2023’s holiday seasonhas seen some big releases hit the market. Besides bringing digital joy to your holiday weekend, these games have made a name for themselves because of how fun they are or how innovative they are. Some have been long-awaited releases, while others are recently released surprises.
It’s good to know what games to look out for during theChristmasseason since it can also determine what gifts people will enjoy. A new first-person shooter will help test yourbrand-new gaming mouse, while a new horror game will be the perfect way to test abrand-new gaming headset.Here are 9 game releases over the holidays that would make the perfect gift for that special gaming buddy, nerdy family member, or for yourself.
The Exit 8
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Pokemon Scarlet And Violet: The Hidden Treasure Of Area Zero
The Finals
Custom Mech Wars
House Flipper 2
Video Game Release Dates 2023
Every notable video game release date for 2023 in one convenient location — updated weekly with new release dates and delays!
1. The Exit 8
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The Exit 8 is an indie horror game about escaping from an endless loop. To do so, you have to identify anomalies and walk away from them.The horror of this game comes to life when you start second-guessing yourself about what’s “normal” and what’s an anomaly.
A short, but sweet horror game created by Kotake Create. The concept of The Exit 8 is simple: walk forward through a looping hallway until you come across an anomaly. Once you find the anomaly, turn around and keep going until you run into another anomaly. Once you’ve done this enough times, you’ll escape from this subway.
Most of the anomalies can range from subtle to glaringly obvious, with a few creepy ones thrown in for good measure. But the way this game uses these anomalies is what makes it a treasure. Subtle differences will have you questioning whether what you’re looking at is a real difference or if you’re just gaslighting yourself. Obvious differences are fun to experience, but you get to turn around and walk back to the hallway knowing you may’t possibly be wrong. No matter what gets thrown your way, the constant sense of progression, short game time, and “find the difference” gameplay makes The Exit 8 a treat for anyone looking for a new game over the festive period.
2. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora lets players take control of a Na’vi as they desperately defend their home from the RDA.This game is perfect for anyone looking to truly interact and explore the world of Pandora over the holidays.
Much like the movie this game is based on,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais a veritable feast for the eyes. This game is a first-person shooter that has the player taking control of a Na’vi as they fight to defend Pandora from the RDA. As you defend your home, you’ll get to walk, fly, and swim through a few of the different biomes found on Pandora. In some instances, it almost feels like you’re playing through a nature documentary, and David Attenborough’s dulcet voice will be narrating your actions at any minute.
What’s particularly fun about this game is how it never forgets you are a 9ft tall giant blue person with an insane amount of destructive force at your fingertips. Your bow and arrows are large enough and strong enough to shoot down an armored helicopter, sliding from place to place will cover a ridiculous amount of ground, and you’re able to leap over to an armored mech and rip the relatively small humans from their cockpits. Regardless, if you’ve ever dreamed about running through the forests of Pandora, or bonding with your own animal to soar through the skies or gallivant through the grasslands, then Frontiers of Pandora is the game for you.
3. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an immersive 40k RPG that has you taking control of and leading a unique team of aliens and imperial allies to save the Koronus Expanse.If you want a combination of 40k’s dark setting and Baldur’s Gate’s gameplay, then this is the game to play.
Set in Games Workshop’s grim41st millennium,Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Traderhas players taking on the role of the titular traveling merchants known as Rogue Traders in the Imperium of Man. For those unfamiliar with Warhammer 40,000’s lore, Rogue Traders are a unique group of merchants who are given a Warrant of Trade, a legal document that outlines the requirements of their service, and in exchange, it gives the Rogue Trader the legal grounds to do almost anything they may please so long as it serves the Imperium of Man.
This near-unlimited freedom for the Rogue Trader is also the perfect stage for some incredible narrative tales since Rogue Traders are allowed to interact with almost every part of the Warhammer 40,000 setting and still make it make sense. It’s with little wonder that when Owlcat Games created their CRPG, it took on a similar style and look to Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3. However, while combat between the two games has several differences between them, one of the largest differences is how Rogue Trader also allows you to customize your own spaceship and pilot it in large ship vs ship fights. Exploring the grim darkness of the 41st millennium has never looked so good.
4. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
The popular monster collecting game finally has a new installment in its franchise. The Dark Prince takes everything previous games have done and refines it to create a wonderful creature-catching experience.
Dragon Quest Monstersis another take on the monster-collecting genre popularized by Pokemon. Just like with your adventures with Pikachu, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince will have you collect new monster friends as you travel around the world, but unlike Pokemon, monsters don’t evolve. Instead, you may also synthesize old monsters together to create new ones, which, in many ways, is similar to Persona 5’s fusion system. The newly synthesized monsters will be back at level 1 with a new host of skills, both inherited and new.
Battles also take a different route than Pokemon. While both games use a turn-based combat system, Pokemon battles are usually a rotating 1v1 or 2v2 format. Dragon Quest Monsters uses a 4v4 format, making its battles a little bit more chaotic. However, the prevalence of large, multi-target attacks and multiple special skills between 8 monsters keeps each battle an exciting affair.
5. Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is Cygames' and Arc Systems' latest fighting game featuring the main characters of Granblue Fantasy.What really sets this game apart from the others is how it acts as the perfect entryway into fighting games, and it even offers a minigame mode similar to Fall Guys.
