December 2023

Earlier this year, Supermassive Games, the team behind The Quarry, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and Until Dawn, announced it was collaborating with Behaviour Interactive to create a single-player game set in the latter's Dead by Daylight universe. After teasing an appearance at The Game Awards 2023 yesterday online, the teams have officially revealed The Casting of Frank Stone. It hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in 2024.

Former Tango Gameworks designer Ikumi Nakamura stepped on the stage of The Game Awards to reveal the first game from her studio, Unseen, called Kemuri.

A stylish trailer showed off the slick art direction with various cool street folks doing some parkour-style running and jumping while brandishing weapons such as a katana. They also seem to be facing a slew of supernatural beings. Unfortunately, the cinematic doesn’t reveal much in terms of gameplay or details, but it's a cool first showing, if nothing else. Check it out for yourself below. 

Moon Studios, the team behind Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, has revealed No Rest for the Wicked, its first action RPG. It will be released as an Early Access title on Steam sometime during the first quarter of 2024 before it later releases onto PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. 

No Rest for the Wicked features a hand-crafted world with a painterly art style. In it, players explore an island called Isola Sacra, spelunking through cavernous depths, lush forests, treacherous mountain passes, and more, according to publisher Private Division. Each location on Isola Sacra is home to protagonists "with their own problems," a press release reads, as well as hidden treasures, creatures, and secrets. 

Check out the No Rest for the Wicked reveal trailer for yourself below: 

Untitled Goose Game was one of the most viral indie games when it launched in 2019. It was simple and fun, overflowing with charm and personality. It seems like developer House House has some of that personality left in the tank, because their next game, Big Walk, looks incredibly intriguing. Check out the reveal trailer below,

In Big Walk, you and your friends will explore an open world full of puzzles and things to discover. According to the Steam page, you'll need to figure out new ways to communicate when you suddenly find yourself speechless. This explains why, in the trailer, we see lots of attempts at communication, from waving arms to holding up certain images.

The aforementioned Steam listing also says "Sit and watch the sunset, or steal your friend’s binoculars and kick them into the ocean." It seems that much like Goose Game, there will be plenty of time for shenanigans. You'll be able to check it out in 2025.

Developer Ninja Theory made another appearance at The Game Awards, this time with a new trailer for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. In the trailer, we get confirmation that it's still expected to hit Xbox Series X/S in 2024 alongside a new look at its extremely visceral combat. 

Like previous Hellblade II trailers, we see Senua trudging through some dangerous wilderness. She's not fighting giant monsters this time, though, as instead, she's up against more human-sized enemies. And this trailer gives us the most in-depth look at Hellblade II's combat yet – unsurprisingly, it looks great (and gruesomely realistic). 

Check it out for yourself in the Senua's Saga: Hellblade II gameplay trailer below: 

"The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice sees Senua return in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland," the trailer's description reads. "Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming darkness within and without."

Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S sometime next year. 

God of War Ragnarök fans got three surprises at The Game Awards. One, the game is getting an expansion. Two, it drops next week. And three, it's free. 

The expansion, called Valhalla, will be totally free. We see Kratos and Mimir traveling to an unknown where he battles the usual Norse creatures but also threats from his past, such as cyclops and undead Greek soldiers. PlayStation's official synopsis, posted below, describes the adventure as featuring some kind of roguelite element, but it is currently unclear what that means exactly. 

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla arrives on December 12 for both the PS5 and PS4 versions of the game. 

Be sure to read our review of God of War Ragnarök here.

Announced tonight during The Game Awards, Exodus is an upcoming sci-fi game about time dilation. Most notably, it features actor Matthew McConaughey, famous for his roles in True Detective and Dazed & Confused. And while he announced the game on-stage at the show, interestingly, the trailer didn't even feature McConaughey.

Judging by quick looks in the reveal, Exodus is a third-person action adventure. Its main narrative conceit revolves around an alien discovery and a couple experiencing time at different intervals. As the trailer's narrator says, "It was only days for me, but an entire lifetime passed for her."

Check out the reveal trailer below:

Exodus is the first project from Archetype Entertainment.

Finji, a studio known for its work on Indie hits like Tunic and Chicory, announced its latest project at The Game Awards today. It's called Usual June, and it tells the story of a girl struggling to balance her summer break with saving the universe. You can watch the reveal trailer below.

