The best games of 2023: games to look forward to this year on PlayStation 5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch

(Image: Nintendo)(Image: Nintendo)
(Image: Nintendo)

Another year, another glut of new video games releases for gaming fans to get excited about.

Yes, 2023 looks like it’s going to be another bumper year, so we’ve whittled out a list of the top games to look forward to in the coming 12 months.

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These are the games we’re most excited to get our hands on, and the games that we think will grab people’s attention as the year rolls on.

Dead Space

What is it? Dead Space is hands down one of this writer’s favourite games of all times. The atmosphere on display while poking around the USG Ishimura was like a perfectly curated house of sci-fi horrors, and will only be all the more spine-tingling with this remake.

Yes, the graphics are being brought up to modern standards, but the game is also getting a few design tweaks to bring it in line with what gamers expect in 2023 (protagonist Isaac Clarke no longer remains silent throughout his terrifying ordeal, for instance).

Assuming this is a remake with some real love poured into it, and not just a barebones cash-grab of an update from EA (the evidence so far suggests it’s not), this will be one game worth going back to.

When can I play it? 27 January

Hogwarts Legacy

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What is it? How this Harry Potter tie-in has managed to pique the interest of this ardent non-fan still remains a mystery, but Hogwarts Legacy has the potential to be one of the most impressive games of the year.

Strip back the Potter licence and it looks to be a solid and surprisingly deep action-RPG, with lots to do and even more to do it on (riding a broomstick around the grounds of Hogwarts looks like a fun time indeed), and with impressive visuals backing it all up, this could be one to keep an eye on even if you can’t stand the wizarding world.

It’s set years before the films and books too, so you don’t need to be up to speed with the series’ tiresome tales. Always a bonus.

When can I play it? 10 February

Atomic Heart

What is it? Proving that there’s still some experimental life in the first-person genre yet, Atomic Hearts does away with the browns and greys of uber-gruff military shooters like Call of Duty in favour of fantastical superpowers and a steampunk aesthetic.

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Sure, the fact that it appears easily comparable to Bioshock’s brand of plasmid-powered combat will spark originality debates for months to come, but we’ll take something that at least dares to be a little different any day.

It’s also coming to Xbox Game Pass on the day of release, so subscribers can play the entire thing with any financial risk!

When can I play it? 21 February

Skull and Bones

What is it? After a decade in production, Ubisoft’s naval combat simulator is finally upon us. Huge delays have only hurt the excitement levels for this game; when it was originally announced it was coming hot on the heels of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, one of the strong entries in that long-running series, and one which brought a genuinely engaging ship battle minigame to the franchise.

Originally envisioned as an expansion to Black Flag, Skull and Bones’ pirateering premise was rather exciting back in the day, but seems to have been forgotten with the passage of time.

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There’s still plenty of scope for this to be a surprise hit though, and with a single-player campaign alongside extensive multiplayer modes, we’re hoping it’s more than worth getting into.

When can I play it? 9 March

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

What is it? Released in 2019, Fallen Order was an action-adventure game set five years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

It followed Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis as he struggled to complete his training, make peace with his troubled past, and revive the shattered Jedi Order while becoming a target of the Galactic Empire and being hunted across the galaxy by Imperial Inquisitors.

The story of the sequel falls aroundthe Obi-Wan Kenobi seriesin the Star Wars timeline, which wasreleased earlier in 2022 onDisney Plus. It once again centres on Kestis as he fights against the Galactic Empire for his life. As one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66, Kestis must do “whatever it takes to stay alive.”

When can I play it? 17 March

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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What is it? We still don’t know an awful lot about the sequel to one of Nintendo’s best ever games, but that’s just OK by us.

The Hyrule of Breath of the Wild was a joy to explore, and the same will likely be said of its follow-up, with plenty of secrets and interesting nooks and crannies to find as you go about your adventure.

It’s not often we get a direct sequel to a Nintendo game, but you know that the Japanese gaming legends won’t just be churning out a slightly different game and slapping a ‘2’ on it - this will be just as chock full of new ideas as the first.

When can I play it? 12 May

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