The genre of shooters has long ceased to be something one-sided, like classic corridor shooters. On the contrary, now we are seeing such an interesting phenomenon as the merging of genres: high-quality gunplay can be found in survival games, soul likes, and even in MMO projects. It is about such versatile and interesting games that will be discussed.
In this article, we are going to talk about the top 10 upcoming and potentially best shooters that will be released during 2023.
Off The Grid
Oddly enough, “Royal Battle” opens our top, which, according to the authors, will appeal to even opponents of this genre. A project called Off The Grid, in addition to the shooter aspect, is going to attract players of the narrative component, which is the responsibility of the notorious film director Neil Blomkamp, British writer Richard K. Morgan and Olivier Hanrio, responsible for the plot of the best parts of Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed.
Presumably, the project will be released during 2023 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. At the moment, we can be content with only a few cinematics and a description from the authors themselves.
Off The Grid is a cyberpunk Battle Royale where up to 150 players will fight for dominance. The game is expected to have smooth animations and photorealistic graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5, as well as deep lore and exciting PvE missions.
ARC Raiders
Back in 2021, during the exhibition The Game Award 2021, a very interesting shooter called ARC Raiders was announced. It’s worth starting with the fact that the studio is responsible for the development, the creator of which is the former head of DICE, Patrick Soderlund. Remember the relatively old Battlefields? They were, after all, gorgeous.
What will ARC Raiders be like? From the cinematics and gameplay videos, we immediately see that the game is being developed in a sci-fi setting, and the entire gameplay will take place in a third person. The project will offer battles in the role of a militia unit against the ruthless alien ARC machines. Robots are not simple pieces of iron, because they are able to quickly respond to the player and his allies, and also become stronger during battles and call for reinforcements. The squad will also have to use a large number of various weapons and devices created from resources mined in the ruins of the past.
ARC Raiders is scheduled to release in 2023 for consoles and PC on the Epic Games Store and Steam.
PayDay 3
One of the expected projects in 2023 will be the continuation of the already legendary PayDay franchise, namely PayDay 3. You may ask why such a serious game is in the eighth place of the top, and not on a high pedestal? The fact is that since the announcement and confirmation of the approximate release date, we have not been shown any gameplay, or even full-fledged cinematics. At the same time, Starbreeze director Tobias Sjörgen made a comment at the end of December 2022 saying that the development is going smoothly and the game should still be expected in 2023.
While there is no detailed information about PayDay 3, we can assume that we will have an excellent continuation of the second part, where, having gathered a group, we will go on serious, but at the same time, driving robberies with excellent graphics and well-developed physics. In the meantime, we can only fantasize about this topic and hope that there will be no transfers.
THE FINALS
Another game from the veterans of the DICE studio, namely from Embark Studios led by Patrick Soderlund – THE FINALS. Unlike ARC Raiders, this project is a PvP first-person shooter. Players will fight in teams in virtual arenas inspired by real world locations. To win here, it is necessary not only to shoot accurately, but also to correctly use the environment. The game has a destruction system (hello, Battlefield!), which allows you to raze everything around you to the ground. In addition to weapons, skills and various gadgets will also be used.
Unfortunately, there is no exact release date yet. However, judging by the active testing of the game, the release or at least the OBT of THE FINALS can be expected during 2023. The project is being developed for the PC platform.
Redfall
In mid-2021, the authors of the notorious projects Prey and Dishonored announced a bloody vampire shooter called Redfall. Judging by the trailers and description, a very atmospheric project awaits us, where we will go to destroy the ghouls left and right with the help of a variety of weapons. Fans of the bloody rubilov will rejoice.
Redfall will boast large open locations where players will have to choose one of the possible characters and go into danger alone or in co-op with friends. The exact release date is still unknown, but the release should take place during 2023 for PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store and Xbox consoles. Also, the game will immediately fall into the Xbox Game Pass subscription for PC and consoles.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
The long-awaited continuation of the STALKER trilogy, which has become a cult in the CIS, is also expected in 2023. The project will have a large open world, amazing graphics and the very atmosphere for which the players fell in love with this franchise so much. By the way, the authors do not plan to put any protection against piracy.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will have a storyline of over 100 hours of play time, and multiplayer is planned to be introduced after release. The latter is really great news for fans, because now we can explore the open spaces of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with friends.
On our site you can find a very entertaining interview with the developers, which can be accessed at this link.
VEILED EXPERTS
NEXON is developing a very interesting third-person tactical shooter called VEILED EXPERTS. In it, in addition to a variety of weapons and good shooting, you will have to choose a character and learn how to control various gadgets. The game will have many modes, including the classic team and single deathmatch, competitive mode with tournaments and many others.
In 2022, the VEILED EXPERTS shooter went through a huge number of tests, and in March 2023, an open beta test will start, where almost all content will be available. The game is being developed for the PC platform and will be released on Steam.
The Day Before
Many will remember that The Day Before from the Yakut studio FNTASTIC was supposed to be released in the summer of 2022. However, if the project is in this top, then the release is postponed. According to the developers, this happened due to the transition to the newer Unreal Engine 5, which takes more time. The Day Before is now expected on March 1, 2023 for the PC platform on Steam.
So, directly about the game. The Day Before is developed in the setting of a zombie apocalypse and promises to provide a lot of freedom to players: the game will have an open world, and the action will unfold in the United States. Alone or with a group, we will look for useful loot, explore the big world, ride vehicles and, of course, fight hordes of zombies, as well as other players. By the way, the project focuses on the PvP component, but PvE lovers will also find something to do.
Remnant 2
The next project on our list is a kind of hybrid of a shooter and souls-like – this is Remnant 2. The first part (Remnant: From the Ashes) did not receive huge popularity at the time, however, this does not negate the fact that the project came out more than worthy.
Remnant 2 was announced as part of The Game Awards 2022, accompanied by a stunning cinematic and gameplay trailer. The new part will offer the same hardcore co-op experience, where players will have to fight various monsters and difficult bosses using firearms and melee weapons, skills and rolls. Also, based on the video, we can conclude that outwardly opponents will become more sophisticated and frightening.
The game is being developed for PC and the current generation consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and is scheduled for release in 2023. Let’s hope that the new Remnant 2 will not lose the atmosphere of the first part, and fans will not face multiple transfers (which has become commonplace lately).
The First Descendant
The first place in our top is occupied by a dynamic looter shooter from NEXON and NAT Games called The First Descendant. At the moment, the project is going through a series of tests, where users rate some of the content and leave feedback. The release will take place presumably in 2023 on PC via Steam and for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
The First Descendant is a free-to-play shooter where players will have access to a variety of heroes with their own characteristics and skills. Having chosen our character, we will go on an adventure that meets us with stunning graphics on the Unreal Engine 5 engine, as well as dangerous opponents and giant bosses with unique mechanics and movesets. Of course, you can fight alone, but the game involves cooperative gameplay, so that different heroes create synergy, increasing the overall effectiveness in battle.
And that concludes our top 10 most anticipated and potentially best shooters of 2023. Write in the comments if you are waiting for any projects from this list, and feel free to add your own if they are not included in the article.
