The Game Awards 2023 was a huge success and lived up to the hype. The audience was completely taken aback by the number of announcements and the winners of various awards. There are some pretty exciting projects to look forward to in the coming years of gaming. That is what we are going to discuss in this piece.
We will take a look at all the best announcements made in The Game Awards 2023. Without further ado, let us dive right into it.
Contents
- Top 10 Best Announcements Made in The Game Awards 2023
- 10. Prince of Persia The Lost Crown
- 9. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- 8. Metaphor Re Fantazio
- 7. Hideo Kojima’s OD
- 6. Black Myth Wukong
- 5. Marvel’s Blade
- 4. The Finals
- 3. Exodus: World Premiere
- 2. God of War: Ragnarok Valhalla: Free DLC
- 1. Dragon Ball Sparking Zero
Top 10 Best Announcements The Game Awards 2023 showcased
Now, we know there were tons of announcements and we won’t be able to cover all of them. That is why, we want to mention Persona 3 Reload, Suicide Squad: Death to The Justice League, and the Fallout TV Show. These are projects that a lot of fans are excited about in addition to the myriad of projects that we missed.
However, these upcoming ten mentions in The Game Awards 2023 stood out the most to us and we are going to cover everything we expect out of these projects in this piece. We will also cover everything we know about these titles and the background of the studios who are making them.
10. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
It has been a while since we have gotten a comprehensive Prince of Persia game. The Sands of Time was in the process of receiving a remake but it has been delayed indefinitely. However, Prince of Persia fans don’t have to lose hope as the franchise returns to its roots and goes full-on platformer. In The Game Awards, we received a story trailer for the same with a new protagonist.
This time, we are not playing as the Prince but instead as a warrior part of a clan called The Immortals. Said warrior is named Sargon who has special abilities of his own. He is tasked to rescue Prince Ghassan who is kidnapped and kept in the cursed city of Mount Qaf. The game set in a 2.5D environment looks like a blast to play.
Sargon’s abilities and the twin blade style resemble that of the Prince in the previous games. Running on walls, jumping, dashing, and doing other acrobatics is seen in the trailer alongside a myriad of colorful characters. We also get a glimpse of The Immortals’ abilities and the variety of foes we will encounter in this game. With the trailer, we also have a concrete release date for the game.
The game will release on 18th January 2024 kicking off the year in style. It will be available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. There is also a pre-order bonus rewarding the players with the Warrior Within outfit for Sargon. Also, the free demo for the game will be available on 11th January, a week before release.
9. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Hellblade is one of the most beautiful franchises that is also an Xbox and PC exclusive. Xbox has not seen an exclusive quite like this since Sunset Overdrive and Hi-Fi Rush. Ninja Theory pours all of their love into this passion project that is made to show people the effects of psychosis. However, that does not become Senua’s weakness as she moves onto another adventure after knowing that she cannot rescue her husband from Helheim.
Ninja Theory has been working really hard by building real costumes and scanning them into the game engine so that the realism is reflected onto the game’s screen. Senua has progressed a lot from what we saw in the first game, from fighting her demons to conquering them, she is ready for another bout against her enemies.
For those who don’t know, Hellblade is played from a third-person perspective and is an adventure hack and slash-that focuses vastly on story-telling with certain horror elements.
In the trailer above, we see some footage of the gameplay combined with a narrative setup setting up the standard of the second game. Aside from the trailer and the gameplay, we also got the confirmation that this game will release in 2024 but we do not have a concrete date as of yet. It will be available for the Xbox Series X|S and the PC.
8. Metaphor Re Fantazio
From the creators of Persona games, comes a title that we are very excited to get our hands on. Metaphor Re Fantazio according to the trailers is an epic fantasy set in a fictional world. It has gameplay that is a blend of the original Persona games and Persona 5 Strikers. It looks like it uses the same engine as the other Persona games.
The game is supposedly a role-playing adventure game with a new protagonist that looks quite similar to the male MC in Persona 3, Makoto Yuki. The abilities of the main character are set to be seen as the gameplay shows the MC using multiple spell-like and melee attacks on the enemies. We do not have any exclusive details on the plot but it looks like the game’s Kingdom has lost its ruler and there will be a tournament to crown a new heir.
