If there’s anything to take away from the Summer Game Fest 2023 livestream and every other announcement thereafter, it is that the gaming world isn’t going to be left wanting. in this season and well into next year. Assuming that developers don’t suddenly have a last-minute panic or anxiety attack and delay the launch of their respective titles even further.
From first-time reveals, updates, and launch date announcements to glimpses and gameplay demonstrations, the titles’ list is long, and to that end, we’re going to be we believe you should be kept as a waypoint on your radar.
Alan Wake 2
13 years after the inception of the franchise, the good folks at Remedy finally gave gamers a brief look at the gameplay of Alan Wake 2. In-game, players are put in the shoes of an FBI agent Saga Anderson, who arrives in the town of Bright Fall, Washington, to look into a string of murders that has occurred there, all of which seem to be linked to the disappearance of the titular character, 13 years ago Unlike the first game, the sequel is a lot darker in tone and is complete with matching elements of horror. Key gameplay mechanics have made a return as well, such as enemies being aversed to the light, making the flashlight one of the most crucial pieces of weaponry for the player.
Alan Wake 2 is set to launch on 17 October 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3
The presentation at Summer Game Fest 2023 for Baldur’s Gate 3 was less of a gameplay trailer and more of an unveiling of a new antagonist to the game, a character by the name of Gortash who, based on the minute and a half trailer, appears to have been given control of the whole city of Baldur’s Gate. Not much is known about the character, save for the fact that the character is being voice by acclaimed voice actor Jason Isaacs.
Baldur’s Gate 3 launched 31 August 2023.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty
Three years after what has been classified as one of the worst launches in the history of video games, CDPR is finally releasing the first expansion of its neo dystopian ARPG, Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom LIberty. The game will introduce a new area in Night City, along with a new story that see V, the game’s protagonist trying to save themself from Death by joining the New United States of America (NUSA).
Phantom Liberty will be available for purchase this year, on 26 September.
Fable
Fable is a reboot of the original game that launched in 2004 and more importantly, is being developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. Known for its sarcastic, British style humour, the game maintains that spirit and even went as far as getting one half of the IT Crowd Richard Ayoade to sit in and present the launch of the game, by introducing the hero of the game.
Unfortunately, no launch date for Fable has been given but on the upside, it’s good to see one of the most enjoyable games is making a comeback.
Like A Dragon Gaiden (It’s Yakuza)
Alright so, this is a bit confusing, but Like A Dragon Gaiden is non-canon to the Yakuza series. For those that don’t know, the name is actually a literal translation of the Japanese word “Yakuza”, Ryu Ga Gotoku, which also happens to be the name of the studio that makes these games.
Announced during Summer Game Fest 2023, Like A Dragon Gaiden still looks like the same beat ’em up game with the odd RPG element thrown in, but again, this doesn’t appear to be tied-in with the mainstream Yakuza titles. On that note, the video announcement of Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth just came hours earlier today, which we’ll link here.
Sandland
If you’re not familiar with Sand Land, we don’t blame you. Based on the short-run manga novel by legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama – the man who gave us Dragon Ball and also worked on the artwork for Chrono Trigger – the game follows Rao, a legendary sheriff, who teams up with the demon prince Beelzebub and his friend Thief, to steal water and money, as they drive through a war-shattered world that has left it without a main supply of water.
For the most part, Bandai’s adaptation of the game seems to stay true to the original Sand Land manga and in one scene, you can see the trio riding in a tank, which they had stolen from one of the kings of the lands.
Sand Land is still in development, with no official release date having been provided.
Starfield
Starfield Direct was held just hours ago and serves as Bethesda’s current and most up-to-date look of the game, providing a more in-depth look at in-game graphics and game mechanics of this No Man’s Sky clone.
World building is obviously a pride point for Bethesda, and it shows in Starfield. The studio says that every planet, every moon can be visited, and isn’t just there in the background to make the game look good. Combat is not just limited to the planetary skirmishes; you can also attack other ships and, if need be, board and raid them. And of course, there are the usual major cities that cater to every character and individual in the Starfield universe.
Starfield will be available on 6 September 2023.
Star Wars Outlaws
Ubisoft had long hinted at its first-ever, open-world Star Wars IP for the longest time, and the day after the Summer Game Fest 2023 livestream was when Star Wars Outlaws was announced. Developed by Massive Entertainment, the same studio responsible for The Division franchise, Outlaws follows Kay Vess, a galactic scoundrel on the run from Bounty Hunters.
Ubisoft says that Outlaws is an open-world, story-driven game, with events set in the time between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kay’s story is also pretty straight forward: looking to start a new life for herself and non-human pet companion, Nix. From the looks of the trailer, they’re clearly going to be bumping into both Imperial and Rebel forces alike, but what is also very clear is that both Ubisoft and Massive are hoping to ride on the success of EA’s and Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi Fallen Order and Survivor story-telling and gameplay.
So far, no specific launch date has been given, except that Outlaws should be out sometime in 2024.
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first proper POP title in 13 years, with the last one being The Forgotten Sands. The game also marks a return to the game’s roots as a side-scoller, albeit with multiple modern makeovers.
The premise of The Lost Crown seems simple enough: you play as the unnamed Prince of Persia who has been kidnapped by unknown actors, who is then forced to battle his way through different levels., using his death-defying acrobatics skills to traverse and overcome obstacles. Unlike the original side scroller, the game’s combat mechanics is much, much more fluid; the Prince can be seen dual-wielding two scimitars with ease, while performing finishing moves that include piledriving mobs into the ground and juggling them, among other moves.
The Lost Crown will be available on 18 January 2024 next year.
Spider-Man 2 Launch Date
The presentation of Spider-Man 2 wasn’t so much a gameplay reveal but more of an announcement of when the game will be available. That special day, by the way, is set for 20 October this year. Speaking of gameplay, that content has already been posted by Insomniac Games prior to Summer Game Fest 2023
The synopsis of Spider-Man 2 is more or less what was hinted in the early days of the game’s development. For starters, we know that the game will be revolving around the Symbiote Venom. However, Insomniac has said that its host, Eddie Brock, is not in the game, as it wanted to maintain an original plot with the sequel. Kraven the Hunter is also pegged as one of the main antagonists in-game, who happens to be hunting the scaly alter ego of Dr. Curtis, The Lizard.
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