Elden Ring
One of the biggest hits of 2023, will be “Elden Ring”, and one that I’ve poured more hours into, FromSoftware’s “Elden Ring” is an expansive, punishing title that will test you time and again. Death is as much a part of this game as survival, and each time you go down is a chance to learn from your missteps.
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Reimagining the military masterpiece, this retcon is everything you’d want from a truly modern game; from life-like visuals to edgy and realistic gameplay, it’s stuff to make your hairs stand on end. The original remains one of the most beloved games of the last two decades; don’t be surprised if this effort also goes down in history!
POKÉMON SWORD AND SHIELD
Nintendo Switch
Now, what’s better than a new Pokémon platform game? That’s right – two of them! Set in a dynamic and diverse region begging to be explored, the crisp animation really looks the part, and the combination of new and old in gameplay looks like the best of both worlds to us.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Platforms: Switch
We really didn’t know what to think wen this game was first announced. Mario was linking up with Ubisoft’s freakish Rayman spin-off series, Rabbids, for a turn-based strategy game. But 2017’s Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was surprisingly brilliant. The upcoming sequel looks like it builds on the first game’s solid foundations for an even wackier adventure, this time in space. Sparks of Hope’s combat system combines free movement and traditional turn-based tactics for a strategy game that both looks and plays like no other. And you can even have Bowser and Mario on the same side for once.
Gotham Knights
Platforms: Xbox, PS5, PC
The Batman: Arkham series is widely regarded as one of the best in the history of video games, but with original developer Rocksteady Studios busy making its long-awaited Suicide Squad game, what’s going on with Batman? Well, in WB Games Montreal’s upcoming co-op action RPG he’s unfortunately dead. So it falls to fellow DC heroes Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood to continue the Bat’s legacy and keep fighting those belligerent baddies. Set in what the developer is calling the biggest open-world Gotham ever and playable solo or with a friend, we’ve got high hopes for Gotham Knights, even if we’ll miss the Caped Crusader.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Platforms: Switch
Pokemon Legends: Arceusreinvented Pokemongames at the beginning of 2022, and now the mainline series is going open-world too. Arceuswas set way back in history when encountering a giant smiling dragon in the wild was still considered unusual. But Scarlet and Violet return to a more familiar modern-day Pokescape.