’s all keep our excitement down just a notch!
Detective Pikachu Returns
Even after multiple decades, Pokemon games still eat up a whole lot of anticipation every year in the gaming community. After the success of the first Detective Pikachu game, there’s even more of a buzz for this one, especially since it was announced a good four years ago! The developers also don’t have a lot to worry about compared to others. Even if this game isn’t that good, you get to play as Pikachu, so that already makes it a 9/10 at least.
Forza Motorsport
While there hasn’t been a racing game to really steal the market, the same way EA Sports FIFA steals the football market, Forza always gives it a good go. The next instalment in the series, Forza Motorsport, looks clean, glossy, and really good fun for any motorsport lover.
Marvel’s Spiderman 2
Who doesn’t love swinging around a city as Spiderman? Fighting crime, shooting webs, and wearing tight latex suits, it’s every gamer’s dream. And Marvel’s Spiderman 2 looks set to deliver that dream. While there have been plenty of popular Spiderman games over the years, this is the first to introduce the character of Venom, which has got anticipation to boiling point. We can’t see any way that this game won’t deliver, but we’ve said that before, so let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Super Mario Bros: Wonder
Like Pokemon, Super Mario Bros is enjoying a reign that doesn’t look set to end soon. Yet again, there’s another game that is creating a lot of headlines in the gaming industry, amplified by the recent success of the Super Mario Bros. movie. There’s a lot of hype to live up to, but it’s not that hard for Mario to meet that hype. Give him a green pipe and some mushrooms, and you’re there!
Cities: Skylines 2
Cities: Skylines was a game that really took the world by surprise. Like a more expansive SIMS game, the player gets to create their own city, from the architecture to the parks, and the new instalment will bring things up a notch, with even more space to stimulate your city and more options for customisation. The anticipation is rife and, as is the game’s motto, people are really letting their imagination run away with them!
