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Now that our Game of the Year Awards are out of the way, it's time to take a much-needed rest and...ah, who are we kidding? We might have just said goodbye to the best of 2022, but we're already excited to check out the best of 2023. As such, we've put our heads together to come up with our top ten most anticipated games of 2023. While many of the games on this list have had limited gameplay shown, it's hard not to be impressed with their unique style and concepts. Please note that the games are listed in alphabetical, ascending order.

Alan Wake II

There was a time in gaming’s history when annual sequels were considered normal. Series as diverse as Grand Theft Auto and Katamari Damacy were released back to back, which was a great way to lead to burnout. Alan Wake is not a game that’s had this problem, coming out back in 2010 and getting a couple of DLC chapters plus an oddball spin-off with the more action-oriented American Nightmares. Series fans have been waiting a long time for a true, proper sequel, and this year it’s finally on the way with Alan Wake II. Remedy hasn’t supplied a lot of information on the sequel yet, but what we do know is that it’s survival horror, and that’s just about it. There’s a deep mystery to solve and the plan is that Alan Wake II will require no knowledge of the first one, but seeing as a feature of the series is its serialized nature with “Previously on Alan Wake...” in between each chapter, there’s no reason to expect previous continuity to be ignored. Whether it’s a return to Bright Falls/Night Springs or an all-new adventure, Alan Wake is finally coming back after being gone far too long.

Dead Space

We’ll admit it: the fact that one of the most anticipated games of 2023 is a remake of a game we once featured as a cover story makes us feel old. It’s hard to believe that it’s been fifteen years since the release of Dead Space…which at the time of its release would be the same amount of time removed from 1993 as we are now to its release…and that there will literally be a generation of players who could barely read when the original came out and will be experiencing it for the first time…OK, you get it, we’re old and this is getting depressing. But what’s not depressing is how good of a game Dead Space remains and how excited we are to revisit it. While the original development team largely haven’t been involved in the remake, it has some serious muscle behind it with Motive Studio taking the reins. Harnessing the power of current-generation consoles to boost visuals and audio and significantly cutting back on loading times, Dead Space looks to terrorize our nightmares more than ever before.

Final Fantasy XVI

To say Final Fantasy has changed over the past 35 years is an understatement. What began as a family-friendly turn-based RPG in 1987 has shifted to a mature rated title with action-oriented gameplay. Stranger of Paradise showcased the chaos of a darker Final Fantasy title with mature content and Final Fantasy XVI appears to be doubling down on that. Still months away from its release, Final Fantasy XVI is already generating controversy with some of the included content. It seems like a dramatic shift from previous Final Fantasy games, but given how inconsistent they have been received among the fanbase, perhaps a drastic reinvention could be in order. From what we’ve seen so far, Final Fantasy XVI looks like a departure from what has become expected from the series, but it has our attention. Only time will tell how well this grittier and darker approach to Final Fantasy is executed, but this uncertainty only adds to the anticipation.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight is one of the great success stories of Kickstarter and indie gaming. Launched back in 2014, the project would eventually get funded with AU$57,138 of an AU$35,000 goal. With that relatively modest sum in hand, Team Cherry not only delivered on their project, but delivered something of a quality so high that it took just about everyone by surprise. Hollow Knight has since become a king of the metroidvania genre, enjoying near universal praise for everything from its art and music to its exploration, combat and boss design. It’s the kind of game that only comes around once in a generation, and yet Team Cherry is poised to do it again with Hollow Knight: Silksong. Announced back in February of 2019, the developer has slowly allowed information to trickle out as they bring the project ever-closer to completion. So far, it’s looking like everything fans could have ever wanted: a whole new world filled with new enemies and bosses; the chance to play as fan-favorite former-boss Hornet with much of her move set intact and a brand new story to dig into. The only problem: we gotta wait a little while longer for it.

Replaced

Replaced already had our attention when its jaw-dropping pixel art and cyberpunk world was debuted back in 2021, and the most recent trailer that dropped at The Game Awards only further proved that this is something special to look forward to. What we’ve seen so far from Sad Cat Studios’ alternate 1980s adventure suggests intense combat, a world filled with perfectly-bulky technology and unique aesthetics, hints at a greater story concerning the setting of Phoenix-City and much more. And all of this in the body of a unique 2.5D action-platformer that feels like the perfect successor to classic titles such as Flashback. The adventures of or AI friend R.E.A.C.H. in their newfangled human body seem to have the makings of an indie classic (or just a classic, period), so here’s hoping the final game can deliver a unique cyberpunk experience that can best even the biggest triple-A attempts at one.

