With 2023 here, there are tons of games that are coming out in the foreseeable future, within the calendar year, and a lot more that are coming out later, some much later, with no specified release date or window. I thought it’d be a good idea to list a few of these games and take a look at what these games will entail coming to the release date. The basic rule of thumb here is that I won’t be talking about every single game that has been announced with no details available, obviously. So, things like the new “Mass Effect” and “Tomb Raider” are out. Second, most of the games here, with just three exceptions, have trailers, details, or gameplay available for you to check out. I’ll also add my personal excitement rating to make things interesting. I hope these games come out as soon as they can, but we are looking at 2024, at the very least, for most, if not all of them. So, with all of that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the games that have been announced but are still far, far away from release.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment announced “Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora” back in 2021. Initially, the game was announced with a 2022 release date, but as the year passed, it became evident that wouldn’t be the case. With no new trailers or gameplay, Ubisoft quietly announced that this game is being delayed indefinitely for a late 2023 or 2024 release. With the success of Avatar 2: The Way of Water and more Avatar movies inbound, this is the perfect time to release a game set in the same universe and ride along with that train. As for the game itself, it’s a first-person open-world adventure game that will introduce us to a never-before-seen part of Pandora and feature an original narrative. The game will be exclusive to current-gen consoles, so the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the PC, obviously, and will take advantage of new hardware and software techniques like raytracing. That’s the extent of all we know so far, and personally, I would have preferred a third-person game, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I am definitely looking forward to this one whenever it arrives.
My Excitement Rating- 7/10
Max Payne Remake
Okay, so this entry is one of the three games here that we know nothing about, but this game alone was the reason for me to start with this list. “Max Payne” was my jam growing up. I have such fond memories of “Max Payne” and “Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne” that when Remedy announced that they were partnering with Rockstar Games and using their Northlight Engine to remake these two games and releasing them in a single package, I jumped out of my seat with excitement. I am sure that every “Max Payne” fan wanted to see this happen, but no one expected that it would become a reality. The game is in the early stages of development, but I can already imagine how gorgeous it will look, thanks to Remedy’s Engine. I also cannot wait to hear the gruff and soothing voice of James McCaffrey once again, who I am sure will return to reprise his role here. “Max Payne” was one of the best third-person action shooters that was ever made, and I cannot wait to relive those games once again. I hope they find a way to incorporate “Max Payne 3” as well here, be it as a separate release. That game was fantastic as well.
My Excitement Rating- 10/10
Like A Dragon 8
Another game that I am eagerly looking forward to, “Like A Dragon 8” (formerly known as “Yakuza”), was announced by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA just a few months ago. The killer part of this release? Kiryu is returning alongside Ichiban, and both of them will serve as dual protagonists! How exciting is that? Kamurocho is obviously back; hopefully, Ijincho will also return, and while details are light, the game will continue with the turn-based system they introduced with “Yakuza: Like A Dragon,” and I am all in. The game is slated to be released sometime in 2024 for PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. I love this multiplatform “Yakuza ” game release that they have been doing as of late.
My Excitement Rating- 9/10
Prince Of Persia The Sands Of Time Remake
The “Prince Of Persia” franchise has not seen a release in well over a decade and is sorely missed, so Ubisoft was kind enough to announce a remake of one of the most beloved games from the franchise, “Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time.” Unfortunately, Theta announced this more than two years ago at this point, with a 2021 release date planned initially, and it’s 2023 now, and the game is nowhere to be seen. Originally the game was being developed by Ubisoft Pune, and now it’s in the hands of Ubisoft Montreal due to them not being able to meet deadlines and the visuals being criticized, but that’s not reason enough for the game to completely disappear from the radar now, is it? I obviously have no idea, but I think it’s high time they give us some new information about this one. I don’t much care for visuals either, but the game looked good to me from the trailers, and I just want to play it once more! Hopefully, this will come out this year for the PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
My Excitement Rating- 7/10
Project 007
The second game on the list has next to no information available. Heck, it doesn’t even have a name yet. “Project 007,” if the name didn’t give it away, is a James Bond game in development at IO Interactive, the guys behind the immaculate “Hitman” series. We know absolutely nothing about this one, but IOI is the perfect studio to make a James Bond game if you ask me; I mean, the “Hitman” games are practically that. It’ll use IO’s in-house Glacier Engine, which means the game will look crisp, and we can expect third-person gameplay just like in “Hitman,” but this time, it’ll be faster and more fluid, I hope. I am sure nobody needs lots of reasons to be excited about a James Bond game; the idea on its own is enough, so let’s see when this one drops!