Even after watching the trailer, you might not have much of an idea of what the game is about; it's pretty scarce when it comes to concrete information. We see the protagonist (fittingly named June) as she hacks and slashes her way through spectral creatures in a mysterious world. Luckily, the Steam listing for the game provides some context to her actions. Here's a bit of what the developer has to say about the game:

 It sounds like it'll be telling a typical coming-of-age story mashed up with supernatural heroics. In between story beats, players will also be able to experience some "frantic, flexible combat." We'll be able to get a taste of that ourselves when the game drops some time in 2025.

The Odd Gentlemen, makers of games like The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, have announced Harmonium The Musical, a melodic adventure game.  

It stars Melody Mecato, a young deaf girl and musician who loves performing. She wants to make it home for her big show but finds herself facing a powerful force that can only be beaten by the power of music. The whimsical game is told entirely through American sign language, including Disney-style elaborate, interactive musical numbers. Check it out below. 

Harmonium The Musical is coming to Xbox (and Game Pass) as well as Netflix.

Earlier this year, the team behind the Persona series, Atlus, revealed its next RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Like the Persona franchise, Metaphor: ReFantazio features all the style and substance you'd expect, with excellent UI and font styling. A new trailer released during The Game Awards 2023 reveals it's coming in the fall of next year. 

Studio Zero is handling the development of the title, with Atlus publishing it, and it's clear the team is taking inspiration from Atlus' Persona series, especially its latest, Persona 5. However, despite the visual similarities, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand new game set in its own fantasy universe. 

Check out the latest Metaphor: ReFantazio trailer for yourself below: 

As you can see, there's plenty to be excited about in this new Atlus IP. Between the fast-paced and stylish turn-based combat, excellent voice acting, and great music from composer Shoji Meguro (whose credits include Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5), Metaphor: ReFantazio is easily one of the most anticipated titles for 2024.

Motion Twin, the team behind Dead Cells, has revealed its next game and it's an isometric action game called Windblown. Revealed during The Game Awards 2023, Windblown's most striking feature, other than being the next game from the team behind Dead Cells, is its animated art style. 

The game itself drops the 2.5 nature of Dead Cells for a more top-down, isometric approach with 3D action, and it looks great. It's due out on PC early access sometime in 2024. Other platforms were not mentioned. 

Check out the Windblown reveal trailer for yourself below: 

In Windblown, players control a Leaper on a mission to defend the Ark from a "very aggro Vortex." You can absorb memories of fallen warriors, according to Motion Twin, and then put them to good use by infusing their skills into your weapons. Plus, you can take part in all of Windblown's action with up to two friends. 

Are you excited for Windblown? Let us know in the comments below!

The next game from acclaimed indie developer Daniel Mullins is Pony Island 2: Panda Circus. Announced during The Game Awards, as you might expect from the creator of Pony Island and Inscryption, we have far more questions than answers.

Here's what we saw: a 3D adventure game that turns into a classic-looking 2D point-and-click adventure game. Voice actor and popular internet guy SungWon "ProZD" Cho is in the game during live-action segments. And a whole host of genre-hopping gameplay. It's a lot. 

Check it out for yourself below:

Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is probably going to be released in 2025 or 2026, but the trailer doesn't make it clear. Mullins is coming off the critically beloved and aforementioned Inscryption – one of our favorite games of 2021.

Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons, the award-winning 2013 indie from developer Starbreeze Studios, is getting remade. Italy-based developer Avantgarden, the team behind 2017's Last Day Of June and formerly named Ovosonico, is handling the remake and building it in Unreal Engine 5. Original publisher 505 Games is publishing the remake, which hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 28, as well. 

505 Games says original Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons director, Josef Fares, who later founded Hazelight Studios, which won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 for It Takes Two, has endorsed the remake. 

Check out the Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake for yourself in the reveal trailer below: 

The Game Awards 2023 have wrapped up, which means quite a few folks have walked out with the coveted winner's trophy. We've posted the full list of winners below. Let us know if your favorites walked away with the prize!