Resident Evil 4

Capcom has a well-accepted track record when it comes to remakes, especially within the Resident Evil series. Dating all the way back to 2002 with the original REmake, it took about fifteen years to remake Resident Evil 2 and labeling this as just an accomplishment was an understatement. While there's mixed feelings about the remake of Resident Evil 3, Capcom’s overall track record with the series dating back to Resident Evil 7 has seen stellar results. Many wondered or assumed that a remake for the fourth Resident Evil was coming. It's due to release in March and the gameplay that has been released so far has looked more atmospheric with slower pacing that's aimed more towards the previous two remakes. The original Resident Evil 4 was so over-the-top that taming that aspect to a degree should help provide a better balanced experience for players. The game will include core elements from the original including the inventory system and quick time events, but hopefully avoid the overkill in those departments.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Insomniac Games penchant for developing great games with fun weapons in their own worlds was always what made them special. So when they were handed the Spider-Man IP that would restrict them to known characters and locations, many were right to be skeptical. Come 2018 and 2020, however, Insomniac proved twice how adept they are at delivering fantastic games. Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales were stellar experiences that successfully made players feel like Spider-Man (both of them) while building unique narratives that set them apart from other iterations of the characters. So, to no surprise, the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the most anticipated games heading into 2023. Though PlayStation and Insomniac have been tight-lipped about the upcoming title, we know quite a bit about it. Both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will be playable and both appear to have fancy new tools and abilities to help them dispatch their foes. Most exciting, though, is that the game will introduce two fan-favorite villains: Venom and Kraven the Hunter. It’s two spiders going up against two fantastic villains. 2023 looks to be a banger year for superhero games and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 looks like it's set to deliver.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Respawn Entertainment ended up delivering the strongest Star Wars game in over a decade with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. While not perfect, the blend of the famous Star Wars IP with Soulsborne element was engaging, and the use of original characters versus heavily-established characters helped Respawn build a solid narrative not weighed down by existing storylines. A sequel was always going to be highly anticipated, and after everything we’ve seen so far, there’s plenty of reason to get excited for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Respawn appears to be building on what made the original game great while expanding the scope. Expect new lightsaber fighting styles that incorporate dual wielding, an expanded roster of Force powers and a lot more locations to explore. Even with all that expansion, it still appears that Respawn isn’t going bonkers and forcing in a lot of cameos, instead continuing to focus on its unique cast of characters. It’s an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan with more games getting announced than ever before, and that all starts in 2023 with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Rocksteady Studios was quietly working for the vast majority of 2022, as their first attempt at a third-person co-op shooter was delayed to the following year and no new gameplay has been shown since the 2021 Game Awards. Then, the British developer returned at this year’s Game Awards to drop a major bombshell for their next game in the Arkhamverse: the supposedly dead Batman would not only be making an appearance as Brainiac’s latest brainwashed member of the Justice League, but would be voiced by the iconic Kevin Conroy one last time, as the voice actor tragically passed away earlier this year. It’s unclear if Batman will truly be as murderous as this latest story cinematic leads us to believe, or whether or not Bruce Wayne did survive the aftermath of the Knightfall Protocol, but one thing is for sure: Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, King Shark and Deadshot will have their hands full with an even larger roster of indoctrinated heroes to take down when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League launches in May 2023

Tekken 8

Tekken 7 is widely accepted as one of the greatest fighting games, so when Tekken 8 was originally announced, expectations were through the roof for the follow up. Tekken 8 will be the first pure current generation title in the series as it's slated to only release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC. Bandai Namco is modifying the formula while keeping the core fighting mechanics intact with the addition of Aggressive modifiers. These will be special moves and ability enhancements that will be triggered by the new Heat System. The story will continue between the Mishima and Kazama bloodlines as this remains the longest-running storyline for a fighting game series according to the Guinness Book of World Records. With the game solely lined up for the latest console hardware, it will push the visuals in an unprecedented direction that already has fighting game fans drooling from the mouth. These fans can also expect a slew of fighters to choose from all with different fighting styles. Tekken 8 may just end up being the pinnacle of fighting games.