The Top Games Coming to Game Pass in 2023

Earlier this week, I published an article looking at the biggest upcoming game pass releases scheduled for 2022. While there are certainly some heavy hitters coming this year, Xbox seems to have most of its bets hedged on 2023- with an incredible amount of diverse games heading straight to the subscription service on day one. So, let’s skip any formalities and look into (what I believe) to be the most promising of these titles slated for next year.

Starfield

I’d wager to say the most anticipated Microsoft title is inarguably the first new IP for Bethesda in decades. Starfield is set to include a huge open world (or worlds- with Todd Howard confirming that over 100 planets will be explorable), the most lines of dialogue seen in any of their projects yet, and that classic Bethesda feel (the glitchy kind) that you can’t help but love. The last big Bethesda game (no, Fallout 76 does not count) was Fallout 4 in 2015, and before that was the 11-year-old ever-relevant Skyrim in 2011. All eyes are on Starfield to be the big redeemer for Todd Howard and his team. From what we’ve seen so far, this does look like the most ambitious game by the developers yet- mixing new aspects of the Bethesda formula and (what I find to be the most exciting part) the reintroduction of long overdue deep RPG mechanics. Starfield has a lot to live up to and I might be taking a risk in saying that it’ll live up to the hype. We don’t yet have a solid release date but we do know it's coming exclusively to Xbox early next year.

Redfall

Another game falling under the Bethesda umbrella is the intriguing Redfall from Arkane Studios. Arkane is best known for its brilliant Dishonored series, as well as last year's stylish time-looping Deathloop. This studio knows exactly how to do first-person stealth/action experiences, which is why it's so exciting to see them working on a new multiplayer game that looks and plays just like older hits. There is a vampire theme this time- but unlike the steampunk setting of their other projects, Redfall is leaning more towards a gothic but retro-esque setting, taking place in a small coastal town. The goal seems to be to survive and stop a vampire menace from taking over, which isn’t exactly completely original, but given Arkane’s great storytelling track record, there’s sure to be a lot more than meets the eye with this one. Redfall is slated to release in the first half of next year.

Flintlock

While we knew that Starfield and Redfall were coming from previous announcements, one that fell under the radar until the conference was that of Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. This action RPG is the next game from the creators of indie hit Ashen. Judging by the reveal trailer, it's very impressive to see how far this team has come in such a short span of time. Flintlock is set to include its own steampunk open world where you must use a combination of gunpowder and magic to beat back a so-far unnamed force. This makes way for some very interesting gameplay scenarios, as demonstrated in the trailer. Being able to use magic and guns in the same game is rare, and often only limited to the very legitimate ‘Skyrim with guns’ mods. You also have the help of a strange dog/cat-like creature who will almost certainly act as the heart and soul of the experience. All in all, the unique look and feel (although limited until we can get out hands on it) of the game does make it worthy of being on everyone’s radar. Flintlock is coming to day one to Game Pass in early 2023.

Wo Long

Asurprise reveal from last month’s Xbox showcase, Wo Long is set to be the next project by Team Ninja- best known for the Nioh series of games. Veterans of the souls franchise found a lot to love in the familiar and unique aspects of Nioh and its sequel, with most agreeing it's one of the best franchises in the soullike genre. After earning its stripes, Team Ninja is branching out while staying true to what they know with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. While only a single minute and a half cinematic reveal trailer has been released so far (and no gameplay), it's safe to say that this outing will follow the trends followed by this developer in the past. These being tough-as-nails gameplay, dozens of weapons to try, and a confusing but enjoyable story. What we know right now is that you play as a lone, nameless militia soldier who uses Chinese martial arts to battle demons through three diverse kingdoms. So, basically, Nioh: China edition. This is far from a bad thing, however, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the studio handles this new Ip. Wo Long is slated (like everything else it seems) for the first half of 2023.

Persona 4 Golden/Persona 3 Portable

Now, I know that this is technically cheating in more ways than one. Not only are there two entries in this spot, but I already talked about the hotly anticipated Persona 5 Royal coming this year earlier this week. Despite this, I still think there’s a good reason for these two to make it to the list. While not forgotten by any means, they do fall to the wayside in the shadow of their younger, newer brother. Persona 3 and 4 were originally released for the Playstation 2 and were later ported to the PSP and PS: Vita respectively in what many agree is their definitive editions. However, besides the PC release of Persona 4, there’s been no love shown to these titles since. That’s why it was so amazing to see that these can not only finally be playable on the console again since their original releases, but also are coming free to game pass subscribers on day one. Following the same formula of the fifth game, in these famous JRPGs, you assume the role of a student who lives a visual novel by day and fights demons by night, there’s a reason for Persona’s success as a franchise. If you’ve played and enjoyed Persona 5, there is no reason not to rush to experience these two upon their release. This is especially since they look a lot more touched up and have had their fps enhanced on the new consoles. You can get your hands on these two in the early months of 2023.

So, 2023 has even more to look forward to when compared to 2022 as an Xbox fan- and especially as a Game Pass subscriber. If the release dates of these titles hold true, the first six months of next year will be the most exciting period of the subscription service yet. Let’s just hope that each of these lives up to what fans are hoping for.