Now that we’ve had some time to catch up on the night’s big winners and given Geoff a chance to dismantle his trailer hype machine, we can properly look back on the new reveals from The Game Awards 2023. Plenty of new games were shown, but which were our highlights?
The most exciting new games at The Game Awards 2023
We’ve been through the hype cycle enough times now that even the flashiest of CGI trailers and title reveals can’t impact our heart rates. And The Game Awards 2023’s full trailer list had plenty. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t much to look forward to – quite the opposite in fact! TGA 2023 was packed with tantalizing project announcements from talented development teams.
Here’s a bit more information on our picks for the most exciting new games shown at The Game Awards 2023.
Windblown
© Motion Twin
Introduced before the main show had even fired up, Windblown is an upcoming action-roguelite by Motion Twin. That’s the studio behind Dead Cells, a game name which will be enough to sell this next title to many. It’s an ambitious project for the team, shifting perspective and introducing co-op multiplayer to the mix.
If the combat and progression can measure up to Dead Cells’ high standards, Windblown will be an exciting prospect up to and long beyond its planned launch. Unfortunately, there’s been no suggestion just yet as to when that’s likely to be.
Big Walk
Yes, Big Walk’s character may look those novelty bobbing desk ornaments, but there’s a good reason we’re excited for this one. Big Walk is being developed by House House, the team behind the immensely enjoyable and highly comical Untitled Goose Game.
Described as a “walker-talker,” Big Walk will utilize a “rich proximity voice chat system” that encourages players to communicate through inventive means as they wander the world and solve puzzles together.
No Rest for the Wicked
No Rest for the Wicked’s debut trailer features a gorgeous painted art style along with some seriously grotesque monsters. Described as a “precision action-RPG,” it’s set on a medieval inspired island following the death of the land’s king and the outbreak of a deadly plague.
The real draw of No Rest for the Wicked is the developer behind it. Moon Studio has certainly earned our attention through the excellent Ori and the Blind Forest and its superb sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. To see their talents turned to a new and dark project is an exciting prospect indeed.
The Casting of Frank Stone
© Supermassive Games
We didn’t see much beyond a name for this one, but it’s the collaboration behind it that has us shivering with both excitement and fear. The Casting of Frank Stone is a single-player game set in the Dead by Daylight universe. Development has been handed over to Supermassive Games, the team that brought us the cinematic horror stories of Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures Anthology.
The story will follow a group of friends in Cedar Hills, a town famous for bloody past of one Frank Stone. As sadistic killing begin in the Oregon Steel Mill, the group will need to investigate and choose their actions carefully if they want to stay alive. Early screenshots have already teased connections to Behaviour Interactive’s popular multiplayer horror game, and we can’t wait to learn more about how the story ties together.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Prince of Persia isn’t the only upcoming metroidvania adventure to watch. A new EA Originals title, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a 2.5D platformer which follows a young man who bargains with the god of death to bring back his father. The trailer shows off some slick platforming segments in a colorful magical land.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is the debut release by Surgent Studios, a team set up by Assassin’s Creed: Origins actor Abubakar Salim. At The Game Awards 2023, Salim explained how the the game will tackle the concepts of grief and loss, reflecting his own recent life experience.
Marvel’s Blade
© Arkane
Put the pitchforks down! Yes, all we have to go on for Marvel’s Blade is a flashy CGI trailer and title, but we’ve good reason to be excited. Deathloop and Dishonored developer Arkane Lyon is at the helm of this adaptation, which has us very excited to see how their immersive sim development experience will play out when we’re hunting vampires across Paris.
Kemuri
This year's show saw former Tango Gameworks developer Ikumi Nakamura reveal what her new studio Unseen has been up to. The teaser trailer for Kemuri didn't show any actual gameplay, but the concept has us interested and it's hard to disapprove of that gorgeous art direction. Kemuri will see players take up the role of yokai hunters, tracking otherwworldy creatures in an urban jungle alone or in co-op.
Den of Wolves
Hardcore co-op FPS GTFO was a bit much for us, but we certainly respected what developers 10 Chambers had crafted. Their next project promises to bring that experience and knowledge from working on the first two Payday games to bear.
Den of Wolves is a sci-fi heist game described as a “techno thriller” in which players form groups as criminals for hire. Working for rival business entities, teams will need to conduct espionage, sabotage, theft, and assassinations,breaking through advanced security systems to reach their targets.
Light No Fire
© Hello Games
Developer Hello Games has taken No Man’s Sky on one heck of a journey, and now they’re ready to do it all over again. Light No Fire is sticking to just one planet this time, but the concept is no less ambitious.
This open-world multiplayer fantasy survival game promises an entire procedurally generated planet the size of Earth. Players will be able to explore it seamlessly on foot or on the back of a dragon, constructing permanent buildings and communities or venturing out to chart the unknown. Here’s hoping it has a smoother landing than No Man’s Sky did!
Stormgate
The real-time strategy genre is undergoing somewhat of a revival, and Stormgate is setting its sights on fans of classics like StarCraft. Crafted by former Warcraft III and StarCraft II developers, it features two asymmetric forces, Earth’s defenders and the demonic Infernals.
Stormgate promises to be a social RTS, supporting co-operative campaign missions and team battles against AI as well as online competitive play and custom modes. It’s also planned to be free-to-play, though developer Frost Giant promises that there won’t be any pay-to-win options or the need to cough up cash if you want to remove nuisances.
What are you excited about from The Game Awards 2023? Check out the full list of game trailers here, and the award winners here. Want a setup worthy of these upcoming games? Head over to the HyperX store for all your gaming gear needs.
