We’re halfway through 2023, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the best years ever for video games. Blockbuster releases like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and Resident Evil 4 Remake have sold tens of millions of copies. It turns out, though, that we’re just getting started. 2023’s Summer Game Fest, hosted by The Game Awards, shows us what we can expect from the rest of the year and beyond.
Summer Game Fest 2023 looks to fill the gap left by canceling the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). In years past, the event, taking place in Los Angeles, California, was referred to by fans as “Christmastime for gamers.” We’d learn about the latest and greatest in upcoming games from Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and other big name publishers and developers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, E3 hasn’t taken place and was officially canceled earlier this year.
Still, the show must go on, and host Geoff Keighley is here to run down the year’s biggest announcements.
The Long-Awaited Return Fabled Franchises
Ubisoft kicks off the reals with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, coming January 18th, 2024. It promises to bring a “modern take” on the legendary gaming franchise. Meanwhile, The Sands of Time, a classic entry in the franchise, still has its remake in a troubled development cycle. Lead studio Ubisoft Montepellier says the game is inspired by popular Metroidvania games such as Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Prince of Persia is the only long-time franchise returning. Weeks after its reveal, Mortal Kombat 1 gets a gameplay trailer and demonstration. Releasing September 19th, we get our first look at the game’s combat, including the new Kameo feature, allowing characters to assist you in the middle of the fight. We also see a brief glimpse of some of the game’s fabled Fatalities.
Following the demonstration, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon takes to the stage. He confirms this game is a soft reboot for the series, opening a new narrative timeline and in-game universe. The characters will also have new stories, including former enemies now allied together. While a full roster isn’t available, Boon mentioned that some Kameo fighters would also be playable fighters.
Sonic Superstars, a new 2.5D side-scrolling platformer in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, is coming in Fall 2023. It teases traditional Sonic gameplay alongside cooperative adventures.
The Biggest Games Of The Second Half of 2023
The highly anticipated Souls-like Lies of P gets a new trailer and a release date: September 19th. The game will be available for PlayStation, Xbox, including Game Pass, and PC. It is heavily inspired by FromSoftware’s Dark Souls franchise. Lies of P features challenging combat, gothic-inspired environments, and a story loosely based on Pinocchio.
Sam Lake, Creative Director at Remedy Entertainment, comes on the stage to reveal the anticipated gameplay premiere of Alan Wake II. Lake confirms that this is a survival horror game featuring two playable characters. While the game is a sequel, Alan Wake II is a standalone experience; you don’t need to play the original to understand what’s happening.
The gameplay demo reinforces the survival horror aspect, with the player having limited resources to deal with horror-inspired threats. While the demo is brief, we see a mix of supernatural elements with traditional survival horror gameplay.
Prominent Media Creators Are Coming To The World of Video Games
Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z, also reveals his upcoming game. Featuring his distinctive art style, Sand Land is powered by the new game engine, Unreal Engine 5. Beyond that, no further details were available besides asking fans to “stay tuned.” It will be available for PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam.
Toriyama isn’t the only visionary creator with his name attached to a game reveal: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando saw a world premiere trailer. The game offers glimpses of cooperative zombie shooting action.
New Details From Recently Announced Games
Following the gameplay reveal at the most recent Sony State of Play, we get new details for Marvel Spider-Man 2. For example, Venom is shown in the game but won’t be Eddie Brock’s Venom. Beyond that, developer Insomniac Games is keeping quiet about story details. We do get a release date for the game: October 20th, 2023, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
Immortals of Aveum, another reveal from the State of Play, gets an extended showcase with new details. Geoff Keighley mentions the game feels like “DOOM with magic,” and it features a high production value, particularly with its voice cast. The gameplay reveal takes place during one of the more pivotal moments. After being ambushed by an enemy attack, the player character fights back. Sequences feature a mix of combat with over-the-top magical powers and firepower, but we’re only treated to select clips rather than an extended live demonstration.
And One More Thing…
At the show’s end, the long-awaited reveal of the next chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake makes its debut.
Following its release in 2020, fans had many questions concerning the game’s ending that seemingly changed the events from the original Final Fantasy VII. While those questions will likely remain unanswered until the game releases, we’re treated to an extended gameplay trailer that showcases what’s next in the remake of the famed JRPG.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 in Early 2024. Physical copies will require two discs.
