Badgers showcases six games due for release in 2023 worthy of watching. And maybe even a... gulp... pre-order... Be sure to keep an eye out for these titles - all currently slated for release this year.
Starfield
It's no surprise that, for someone as interested as I am in Star Citizen, Starfield heads this list. Bethesda already have games like Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Dishonored under their belts, which bodes well for the upcoming Starfield.
Bethesda has promised us "Skyrim in space", with 1,000 planets to visit, customisable ships, and a sweeping narrative set amongst the stars. Set in the uneasy truce between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective, you play a member of Constellation - a group of space explorers, with other factions like the Pirates of the Crimson Fleet, Ecliptic Mercenaries, and the religious fanatics that make up House Va'Ruun.

It promises all the depth we've come to expect from an RPG developed by Bethesda, including detailed character creation, traits levelling up depending on how much you use them and - yes - even lockpicking. It'll need these, as there are no multiplayer features planned for the game at all.
Starfield has already been delayed once and there is no firm release date when I wrote this, so another delay is a possibility, especially if we take the promise of 'more handcrafted content than any other Bethesda game' seriously. But that in itself is a very enticing prospect.
Release: First half of 2023
Hogwarts Legacy
Legacy has been delayed for two years, but a glance at its list of features makes it easy to see why. You'll be able to cast spells, brew potions, and tame and care for magical creatures, some of which you'll be able to ride. Schoolmates will become befriendable companions to accompany you on quests, and new spells and potions can be learnt in class.

And of course, the promise of a highly detailed Hogwarts and other locations from the films will be more than enough to draw people in, despite the usual round of 'controversy' that will inevitably be brought against anything under JK Rowling's name.
I have to say, I kind of wish I hadn't looked up the release date for Hogwarts Legacy. In doing so, I saw the Limited Edition boxed set and now I'm frantically trying to convince myself that I don't need it. But Legacy looks set to be the closest we've come yet to living the full 'Wizarding World' dream.
Release Date: Feb 2023
Company of Heroes 3
As an RTS, Company of Heroes 2 has weathered the test of time remarkably well. It's still one of the best-looking strategy games I've played, and its gameplay means that now, even after its launch in 2013, there is still a healthy tournament scene with not-to-be-sniffed-at prize pools ($16,000 recently). I think I've just passed 1000 hours in it, and much of that has been in the last couple years.

The third instalment on the series will have a single player campaign that will be very familiar to those who have played the first game, plus a second campaign that will be far more free-form. Move your battleships close to your ground forces to be able to call in their fire support during battles. Control of airstrips will grant you air support call-ins, and each army will come with its own abilities and unit types.
The beta is live on Steam and alternates between single-player missions and pvp games for those who'd like an early peek at what's on offer - no pre-purchase required.
Release date: February 23rd
Skull and Bones
Maybe Star Citizen has broken me - I was about to write that Skull and Bones has 'only' been delayed for 5 years...
Skull and Bones began life as a multiplayer expansion for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag but ended up as a standalone product. The game doesn't have a structured narrative, but we can customise our ships, gather contracts and resources, and of course take to the high seas to battle other players.

Skull and Bones looks to be a more realistic, adult game than Sea of Thieves ever wanted to be, and it also ships with a feature many Sea of Thieves players have been requesting since the game's launch - the ability to play as PvE only. Whether you want to ruin other people's day or sail safe in the knowledge that the AI is the worst thing out there, there looks to be enough under Skull and Bones' hood for the game to establish itself as a favourite.
Release: March 6th
Space Marine 2
Space Marine did a very special thing that so few games set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It actually made me feel like a Space Marine. I would one-punch grots that would just exposed, scream from the sky and crush enemies as I landed, and take on hordes of Orks alone like a true Astartes. If this wasn't enough, then having your character voiced by the legendary Mark Strong pushes it over the top.

If I'm going to be completely honest, my enthusiasm for SM2 has waned a little since it was revealed that Mark would not be returning to voice Captain Titus. Yet the change of enemy from the Orks to the Tyranids, a race of bio-adaptable, eat-everything-in-their-path gribblies, is a welcome - if predictable - change.
The screenshots too have been building my confidence in SM2's delivery - with vastly larger encounters and areas modeled, and what at least seem to be more reactive friendly AI. I'm not really aware of any big 40K games in the works after this one, so it needs to be good enough to tide us over for a long while! Here's hoping we get mod support. Release: 2023... somewhen....
Diablo 4
It feels like a little bit of a sellout move to include the 4th(ish) instalment in a series on this list, because Acti-Blizz have been the epitome of corporate evil for some time now, and I normally view endless sequels as unimaginative. And yet everything we've heard and know about D4 has been seriously positive.

Diablo 3's launch was mired with significant problems. DRM required us to be always online and people struggled to get into servers for weeks after the game went live. We can only hope that Diablo 4's launch will be different.
The visuals look pleasingly close to the original and the second game, and Blizzard are pushing for the game to be more open-world than ever. Coupled with satisfying gameplay, endless skill customisation, and Blizzard's utterly beautiful cutscenes, D4 is one to watch.
Release: June 6th
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