10 Upcoming Open World Games To Get Excited About
“Starfield”
10 Reasons To Get Excited About Starfield
September 6th, 2023 “Starfield” has been a long time coming. First announced at E3 2018, Bethesda’s first internally developed original IP in over 25 years naturally got everyone curious. Set in a post-war solar system in the 2300s, we’ll create an explorer and set out on a journey to discover everything we can in this massive world. And by ‘massive,’ I mean this solar system extends for 50 light years. I’d say that’s plenty of space to get lost in. It was originally meant to release in November of 2022, but was delayed until the first half of 2023. Fortunately we have finally been given a release date: September 6th.
“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League”
The 10 Best And Worst Things About Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
TBA Firstly, let’s get the bad out of the way. Reports of a required internet connection, even in single player, and the inclusion of live-service elements like a Battle Pass have naturally drummed up some mixed feelings. But there’s still so much promise here that we can’t help but retain some excitement. The studio behind it, Rocksteady, made the terrific “Arkham” trilogy. There’s the bittersweet fact of it being Kevin Conroy’s final performance as Batman. Plus, the prospect of drop-in, drop-out co-op as Suicide Squad members fighting against a brainwashed Justice League in an open-world Metropolis still sounds like a hell of a good time. We’re just hoping we don’t have another “Marvel’s Avengers” on our hands. Unfortunately, as of writing, it's reportedly been delayed again due to fan backlash.
“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl”
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2023 The original game in this Horror FPS series, “Shadow of Chernobyl,” offered unique alternate history following a second nuclear disaster. It got two sequels across the next two years, with developer GSC Game World starting development on “Heart of Chernobyl” in 2010. Unfortunately, behind the scenes troubles led to it being cancelled before development started over in 2018. That’s an awfully long time to wait for a sequel, and it grew even lengthier when the developer announced the game was delayed due to the war in Ukraine, where their studio is located. Currently, it only has the large release window of 2023. But obviously, they can take their time on this one.
“Diablo IV”
Things To Know Before Playing Diablo IV
June 6th, 2023 “Diablo” has been one of Blizzard’s most cherished franchises for years, even through lows like the launch of “Diablo III” and the everything of “Diablo: Immortal.” The upcoming fourth mainline entry will be the first to go open-world. While not every franchise needs to go that direction, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t intrigued. Early word from those who have tried it has been incredibly positive, describing it as a blend of modern design and classic elements, with “Diablo II” being brought up frequently. We’ll also see a heavier focus on story as well as a new PvP mode. “Diablo” is a franchise you can easily pour all your time into and it sounds like June 6th could see a proper return to form.
“Assassin’s Creed Mirage”
10 Things To Know Before Playing Assassin's Creed Mirage
2023 Maybe ‘sandbox’ is a more accurate description here. But that’s really just a smaller open-world, which is actually what has us so excited about “Assassin’s Creed Mirage” in the first place. In an era where open-world games only seem to be growing larger (something perpetuated by this very same series), the next AC adventure will be a nice change of pace. Mostly set in 9th Century Baghdad, it promises something closer to older games in the series. A focus on stealth will return as we take “Valhalla’s” Basim on his journey to joining the Assassin Brotherhood. As of writing, “Mirage” only has a release window of 2023. With multiple Ubisoft delays recently, we hope this one is staying on course.
“DokeV”
TBA For any players disappointed by the current state of open-world “Pokemon,” Pearl Abyss’ “DokeV” might be one to keep an eye on. The action adventure title will have you collecting Dokebi, creatures that grow more powerful from peoples’ dreams. Though plot details are unknown, it looks to be much more action-oriented than Nintendo’s franchise. Player characters will have all types of gadgets to use in traversal and combat while aided by their team of critters. If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, the studio is also working on a more traditional open-world experience in the fantasy RPG, “Crimson Desert”. Unfortunately, neither of them have a release window yet, so we may be waiting a while.
“Redfall”
May 2nd, 2023 We’re all for more multiplayer Horror experiences. And we’re ecstatic about the prospect of hunting vampires for a change rather than hordes of the undead…again. Set in an open-world, fictional Massachusetts town, “Redfall” will have players choose between 4 different character classes as they hunt those creatures of the night. Each class genuinely looks fun and varied, like the telekinetic Layla and the camouflaging sniper, Jacob. There will also be powerful Vampire variants, so we hope enemy type will be varied as well. Additionally, it comes from Arkane Studios, specifically from the team behind 2017’s “Prey.” If done right, these types of games can offer hours of fun mayhem for friends to enjoy. Let’s hope “Redfall” doesn’t bite the dust.
“Rise of the Rōnin”
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2024 Honestly, anything Team Ninja does will get our attention. From “Dead or Alive” to “Ninja Gaiden” to “Nioh,” they’ve given us some stellar action games. The studio’s next looks like it might steal some thunder from “Ghost of Tsushima;” despite being set centuries later, that’s a rivalry we would wholeheartedly support. In 19th Century Japan, players will play as a Ronin during a civil war, siding with different historical figures to alter the story. “Rise of the Rōnin” was announced during a September 2022 State of Play, and considering it won’t release until 2024, there’s still a great deal we don’t know. But the caliber of the studio and its historical setting has our interest more than piqued for the PS5 exclusive.
“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”
10 Things We Want to See in Marvel's Spider-Man 3
Fall 2023 Insomniac is to Spider-Man what Rocksteady is to Batman: a studio that fully understands their superhero, crafting a suitable world and story around them. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” was a wonderful combination of pitch-perfect mechanics and engaging characterization. So naturally, every fan of the web head should be waiting with bated breath on any updates for his sequel. Announced in September of 2021, Insomniac has kept fairly quiet since its reveal, other than reiterating that it hasn’t been delayed out of 2023 yet. As of writing, we’ve yet to see or hear about any changes or additions to gameplay. Still, we have the utmost faith in them. Plus, Venom being voiced by the Candyman himself, Tony Todd? Hell yeah.
“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”
20 MORE Hidden Secrets In Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
May 12th, 2023 “Breath of the Wild” changed not only how we play open-world games, but how developers create them. There was a sense of freedom and discovery there that simply couldn’t be matched, and its influence has understandably been widespread. Nintendo could’ve shown absolutely nothing of its sequel and we’d still be over the moon that we’re getting one. That’s actually not too far from the truth as there’s still so much about “Tears of the Kingdom” we don’t know. But every tiny detail has sent ripples of excitement throughout the “Zelda” community. Link’s new abilities look enticing, as does the mystery behind Hyrule’s sudden floating islands in the sky. This franchise means so much to so many of us, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.
