20. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Cody Medellin: Dark Souls but in ancient China. That brief sentence alone is enough to sell genre fans on the game, and Team Ninja has already proven with the duo of Nioh games that it knows the genre rather well. The move from the more deliberate Japanese swordplay to quick and flashier Chinese swordplay makes this feel much different for those starting to burn out on the genre, while the involvement of Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa makes this an even more intriguing proposition when it hits in a few months.
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19. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (Switch, PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Rainier Van Autrijve: When you think of "The Lord of the Rings trilogy," characters like Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, Legolas, Sauron and others come to mind. Gollum is an integral character but doesn't spring to mind as a video game protagonist, and yet that is what The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is about. Prior game offerings in the franchise have been real-time strategy, MMO or action-focused titles with large-scale battles, but this is exactly why TLotR: Gollum, as a story-driven adventure, is so intriguing. TLotR: Gollum lets players make different decisions to delve into the Sméagol/Gollum duality. Developer Daedalic Entertainment is known for strong adventure titles, and while multiple delays are usually a cause for concern, it may also be an indication that the developer is taking its time to get it right.
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18. The Wolf Among Us 2 (PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Rhi "StormyDawn" Mitera: Part of me still doesn't believe The Wolf Among Us 2 is really happening. It's been a full decade since the first game came out, and for a while, it looked like we would never get a sequel at all. Wolf Among Us left some pretty big shoes to fill, but everything I've seen so far gives me confidence that WAU2 can fill them. I will happily ride this hype train as long as I need to.
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17. Black Myth: Wukong (PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Redmond Carolipio: The story of "Journey to the West" is rich with content, and this will be one of the more prominent mainstream gaming forays into the world of the "Chinese epic," mysticism and fighting styles in tow. Within the first few minutes of footage, I fell in love with the presentation and some of the gameplay concept that can provide insight into the design philosophy. I just hope it's not going to be soul-crushingly difficult, falling into the Elden Ring-inspired trap that now all good action RPG games have to be hard.
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16. Dead Space Remake (PS5, XSX, PC)
Redmond Carolipio: The original Dead Space became the "Alien" of my gaming library space, providing a template into what "space horror" is supposed to look and feel like. It was lightning in a bottle, mixing in the excitement of shooting the limbs of ghastly monsters with the aural terror that comes with investigating a floating death house called the Ishimura. The remake looks to be a reimagining — or rebirth — of that horror, introducing hapless Isaac Clarke to a new audience of players.
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Tim McDonald: I'm not going to lie: I know basically nothing about Final Fantasy XVI, and I don't want to know anything about it because I want to go in as spoiler-free as possible. My anticipation for FFXVI essentially comes from the fact that Final Fantasy XIV has consumed years of my life, been one of the most important things at all to me, and wowed (and wounded) me with its story. Basically: I have faith in Square Enix Creative Business Unit III to create something special. Add on that the combat director worked on the sublime Devil May Cry 5, and my excitement skyrockets into the stratosphere.
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14. Hollow Knight: Silksong (Switch, PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Chris "Atom" DeAngelus: A member of the "we've been waiting a long time" group, Silksong is the sequel to the amazing Hollow Knight. Set after the events of the first game, Silksong will follow popular character Hornet on her own adventure. What we've seen of the game shows off Hornet's unique talents, ranging from using her thread-and-needle weapon to zooming around the map to more fast-paced and intense-looking combat. The original Hollow Knight earned enough goodwill that it's easy to see why fans wait with bated breath for this indie gem in the making.
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13. Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Tim McDonald: Men only want one thing, they say. They're right, and it's Like A Dragon: Ishin! (and, I guess, Like A Dragon: Kenzan, which I imagine we'll also see in the future). Before Yakuza really hit the mainstream with Yakuza 0, the Like A Dragon series was always a weird cult hit, which meant the localized versions tended to have limited (or digital-only) releases, and we completely missed out on the Ishin and Kenzan spin-offs in 2014 and 2008, respectively. Ishin replaces the neon-hued streets of Kamurocho with the chaotic throes of 1800s Bakumatsu-era Japan, and puts familiar faces in historical roles. Instead of Kiryu, we have master swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma (who just happens to look and sound like Kiryu) going undercover to find out who assassinated his mentor ... while, inevitably, getting embroiled in silly side-quests, gambling, minigames, and about a billion street fights. But with swords and more guns! It's Yakuza, but not as we know it, and I'm always up for more Yakuza.
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Andreas Salmen: As a fan of Divinity 2, I probably would've bought Baldur's Gate 3 without a second thought. That's how highly I regard the work and dedication Larian Studios usually puts into its projects. Given the "Very Positive" ratings on Steam during its Early Access period, I'm almost certain we'll get to enjoy a solid RPG. A lot can happen in eight months, but so far, Baldur's Gate 3 is on track to become one of the must-play RPGs of the year.
Read more WP impressions about Baldur's Gate 3
11. The Expanse: A Telltale Series (PS5, PS4, XSX, XOne, PC)
Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: I've loved Telltale's approach to storytelling, but with The Expanse series, it is the first time that it'll be crafting its tales within a universe that I've been really following. Are we going to have to deal with some repercussions of the Protomolecule on our own? Are we still going to feel the existential dread when we read that a character "will remember that"? I'm happy to find out.
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UPDATE (Jan. 13, 2023): Looking for honorable mentions and titles #10-1? Look no further!