Well, 2022 is well and truly done and dusted and we have yet another 12 months of speculation ahead of us. There is no denying that the games industry has suffered as a whole over the past couple of years with COVID-19 beating the crap out of the world. It has led to development teams having to work remotely in the midst of a pandemic alongside component shortages to build current-generation consoles. With the gaming world kicking on though, will 2023 be a year to remember for gamers?
Xbox Needs To Push On In 2023!
What does 2023 mean for Xbox then? Personally, I feel it is the year when the Xbox Series X|S and its upcoming roster of games need to come out of first gear. There has been a distinct lack of first-party titles on the platform for a number of years and whilst I have still had a ridiculous amount of games to play, the shortage of exclusives doesn’t wash with everyone else. Patience is a virtue is a saying that is in my mindset as a gamer and I am a great believer of don’t bring something out until it’s ready.
The Games Are Coming!
The issue for many though is when are these projects such as Redfall, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport actually coming. Just looking through community posts on Twitter and listening to various podcasts indicates that people are gagging for new IPs and something exclusive to play. Xbox Game Pass has been the rock that has held things together and propped up a promising future for the platform, but this can only take them so far in my opinion.
Activision Blizzard Has Dominated Headlines
I am going to keep this section brief as the Activision Blizzard acquisition has been the main talking point ever since Microsoft announced its intentions to purchase the company. Whilst I don’t really know the logistical implications wholly, it is clear that there are hoops that this has to go through and a legal battle. There are arguments for and against the consumer and what this will all mean for gamers. Phil Spencer has made it clear that the behemoth of video games will remain multi-platform on a similar stance that the Minecraft franchise has become and yes I am talking about Call Of Duty.
What will be will be and Microsoft taking Activision Blizzard can only be a good thing after the tarnished history of the company. Being able to unionize and develop a much nicer working environment for the wealth of talented staff and bring equality and diversity to the forefront is almost more important than the games themselves. It goes much deeper than just bringing fantastic games to Xbox.
Dashboard & DVR Improvements
Before I move on to the games that should arrive in 2023, there are a few niggling issues that I feel need to be addressed as soon as possible. One feature I have seen called out for on many occasions is a refresh of the dashboard. From my personal perspective, the dashboard isn’t the be-all and end-all, but fans are calling out for 4K improvements and background refinements. Whilst there are several stunning backdrops to select from, you can’t see the majority due to the tiles and features blocking out almost everything behind them.
Game DVR has been a long-standing problem for several years and capturing video and sharing this footage has been a little bit of a bugbear. We have seen significant improvements at the tail end of 2022 but is it enough? After recently purchasing a Playstation 5 and comparing the two, Sony is leaps ahead with the ability to fine-tune game captures, stream directly to your own Youtube channel, and more. Until recently my footage would corrupt every time and not allow me to upload to socials. Xbox needs to do more here.
Age Of Empires II: Definitive Edition Comes To Xbox Consoles
As a real-time strategy fan and pining for a return of Age Of Empires to console, I was ecstatic when I heard the news that Age Of Empires II and IV would come to Xbox. It had been rumored for a couple of years and I can imagine porting a game with controller functionality hasn’t been an easy feat. The RTS genre has been lacking on consoles for many years and I am glad to see that more are making their way over. Halo Wars 2 was the last decent title I can remember in the genre and this was almost six years ago, so hats off to Xbox for listening to fans and getting Age Of Empires to more eyes. The game arrives on January 31st 2o23.
Forza Motorsport Expected To Arrive In 2023
October 2017 was, the last time we saw a Forza Motorsport title and after some outstanding work from Playground Games with the Horizon series, some would love a return of the circuit racer. You may think I am biased but the Forza franchise is literally the best in class when it comes to the racing genre. We can only imagine the level of detail that we can expect from the next one which is penned in for some time in 2023. After an impressive showcase at E3 in June last year, we can’t be far off now and there is no doubt it will deliver. 5 years of developing and designing true-to-life realism and solid gameplay will bring a polished product I am sure. I’d expect this to arrive in the first quarter of the year.
Redfall Is Coming!