Game of the Year - Baldur's Gate 3

Players' Voice - Baldur's Gate 3

Best Game Direction - Alan Wake 2

Best Narrative - Alan Wake 2

Best Art Direction - Alan Wake 2

Best Score and Music - Final Fantasy XVI 

Best Audio Design - Hi-Fi Rush

Best Performance - Neil Newbon (Astarion), Baldur's Gate 3

Innovation in Accessibility - Forza Motorsport

Games for Impact - Tchia

Best Ongoing Game - Cyberpunk 2077

Best Community Support - Baldur's Gate 3

Best Independent Game - Sea of Stars

Best Debut Indie Game - Cocoon

Best Mobile Game - Honkai: Star Rail

Best VR/AR Game - Resident Evil Village VR Mode

Best Action Game - Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Best Action/Adventure Game - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best RPG - Baldur's Gate 3

Best Fighting Game - Street Fighter 6

Best Family Game - Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Kojima Productions announced OD, a new horror game for Xbox consoles, during The Game Awards 2023. Jordan Peele will be involved in the creation of the game.

Actors Sophia Lillis, Udo Kier, and Hunter Schafer will appear in the game in undisclosed roles. The reveal trailer only showed CGI head shots of the actors delivering cryptic dialogue, accompanied by eerie music playing in the background.

You can watch the OD reveal trailer here:

Following the reveal, Jordan Peele and Hideo Kojima discussed the project on stage. The two discussed working with each other, their thoughts on what the experience will be like, and their inspirations. This conversation also touched on how the two of them got started, and it included a hint from Kojima that some other creators are also going to be involved in the creation of OD. However, he didn't offer any details about other people who could be working with him.

During TGA 2023, artist and video game director Ikumi Nakahara went on stage to reveal her new project called Kemuri. While the trailer shows the general concept and aesthetic behind the the game, it’s unclear what genre it’ll be.

You can watch the trailer here:

The trailer isn’t even a minute long. It shows an urban environment, showing its characters parkouring from the walls. They wield weapons like katanas and bows, with monsters appearing from the sky. After the monsters appear, more people wielding weapons show up. It looks like it’s either an action RPG or a multiplayer game similar to Overwatch. Though Unseen Inc does have a website, it does not have information on Kemuri, which looks to be the studio's first game. More information will come out in the future.

During The Game Awards 2023, Square Enix revealed a new Mana game called Visions of Mana, which is set to release in 2024. The game will release on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Visions of Mana is the first new mainline Mana game being released in the series in over 15 years. It will be an action-RPG with an expansive semi-open field adventure. Mana fans will play as Val, a young man who lives in the Fire Village of Tianeea. As described by Square Enix in a blog post, every four years the Faerie visit the different regions of the world to choose people who will travel to the Tree of Mana. Val sets out with his friend as her soul guard on the journey.

Screenshots of the game can be viewed below:

During The Game Awards 2023, Exodus, a new science fiction action-adventure role-playing game franchise from Archetype Entertainment was announced. The game will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Archetype Entertainment, helmed by James Ohlen who is known for his work on Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, was developed in 2019 by industry veterans from BioWare, Naughty Dog, and other iconic video game studios. Exodus will be the studio's first game to release.

Exodus is a narrative-driven game that focuses on the impact caused by time dilation, which is an effect created by traveling at lightspeed where time moves slowly for the traveller but moves fast for everybody outside of the time dilation. The game explores the ramifications of this and its impact on the choices made in the game.

The official cinematic reveal trailer can be viewed below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsCvugLI61I

The studio also shared an extended story trailer for the game which can be viewed below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAKAZNQuLqw

A live broadcast with the main cast of Japanese voice actors for Metaphor: ReFantazio will take place on December 11, 2023. You’ll be able to watch it on YouTube.

The announcement for the Metaphor: ReFantazi live broadcast is actually the first time that we’ve seen the main cast. Here are the Japanese voice actors for Metaphor: ReFantazio we'll hear in the cast:

• Gallica: Sumire Morohoshi (Izumi Kyoka in Bungo Stray Dogs, Tiné Chelc in Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn)
• Hulkenberg: Saori Hayami (Kocho Shinobu in Demon Slayer, Yor Forger in Spy x Family)
• Strohl: Kensho Ono (Diluc in Genshin Impact, Giorno Giovanna in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) 
• Traveling Boy: Natsuki Hanae (Vanitas in The Case Study of Vanitas, Sieg in Fate/Apocrypha)

Sony Santa Monica Studios dropped a surprise announcement at The Game Awards 2023 with the reveal of the God of War: Ragnarok DLC known as Valhalla. The free DLC will release before the end of the year on December 12, 2023.

The God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC will be free for all owners of the base game. Players will not need to pay anything for this extra content that also seems to expand on its story. The trailer showcases Kratos hacking and slashing his way through various enemies across multiple environments.