The gameplay trailer also shows the timeline for which the game will come out. The game is set to release in Fall 2024. It will be available for the Xbox Series X|S and PC but we do not have any concrete idea about the other consoles they weren’t mentioned in the trailer. Atlus is bound to have its hands full with multiple games as Persona 3 Reload also releases next year.
Metaphor Re Fantazio is sure to be one of the most awaited titles developed by Atlus even though it looks like Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers glued together. We cannot wait to see how creative Atlus gets.
7. Hideo Kojima’s OD
Hideo Kojima has made a name for himself quite recently. That is not only due to his legendary X (Twitter) Feed but also because he is one of the best game directors we have seen in recent times. For the people who feel like his name is familiar, he is the Director of Death Stranding which is one of the best games of the decade.
That being said, we have no idea about the game since the trailer was vague but artistically horrifying. It contained actors who have been in the eyes of the public due to their talent including Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier. Towards the end of the trailer, the prompt reads, “For all Players and Screamers” which leads us to believe that this will be a horror game.
Not to mention, Hideo Kojima is collaborating with Jordan Peele who is a very well-known creative mind. He also quite recently transitioned over to psychological horror. We also know that the game is being made using Unreal Engine and Metahuman which guarantees unbelievably accurate facial expressions as we see in the trailer. Any other details about the game’s release, plot, and gameplay are a shot in the dark at best.
This is one of the best examples of a video game reveal done right. It featured known names, a good tease about its concept, and no plot points which increases the excitement factor for the audience. As time goes on we will know what plans Kojima Productions has for OD, one of the dark horses of The Game Awards 2023.
6. Black Myth Wukong
Black Myth Wukong is a strong contender for Game of the Year 2024 judging by the first look. It is described as a souls-like title resembling Lies of P, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and more. Judging by the reception of all of these games and the graphical display of Wukong, this game is sure to be a huge success.
The game is based on the 16th Century Classical Chinese novel titled “Journey to the West.” It is one of the most beautiful pieces of literature and converting it into a game is an ingenious idea, just like it was making Lies of P into something new. If that is an indication, then the future of this game is in good hands.
In terms of gameplay, we saw the main character who is based on Sun Wukong, flying around with weapons combatting enemies and fighting bosses. Speaking of boss fights, they look good. The design of the bosses is creative and as far as we can tell. All of them have unique abilities that will make it difficult for the Destined One to progress on his journey.
The scale is comparable to God of War and the character design is out of this world. The studio is utilizing the capability of the newer generation consoles to make this game the best it can be graphic and performance-wise. We also have a concrete announcement date for the game which is 20th August, 2024.
The game will be released for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The game is made using Unreal Engine 5 by Game Science which is a Chinese Developer.
5. Marvel’s Blade
We haven’t seen Blade in mainstream media for a year and The Game Awards 2023 delivered it this year. The last time Marvel fans got to see him was in Firaxis’ Midnight Suns. That adaptation hit the nail on the head. Blade was super-likeable in the game and you could make friends with the Daywalker. However, we haven’t gotten a single Blade game in 20+ years let alone a AAA game made by a well-known developer.
The surprise comes from the fact that the game will be developed by Arkane Studios. They are most prominently known for making the Dishonored Series and up until The Game Awards, fans were expecting a third Dishonored Game. However, Arkane and Bethesda surprised everyone by unveiling Blade who is going to join Wolverine in the list of Marvel IPs who are getting a game.
We have little to no detail about the game except the fact that the game is going to be set in a quarantined area of Paris which has a “supernatural emergency.” Arkane Lyon has begun the development of the game and will soon have more information for us as time goes on. As for the release date, we suspect it will be in 2025 or 2026 latest. However, delays in games are a common thing and it could be a thing here as well.
4. The Finals
This is the dark horse of all the FPS games out there right now. The people who played the beta thought of it as a breath of fresh air, which is exactly what it is. Taking a step away from all the Valorants and CS 2s, The Finals is in a league of its own. It is an FPS in a dystopian world where the player competes in a tournament filled with varying objectives.
