2022 is almost over, and we’re just a few winks away from the TGA 2022 awarding ceremony. If you haven’t yet, you can place your votes here. Still, it’s not easy for us not to get excited about the new games coming our way in 2023. So, we created this list to highlight our top 10 new games of Q1 2023, looking at the most exciting and most hyped games coming out in the first quarter of 2023.
Top 10 New Games of Q1 2023 (January to March 2023)
10. Skull and Bones
Release Date: March 9, 2023
Published By: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Amazon Luna
Skull and Bones almost came out in 2022, just a few days away from God of War: Ragnarok and it was a close call before it crashed and burned into obscurity just because of its adjacency to that potential GOTY’s release date. Still, Skull and Bones has some promise left in it, even though multiple beta tests and delays may have softened the hype surrounding the game by now. As a game that simulates a pirate’s life and allows players to raid the high seas with their customizable ships, it will definitely have its market. But it might not appeal to a larger market than Ubisoft would hope. Still, I’m hyped for this game mostly because of its theme and gameplay loop experience, and I hope that this final delay gave the game the lifeblood it needs.
9. Wild Hearts
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Published By: Electronic Arts
Developer: Omega Force
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Omega Force, the game developers responsible for the highly-prized but recently stagnant Sengoku Musou franchise, is finally trying their hand at a more complicated game in Wild Hearts, albeit it still involves fighting in its gameplay and power fantasy as a large component of its mechanics. Wild Hearts is like Monster Hunter, where players take the role of hunters fighting against larger-than-life monsters, but has a more overt Japanese aesthetic, has a higher emphasis on tools and machinery, and has a co-op multiplayer that can only go up to three players instead of four. Integral in Wild Hearts are the aforementioned tools and machinery – called Karakuri in the game – intricate machines that can be deployed to aid the player in both traversal and in combat. After the slowdown of games like God Eater in recent years, it’s nice to see a new alternative that can go toe to toe with Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise.
8. Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Release Date: February 21, 2023
Published By: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Yakuza’s action-brawler gameplay always felt like it would lend itself well to a sword-fighting game, and Ryu Ga Gotoku actually played with the idea before. The result was Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin, a spin-off of the Yakuza franchise that sends players back to the Late Medieval period of Shogunate Japan. This involves some gunplay, but mostly involves fistfights and sword fighting, particularly with katanas. However, that game, which was launched back in 2014 for the PS3 and PS4, was never released in the West. So, it was with great excitement that Ryu Ga Gotoku unveiled a modern-day remake of Ishin, soon coming out on current-gen and next-gen consoles and the PC. While going back and playing the older title now would give you a good taste of what the game will be like, we’re confident that RGG will be able to achieve more with the remade title.
7. Forspoken
Release Date: January 24, 2023
Published By: Square Enix
Developer: Luminous Productions
Platforms: PC, PS5
Forspoken is a really promising title that has a lot of potential – it’s a game that has a unique take on magic and skill systems with a deep focus on traversal and movement, and it has a world and setting that seems unique, with a New Yorker gal being transported into a magical world called Athia. Forspoken, however, has had a rough development cycle, and it has received its own fair share of delays. While initial impressions by games journalists and outlets give a positive opinion of the game, there’s a recurring complaint from them – that the game has some unresolved performance issues. Here’s to hoping that Luminous Productions will be able to use the remaining time to fix all of these performance problems.
6. Atomic Heart
Release Date: February 21, 2023
Published By: Focus Entertainment
Developer: Mundfish
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Right from its initial reveal, fans have already become enamored of Atomic Heart. It has the flair and mystique of a post-nuclear fallout setting married to a technopunk aesthetic, with gameplay reminiscent of older Fallout games, leading to many fans flocking to it with high hopes of relieving their old loves. Atomic Heart is an action role-playing game that is set in an alternate universe Soviet Russia in the 1950s, with the player taking on the role of a KGB agent who is tasked to take down robots that have gone haywire. But these robots are not simple machines that can be taken out easily – they are the entire reason why Soviet Russia beat the Nazis in Germany during World War II – so you better watch your back in your task.
