At a time when pretty much all we hear in the economic news is that inflation’s high and recession is just around the corner, there are some sectors that seem to be cruising along just fine. Take the global gaming industry. In 2022 it was worth a mind-blowing US$237.5 billion. Plus, according to business analysts PwC, it’s set to continue growing well into the future.
So, this really is looking like a golden age for the games developers, as well as for the gamers themselves. You only have to look forward to the rest of 2023 to see all sorts of great titles being released – and here are just six of them.
Like a Dragon
The very first of the franchise, Like a Dragon: Ishin! hit the screens back in 2014. Since then, the franchise has captured the imagination of gamers all round the world. Its latest manifestation is a compelling blend of action and Japanese history being set in the Late Edo period of the mid-19th century. You are Sakamoto Ryoma and the objective is to hunt down the identity of the person, or people, responsible for the killing of your mentor. In doing this, you need to join the Shinsengumi gang and seek out your quarry on the perilous streets of Kyoto.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set to receive a follow-up game, due for release in the Spring. Not a great deal of information has been released in advance but what we do know is that it will focus on the continuing trials and quests of Jedi knight Cal Kestis. This is set to be a major test for Kestis following on from the previous game’s Order 66 commanding the killing of all Jedi. Fortunately, his armoury has been bolstered with a blaster and lightsabre combination along with many new powers. But will it be enough to counter all the forces that are against him?
Big Bass Bonanza
A battle of a very different kind confronts you when you start to play this fun new slot brought to you by developers Pragmatic Play. Big Bass Bonanza is available on leading online casino sites like Virgin Games and it’s a must if fishing’s your thing. It’s a fairly standard 5 reel, 3 row slot which offers ten different ways to win. As you’d expect, the reels are teaming with symbols like Billy Bignouth himself along with that familiar waterside creature, the dragonfly, as well floats and other angling paraphenalia. The game has several special features including free spins and a multiplier that can generate a ten-fold increase on your win.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Anticipation was high that the latest offering from DC would be with us in 2022. However, you can get over the disappointment that it wasn’t with its projected arrival this year. The aim of the game is to overcome Brainiac who has taken control of various superheroes including The Flash, Wonder Woman and Superman. In your quest to save the world you can choose to be a number of different characters including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark. The game is set to make extensive use of AI in controlling secondary characters so it’s going to be very interesting to see just how they measure up to other NPCs.
Starfield
Here’s another game slated for release last year but held over to 2023. It’s believed that developers Bethesda felt it was such an important game that it needed to be better than perfect when it is eventually released, hopefully in late summer.
When it is, you will find yourself in the Settled Systems about two decades after the conclusion of the Colony War against the Freestar Collective. This means the action will be taking place in a time of relative intergalactic calm – all the better for pondering some of the mysteries of the universe which are also set to be part of the game.
Diablo IV
Last, but by no means least, we have the long-awaited next instalment of the Diablo story. The enemy in this iteration is the rejuvenated Lilith. To go into combat, you will be able to choose whether to be a barbarian, sorceress, druid, necromancer or rogue – so all of the bases are pretty much covered. More than ever before, the visual style of the game is set to be truly cinematic to accentuate a greater open world design than in previous versions. With new gameplay features too, it promises to be more than worth the wait.
With all these and more to look forward over the coming months, 2023 is set to be a bumper year for new releases – and we’ve not even touched on the all-new Spiderman and Avatar games.
So whatever’s in your diary right now, maybe it’s time to do a little rescheduling!
