We remember that back in the mid 2000s, when consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 came out with things like hard drives and internet connections, people were saying that PC games were dead. Now, in 2023, PC games are not only very much alive, but thriving. Indeed, Activision Blizzard recently reported that the publisher made more money from PC games than console games in the second half of 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023.
The rise of digital stores like Steam, GoG.com, and more recently the Epic Games Store has contributed to allowing PC games of all types to be sold nearly everywhere. A few weeks ago, we posted our list of the most anticipated Xbox Series X/S games of 2023, so we decided to do the same for PC games as well.
We will mention that all of our games on the Xbox 2023 list will also be released on the PC as well. We didn’t want to duplicate our Xbox list for our most anticipated PC game, so we picked some more upcoming titles, many of which will be released either exclusively for PC or first on that platform (although some games may show up on other platforms as well).
System Shock remake – May 30
Developer: Nightdive Studios
Publisher: Prime Matter
What’s it about: You have entered a space station controlled by an evil AI, and you have to fight all sorts of enemies in order to defeat it. Good luck with that.
Why we want to play it: Nightdive has indeed taken a long, long time to get this remake finished, but based on what they have promised, it will take the original game’s mix of first-person action and role playing to new levels, and we can’t wait to check it out
Amnesia: The Bunker – June 6
Developer: Frictional Games
Publisher: Frictional Games
What’s it about: During World War I, you play a French soldier in a bunker with a revolver and a flashlight. That’s all you have to face some terrifying horrors.
Why we want to play it: The Amnesia series from Frictional Games have been among the most frightening PC titles ever released, and there’s no reason to think this new entry won’t be very scary, and very entertaining.
Baldur’s Gate III – August 31. 2023
Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: Larian Studios
What’s it about: You have the bad luck of having a parasite implanted into you, which will eventually turn you into a mind flayer. You team up with some other adventurers to defeat this evil, and more importantly, save yourself
Why we want to play it: Taking up from where BioWare left off, Larian Studios is aiming for this to be the ultimate Dungeons and Dragons RPG PC game. It’s been in early access for a while but we definitely want to play the full game this year.
Counter-Strike 2 – Summer 2023
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
What’s it about: You team up with your online friends and shoot other online friends in matches of terrorists and counter-terrorists.
Why we want to play it: It’s the long-awaited Source Engine 2 remake of Counter-Strike. Who wouldn’t want to play it? And best of all, it’s going to be free to play.
Cities: Skylines II – TBD 2023
Developer: Colossal Order
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
What’s it about: It’s time to create your dream city, with all sorts of cool buildings, highways, and other infrastructure
Why we want to play it: Colossal Order picked up the ball and developed a true spiritual sequel to the Sim City franchise with the original Cities: Skylines. This sequel looks like it will have more of what we liked in that game.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl – TBD 2023
Developer: GSC GameWorld
Publisher: GSC GameWorld
What’s it about: In the near future, the area around the Chornobyl nuclear reactor has been turned into a radiation-filled wasteland filled with mutated creatures and strange occurrences.
Why we want to play it: We have also been waiting a long time for a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game. The brief glimpses of the sequel in trailers have given us high hopes it will be worth the over decade wait.
The Finals – TBD 2023
Developer: Embark Studios
Publisher: Embark Studios
What’s it about: In a future version of a reality show, you compete with friends in a virtual battleground for money and fame.
Why we want to play it: Embark’s recent beta test of this game generated a lot of buzz, mostly because nearly everything on the game’s maps could be destroyed. We think the developer will use the beta feedback to give us a multiplayer shooter with some unique twists.
Homeworld 3 – TBD 2023
Developer: Blackbird Interactive
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
What’s it about: A mysterious force is slowly taking over the galaxy and now an advanced civilization is sending their fleet of ships to find this evil and defeat it.
Why we want to play it: Blackbird Interactive has some of the original team members that worked on the first two games in this landmark sci-fi RTS series. Based on the trailers and information, Homeworld 3 could be the ultimate space RTS game.
Hades II– TBD 2023
Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Supergiant Games
What’s it about: The Princess of the Underworld is going to try to defeat the Titan of Time with some help from the Olympian goes.
Why we want to play it: The original Hades was a refreshing new take on a dungeon crawler title, and we think the experience from that game will help make the sequel an even deeper and more entertaining experience.
Payday 3 – TBD 2023
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: Prime Matter
What’s it about: It’s time to come out of retirement and start robbing banks again, and take care of anyone who gets in our way.
Why we want to play it: Starbreeze has had its problems, but it appears that the studio is finally going to bring the popular Payday co-op shooter series out of mothballs and into an all-new version, and we can’t wait to see it.
That’s our list of our most anticipated PC games of 2023. Again, we will be updating this list every so often as more games are announced, and other games get release dates.
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