Granblue Fantasy Versus Risingis the newest fighting game based on the popular Granblue Fantasy games. While any fan of the fighting game genre will want to sink their teeth into its online PvP with rollback netcode, newer fans of the genre will find this to be the most accessible fighting game to date. Simplified controls and a dedicated skill button allow Versus Rising to have an easy-to-grasp and execute control scheme similar to Super Smash Brothers - meaning, a single press of the skill button, or pressing the skill button with a direction allows the player to perform all of their special attacks.
However, this simplified scheme does not rob the game of its deep complexities at higher levels of play. A dedicated block button means players will only have to worry about high-low mixups, and the new Raging Strike system encourages players to be aggressive toward one another to win the game. With all of these ideas in mind, Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising stands as not only a promising new fighting game to enjoy but also the perfect entry point into the genre as a whole.
Rising also introduces a new mode called Grand Bruise, where players can use their chibi avatars to compete in several light-hearted minigames against one another. It makes for a good break between sweaty fighting game sessions.
6. Pokemon Scarlet And Violet - The Hidden Treasure Of Area Zero: The Indigo Disk
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero comes in two parts, with each part providing a unique adventure for the player to enjoy.The newest one to release this holiday season is the Indigo Disk, which introduces new and old Pokemon into Scarlet and Violet.
ThePokemon Scarlet and VioletDLC, The Hidden Treasure Of Area Zero, is broken down into two parts. The first part is the Teal Mask, where the player gets to explore the land of Kitakami on a school trip. The Indigo Disk is the second part of the DLC and will introduce players to Blueberry Academy as an exchange student. Along the way, players who buy this part of the DLC will get new Pokemon like Raging Bolt (Scarlet only), the paradox form of Raikou, and Iron Crown (Violet only), the paradox form of Cobalion.
Of course, each new DLC brings old Pokemon back into the current generation. Popular reintroductions include the evolutionary lines for Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Totodile, Chikorita, Treecko, Torchick, Mudkip, Snivy, and Tepig to name a few. Among Legendaries, the legendary dogs make a return (Entei, Suicune, and Raikou), Ho-Oh, Lugia, Solgaleo, Lunastra, and the legendary dragons (Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem).
7. The Finals
The Finals is a brand-new entry into the FPS BR genre of games, throwing its hat into the ring with Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Call of Duty Warzone.However, with fluid movement and destructible environments, The Finals offers a unique experience you can’t find anywhere else.
With a surprise release after the 2023 Game Awards,The Finalsis the newest competitor in the FPS Battle Royale genre. Out of all the other Battle Royale games, The Finals seems to be a direct competitor to Apex Legends since they both feature fast, smooth movement mechanics mixed with entertaining gunplay. What sets The Finals apart, however, is its destructible environment. Players can blow up parts of buildings and cover to get a better advantage for themselves.
This blend of fast movement and a destructible environment gives players a constant sense of needing to stay on the move. Safe areas, reliable cover, and even a high-ground advantage are all fleeting boons in the face of the weaponry in The Finals. Opponents may take the time to blow up the floor below you or throw a grenade to evaporate your disguise.
8. Custom Mech Wars
One of the most hilarious games to release this holiday season is Custom Mech Wars. Players get to build whatever ridiculous giant fighting robot comes to mind and fight legions of evil robots in this third-person shooter.
The mad geniuses behindEarth Defense Forcehave created a brand-new game that will be released on December 14th. Custom Mech Wars is what would be expected ifArmored Core 6was mixed up with a coop horde shooter and EDF’s humor sprinkled in for good cheer.
In Custom Mech Wars, hordes of giant robots have invaded and destroyed most of the major cities. To combat this new mechanical threat, humanity has created its own giant fighting robots to defeat them all. While the combat looks similar to EDF 5 (this time with a larger focus on giant robots), the main allure is customizing and creating your own giant fighting robot. The trailer spotlights just how imaginative their mech creator allows players to be, from big guns covering every inch of a mech’s body to a tank with astonishingly attractive legs. If you’re not a fan of Gundam’s sci-fi designs, Custom Mech also features customizable bodies similar to those found inZoidsor even Voltron. Based on the trailers and screenshots, along with this company’s past work, this game looks like it’ll be a treat for any fan of the mecha genre or ridiculous horde shooters.
9. House Flipper 2
House Flipper 2 is that cozy game to ring in the holidays with. Many of its tasks feel more like a relaxing jigsaw puzzle that leaves you with a sparkling house at the end to decorate.
Maybe you’re not looking for a new action game to get into. Maybe what you’re looking for is a nice, cozy, relaxing game where all you do is clean up a house and then sell it for large piles of cash. If that sounds like it would be up your alley, then House Flipper 2 is the game you’ll want to play this holiday. In the second installment, and much like the first game, you’ll get to clean up, decorate, and repair derelict houses to sell.
Compared to its predecessor, House Flipper 2 has newly upgraded tools, a graphics overhaul, and a brand-new sandbox mode. In this new mode, players can create their own houses from the ground up with their materials or create a house with tasks for other players to complete. The story mode also makes a return for players who want to focus on cleaning and decorating a home instead of building a brand-new one from the ground up. At the very least, House Flipper 2 will be a chill game for you to just fix up a house and let your worries melt away.
Looking for more Christmas gift ideas and deals on games, consoles, accessories, and more? Then check out our other Holiday Gift Guides in 2023:
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