In early December, God of War: Ragnarök swept the 2022 Game Awards with eleven nominations and six awards, including Best Audio Design and Best Narrative. However, the Elden Ring won Game of the Year, with its notoriously difficult RPG bosses and stunning graphics to boot. 

That begs the question: which games will come out on top in 2023? With upcoming releases already announced by both up-and-coming indie developers and well-established triple-A companies, there’s bound to be a compelling game for any player, making for some tough competition for the next awards ceremony. 

Thus far, there are five games, all projected to release sometime this year, that I foresee being nominated for a later awards ceremony: 

1. Assassin’s Creed Mirage (TBA)

Ubisoft’s blockbuster open-world franchise has been fraught with controversy over the company’s increasingly emphasized in-game cosmetic purchases, buggy graphics (this picture from Assassin’s Creed Unity should ring a bell), and overhauling of the traditional stealth-assassination mechanics and compelling storyline in favor of staggeringly RPG-oriented “hack-and-slash” gameplay falling short of long-time players’ standards. 

Despite this, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla’s continued success compelled Ubisoft to announce a new game, projected for this March, starring Basim Ibn Ishaq, first introduced in Valhalla, and his “coming-of-age” story from thief to Assassin in ninth-century Baghdad. 

Ubisoft additionally stated that the game would return to its linear action-adventure campaign and refocus on the Assassin-Templar war plotline. In an interview with GamesRadar, creative director Stephane Boudon commented that fans’ feedback influenced developers to hone in on the “core pillars” of the original games. If all goes well, Mirage’s promised return to tried-and-true franchise staples will appeal to a wider audience.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 12)

Accompanying the release of the Nintendo Switch, Breath of the Wild is considered one of the best-selling video games of all time. Encouraging free-form exploration and notably allowing players to climb any surface they wanted to as Link, the game accrued considerable critical acclaim for its open-world “reinvention” of the “Zelda formula.”

Because of the game’s astounding success, it’s not surprising that Nintendo is releasing a sequel incorporating ideas that developers were unable to add to DLCs, like traversible Sky Islands. Whether you’re a long-time Zelda fan, Breath of the Wild completionist, or someone who just enjoys open-world exploration, consider marking your calendar for this highly anticipated game’s release. 

3. Hogwarts Legacy (February 10 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC)

In this upcoming open-world ARPG set in the 19th century prior to the original Harry Potter canon, players can customize a fifth-year student, choose their House, and explore the Wizarding World at their leisure or play scaffolded by the 35-hour main story and side quests. 

While not officially disclosed by Portkey Games, it is rumored that the game will incorporate some kind of morality system in which players’ choices will impact the course of the story and their relationships with other characters. 

(And yes, you can fly around on brooms.) 

While my forecast for the top games of this year so far boast open-world interactive gameplay, it is always subject to change later with more announcements at conventions like E3, scheduled for June 13 to June 16, providing updated previews of games slated to launch in the latter half of the year.