While we were still reeling from the success of Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok, and Diablo IV, the gaming world decided to make us lose sleep again! Here are the hottest releases of the year which the gaming enthusiasts are raving about. We decided to give them a go to see if they are worth the hype! Let’s review them gameplay by gameplay and see how they fare.
Dredge
2023 has seen its fair share of hottest game releases, but nothing even comes close to this year’s greatest Indie horror. What appears to be a laidback single-player fishing-management simulator at first glance is actually pulsing with a sinister undercurrent, presented in a glinting cel-shaded veneer. Take a disturbing dive into Lovecraftian lore as you sell your catch to the locals or merchants for money or upgrades, scour the sea for valuables and long buried secrets, complete side quests, and explore the mysterious archipelago and its surrounding depths. Collect money to buy the latest equipment and upgrade your fishing trawler to gain access to secluded locations and discover rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios. You will surely appreciate the added paraphernalia when the world shifts around at night and your catch of the day transforms in to sea monsters, ghost ships, and strange phenomena. If you have an affinity for adventure and mystery, you are bound to get hooked to this cosmic horror-fueled, 12-hour fishing expedition of a lifetime. Available on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
Hi-Fi Rush
From the famed studio that gave us downcast psychological torment of The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo, comes an exciting, pulse-throbbing title that is sure to have you tapping your feet and banging your head to a killer mixtape of tracks. Help the wannabe rockstar Chai and his ragtag team take on an evil Megacorp in a rhythm-amplified combat, where landing hits in rhythm reveals special Beat Hits, special moves or even call in an ally mid-combo. Chai is all set to wreak vengeance on the comedically dubious corporation Vandelay Technologies for a failed experiment that left Chai with a superpowered robot arm and a music player lodged in his chest.
Welcome to the world of rhythm combat, where characters, the environment and even enemy attacks stylishly sync to the music with meticulous detail. The energetic and frantic mash-up of beat ’em up and hack ‘n’ slash action is surely a breath of fresh air after more sinister releases of the last quarter. We fell in love with Hi-Fi rush’s brilliant anime-inspired visuals, vibrant graphics, compelling character design, charismatic villains, slick animations, innovative plot laced with good-natured humor, and individual outlandish soundtracks for each showdown. All in all, the game is a memorable journey that marches to the beat of its own drum. Hi-Fi Rush is available on Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’
Every once in a while, a game comes along and makes you look at life in a whole different way – for me, it was the Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom. The truly spectacular action-adventure game takes you on an epic journey through the sprawling landscapes—and skies—of Hyrule in a quest for pure, unfettered discovery. Forge your own path and bear the consequences of your choices as you combat the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom. Leverage Link’s powerful new abilities to craft audacious weapons, imbue your arrows with special ingredients for wild new effects, come up with creative ways to travel across the landscape, and build, battle and play to save your kingdom. The most amazing thing about the game is that it highlights how the power of human imagination pushes us through our toughest challenges. If you find yourself getting sidetracked by the beauty of the game and wander off to just explore, the compelling story, linked to the ancient history of Hyrule, will always pull you back towards the central quest. All in all, it is an outrageously big action-adventure that builds on the strengths of its predecessor and encompasses all that a great game should have and more.
Street Fighter 6
If you are looking for a full-fledged fighting-game that offers a highly evolved combat system, you have got to try the newly released addition to the street fighter series. Choose between three distinct gaming modes; World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub, play legendary masters and leverage each character’s exhilarating cinematic specials. Street Fighter 6 is by far the best next-gen fighting games and features a lot of content that will make gamers busy for hundreds of hours. For all those wondering if the newest game still retains the basic fighting mechanics that the Street Fighter series is so loved for, let me tell you that the nervy, pugilistic, feint-and-counterpunch magic of Street Fighter is back again in all its glory and splendor! Introducing a multitude of accessibility options, a pleasing graffiti-inspired art direction, and generations of characters, will have the fighting game community raving for years to come. Available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, arcade game, Microsoft Windows.
Spider-man 2
The most anticipated game of the year is here and we are excited to have a go at it! Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t disappoint as far as sequels go. Picking up after its massively successful ancestors – Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales – the mega-sized PS5 exclusive lets you play as both Miles Morales and Peter Parker as Spider-Man, each with their own unique combat skills that reflect their personalities. The new game sees the comeback of Harry Osborn, Kraven the Hunter and the anti-hero: Venom. With a riveting story inspired from a number of classic comic book stories, the most awe-inspiring web-shooting and wall-crawling mechanics we have seen in the Spider-man series, a much-enhanced gameplay and intuitive controls, and by far the most amazing open-world rendition of New York City, the game offers an unparalleled peek into the spider-man universe. Released for PS5, this is a game you will never want to finish.