My Excitement Rating- 9/10
Star Wars: Eclipse
The third and final game on this list has no details other than a beautiful CGI trailer. Developed Quantic Dream is taking the helm for “Star Wars: Eclipse,” and I have no clue what this game will be. If their previous games are anything to go by, then this will be a narrative game with choices dictating the outcomes, but if rumors are to be believed, then this game will be a massive open-world third-person adventure; we will have to wait and see. Speaking of waiting, if the rumors are to be believed, this game will not come out until 2026 at the earliest, and I have a question if that’s the case. Why even announce it, then? What’s the point? Either way, it looks interesting enough, and we’ll find out more about it, hopefully, sooner than later. Speaking of Star Wars, I think it’s worth mentioning that there are like five more Star Wars games in the works across multiple studios that will come out sometime in the future. One by Ubisoft, one by Skydance Media, three by Respawn Entertainment, and allegedly a Mandalorian game by The Coalition, the guys behind the “Gears” series (take this one with a grain of salt), so the future of Star Wars games are looking good.
My Excitement Rating- 3/10
System Shock
“System Shock” is the remake of the original game by the same developer, and if you have played that one, then you know what you are in for with this one. SHODAN and the Citadel Station are back, hacker. It’s in your hands to take back control of the station from the hands of the rogue AI that’s running it into the ground and survive the horrors that await you throughout your journey. This is an immersive narrative shooter, and the beloved “Bioshock” series took heavy inspiration from the “System Shock” series. Technically, this game is confirmed for 2023, but it was announced such a long time ago with multiple delays that I won’t believe it until I get it in my hands, so this belongs on this list if you ask me. The game will come out for the PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, and this will be one heck of a trip down memory lane.
My Excitement Rating- 8/10
Tom Clancy’s The Division: Heartland
“The Division” franchise by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft is incredibly fun if you ask me. These games are MMORPGs that take place in real locations with a fictional virus that has torn down the society. The first game took us to New York City, while the second took us to Washington, DC, and despite the visual downgrades and stripped-down features in the pre-release material for the first game, I still think these games are incredibly fun to play, especially with a friend or two. The third game in this series won’t be a “Division 3,” but a PvPvE free-to-play title being made by RedStorm Entertainment. “The Division Heartland” will feature a new type of gameplay format for the series and, as the name suggests, will take place in the countryside. Being free-to-play alone means there are a ton of red flags already, but from what they have shown, it looks promising. This game was officially announced nearly two years ago as well, so there’s hope that it’ll be released this year, but we’ll have to wait and see.
My Excitement Rating- 5/10
Dokev
The next three games are being made by the same studio, Pearl Abyss, and have been announced for a while with no release date in sight, so let’s blaze past them really quickly. “Dokev” is an open-world creature-collection game, and it has all my heart. Everything about this game, from its aesthetics to the setting, to the setup, looks unique and interesting, and the song they used in the trailer was just plain awesome! You play as kids in this game with plenty of amazing traversal options available at your disposal, and all the creatures, combat gameplay, and the world we have seen so far just look incredible and vibrant. Of all the three games by Pearl Abyss, I am the most excited for this one, and I hope it comes out super quickly.
My Excitement Rating- 10/10
Plan 8
The second game in the trifecta of Pearl Abyss is “Plan 8.” Another open-world game that is more gritty and is an MMO. The game will allow you to take charge of your character, be overcharged with the powers of an exosuit, and pit yourself against crazy-looking robot-like enemies. The design for everything here is incredibly unique as well, and this game looks incredible, but I am not too excited about it as it’s an MMO, and I would have preferred a single-player story game instead. Either way, the game looks cool, and it’ll be interesting to see how this turns out when it comes out.
My Excitement Rating- 4/10
Crimson Desert
The final game here is “Crimson Desert,” which is a single-player spin-off of their incredibly popular game, “Black Desert.” “Crimson Desert” will tell a full-blown narrative in the same world, and everything here looks incredible, from the visuals to the combat, to the world. The game will be in third-person and will feature a gigantic open world for us to explore, and same as the last two games, we have no idea when this will drop. I get that developers have to build up hype and all, but why do they announce titles so early in development when they don’t have plans to release the game is beyond me. I get it; take your time and make it the best possible experience there is instead of pushing it out the door in a rough state, but the announcement itself can wait until the game is close to being finished, or is it just me? Regardless, I am looking forward to this game, there’s no doubt.
My Excitement Rating- 8/10
Contraband
Finally, we have “Contraband,” and I initially planned not to include a single exclusive on this list, but I just can’t get this game out of my mind ever since it was announced. Being made by Avalanche Studios in partnership with Xbox Game Studios, “Contraband” is a third-person open-world game that will feature co-op, although no other details were given. Avalanche is known for creating giant pen-worlds so that bit is given at this point, I am sure, and the name of the game suggests that it will focus on heists and smuggling but what else? I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer and see what this game has in store for us.
My excitement Rating- is 9/10
There you go, a bunch of games that have been announced but have no release date or window tied to them for the most part. There are a ton more that belong here, as I mentioned in the beginning, with even more games like “The Witcher 4,” “Control 2,” and more, but these haven’t even left the concept stage, so there’s no point in speculating about them so early. Then we also have games like “Alone In The Dark,” multiple “Silent Hill Projects,” “Dragon Age: Dreadwold,” and a ton more, but then again, we’ll talk about them when the time is right. Did I include some of your anticipated games here? Which ones are you looking forward to the most? Personally, I want to see and play all of these, but as long as I get “Max Payne,” I am good. See you at the next one.
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