Redfall has been spoken about in some detail in recent months and I’d imagine this will be the first big exclusive to drop in 2023. Whilst there are some rumors of internal setbacks of around 6 weeks, this has yet to be officially confirmed. I’d imagine the targeted launch of this one will be sometime in the first quarter to half of the year. The open-world co-op title will assuredly be a great spectacle when it lands on Xbox Game Pass at launch although there is some indication that pre-orders may grant early access a few days early.
Starfield Is Looming
Starfield seems to be the one that everyone is raving about and rightly so. After an impressive guided look through the fundamentals of the game from Todd Howard, it appears that this will be the year. Whilst we are anticipating this in the first half of 2023, there is no concrete release date as yet. Does the space exploration Fallout-style experience tickle your fancy? My prediction is that we will see the game this year, but perhaps not until later down the line.
Stalker 2 Slated For This Year
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart Of Chernobyl is a project many have a soft spot for now. This is partly due to what the development team has had to endure in 2022. With the majority of the team being based in Ukraine and the invasion by Russia, this put a huge spanner in the works for the project. Obviously, the game had to be delayed whilst a chunk of the team relocated to a new base in Europe. Sadly a proportion of the male side of the group is still dedicated to fighting for their beautiful country. We recently had an update on the game and whilst there isn’t a release date confirmed, it is scheduled for 2023.
On behalf of the Complete Xbox team, I would like to wish every member of GSC Game World and their families all the very best. We hope for an end to the mindless conflict and would like to offer condolences to those who have lost their lives including former GSC team member Vladimir Yezhov who sadly passed away as a member of the Ukrainian Army and worked on the original Stalker game.
Minecraft Legends
Minecraft continues to push on and be one of the most popular games in the world. After the success of Minecraft Dungeons, we have another spin-off with Legends coming this year. Marketed as an open-world action strategy game, we will see the universe in a new light and scratch a new itch for fans of the franchise. It’s clear that Xbox needs more titles targeted at younger audiences and this is one notch on the child and family-friendly post. During the Minecraft Live event in 2022, we had an update to say that we would see this in Spring 2023.
More To Come & Unannounced Projects
There are several games on the way that we need more clarity and information on and I believe we will see this soon. Titles such as Perfect Dark, Avowed, Everwild, State Of Decay 3, and more are all in the works but it is unclear what will sneak into 2023. I’d imagine a lot of the above-mentioned are penned in for 2024-25. I’d hazard a guess that Hellblade 2 may sneak a winter release considering we haven’t seen much since 2021 and 18 months have passed since we last saw proper footage.
Patience Is A Virtue…Again
As I said earlier, patience is a virtue. Sadly Xbox is in a little bit of a limbo situation and they can’t do right for doing wrong. It is clear that the platform needs the triple-A exclusive bangers, but timing is also key. It is important that anything that is released is in tip-top condition. Gamers are sick to death of unfinished products, missing features, and more. Halo Infinite had a solid multiplayer launch, but it quickly became apparent that as a package, it was incomplete. Xbox Game Studios and anyone launching exclusively to the platform need to get things right and provide clarity and transparency if any mistakes occur.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
It is apparent that Xbox Cloud Gaming is one of the features at the forefront of the future of the brand. Since Project Xcloud there have been significant improvements to the service. Being able to carry your Xbox Game Pass library anywhere you go is nothing short of incredible. The team needs to continue to roll this out to more countries across the globe along with the successful Microsoft Rewards program. Latency and connectivity need to continue to be a priority to deliver a consistent and quality service.
Google Stadia Did It Better
Say what you like about Google Stadia and its failure but one thing it did get right is the overall presentation. 99% of my time with Stadia felt exactly like I was playing a game downloaded to a device, even on a stable connection outside of the home. I am sure this is something team Xbox is looking to strive towards and whilst Xbox Cloud Gaming is functional on a mobile phone, more improvement is needed.
Final Thoughts
Can 2023 be one of the best years on record for Xbox? Time can only tell and aside from the games I have mentioned, anything else is a bonus. Alongside the exclusive titles, there is an array of third-party games coming to fruition, and plenty has already been announced for Xbox Game Pass. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Lies Of P, Atomic Heart, and many more show that there is an enormous amount ready to fill the gaps. This year is an opportunity to utilize the current generation’s power and portray a promising and prosperous future and I genuinely feel they will. Whatever you decide to play in the next 12 months, we at Complete Xbox wish you all a very happy gaming experience for 2023.