5. Octopath Traveler II
Release Date: February 24, 2023
Published By: Square Enix
Developer: Acquire, Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
The first Octopath Traveler was a classic JRPG treat, but it was mostly held back by being only available on the Nintendo Switch for a long time. It eventually arrived on PC and the PlayStation, but by then people may have already moved on to other titles. Square Enix isn’t taking that kindly, so this time around they are releasing the stand-alone sequel Octopath Traveler II simultaneously on all platforms. The game will once again focus on eight different characters, with the player going through each character’s stories one by one, starting with a single character and then picking up the others as new members of the party as they explore the world. However, the first game was criticized for moving at a snail’s pace and for its characters not interacting with each other and each other’s stories enough, so hopefully Acquire and Square Enix are able to work through that in this new release.
4. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Release Date: March 3, 2023
Published By: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Team Ninja has produced great action games in recent years, most notably games like Nioh and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy. So, we’re excited when the studio announced that it’s working on two new projects: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Rise of the Ronin, both being worked on simultaneously, but with the former releasing in early 2023, and the latter not coming until 2024. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will play like Nioh – a largely linear game with a large focus on combat, but will have more opportunities for traversal and exploration thanks to the introduction of a jump button. In the game, players take control of a nameless soldier as they fight through a demented and more chaotic version of the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China.
3. Fire Emblem Engage
Release Date: January 20, 2023
Published By: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was one of the Nintendo Switch’s best games, and it’s definitely hard to top. Hence, while expectations are high for Fire Emblem Engage, we are not holding our breath so much here. Fire Emblem Engage promises to feature characters from Fire Emblem’s long history of games, so we’ve got some time traveling or ancestor revival shenanigans happening here, probably. In Engage, Alear, a divine dragon, is awoken from a one thousand year slumber to help defeat the Fell Dragon by gathering the Emblem Rings spread across Elyos, which the players can collect and use to fight alongside Fire Emblem’s previous lords like the iconic Marth.
2. Hogwarts Legacy
Release Date: February 10, 2023
Published By: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Avalanche Software
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Even after a decade since the last Harry Potter film came out, the franchise remains very popular with a lot of merchandise sales, spin-off series and media, and, of course, video games. With the success of the LEGO Harry Potter series, a full-blown game set in the Wizarding World was a no-brainer. Hence, Warner Bros. Interactive commissioned Avalanche Software to develop Hogwarts Legacy, a role-playing game that allows players to live their lives as a student in Hogwarts, during a time way before the setting of the books and of the films. In this role-playing adventure game, players will interact with teachers and classmates as they uncover a mystery within the grounds of Hogwarts, while also giving them the opportunity to explore the castle grounds as well as the surrounding areas.
1. Dead Space
Release Date: January 27, 2023
Published By: Electronic Arts
Developer: Motive Studios
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Finally, we have a very exciting remake coming out in the first month of 2023. Dead Space remake is a much-awaited title, especially after the failure of its supposed spiritual successor The Calisto Protocol in capturing the hearts of players. Dead Space is a definite classic, and with Motive Studios promising to give the game a breath of fresh air while also staying true to its roots, we’re definitely going to have a lot of horrific fun with this game. There’s one big problem back when Dead Space first came out – it had horrible marketing and not a lot of players got to try it out. With its cult classic status, however, more people will likely try out Dead Space for the first time with this outing, and, if successful, we might get a remake of all of the three games in the series – maybe more. And that’s going to be a really exciting prospect, for sure.
And that’s our list of the top 10 new games of Q1 2023. Which games are you most looking forward to? Are you also excited for these new games? Let us know what you think!
For more new games coming out soon, check out our article on the best new games coming out on December 2022. Meanwhile, you can check out all of the best upcoming games exclusive to each platform on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch as well.
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