My 25 Most Anticipated Games

Yes, 25 is a lot. I know.

"25!? Cade, that's way too many." Listen, dear Reader. I tried. I tried my best, but you have to believe me when I tell you that this is my condensed list. This is my list that I ached over and revised and ached over a second time after the news-filled extravaganza that was the month of June. Now that the ocean of showcases has dried up, (and some of those were real stinkers — looking at you, PC Gaming Show, Devolver Digital Showcase, and Future Games Show) I've compiled the list of games that I personally am most looking forward to. These are listed in order of how much I am excited for them, because I think that is fun to do. However, please feel free to comment below what ones look interesting to you, what ones you'd like to know more about, or what ones I didn't include and how I'm a total fool for not doing so. Enough intro! Let's lookatem!

(Links to each game's website are attached to the developer names, and trailers for each game are linked within each rambly paragraph)

25. Townseek — Whales And Games

My goodness this game looks adorable and fun! I'm not sure why, but there's something in my brain that longs for the romanticized idea of traveling from town to town and peddling my various wares. Townseek is an indie project that seems like it will be scratching that specific trading itch with an enormous amount of bright, whimsical, and lovingly detailed art to boot!

Coming to PC via Steam in Early 2024 — News on Console Releases Pending

24. Witchfire — The Astronauts

I can't believe that it's been more than four years since the original reveal of Witchfire. Yet, no matter how long it takes for news about the game to arrive I'm always excited to see more. Blasting skeletons with magic and boomsticks in a grimdark fantasy setting? This is the exact type of contextual refresher that the first-person shooting genre needs. The only reason this game isn't higher on my list is that it's upcoming release on September 20, 2023 is an Early Access build that will live exclusively on PC. When the full game arrives on consoles, I'm going to eat this game up.

Coming to PC via Epic Games Store on September 20, 2023 — News on Console Releases Pending

23. Beastieball — Wishes Unlimited

For those that aren't aware, Wishes Unlimited is a studio that the world should be paying very close attention to. Creators of Chicory: A Colorful Tale and the ultra, mega, super-duper, fantastic Wandersong, this is a studio that is going places. Having played the demo for Beastieball myself, I'm sure this will be another delightful addition to the studio's portfolio. Why so high up on my list then? Well, the humor, heart, and delight of Wishes Unlimited is on full display, but I'm not entirely sold on the volleyball-inspired combat quite yet. There's simply too much going on to really get a strong grasp of it in a brief demo. Said demo certainly did enough to make me want to dive into the full game when it arrives, but it remains to be seen if there's enough meat in the gameplay to last throughout the experience. Yes, I'm being pessimistic toward a studio that created one of my favorite games of all time. It's why I'm a critic.

Coming to PC via Steam in 2024 — News on Console Releases Pending

22. GO MECHA BALL — Whale Peak Games

This is how you announce a video game. The reveal trailer for GO MECHA BALL was shown during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended, and it immediately caught my attention. The trailer perfectly shows off what we can expect from the game. A fast-paced twin-stick shooter with clear, readable action and a delightful way of moving around the map. The transitions between walking around and morphing into a super agile bouncy ball are beautifully done and ultra snappy. The folks at Whale Peak Games understand something that I think too many developers in this genre don't: you've gotta make traversal fun. The traversal in GO MECHA BALL looks ridiculously fun.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & PC via Steam in 2024 — Available with Xbox Game Pass

21. Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Nintendo

Mario has a new side-scrolling adventure on the way! I, for one, am hoping that it'll be a significant improvement over the New Super Mario Bros. series of titles, but everything shown off in the reveal trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder is definitely putting my mind at ease. It's also making me super excited. I mean, come on! There's an elephant powerup! You can be an elephant! The biggest selling point for me though is the fact that 2D Mario and friends have never looked this good before. They're more animated, expressive, and stylized than ever before. I mean this in the kindest way, but it's about time, Nintendo.

