It’s time to continue out list of most wanted video games of 2023, and we’ve a curious mix for you today. From wildly artistic fighting game adventures, to trips to our neighbouring planet and the return of a popular werewolf detective, they’re all well worth keeping an eye on as next year approaches.
45. Clash: Artifacts of Chaos
PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC | 9th February 2023
One of the first things that will grab your attention with Clash Artifacts of Chaos is the utterly distinctive visual art style. ACE Team has concocted a style that blends painterly effects and graphic novel touches with some of th emost bizarre and imaginative character designs you’ll see. That’s not all it offers, though.
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos is just as intriguing as a game, as Pseudo and The Boy travel the world of Zenozoik – the world last seen in Zeno Clash – facing off against other creatures in hand-to-hand combat with the rules of battle changing depending on a pre-bout dice roll.
We went hands on with Clash: Artifacts of Chaos a few months ago at Gamescom. Catch our preview here.
44. Deliver Us Mars
PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC | 2nd February 2023
Following up on Deliver Us The Moon was always going to be an intriguing challenge, but KeokeN Interactive has taken it in their lower gravity stride. Deliver Us Mars sees Earth’s dire straights hinge upon an even more ambitious space mission, this time revisiting our red neighbour in search of another technology that could save mankind.
This game could easily have stuck to the same structure and form as the original, but KeokeN is pushing things further with fresh rock-climbing mechanics, a broader, layered narrative that features more than just your protagonist and the echoes of the past, and it’s all coming together rather nicely.
We’ve been hands on with Deliver Us Mars a couple of times now, and you can catch our most recent preview here.
43. Blood Bowl 3
PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC | 23rd February 2023
Blood Bowl 3 is pretty much what it says on the tin. This video game adaptation of the Warhammer Fantasy spin on American Football has exactly the same concept as the first two games, but incorporates the 2nd generation rules from the tabletop game that was revived in 2020.
It’s been a fairly long road to get to its 2023 launch with Blood Bowl 3 first revealed in 2020 and originally set for a 2021 release.
In our 2021 preview for Blood Bowl 3, Luke wrote: “Blood Bowl III remains every bit as particular as its predecessor, a lavish yet slavish adaptation of the most recent board game, with the benefit of a fancy new engine that promises new features such as in-depth customisation of characters, which will likely take full advantage of the upgraded graphics.”
42. The Lords of the Fallen
PS5, XSX|S, PC | 2023
I don’t think anyone is particularly clear with The Lords of the Fallen isn’t called Lords of the Fallen 2, but almost nine years on from the 2014 original and with a totally different developer behind it, it probably doesn’t matter at this point. What will matter is that developer Hexworks is able to bring something fresh to the Soulslike genre, where the original was one of those early attempts to latch onto the then fresh new genre.
From the latest trailers, it certainly looks the part.
41. The Wolf Among Us 2
PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC | 2023
There was a time not too long ago where it felt like we’d never see a sequel to one of Telltale’s most beloved narrative adventures, When a game studio goes bankrupt, you tend to fear the worst, but as Telltale rose from the ashes a couple years ago, The Wolf Among Us 2 was rightly one of the first games on the to-do list.
Coming from AdHoc Studio, which was founded by writer Pierre Shorette and game directors Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart, The Wolf Among Us 2 will see Bigby and Snow return to investigate new mysteries together. We’ve seen precious little of the game, outside of the re-announcement and behind the scenes chat, but we’re clearly optimistic and want to see more soon!
That’s our selection for today. What are you most keen to see?
Catch up on the list so far:
