The Most Anticipated Games of 2023 (According to the Xbox Wire Team)

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. 

Like a Dragon: Ishin! – February 21, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One 

Since dropping onto Xbox Game Pass and into my life in 2020, the Yakuza sequence (now re-titled Like a Dragon for all future installments) has taken me on a sweeping tour of Japan, from snowy Sapporo to tropical Okinawa. Like a Dragon: Ishin!, RGG Studio’s remake of a 2014 only-in-Japan spinoff, isn’t merely content material to shift areas; it transports gamers again in time to 1860s Kyoto, the place issues couldn’t be extra completely different. Or are they? While Ishin’s story follows actual life samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, your journey is populated by acquainted faces and voices from throughout the Yakuza universe. Ryoma could not notice he’s a useless ringer for Kazuma Kiryu, however recurring emotions of déjà vu guarantee gamers will really feel at house, even when they’ve by no means been farther from it. And concern not, even should you don’t have expertise with this recreation, and even the sequence as a complete, Like a Dragon: Ishin! has been designed to be self-contained – even should you don’t get the references, you’re nonetheless getting a brand-new samurai story to play by means of. Check out our first preview right here on Xbox Wire to study extra about the upcoming Like a Dragon: Ishin! – Jeff Rubenstein – Xbox Podcast 

At the finish of the workday, I not often need to sit at my PC for extra hours, irrespective of how good a recreation is. Me and my again ache don’t have to fear about that, now that Age of Empires IV is heading to consoles this 12 months! Age of Empires IV seems like a very modernised, slick rediscovery of the traditional RTS, whether or not you’re storming by means of the single marketing campaign or jousting with associates on-line. Following in the footsteps of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, which has seamlessly made its transition to Xbox consoles, I can’t wait to conquer from the consolation of my sofa, and with the help of Xbox Play Anywhere, I can swap again over to the PC (and even my cell by means of Xbox Cloud Gaming) if issues get too severe… which they usually do. – Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor 

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass. 

Street Fighter 6 – June 2, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S 

It’s been a minute since a brand new, mainline Street Fighter entry debuted on Xbox, when the seminal Street Fighter IV launched again in 2009. If you’ve misplaced monitor of the sequence, Street Fighter 6 is probably going to blow you away when it arrives in June. SF6 has already confirmed its technical chops in a closed beta that includes older and wiser variations of Ryu, Chun Li, and Guile, and impressed new characters like Luke and soon-to-be fan-favorite Kimberly. The presentation is a surprising visible deal with, together with the veritable monster manufacturing facility that’s the recreation’s avatar creator. But it’s my anticipation of the single-player story mode World Tour that already has me prepping combos in pleasure. – Jeff Rubenstein – Xbox Podcast 

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – March 3, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Game Pass) 

Bloodborne and Ninja Gaiden are some of my favourite video games, although I’m not that nice at enjoying them. Their haunting visuals and slick fight are what I fondly bear in mind, not all the occasions I used to be brutally and repeatedly defeated. So, after I heard that the artistic expertise behind these video games have been engaged on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, I used to be instantly intrigued and was lucky sufficient to chat with Team Ninja’s Fumihiko Yasuda and Masaaki Yamagiwa to study extra. Will I be crushed right into a pulp after I begin enjoying? Likely. But this mix of darkish fantasy, Chinese martial arts swordplay, and artistic gaming expertise has me extremely excited to see the way it all unfolds beginning on March 3. – Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. 