Coming to Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023

20. The Gecko Gods — Louis Waloscheck

I WANT IT. Oh I do. You see, dear Reader, ever since I was a wee lad I wanted a game where I could play as a lizard. I remember getting Chameleon Twist 2 for the Nintendo 64, and being a bit bummed when it was more of an action platformer than a true lizard simulator. But this! The Gecko Gods is going to fulfill all of my skittering, lizard ambitions I can feel it! The environments you explore look lovely, there's some interesting puzzles, and I'm always a sucker for games that feature ancient ruins for exploring. It'll be even better when I get to explore the ruins as a GECKO!

Coming to Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in 2023

19. Little Kitty, Big City — Double Dagger Studio

After watching it for what must be the eighteenth time, I can confirm that Little Kitty, Big City has a terrific trailer. It expertly sets the tone for what you can expect. Fun, lighthearted, and mischievous kitty antics. I've played the game's demo, and I came away even more excited than I was before. It's a tightly designed little sandbox with loads of adorable cat hats to collect, challenges and side quests to complete, and some of the most appealing 3D creature animation work I've ever seen in an indie game. This is going to be something a lot of people will enjoy even if they aren't cat obsessed like I am.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, & PC via Steam in 2024 - Available with Xbox Game Pass

18. Pizza Possum — Cosy Computer

This is the third game in a row that sees you controlling a little animal. Not sure what that says about me, but my interest in Pizza Possum does tell you that I like fun video games. And food. If watching the trailer for Pizza Possum doesn't make you wish for a life of marsupial crime, you're a crazy person. The adorable giggling and chomping sounds that the Possum and his thieving Raccoon buddy make as they hork down as much food as possible while running from authorities are endlessly charming. Add the fact that the game is so elegantly designed that it can be played with a single stick and a single button, and this is some chaotic, food-guzzling fun that anyone can enjoy.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, & PC via Steam in 2023

17. Battle Shapers — Metric Empire

Roguelike and roguelite games are a dime a dozen these days, and it can be hard to sift through the sludge in order to find new ones that are actually worth playing. Enter Battle Shapers: the roguelite that's not only a great roguelike but a stellar first-person, arena-style shooter. I've sampled the game's demo, and it's a total blast to play run after run. In addition to feeling great, it features some insanely good-looking robot designs and animations. Especially when it comes to the big robo-bosses called Overlords. Look at that GIF! Look how fun that is! You know you wanna fight that robot!

Coming to PC via Steam in 2023

16. Space Marine II — Saber Interactive

Have I played the first Space Marine game? No. Do I know much about the world of Warhammer 40,000? Also no. Am I going to miss the chance to slay hordes of creepy-cool aliens while stomping around in radical battle armor? The biggest of nos. Everything that we've seen for this game is fairly limited so far, and I'm really hoping we see some uncut continuous gameplay before the game's winter 2023 release. It's hard not to be excited though. The game's co-op trailer presents a tantalizing amount of alien carnage that will likely be made even better when playing with a chum or two.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, & PC via Steam and Windows in Winter 2023

15. Super Mario RPG - Nintendo

This was one of the best surprises from the June 2023 Nintendo Direct. I've never played the original Super Mario RPG as it was released a bit before my time, but I'm way excited to play the first Mario RPG experience. One of the best parts about seeing Nintendo remake this obscure classic is that, from what I know of the game, it's weird in all the best ways. It's got so much plucky, oddball stuff in it and from the looks of things Nintendo has kept all of the wonderfully weird stuff untouched. Aside from the glossy new coat of paint, that is.

Coming to Nintendo Switch November 17, 2023

14. Star Trucker — Monster and Monster Limited

Now come on. Don't even try to tell me that you don't think this sounds amazing. Trucking in space?! This was one of my favorite new announcements from Not-E3 season. The best part is how the semi-truck and modern freeway aesthetic still exists within a space setting. It's got so much personality and flavor that it's crazy. I'm excited to learn more about what the core gameplay loop actually looks like, but that initial reveal trailer is just about enough to make me buy the game the moment it becomes available.

