Gamers worldwide recently witnessed the culmination of The Game Awards 2023 (if you were in the appropriate time zone, that is). Traditionally, it plays host to new game announcements and reveals along with the accolades.
Before we get into it, congratulations are in order. Baldur’s Gate 3 dominated The Game Awards in a stunning display of prowess. It secured an impressive six wins, including the coveted Game of the Year title. The developers behind this triumph, Larian Studios, led by founder Swen Vincke, left an indelible mark on the gaming world.
Hosted by Geoff Keighley and his team, this year’s instalment saw a few major announcements from various developers. Here’s a roundup of the standout moments from the night.
New games at The Game Awards 2023
Marvel’s Blade
Marvel’s Blade stole the spotlight, made by Arkane Lyon, the people behind Deathloop and the Dishonored series. The teaser, featuring Blade in a barber’s chair, hinted at an intense experience. The absence of a release window only increased the anticipation… so we’re checking Twitter every 10 minutes now, thank you.
Exodus
Archetype Entertainment, a studio comprising former BioWare developers, unveiled Exodus, a sci-fi RPG with time-dilation mechanics. The debut trailer introduced players to The Traveler, the main character, promising a gripping narrative woven with temporal intricacies.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom has announced Monster Hunter Wilds, the next entry in the action series. While the trailer revealed very little, the name suggests the game could feature much larger areas than previous entries. In the trailer, a hunter rides an ostrich-like creature through a large desert, weaving between some smaller monsters. No large monsters were shown, but the trailer does end on top of the cliff, overlooking a massive area.
A few new entries
The show featured some news from Hello Games, Motion Twin, and Finji, unveiling their next games.
Inscryption creator Daniel Mullins revealed Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, offering a… unique mix of first-person open-world gameplay and a 2D game-within-a-game. Color Gray announced The Rise Of The Golden Idol, a follow-up to The Curse Of The Golden Idol.
We saw several indie titles announced this year. Usual June from Finji, Harmonium The Musical from The Odd Gentlemen, and Windblown from Motion Twin were some of the entries which varied from artistic adventures to cooperative multiplayers.
Highlights from other developers
Dredge x Dave The Diver: An unexpected crossover between the horror fishing game Dredge and Dave The Diver, arriving on 15 December.
Big Walk: A co-op multiplayer from House House, the creators of Untitled Goose Game, scheduled for release in 2025.
No Rest For The Wicked: Moon Studios, known for the Ori franchise, teased an action RPG with single-player and four-player online co-op modes, with more details to be unveiled on 1 March 2024.
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero: A new Dragon Ball game featuring arena combat in the Budokai Tenkaichi style, set to release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
The Casting Of Frank Stone: A single-player narrative horror game set in the Dead By Daylight universe, revealed to be in collaboration between Behaviour Interactive and Supermassive Games, slated for a 2024 release.
OD (Overdose): A mysterious collaboration between Hideo Kojima, Xbox, and Jordan Peele. It’s mysterious and… Kojima-ey. We’ll have to wait for more details.
Fortnite Rocket Racing: Psyonix and Epic Games introduced a new Rocket Racing mode in Fortnite, launching on December 8.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Updates and collaboration announcements for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, including new footage and an upcoming Apex Legends collaboration.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau: Surgent Studios presented a Metroidvania-style action-platformer as part of the EA Originals program, set to launch on 23 April.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC: Square Enix announced two story expansions – Echoes Of The Fallen and The Rising Tide – for Final Fantasy XVI.
Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox: Baldur’s Gate 3 stealthily released on Xbox Series X|S, coinciding with its Game of the Year win.