Gamepocalypse is here: The rest of 2023 is overflowing with games

When we talk about “the greatest years in gaming history,” a few years often come up.

1998 gave us the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Half-Life, Resident Evil 2 and Starcraft. Later, 2007 offered up Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Portal, Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In 2017, we got The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Nier Automata, Persona 5, Cuphead and Fortnite. 

Now, 2023 will easily join that list. While there are still four full months to go, the first two-thirds of the year were insanely stacked in and of themselves. We’re talking new entries in beloved long-running series, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6 and Diablo IV, as well as indie darlings like Dave the Diver, Only Up and Canadian-made Sea of Stars and Venba.

Barring any last-minute delays, there are no signs of that momentum slowing between September to December. From new old-school-style Mario and Sonic games to a highly anticipated superhero sequel and Cyberpunk expansion, there’s a lot on the way. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest games to expect throughout the rest of 2023.

Starfield

Release date: August 31st/September 1st (early access depending on region and version purchased), September 6th (everywhere)Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC

After consistently rotating between Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles, Bethesda Game Studios’ first new IP in 25 years is finally here. Directed by Todd Howard, Starfield lets players create their own space-faring adventurer, customize their ship, and explore a far-reaching galaxy. It’s as big and ambitious as you’d expect, and for the most part, it’s been getting solid reviews, including from MobileSyrup. What are you still doing here? Go fly!

Baldur’s Gate 3

Release date: September 6th (PS5), TBA 2023 (Xbox Series X/S)Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

After a nearly three-year early access period, the full version of Baldur’s Gate 3 was finally released on PC in August, with console ports set for later in the year. Based on the ever-popular Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game, Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 is a staggering choice-driven RPG featuring a sprawling story, cast, and quests. It’s also the only game to rival Tears of the Kingdom in terms of critic reviews this year, which is clearly no small feat.

Special shoutout to Canada’s own BioWare, as well, for developing the original two Baldur’s Gate games, which, of course, helped pave the way not only for Larian’s threequel but titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Mortal Kombat 1

Release date: September 19thPlatform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC

The best-selling fighting game franchise returns with a sequel to 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 that also serves as a soft reboot. Of course, fans can expect more gruesome-than-ever Fatalities and violent new fighters, but this time around, NetherRealm has added a Marvel vs. Capcom-style ‘Kameo Fighters’ mechanic that lets you call for some assistance mid-fight. Throw in some more fun new guest DLC characters in the form of The Boys‘ Homelander, Invincible‘s Omni-Man, and DC’s Peacemaker and you have a recipe for wonderful Khaos.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Release date: September 24thPlatform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Sure, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is only an expansion rather than a true brand-new game, but it’s still worth including here for a few reasons. For one, CD Projekt Red’s previous expansions for The Witcher 3, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, were 10 and 30-hours long, respectively, so we can expect a similarly meaty experience from Phantom Liberty. It also helps that the spy thriller, which sees V attempting to rescue the president, comes amid a massive game-changing overhaul to Cyberpunk 2077 following a disastrous launch. Plus, Phantom Liberty offers more of Canadian national treasure Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand, as well as the ever-suave Idris Elba playing a new character, federal agent Solomon Reed.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Release date: October 5thPlatform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Amazon Luna

Since 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, the Ubisoft series has shifted to an increasingly large Witcher-esque action-RPG format, which is a far cry from its more humble stealth-focused sandbox roots. With that in mind, Ubisoft Bordeaux has taken a “back-to-basics” approach with the latest Assassin’s Creed game. Mirage follows Valhalla‘s Basim (Canada’s Lee Majdoub) in 9th-century Baghdad, an open-world setting Ubisoft says is smaller than those found in recent entries and is instead comparable to Revelations’ Constantinople and Unity’s Paris. Here, the focus is on quiet assassinations and sneaky experimentation, harkening back to the series’ very first outing in 2007. If you’ve fallen off Assassin’s Creed, Mirage might just be for you.

Forza Motorsport

Release date: October 10thPlatform: Xbox Series X/S, PC

With 2021’s Forza Horizon 5 focusing on an open-world Mexico, Forza Motorsport hones in on the sim aspect of racing. And if you didn’t notice, a number has been dropped from this latest entry, signifying how it’s intended to be a reboot of sorts. This time around, developer Turn 10 has added a slew of options to let racers of all skills personalize their racing experience, and you’ll even be able to level up and customize your ride accordingly. It’s a “CARPG,” if you will.