Coming to PC via Steam in 2024

13. South of Midnight — Compulsion Games

Now, my poor wife has heard me rant and complain far too often about game reveals and trailers that don't show any gameplay. How are we supposed to be excited when we don't know what we'll be doing? Well, I'm now a major hypocrite because I'm crazy excited for South of Midnight and we haven't seen a single lick of gameplay. The trailer, however, showcases some immaculate vibes. That southern gothic swamp with just a tinge of macabre mythos is so unique in the gaming world. I absolutely cannot wait to see more. It's easily one of the most unique AAA aesthetics we've seen in years.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, & PC via Steam

12. Pikmin 4 — Nintendo

Confession time: I've never played a Pikmin game before. Yeah, yeah, revoke my Nintendo Fan Card, I'm not a true gamer, etcetera. Despite my lack of history with the franchise, the trailers that Nintendo has slowly eked out for the latest Pikmin outing captured my attention. The world is adorably detailed, the Pikmin themselves are hilariously strange critters, and Oatchi the rescue pup is one of the ugliest cute things I've ever seen. The game has a fairly expansive demo out already and your progress even carries over into the full game. Having played said demo myself, my excitement has only grown for the impending, full release.

Coming to Nintendo Switch July 21, 2023

11. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess — Capcom

Capcom continues to become one of my favorite AAA studios. They've been making record profits for the last six years, and rather than play it completely safe and only do sequels to their established properties, they continue to release refreshingly original ideas. Not only is Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess original, but it's blisteringly artistic. It's easily the most beautiful game Capcom has ever made. Yeah, I'm saying ever. The environments, animations, creatures, lighting, and literally everything about this game is an enormous treat for the eyes. Oh and the gameplay itself looks fun too!

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, & PC via Steam and Windows

10. Worldless — Coatsink, Noname Studios

Oh man. What exciting times for game development we live in when Worldless is my tenth most anticipated game. I've played the full demo for Worldless three different times. It's. So. Dang. Good. It is quite literally one of the most unique and gorgeous games I've ever had the joy of playing. The way your character and enemies flash between disconnected shapes and fully drawn silhouettes is endlessly mesmerizing, and the game's UI for your skill tree and map being woven so seamlessly into the player character themselves? Oh gosh. This is the kind of marriage of between form and function that most developers could only dream of. This is an instant purchase for me.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in Fall 2023

9: Pacific Drive — Ironwood Studios

I'm not sure why my soul yearns for traveling the open (and very treacherous) road, but Pacific Drive has only cemented this self-realization. I love everything that Ironwood Studios has done to make your station wagon feel like a mobile base of operations. Just watching the game's trailers already make the humble, little car feel like a character itself that I'll undoubtedly grow even more attached to as I play. Usually, people say things like, "If that dog dies in this movie/game/book I'm gonna lose it!" Well, if anything happens to my plucky little vehicle in Pacific Drive I'm gonna lose it. Of course, if something happens to it I'll just rebuild him. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Coming to PlayStation 5 & PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in 2023

8. Everdeep Aurora - Nautilus Games

Retro-inspired visuals in games are nothing new. A lot of times, they're done poorly. Then you have a game like Everdeep Aurora where some fantastic art and clever use of modern technology make a game that evokes the specific feelings of older titles while achieving visuals and game feel that would have never been possible. I'm so excited to start learning more about the magically mysterious world of Everdeep Aurora that the much-too-short trailer has already shown us. Also, you play as a cat. Perfect. (You thought I'd do the purr-fect pun there, didn't you? HA! Not this time. Wait...)

Coming to Nintendo Switch & PC via Steam in 2024

7. Skator Gator 3D — Weathered Sweater

THIS IS A VERY FUN GAME, YOU GUYS. I've lost track of how many times I've played through the demo, but it doesn't matter because I'll play through the full game a hundred times when it finally launches. I had no idea that anyone in the indie scene was capable of making a 3D platformer that felt just as fun as a Mario title. This game has some ultra, mega polish in its movement mechanics. Whether you're jumping around hunting for collectibles or hopping from rail to rail in one of the skateboard grinding sections that would make that guy that looks like Tony Hawk green with envy, Skator Gator 3D is a bona fide blast of completely amazing game design. I cannot wait to see the full game.

