Top 5 Anticipated Video Games of 2023

5. Hogwarts Legacy

I’m interested in this one, though my interesting in Harry Potter stuff is fading some, hence why it’s #5. But it’s an action role playing game, that sounds un to me. I’m hoping that it’s a good combination of some stuff we know, or at least familiar places, and then a lot of new stuff. I dislike it when a game just retreads what we’ve already know. If it’s a new story in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I’m much more interested in that.

4. Starfield

When it’s described as being like “Skyrim in space” I’m interested in it. Though, that’s another game that I need to play more of, Skyrim. But Starfield definitely sounds interesting for that reason. An expansive game where you can explore, so side quests and still have a main mission to do is what I like. Hopefully they give you enough push to keep going on the main quest so that I don’t forget it.

3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

It’s a Star Wars game, and I do want to play a Star Wars game. But because it is Star Wars, I also want it to be a really strong and interesting game. I don’t want the IP just slapped on something okay. So the last one I heard solid things about but I didn’t jump into that one, yet. I might at some point in time. But if Survivor gets really good reviews, it might be my first Star Wars game beyond Lego Star Wars.

2. OXENFREE II: Lost Signals

Oxenfree is a small indie game where you can compare what you did versus what other people did. It’s not that complex in what it does, but the story it gave was a ton of fun. It reminded me of Stranger Things, Life is Strange, and Locke & Key all rolled into one. So more in that world, I’m definitely interested in what it might be doing.

1. Diablo IV

I’ve had a lot of fun with Diablo III. The initial release was rough for that one as they tried to balance everything. But when I came back to it recently I had a lot of fun with it. It’s one that I should play more of. And more Diablo, a new story and a new game, that sounds like it should be fun again. I like the look grinding that you do and generally just the simple game play, but engaging game play that it offers. It’s like a fantasy Borderlands for me, a lot of fun, and one that’s easy to pick-up or put down when I need to.

Honorable Mention

Honestly, not too many honorable mentions. My interest is limited. If another Power Star Golf game came out I’d be all over that. Or a new Need for Speed, I’ll keep an eye out for something like that.

Street Fighter 6 is up there because I like that type of game. It’s good for sitting down with friends. I haven’t played any of the Legend of Zelda stuff, but I’m sure my wife will be interested in that. Though, she like me often has trouble finding time to play games. So she still needs to do more Breath of the Wild.

Redfall is probably worth an honorable mention for me as well. Protecting a small town or saving a small town from vampires, I’m definitely interested in something like that. Or maybe Baldur’s Gate III just to finally play a Baldur’s Gate game which do look like a lot of fun.

What are you looking forward to playing in 2023?

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5 – Need for Speed

Need For Speed was one of the first gaming franchises that I really took note of. I’d play it on the computer a lot with and it was always a ton of fun. I like how it’s not that complex a racing game, and they have kept that for the most part. Some of them, more recent ones, try and add in too much story or complexity for kitting out your car, making it more like a Fast and the Furious movies than like original Need for Speed, and it just loses something. I want to go and race immediately, not have to drive around to find the next event, hope it’s a type that I have my car kit ready for. But the game is just a classic at this point, and some of them, Hot Pursuit 2 in particular are just awesome.

4 – Mario Kart

Needless to say, I like racing games. This goes back to what I said in the open, I like games that aren’t going to take multiple sessions that are hours long to play. I can sit down with a group of friends and knock out a Mario Kart tournament in a few minutes, and that has a group of people with it. I like Mario Kart slightly better than Need for Speed because while both are fun, Mario Kart can be more social, and while Need for Speed isn’t highly realistic in damage to your car or it blowing up, Mario Kart is less so, which just makes it that much more fun.

3 – Tales from the Borderlands

This is a kind of bigger game, but mainly it’s a kind of silly game. I love the Borderlands franchise and this is obviously completely different than those looter/shooters, but it is still a blast. Tales from the Borderlands tells a good story set in that world, and even ties into the 3rd (4th) Borderlands game. It does a good job of keeping the humor and tells what is a very traditional Borderlands story in a condensed and faster game play. I like that I can pick my story decisions and make changes to the world because of them. It’s not all amazing because there are some quick time events that are just annoying and feel like they are there so you, as the player feel like you’re doing something, if it’s been a bit between choices, but generally, like I said, just annoying. Great story overall though, and a lot of good choices.

2 – Borderlands Series

Next up we have the whole of the Borderlands series, Borderlands, Borderlands: The Pre-sequel, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands 3. These are just fun looter shooter games. This is a bigger series of games, and the 3rd one has been harder to get through because I just don’t have the time to sit down and play a ton, but I do really like that they are couch co-op and not that difficult to play. They give you a good silly time as you run around, blow up monsters, get crazy guns, blow up bandits, blow up bad guys, get more guns, and did I mention blowing stuff up with guns? That’s basically what the series is about, and the silly humor that it has to go along with it. Such a good time and easy to get into without having to be that good at the game, you can always just go do something else, shoot and blow up something else, and come back when you’re at the right level.

1 – Dragon Age: Origins

Finally, Dragon Age: Origins. I do like the 2nd one as well, but the 3rd one lost me a bit for a few reasons. What I like so much about Dragon Age: Origins is that it’s an “open world” game. By that I mean that you can do stuff in different orders, and explore different sections, but it is a pretty limited open world game. You can’t just wander off in a direction to see what is there, you’ll run up against how far you can go pretty quickly. And you can’t just randomly stumble into a late game quest. This is just an interesting story of a game that is told while giving you a lot of choices but you kind of work in quest batches that you can pick the order of but will always end up at the same ending spot. Now that might seem like your choices don’t matter, they do, some, but the dragon must be slayed no matter what.

Those are some of the top ones for me, a few that just missed the list would be Powerstar Golf, probably my most played game, because I can sit down and play it so fast, and couch co-op. Jazz Jackrabbit, Alpha Centauri and Tony LaRussa Baseball which I grew up with. 1943, a top scrolling flying game, and then stuff like Mortal Kombat and Super Mario, that I can play, but are easy to pick-up and set down.

What are some of your favorite games, with my taste, what games should I checkout?

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