The new video hints Kratos is going through a gauntlet of foes after waking up partway through the showcase, with Mimir noting that he can always “go again.” This seems to indicate some sort of challenge run experience, as Kratos potentially ventures into a newfound realm of Valhalla.

Here's the full video from the showcase going over what people can expect from the new experience.

During tonight’s Game Awards 2023, Ironmouse was named this year’s Content Creator of the Year. Notably, she is the first VTuber to be nominated and win an award at this event.

Ironmouse is officially a member of VShojo, and she has been creating content since 2017. She is known for bringing other content creators together and frequently collaborating with her fellow talents with talk shows and gaming sessions. She also did professional voice work, as she was training to become an opera singer before pursuing content creation.

Earlier in 2023, Ironmouse surpassed 1.5 million followers on Twitch and hit 1 million subscribers on Youtube. She also won Best VTuber at the Streamer Awards 2023, in addition to her The Game Awards win.

Watch the decision and the reward speech from Ironmouse in the official post below:

During TGA 2023, a new trailer for Persona 3 Reload appeared. It focuses on the story, as well as shows off all of the party members who are part of SEES.

You can watch the trailer here:

The trailer teases new content that previous ones didn’t. For example, we have a better view of the social links that Minato can befriend. In the remake, they’re voiced. Party members such as Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru also have more focus. Close to the end of the trailer also shows Chidori and Junpei, which gives a bit more insight into the story aside from the basic plot.

The upcoming Arknights: Endfield game building on the mobile game’s universe and characters will come to the PS5 and get a PC Technical Test. Both were announced during The Game Awards 2023. 

The test for Arknights: Endfield is only confirmed for the PC version, with none announced for the PS5. People interested in taking part can register at the official site until December 23, 2023. People picked will get to begin playing on January 11, 2024. Only Japanese and Mandarin voice acting will be available during it, however.

Here are the PC specifications for the PC Technical Test for Arknights: Endfield. First, here are the minimum ones:

SYSTEM: Windows 10 64-bit or higher
CPU: Intel Core i5-9400F
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM: 6GB or higher
RAM: 16GB or higher
Storage: 40GB free space or higher

And here are the recommended specs Gryphline suggested:

The Stardance parade at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise will feature characters from the Demon Slayer, Evangelion, and Ultraman series. The parade will be held on December 23-24, 2023, and then it will return again between the 29-31. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The event is formally called the Japan Anime & Character Drone Show Festival. Approximately 1,000 LED drones equipped with LEDs will be used to display popular anime and TV Japanese characters. A media advance photo session was held on December 6, 2023.

The scale for the character LED portraits will be over 200 meters wide and tall. You can take a look at the

Check out the LED drone test video for the Stardance event below. The drone show starts at around the 1:05 minute mark, and it shows Ultraman characters.

The creators of Untitled Goose Game have unveiled their next, err, not goose game. Announced at tonight's Game Awards, Big Walk is quite a different proposition from Goose Game, not least because we've moved from the quaint environs of a classic English village to the wilds of the Australian bushland. It's also an online co-operative multiplayer game that will see and your friends solving all sorts of puzzles you find out in the wild. Come and watch the reveal trailer below.

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Now we’re cooking. Terrific, demonic rhythm-basher THUMPER is getting a sequel of sorts called THRASHER, created by the first game's artist and composer Brian Gibson. It’s a weirdo racer in which you use gesture controls to evolve the creature you're controlling, in a “breakneck race for survival that begins at the dawn of time”. Which is certainly a concept. Will there be any flying hell triangles in this one? Will my thumbs be able to keep up, seven years after almost breaking them against the sneering face of THUMPER's world 3?

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Look, they might as well call off The Game Awards. I thought announcing Pony Island 2 during the pre-show would be hard to top but to follow that up with the announcement of World Of Goo 2? Pack it up. We're done. The sequel to our favourite game of 2008 is due to launch in 2024, bringing not just new puzzles to build things from goo but exciting new fluids too. I can scarcely wait to cover my goo in goop. Have a peek in the trailer below.

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Between spin-offs, sequels and remakes, there are now more Persona games than you could play in a lifetime. It's exciting therefore to see Persona developers try their hand at something different, and Metaphor: ReFantazio certainly looks different. It's a high-fantasy RPG developed by Atlus and led by various former Persona and Shin Megami Tensei devs, and there's a new trailer below.