Coming to PC via Steam

6. Remnant II — Gunfire Games

Gunfire Games baybeeeee! These are a lot of the folks that made Darksiders which means I am in their debt. Of course, they also made the first Remnant game, Remnant from the Ashes, which I spent a lot of time in. Very fun game! However, Remnant II is looking like the perfect kind of beefy sequel. Bigger and better in every way. Some gorgeous environments, new character classes (archetypes they're called in Remnant), a smorgasbord of fantastically-designed new enemies, and the promise of all-new armor and weapons to earn. This one's gonna consume me, and I'm all too ready for it.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, & PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Arc.

5. Cocoon — Geometric Interactive

Once upon a time, there was a game called INSIDE. This game was, in academic terms, fan-freaking-tastic. So, naturally, I became interested in Cocoon when it was first announced and I learned that Jeppe Carlson, lead gameplay designer for INSIDE, was leading the charge. My interest evolved into total manic desperation for the game after its world-hopping mechanic was revealed. It's gorgeous. It's one of the best puzzle game ideas I've ever seen, and the folks at Geometric Interactive look like they've managed to pull it off in an appealing and simple way that will still allow plenty of experimentation and thought-provoking situations. GIMME IT. Please.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, & PC via Steam

4. Jusant — Don't Nod Entertainment

Here's one that took me by complete surprise. The reveal trailer for Jusant was interesting enough, sure, but I didn't pay it too much mind. Thank heavens I decided to give its demo a go, because that demo is already one of the best things I've played all year. If the full game manages to carry that same, wistfully melancholic tone and delightfully paced climbing throughout the entire runtime then this is easily going to be a game I'll always hold on to and revisit. Those looking for a lesson in elegant game design need not look any further.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, & PC via Steam

3. Starfield — Bethesda Game Studios

Like any Bethesda fan, Starfield was already on my radar. That Starfield Direct presentation though. Wow. It was just incredible. The scope and ambition of this game is off the charts, but I think Bethesda will deliver. I believe that this is a game people will be able to enjoy for years and years — myself included. The part where I absolutely lost my mind and became consumed by the hype was when they said you can board enemy space ships. It's the space cowboy/bandit/bounty hunter game I've always wanted and I'm going to have a full platoon of ships and I'm going to have an all robot crew and and and I'm just so excited.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S & PC via Windows

2. Sword of the Sea — Giant Squid

Oh the way I SCREAMED WITH JOY when this game was announced. In case you don't know, the studio Giant Squid houses some of the best game creators that have ever created games. Journey, Abzu, and The Pathless are games that have come from their talented minds. The Pathless is actually the game I consider to be my favorite of all time. Like all of these other completely fantastic games, Sword of the Sea is looking set to offer constantly enjoyable locomotion mechanics while delivering a narrative through evocative worlds that are as story-rich as they are hauntingly empty. Words cannot express how beyond excited I am for this game.

Coming to PlayStation 5 & PC via Steam (No release window or date yet. HOW SAD IS THAT?)

1. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon — FromSoftware

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon could be a total disappointment, and I'd still love it. Listen, I've never played an Armored Core game because they were being released at a time when I wasn't as plugged into the gaming world as I am now. I didn't know there were games that allowed you to pilot mechs out there. Had I known, I guarantee I would have been all over them because I love everything and all things that are giant mechsuits. However, I'm 100% confident in saying that this game won't be a disappointment, because it's coming to us from FromSoftware. These people just can't miss. Even when they release a game that isn't as good as their best stuff, (looking at you Dark Souls II) it's still fantastically enjoyable. This is a game just for Cade. I've wanted something that looks and plays exactly like Armored Core VI for as long as I can remember, and I can't believe it's only a month away. No one should expect to hear from me for about a week after August 25th, mkay?

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, & PC via Steam August 25, 2023

Whew!! That's all 25! Again, let me know what ones you're excited for, what ones you'd like to see a full review for, and/or what games I didn't put on the list and you just can't believe I could miss them how dare me. Thanks for reading!