This tournament is televised to a crowd and the winner is decided by objective and not the amount of kills one has. The Finals has three pre-set body types. These body types have weapons exclusive to them. While the big bodies have heavy weapons like Hammers and LMGs, smaller ones have SMGs. The people in the beta had a grand old time in this game and we were one of them.
The Finals borrows from FPS franchises and is a fresh concept. This concept is the reason why it shines through. It dares to not take itself seriously. Not to mention, the maps are heavily interactive and are custom-made for the tournament. Three to four teams consisting of three players compete against one another to achieve the objectives of the game mode.
The Finals is out now for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. It is currently Season 1 and we cannot wait for more content for this game. It has proven to be a ton of fun in a pool of other franchises that take itself too seriously.
3. Exodus: World Premiere
Matthew McConaughey stars in Exodus, a sci-fi game that caught everyone by surprise in The Game Awards 2023. It is going to be one for the ages where small choices have big consequences displaying the butterfly effect. The antagonists of the story are an alien race with superpowers. They are called The Immortals. They are going to be a force for the main character to deal with.
Exodus follows a growing trend of having Hollywood actors act in video games. It started with Elliot Page and Norman Reedus in Beyond Two Souls and Death Stranding respectively. Quite recently, we got Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba in Cyberpunk 2077. Matthew McConaughey follows in the footsteps of his fellow Hollywood stars and aims to vow audiences with his performance.
Not much is known about this game except some things we can identify from the trailer. In it, we see the main character sacrificing himself so that his beloved can escape from the grasp of The Immortals. Exodus is going to be a sci-fi game, it seems that it borrows quite heavily from Starfield.
The game has lots of elements borrowed from Mass Effect which has been an award-winning franchise. The game has been created specifically for sci-fi fans in collaboration with sci-fi authors. There is no concrete release date for the game. It is under development and we also know that it will release for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. We will keep you updated on any news we can find on this game.
2. God of War: Ragnarok Valhalla: Free DLC
This one is a free DLC that a lot of players are excited about. God of War Ragnarok is one of the best games to come out in recent times and a worthy sequel to the first God of War that follows the North mythology. Now that Atreus has started his journey as Loki, we suspect that the series will follow him. However, Kratos’ journey isn’t over yet as this DLC is a deep dive into his psyche as a warrior.
The DLC will take place after Atreus’s departure once Kratos enters the gates of the trials, there won’t be anyone accompanying him except Mimir. This is a gift for fans by Santa Monica for their love and support for the game and the franchise. According to the PlayStation blog, it is “something different from anything we have done before in God of War history.”
Hearing this makes us excited for what’s to come. In addition, we believe this is the appropriate send-off for Kratos should this be his final appearance. Valhalla is sort of like a challenge where if you die, you can always respawn outside the doors and try again. This will challenge God of War players as they will have to choose wisely what they want during each battle.
Upon entering, Kratos will have to “cast aside” his armor and equipment. Players will keep their skill tree progress. As players progress, they will get the opportunity to get perks, Runic Attacks, and stat upgrades. This is a free DLC for everyone who owns God of War Ragnarok and it comes out on December 12, 2023.
1. Dragon Ball Sparking Zero
Dragon Ball Z fans rejoice! The Game Awards 2023 unveiled this game that takes the Budokai Tenkaichi model to a whole new level. And it became one of the best announcements in the whole award ceremony. We are sure that it will have an extensive roster as well. As much as we have seen, the gameplay looks fluid and the characters look good. The Budokai Tenkaichi series is the greatest Dragon Ball Z game series of all time and Sparking Zero is heading in the right direction copying from the best.
The game will have signature environmental changes seen in the original Tenkaichi games in addition to various signature abilities, transformations, and even Dragon Ball Super characters. The game is set in a 3D environment like the original Tenkaichi games and we are sure to be there for it on day one of release. As far as release dates are concerned, there is not much information.
However, we do know that the game will release for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 along with the PC. The last few Dragon Ball games have been good, but borrowing from one of the most beloved titles and using it as a stepping stone to make a new game is the best idea Bandai Namco could have for the franchise.
Therefore, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is following the path to success because it blueprints one of the best media pieces for the Dragon Ball franchise.