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – May 26, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S 

Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad) accommodates many of the most layered and iconic anti-heroes in DC Comics, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League helps you to play as 4 of the most infamous of them – Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. The Squad should tackle an not possible mission to save Earth and kill the world’s best DC Super Heroes – the Justice League. Combined with the gaming pedigree of Rocksteady, the studio behind the wonderful Batman: Arkham video games, and this has all the elements to be one thing really particular — although we don’t know that a lot about it (but). For now, we’re left largely to our imaginations and some superior trailers, which is why it’s one of my Most Anticipated Games of 2023 as a result of… nicely… I need to know extra about it! Hopefully all shall be revealed quickly and we are able to dive into one other one of Rocksteady’s masterpieces later this 12 months. – Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Diablo IV – June 6, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One 

Sometimes, wanting again is simply as necessary as wanting ahead – a lesson Diablo IV is demonstrating months earlier than launch. Blizzard’s newest action-RPG returns to some of the sequence’ most basic concepts – a laser give attention to full-bore, high-gore action-RPG fight, perilously deep customization, and a grimdark fantasy story. But in embracing these previous concepts, what I notably love about Diablo 4 thus far (not least after I performed hours of the recreation forward of launch), is in the way it’s permitting itself to attempt new, complementary concepts. A very open world permits for extra loot, extra fight, and extra fulfilling co-op. A extra cinematic method to storytelling lets that pitch-black story at its core sing. A sharpened, high-gloss look permits for higher legibility of spells, even in the thick of battle. Diablo IV is concurrently previous and new, and I’m delighted by each of these features. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief 

Dead Island 2 – April 28, 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One 

When I take into consideration all the zombie video games I’ve performed over the years, the ones that stand out have a couple of parts in frequent: nice characters, thrilling areas, and entertaining gameplay. The unique Dead Island adopted this system over a decade in the past, and the long-awaited sequel is demonstrating it is going to too. Dead Island 2 has a forged of unlikely heroes and takes place in a zombie-infested Los Angeles, (dubbed HELL-A). Add in some darkish humor and over the prime zombie-slaying, who may ask for extra? Looks like I’m shifting to Beverly Hills. Swimming Pools. Movie stars. Survival in opposition to all odds. – Rich Dickinson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Hollow Knight: Silksong – 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, PC (Game Pass) 

To me, a sequel to Hollow Knight virtually seems like an pointless pleasure – in 2017, developer Team Cherry managed to come out of the gates with a debut that felt unnaturally full, from its artwork, to its moment-to-moment interactions, to its cloaked depths of story. And but, Silksong already feels important. By switching focus to bit-part character Hornet, we’re promised a complete new skillset and perspective, however constructed on the near-peerless foundations of the first recreation. My pleasure is that we’re getting is much less of a sequel and extra of a companion piece. I can’t wait to discover out what that seems like. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief 

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. 

Lies of P – 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Game Pass) 

If I instructed you that Lies of P, a Souls-like motion RPG starring fairy story Pinocchio wasn’t the greatest shock of Gamescom 2022, my nostril would possibly begin rising. It’s not simply the shock issue; Just typing “Pinocchio” and “Soulslike” in the identical sentence is sufficient to furrow the forehead of anybody listening to about Lies of P for the first time, it’s how nicely Korean developer Neowiz is popping this idea into an superior wanting recreation. As you would possibly anticipate, selecting whether or not or not Pinocchio tells the reality will have an effect in the story. However, the Pinocchio I’m acquainted with wasn’t outfitted with a ‘Legion Arm’, permitting gamers to journey by means of Lies of P in the means of their selecting as they search out Geppetto. Definitely an enchancment. – Jeff Rubenstein – Xbox Podcast  

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass. 

I’ve been on an Assassin’s Creed cooldown for about 5 years now, and I’m nearly prepared for my subsequent historic roof-hopping journey. Mirage guarantees to take us again to fundamentals, with a extra targeted scope and extra easy story beat. It’s additionally set in historical Baghdad, a tradition and world I’m wanting ahead to exploring, and a stunning throwback to the environments I grew to love in the very first recreation in the sequence. I’m tremendous enthusiastic about this reprisal of a extra manageable Assassin’s Creed recreation, and am wanting ahead to a beautiful new world that seems like an previous favorite. – Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor 