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Finji, the publishers behind Tunic and Night In The Woods, have revealed their next internal development project at tonight's Game Awards. Usual June is a new action adventure game where you play as the eponymous June, a college student who happens to be able to talk to ghosts. Hang on a second, has someone been reading Alice Bee's very good book? Sounds quite familiar if you ask me. Come and watch the reveal trailer.

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Dead Cells developers Motion Twin and publisher Kepler Ghost have announced Windblown, a wholesome yet bloodthirsty new roguelike action game in which heavily-armed cartoon animals set out from a floating village to brave the horrors of the Vortex. It’s due in early access on PC in 2024, and we’ve got the first trailer for you below.

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After the deadly (and delightful) card game of Inscryption, creator Daniel Mullins is returning to his happy land of little horses. Today he announced Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, a new genre-shifting curio described as "a phantasmagorical voyage through time, myth, divinity, and video games." I like that this description is likely wholly earnest and accurate. This news came during the pre-show for Geoff Keighley's Shopping Hour and if a game like this is relegated to the pre-show, I can only assume the main event will include Half-Life 3, Elden Ring 2, and Deus Ex 5.

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Well, hello there, sequel to excellent detective game, The Case Of The Golden Idol, didn't expect to see you here. Announced during the pre-show of tonight's Game Awards, The Rise Of The Golden Idol exists as little more than a brief teaser trailer right now, but to be honest, I'm sold already. Sign me up, please.

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505 Games have announced a remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, the mournful 2013 fantasy adventure from Josef Fares and Starbreeze Studios. It's due for release on 28th February 2024, and we've got the reveal trailer below.

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As Dusk Falls - previously an Xbox exclusive - is heading to PlayStation consoles on 7th March, as announced at tonight's Game Awards show.

On PS5 the game will have all-new haptic feedback and touchpad controls. It will also be available on PS4, as well as PC via Epic and Gog.com.

It first released in July 2022 as the first game from studio Interior/Night, founded by former Quantic Dream lead Caroline Marchal.

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A new entry in the Mana series is on the way called Visions of Mana - the first mainline instalment for over 15 years.

It's set for release in 2024 across PlayStation consoles, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

As is typical of the Square Enix series, it's an action RPG and features a beautiful anime style. Check out the trailer below.

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Rise of the Ronin will release on 22nd March, 2024. As already confirmed, it will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

At this evening's Game Awards, we got a new trailer for Rise of Ronin, which is coming from Team Ninja.

"Japan at the end of the 19th century was characterised by the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a period of oppression and stagnation," reads the trailer's description.

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Sonic the Hedgehog publisher Sega has announced five new projects at The Game Awards this evening: new chapters in a slew of classic franchises.

Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage will all see new releases over the next few years, host Geoff Keighley said.

Sega's trailer also stated "& more" - though it's unclear what other series the publisher is pulling out of its broom closet. (No, don't hope for Skies of Arcadia, my heart cannot take it.)

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Supermassive Games and Behaviour have unveiled their brand new narrative game set in the world of Dead by Daylight.

The Casting of Frank Stone, as it's called, is an original story with brand new characters. Behaviour announced the project at its Dead by Daylight livestream earlier this year, but it was officially revealed with a trailer at tonight's The Game Awards.

As with Supermassive's previous games (The Quarry, Until Dawn), The Casting of Frank Stone will be a choice-based narrative game and promises a "gruesome mystery".

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Last year's The Case of the Golden Idol was a murder-mystery treat, and developer Color Gray Games has now revealed there's more deductive adventure on the way in follow-up The Rise of the Golden Idol, launching for PC and consoles next year.

The big change this time around is that The Rise of the Golden Idol ditches the 18th century setting of its predecessor in favour of a slightly more contemporary time period, whisking players to the 1970s where they'll need to solve 15 new cases of "crime, death and depravity".

The Rise of the Golden Idol will see players attempting to make sense of a grand mystery in an age of "hallucinogens, fax machines, parapsychology and TV guides", in a quest that'll bring them face-to-face with "enlightenment seekers, convicts, chat show hosts and corporate middle management" - all with their their own motives and agendas.

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Fans couldn’t believe it when Bandai Namco teased that a new Budokai Tenkaichi fighting game was in the works. We now know it’s called Dragon Ball Sparking Zero and it looks like something players who have been waiting almost two decades can get excited about.

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