E3 2023’s cancellation has done absolutely nothing to stem the tide of game publishers and developers wanting to show off their latest exciting works. Whether it’s Ubisoft giving us in-depth looks at the gameplay for some of its upcoming titles or Xbox firing off trailer after trailer, summer 2023 has been a great time for game reveals, surprises, and old favourites making triumphant returns. Here are some of the best game announcements, release dates, and other reveals we got to see as part of this year’s definitely-not-E3 celebration of all things gaming!
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
That’s right: the long-rumoured Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake is finally happening, although it doesn’t appear to have the involvement or blessing of series creator Hideo Kojima. Nevertheless, we’re returning to Big Boss (or Naked Snake) as he undertakes a pivotal mission in the USSR during the height of the Cold War. Unfortunately, we don’t have much in the way of gameplay footage to tell us exactly how this project will look when we’re playing it, but we’re excited nonetheless.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
If you’ve played recent Assassin’s Creed instalments and found them lacking, you’re not alone, and Ubisoft sees you. That’s presumably the logic behind Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which makes a return to the old gameplay style for which the series became famous: parkour, assassinations, and stealth, with no gear system or levelling mechanics in sight. Basim’s adventure through 9th-century Baghdad looks like it’ll be one to check out for the stealth purists (among whom we count ourselves). It’s coming on October 12th for PC and consoles.
Spider-Man 2 gameplay
At last, Sony has revealed some gameplay for Spider-Man 2, and it looks great. You’ll be able to switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales on the fly (get it, because spiders?), and it looks like the combat, exploration, and stealth have all been expanded since both the original game and the Miles Morales standalone expansion. Classic Spider-Man villains Kraven the Hunter and Venom will also be making appearances, so this is sure to be the definitive outing for the webslinger(s).
Sonic Superstars
Sonic the Hedgehog games appear to be one long procession of Sega and Sonic Team trying to figure out where they went wrong. We’re partial to 2022’s Sonic Frontiers, but it didn’t get the best critical reception in the world, which is likely why Sega is returning to side-scrolling action for the upcoming Sonic Superstars. You’ll get to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they sprint through all-new zones (although they’ll look pretty familiar if you’re a series fan).
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Since the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020, there’s been one question on Final Fantasy fans’ minds: how will Square Enix continue the saga? Will they take things in a similarly bonkers direction to Remake, or will they stick more strictly to the original Final Fantasy VII’s narrative? The new Rebirth trailer we got to see sort of answers this question with “yes to both”, and also shows off some frenetic melee combat starring Red XIII, Yuffie, and the rest of the crew. This one launches in early 2024 on PS5.
Persona 3 Reload
Atlus’ decision not to include content from the PS2’s Persona 3 FES in this upcoming remake is kind of bizarre, but hey, at least we get to enjoy this adventure with some of the edges rounded off. Persona 3 can be an unforgiving and cold experience at times, so we’re looking forward to Atlus modernising this cult classic RPG, which arrives on Xbox consoles and PC in early 2024. It’ll also be available on Game Pass, so if you’re a subscriber, you’ll get to play it without paying an extra penny.
Starfield
The Xbox showcase was perfectly fine, but the Starfield Direct presentation afterwards was where the real meat of Xbox’s future lay, if you ask us. Bethesda’s upcoming hard sci-fi RPG looks like exactly what we want: another massive sandbox world in which to get lost. The 30fps lock on Xbox Series X is a bit of a shame, but this is shaping up to be an immersive, involving RPG with plenty to see and do, and hey – who doesn’t love the Adoring Fan?
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Ubisoft’s corporate culture is allegedly pretty reprehensible, but the studio really does know how to put a good gameplay showcase together, and we got to see that philosophy in action with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora at the Ubisoft Forward presentation. While the movies themselves are pretty critically divisive (if massively successful at the box office), this looks to be a breathtakingly beautiful open-world adventure, inspired in equal measure by Far Cry and Horizon Forbidden West. We’ll get to see exactly what it has in store for us in December, when it launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Star Wars Outlaws
Some years after EA made its ill-advised comments about single-player gaming being dead (and then made yet another blunder in this area last year), it looks like the studio has never been more wrong: single-player games are flourishing, and you can see that in the gameplay reveal trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, an open-world action game set in the iconic sci-fi universe. As scoundrel Kay Vess, you will take on galactic crime syndicates and the Empire itself as you search for a new life.
