10 Video Games That Might Let Us Down In 2023
“Alone in the Dark” (2023)
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The Alone in the Dark series has had something of a troubled past to say the least. Once one of the benchmark titles for psychological horror before the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the series had a massive dip in quality over subsequent releases that culminated in the failed reboot of the franchise in 2008. We don’t talk about Illumination. However, now thanks to Pieces Interactive, Alone in the Dark is getting a second, second chance to reclaim its rightful place as one of the premiere horror franchises. While what we’ve been shown has promise, the gameplay itself seems sluggish when compared to its contemporaries it’s taking inspiration from. Attempting to modernize this archaic design might hold the title back from its true potential and might not be enough to scare up any new fans.
“The Day Before” (2023)
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Arguably the most anticipated game on Steam, The Day Before was immediately on everyone’s radar after its reveal in early 2021. Since then, the game has faced numerous delays and a change from Unreal Engine 4 to 5 but fans waited patiently as a steady stream of updates were released. Lately, many have been questioning the authenticity of the footage that’s been revealed so far, with many accusing the developer of using “Vertical Slices” for a game clearly not capable of handling this level of detail in what is supposed to be an open world PvP MMO with survival and crafting elements. With the game scheduled to be released in early 2023 but still no beta or even an alpha for players to get their hands on, we’re beginning to get worried this game will under-deliver on their promised ambitions.
“Dead Island 2” (2023)
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The term “development hell” is labeled as such for a reason. Originally announced in 2014 after series creators parkoured onto bigger and badder zombies, Dead Island 2 languished in limbo being passed from one developer to another like a rotting corpse until finally, in 2022, the game was re-revealed with another new studio at the helm. While the game is clearly far from the walking dead, the rotting zombie effects are especially impressive. The likes of Dead Island’s spiritual successor Dying Light, numerous other zombie properties, along with many years of the sequel’s weaning development mean that while many are certainly curious, there might not be enough meat on this title’s bones to help it stand out in the crowded sea of the undead.
“Diablo IV” (2023)
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Diablo IV is a title that has us concerned more about its history rather than its quality. The launch of Diablo III was rocky at the start but eventually became one of the series’ best entries, but the recent backlash surrounding Diablo Immortal is what truly has us treading cautiously. What, you guys don’t have phones? Allow us to explain: Diablo Immortal, while a solid Diablo experience is unfortunately crippled by some of the worst and most egregiously predatory microtransactions in the industry, and that’s saying something. While Blizzard has assured fans that there will only be cosmetic microtransactions in Diablo IV, they said similar things about Immortal and we all know how that turned out. Diablo IV has a lot of potential and is previewing well, we can only hope this trip to hell doesn’t leave us trapped behind a paywall.
“Redfall” (2023)
Arkane is easily one of the most underrated developers working today. Which is why as much as it pains us, we do have some concerns about their latest effort Redfall. Beyond the most recent delay with still no solid release date, this will also be Arkhane’s first title to feature co-op from a studio primarily known for their polished single player experiences. Usually any title that says you can play solo or with friends is clearly designed to be played with friends in mind, but that’s not the case here. While you can play the game co-op, your progress with your party of up to 4 is locked to your party leader’s playthrough, meaning you’ll be starting the story from scratch should you start playing solo. Arkhane also claims this is their largest playground to date which could work against their usual clever and meticulously detailed level design.
“Forspoken” (2023)
So let us get this straight, we're looking at a game, a rather generic looking game, set in a pretty empty open world, oh yeah and we’re being subjected to some truly terrible dialogue, Yikes, not a good look. As if things weren’t already bad enough for Forspoken just based on its bland trailers and gameplay previews, the recent release of a demo for players to finally get their hands on the game didn’t do it any favors either. Utilizing a wildly overcomplicated magic system, characters constantly spouting cringey dialogue, and a world that just feels lifeless, there’s not much to get excited about here beyond the title’s impressive visuals. Understandably this is a demo and things could change, but after numerous delays, our hope is hanging by a thread.
“Skull & Bones” (2023)
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Let us spin ye a yarn about a video game, but not just any video game, no this be a video game about the high seas, some swashbuckling pirates and endless delays. Long thought dead, the crew of Skull & Bones appeared on the horizon one day promising adventure the likes of which had never been seen. Upgradeable ships, endless customization options, and the chance to build up your own pirate crew. Well, all sounded too good to be true and looking upon them with a closer eye, these here pirates be lifeless, devoid of adventure. Just as they were about to make port, they changed course once again, promising to return again the next year. We know not when we will see these lost souls again or if they sailed too close to the horizon and ended up in Davy Jones’ locker.
“Hogwarts Legacy” (2023)
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Recent controversies aside, there’s still numerous reasons to be worried about our latest trip to Hogwarts Castle for our next class. Much like the recent Fantastic Beasts franchise, this might be a case of too little too late with much of the fanbase that grew up with the original Harry Potter films and novels moving on, with little interest revisiting the Wizarding World. The numerous delays the title has experienced are also giving many players pause. In Hogwarts Legacy, not only can you attend classes, choose your house, go on adventures and learn powerful spells, you can also build a small homestead which you can completely customize, all the while exploring the grounds and surrounding areas of Hogwarts Castle. This all sounds amazing, but it could also easily buckle under its own ambitions.
“Horizon Call of the Mountain” (2023)
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Before we even begin, we admit we love the Horizon series, but what makes those titles so engaging is the free flow combat and massive world we’re set loose in. It’s also these reasons why we’re so concerned about Call of the Mountain. What we’ve seen so far is very technically impressive, and the title looks to be taking full advantage of Sony’s new PSVR2, but we’ve also seen very little real gameplay to know exactly how much freedom we’ll have while playing. The snippets we have seen suggest that combat will be more linear than the exploration side of the game, with Reyes only being able to dodge side to side and locked to a track while the machine remains in the center of the arena. We’re always excited for any new Horizon content but VR might not be the best medium to answer the call of the mountain.
“Starfield” (2023)
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The fact that Starfield even exists is in itself a big deal. Todd Howard has been talking about its potential non-stop, and based on what we’ve seen, the prospects of “Skyrim in space” is quite exciting. Once we look a little deeper however, the project's ambitions may end up getting the better of it. Built on the wildly outdated and unpredictable Creation Engine, the title already looks dated before it even hits the market, and given Bethesda’s track record with releases like Fallout 76, we can’t imagine the title will be running smoothly right out of the gate. Todd Howard has also promised over 100-star systems with over 1000 planets to explore, but will there be engaging content on all these planets or are they randomly generated a la No Man’s Sky? We still have much to learn before release, but Starfield’s greed could easily leave it lost amongst the vacuum of space.