The unique Space Marine, for me, was a gateway into the huge Warhammer universe. At the time, it had been some time since one thing equipped such an incredible premise to such a wealthy and detailed world. It additionally helped that the recreation kicked ass, coupled with some really wonderful voice appearing performances. Since then, I’ve explored a myriad of different Warhammer video games, from Vermintide to Dawn of War to Total War: Warhammer. So, when the reveal trailer for Space Marine 2 dropped at the Game Awards 2021, my jaw hit the ground. It has been over a decade since the unique recreation and from every part we’ve seen thus far, it’s shaping up to be nicely price the wait. I’m prepared to heed the name of battle as soon as once more! – Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Replaced – 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (Game Pass) 

Full transparency, Replaced wasn’t a recreation on my radar till pretty lately. But after watching the trailers and doing a bit of studying, it’s undoubtedly a title I’m now vastly wanting ahead to enjoying this 12 months, particularly because it’s launching into Game Pass as an Xbox console unique. This action-platformer has a Shadow Complex and Deadlight vibe (each video games I totally loved) however is ready in an alternate Nineteen Eighties dystopian world. The artwork fashion is fantastically crafted with a mix of pixel artwork and real looking wanting backdrops, and the ambiance conveys the darkish and foreboding setting you’d anticipate from a world on the verge of collapse. Plus, there’s a canine, and it appears like it’s possible you’ll give you the option to pet it. – Rich Dickinson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. 

It’s troublesome to look ahead to S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. 2 with out recognizing the challenges its Ukrainian builders have endured the previous 12 months, however they’ve continued engaged on the recreation, and followers like me are excited to get our palms on it, and to have fun one thing made in opposition to such a backdrop. In purely gaming phrases, the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is an enchanting location to set your recreation, and with a gritty story, immersive sim parts, and exquisite technical execution, you could have me hooked. – Rich Dickinson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Available day one with Xbox Game Pass. 

If you have been searching for a sequence to thank for conserving the RTS style alive, Company of Heroes 1 & 2 could be close to the prime of that checklist in my view, proper up there with StarCraft II. These video games have executed an incredible job of mixing a compelling and dramatic World War II narrative with stellar real-time technique gameplay. Plus, the wonderful destruction engine introduced all of it collectively to make these battles really feel really lived in. Now with this sequence returning for the first time in 10 years, on each PC and console, I’m extremely excited to see how Company of Heroes 3 interprets to the energy of Xbox Series X|S. Be positive to try this current preview on Xbox Wire to get a way of the arduous work being put into this model of the recreation. – Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor 

Alan Wake 2 – 2023 – Xbox Series X|S 

After spending a full decade atop my pile of disgrace, I lastly took benefit of Xbox backward compatibility to take pleasure in the unique Alan Wake in summer season of 2020. I used to be instantly drawn into Remedy’s deliberately disorienting storytelling – one thing they’ve since taken even additional with the really glorious Control. Despite being practically two generations behind technologically, Alan Wake’s light-wary enemies freaked me out sufficient that I solely performed throughout daylight. For the long-awaited Alan Wake 2, Remedy says they’re crafting a survival horror recreation – the unique AW was merely a “psychological thriller” (which you’ll be able to compensate for too, with the much more completed Alan Wake Remastered) I can’t wait… to sleep with the lights on. – Jeff Rubenstein – Xbox Podcast 

Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon – 2023 – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One 

It took till Elden Ring for me to absolutely get to grips with FromSoftware’s action-RPG Souls masterworks, however I’ve been an Armored Core participant since day one. This grand previous mech-battling sequence has had its gunmetal claws in the pleasure facilities of my mind since I used to be a toddler, its measured tactical motion and gloriously in-depth machine tinkering combining to make for one thing functionally distinctive. That Armored Core VI is seemingly a return to that system, relatively than the futuristic Soulslike many anticipated, is all I may have requested for. There’s little doubt we’ll see extra Souls video games come alongside, so it is a more-than welcome diversion. I’ll be knee-deep in leg items and shoulder-mounted missile launchers come launch day. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief