‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’
There’s very little information available about this follow-up to the brilliant 2017 reboot/reimagining of “The Legend of Zelda” (“Breath of the Wild”). We do know that gamers will return to the gorgeous scenery of Hyrule (inspired by designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s childhood in the Japanese countryside) and that the game’s hero, Link, can use his glider to catch the winds and ride between a series of floating islands. Due out in May, this will surely be a contender for Game of the Year.
‘Hogwarts Legacy’
According to one report based on global search data, this role-playing game set in the “Harry Potter” universe is 2023’s “most-anticipated game.” The open-world, single-player RPG will allow you to create your own character and enter the wizarding school made famous by the Potter series as a fifth-year student, years before Harry was even born. You’ll go to classes, learn magic, and meet some fantastic beasts, but your main task will be to unravel a sinister conspiracy that threatens the school and the wider magic community.
‘Starfield’
Developers Bethesda have carved out an enviable reputation for immersive, narrative-led RPGs with their “Elder Scrolls” series (the “Fallout” franchise is none-too-shabby either) so there’s much understandable excitement ahead of this sci-fi- release which will encourage players to discover The Settled Systems (colonized stars and planets) in a custom-created ship as a member of the Constellation, a collective of explorers. The game is set 20 years after a brutal war between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective — the two largest factions in the game.
‘The Day Before’
This open-world MMO has been on many gamers’ ‘Most Wanted’ lists for a while now, but the post-pandemic survival game was heavily delayed by the real-world pandemic. Reports are that it will finally launch in March. Footage released so far has a definite “The Last of Us” vibe, which is always a good thing. Expect plenty of exploration and resource cultivation to be necessary to fend off your enemies, who could be controlled by other players who want what you have, or by the AI which just wants you dead.
‘Dead Space’
This remake of the 2008 sci-fi survival horror classic will be out at the end of January. Like the original, it’s set in the 26th century, and follows much the same plot. You play engineer Isaac Clarke, a crewman on a repair vessel assigned to check on a planetary mining ship that has gone silent. Isaac’s girlfriend Nicole — the mining ship’s medical officer — sent out the distress call. The investigating team are attacked by walking dead mutations when they set foot on board, and Isaac has to try and save his remaining shipmates, while finding out what has caused the disaster on the mining ship.
‘Forspoken’
This narrative-driven action game is the debut project from Luminous Productions, a company initially assembled from people who worked on the acclaimed “Final Fantasy XV.” You play as Frey Holland, a young woman who is transported from the streets of New York to the world of Athia, where you must learn to utilize your newfound magical powers to escape the tyrannical rulers (the Tantas), and numerous dangerous demonic monsters (often appearing in hordes), to return home.
‘Sons of the Forest”
2018’s “The Forest” is rightly regarded as one of the greatest survival horror games in history, so developers Endnight Games are under pressure to deliver with its sequel, due out next month on PC. It’s built around the same open-world survival principles as its predecessor (crafting, cooking, combat, heal, repeat…), and takes the player to a remote island where you have to locate a missing billionaire. Complicating matters are tribes of cannibals and mutants. But you will reportedly have a 3D printer to help you out.