Sonic Superstars

Release date: October 17thPlatform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC

Sonic Superstars is all about throwing back to the Blue Blur’s Genesis era with a charming new coat of paint. This means you’ll be racing through side-scrolling levels as Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, or Amy solo or with up to three other players. Besides each hero’s unique skills, you’ll also gather the seven Chaos Emeralds to wield special powers like the ability to ascend waterfalls or create clones of yourself. After last year’s experimental open-world Frontiers, Sonic Team wants Superstars to give you the classic Sonic experience, which should appeal to diehard fans.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Release date: October 20thPlatform: PlayStation 5

Befitting of the biggest PS5 exclusive to date, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features not one but two playable wall-crawlers: Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Picking up from both 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Insomniac’s third Spidey outing follows our heroes as they face off against the deadly Kraven the Hunter and the Lizard. Along the way, Peter must deal with the black symbiote, which, inevitably leads to the creation of Venom. All signs are pointing to this one being among 2023’s best games.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Release date: October 20thPlatform: Nintendo Switch

If Spider-Man weren’t enough, October 20th also sees the release of a brand-new 2D Mario — the first, in fact, since 2012. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, players jump into the shoes of Mario and friends, venture into the Flower Kingdom, and stop Bowser. However, the classic 2D formula is thrown upside down by the new Wonder Flowers, which dramatically shake up stages with zany effects like moving warp pipes, animal stampedes and more. Oh, and Mario can turn into an elephant — ’nuff said.

For more on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, check out our interview with producer Takashi Tezuka and director Shiro Mouri.

Alan Wake II

Release date: October 27thPlatform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Remedy Entertainment is one of the most consistent teams in the business thanks to the likes of Max Payne, Alan Wake and Control, so any new game from the Finnish developer demands attention. But Alan Wake II feels like more than that. As Remedy’s first true survival horror game, Alan Wake II feels like the culmination of decades of eerie, atmospheric storytelling and tense combat mechanics. The idea of a ‘horror story within a horror story’ featuring Alan Wake trying to escape a nightmare dimension using a fictional (and second playable) character, FBI Agent Saga Anderson, is just the sort of twisty-turny yarn you’d expect from Sam Lake. But don’t take it from us — games media and content creators voted Alan Wake II as the Most Anticipated Game out of many others at Summer Game Fest. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Release date: November 10thPlatform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Series X/S, PC

Sledgehammer’s direct sequel to last year’s Modern Warfare II sees ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov extending his grasp across the world, pushing Task Force 141 to its limits. Besides the campaign, MWIII features 16 maps from the original MW2, with the promise of more than 12 post-launch maps. Naturally, there’s also a new larger-than-ever map for Zombies.

It’s worth noting that Sledgehammer has a studio in Toronto, so at least some of MWIII will have been worked on by Canadians.

Super Mario RPG

Release date: November 17thPlatform: Nintendo Switch

What do you get when you mix the Final Fantasy RPG expertise at Square with the beloved world of Mario? Super Mario RPG, one of the most beloved SNES games, is coming back with a full remake for the Switch. Unlike Final Fantasy VII Remake or this year’s Resident Evil 4, though, 2023’s Super Mario RPG is essentially a faithful 1:1 recreation of the original. This means that outside of updated visuals and cinematics, you can expect the same approachable turn-based combat and explorable levels.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Release date: December 7thPlatform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Amazon Luna

Considering Canadian James Cameron’s Avatar is the biggest movie of all time, it’s strange that we’ve never gotten a big AAA game in that universe. That’s where The Division developer Ubisoft Massive comes in, delivering an original story set between the events of the first two Avatar films. As a human-raised Na’vi warrior, you’ll have to wield skills from both worlds to protect the Western Frontier of Pandora. Basically, it’s a Far Cry-inspired take on Avatar — one that lets you explore the beautiful world of Pandora on foot or in the skies atop a Mountain Banshee (Ikran). While Avatar fans wait many years for Cameron to complete his film saga, Frontiers of Pandora could be a good way to help tide you over.

Of course, that only scratches the surface of what to expect from the rest of the year, and we’d be here all day listing everything. We’d be remiss, however, not to at least give a few honourable mentions.

On the big Canadian AAA front, EA Vancouver has both FIFA EA Sports FC 24 (September 29th) and NHL 24 (October 6th) on the way. Sega, meanwhile, is complementing Sonic with both Like a Dragon Gaiden (November 9th) and Persona 5 Tactica (November 17th), two entries in fan-favourite series. Nintendo also has Detective Pikachu Returns. And, finally, there are tons of promising smaller games, including the Bloodborne-esque Lies of P (September 19th), Montreal-based Lowbirth’s murder mystery, This Bed We Made (October 4th), Cocoon (September 29th) from former Playdead (Inside) designers and Outerloop’s Thirsty Suitors (November 2nd).

What are your most anticipated games for the rest of 2023? Let us know in the comments.

Header image credit: Bethesda/PlayStation/Nintendo

 From Starfield and the console versions of Baldur’s Gate 3 to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, these four months are insane for gaming.  Read More