What PlayStation Exclusives are Coming in 2023?
Ever since the launch of the PS4 in 2013, Playstation has prided itself on its exclusive offerings. From Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us and Uncharted franchises to the Horizon series, God of War, and much more, Playstation has certainly succeeded when it comes to putting out console-selling releases. Of course, Microsoft has taken a similar approach in the last couple of years by buying Bethesda and Activision, but Playstation is still the king of console exclusives for now (if you don’t count Nintendo- who’s best games are almost always exclusive to the Switch). So, given Sony’s track record in putting out great titles just for Playstation, what does the company have in the works for next year?
Forspoken
A completely new property from Square Enix, Forspoken is an action RPG with an ambitious story and world. Despite being set to release on 24 January next year, not much is known besides a few trailers and gameplay presentations. From these, however, we already know that the gameplay seems to feel smooth and fun, although quite repetitive at times. On top of this, the humor in the previews was heavily criticized, and I’m not yet sold on the story. However, it is good to see a lot of faith being put into a new project- especially in the complete takeover of rereleases and remakes in the last few years.
Final Fantasy XVI
One of the biggest games coming out next year is the successor to the controversial Final Fantasy XV. It will have been seven years since XV’s launch by the time XVI is put into players' hands, and first impressions of this entry in the long-running franchise seem much more positive. By confirming they are ditching the classic turn-based formula for something more in line with a mix of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Devil May Cry, Square Enix has cemented the series into a more modern feeling experience. On top of this, the last two trailers we have seen have both looked excellent- and with another reportedly coming this month, there’s even more to look forward to for fans of the modern Final Fantasy style.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Next year is looking to be a very big one for the Square-Playstation partnership with yet another exclusive for Sony. The sequel to the amazing FFVII Remake, this looks to take even more of a deviation from the Playstation 1 original. This is especially true as the name indicated: Rebirth. Since we have only been given one vague trailer so far, we still don’t know too many details on the gameplay or story, but I’m sure both will be strong like the 2020 Remake. The second in a confirmed trilogy, it will be interesting to see how this entry bridges the gap between Midgar and the closing sections of the original game.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Moving away from Square-Enix, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Spider-Man is set to come out likely next year. Although not confirmed, its announcement early this year does lean towards this sort of release date. This would be an excellent time for a release too- especially given the recent buzz around the game due to the original’s PC port. Fans are looking forward to seeing the improvements of spin-off Spider-Man: Miles Morales make their way into the next mainline game on the PS5. All we have so far is one trailer- but there are hints of two playable characters and confirmation of fan-favorite Venom as a villain- so the game looks to be taking a positive direction already.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
Rounding off our list of (confirmed) 2023 Playstation exclusives is the VR ‘Call of the Mountain’. While not technically a PS5 exclusive, this is set to be exclusive to Sony’s PSVR 2- which requires a PS5 to play. This spin-off to the well-loved Horizon series is looking to be the next big step for VR. With immersive combat and a less on-rails approach that a lot of these types of games have, this may be the experience that proves the concept of VR for more gamers. If it is as innovative as it seems, ‘Call of the Mountain’ could be a system seller for the VR2- which is needed given its rumored £349.99 price point.
So, Sony has a lot in the works for next year- and that’s just what’s been announced so far. With an early-year State of Play likely, this list will likely get even longer. However, with Xbox’s big plays to acquire more exclusive studios and franchises, Sony will have to get more aggressive if it wants to retain its crown of the king of exclusives between the two consoles.
