2023 has been a good year for video game sequels, and hopefully, things will continue in this direction. So far, the gaming community has been blessed with incredible remakes that add a new twist to great titles, as well as marvelous sequels that expand on a few well-established names. Despite all these offerings, there is so much more to look forward to this year and beyond.
There are many upcoming video game sequels that fans cannot wait to get their hands on. Players have high hopes that these titles will live up to their lofty expectations.
Listed below are the eight biggest video game sequels with lots to live up to in the next few years.
8 biggest video game sequels fans are waiting for
1) Cities: Skylines 2
There was a time in gaming history when SimCity was the undisputed champion of city-builder titles. However in 2015, Paradox Interactive came out with Cities: Skylines, which took over as the new king in the genre. When it was released, the game provided a more in-depth and realistic simulation-type experience compared to SimCity.
After over half a decade and tons of DLC content, Cities: Skylines will finally receive a follow-up. Cities: Skylines 2 is set to be launched in October 2023. Fans of the original title and city-builder games in general have some very high expectations for this release, as evidenced by the posts/comments in forums and subreddits dedicated to the franchise.
Realistic expectations on CS2 by u/HolierThanYow in CitiesSkylines
While Paradox Interactive has a lot to live up to with Cities: Skylines 2, the developer has a good track record when it comes to strategy games. There are many reasons to be optimistic about the success of this sequel.
2) Mortal Kombat 1
Fans of fighting games have a lot to be thankful for since there has rarely been a flop in the genre. The formula for these titles seems simple enough. However, Street Fighter 6 came out swinging with new innovations just over a month ago, redefining what makes the genre great.
Now, everyone’s eyes are on the sequel for another well-known fighting video game series, Mortal Kombat 1. This title will officially be the 12th installment in the franchise, but it will be a reboot of the series, thus the change in its numbering.
Since 1992, fans have enjoyed the over-the-top gore and the vicious fatalities that have become the signature of the Mortal Combat franchise.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released in October 2023. When it does, it will have some high expectations to live up to. This installment will need to strike a balance between being new and feeling familiar to entice both newcomers and long-time franchise fans.
This video game sequel will certainly be compared to its predecessors and other fighting games that were recently released. However, fans can be optimistic that it will succeed, thanks to Mortal Kombat’s history of success and based on what the developers have showcased so far.
3) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The Yakuza series has seen plenty of installments since the first entry was released during the mid-2000s. Since then, eight installments have been released, as fans couldn’t get enough of the franchise’s arcade-style beat-em-up gameplay combined with RPG and action-adventure elements.
It would seem that the people behind the Yakuza series do not like to keep their fans waiting since two more sequels have been announced for the franchise.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth are the two sequels announced. The former is coming later this year, while the latter will be released next year.
At this point, fans and critics expect the Yakuza games to provide wonderful gaming experiences. If the formula in recent games is followed, there’s no reason to believe that the upcoming sequels will fall short.
4) Counter-Strike 2
Long before the days of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, video game fans everywhere were introduced to Counter-Strike. The competitive first-person shooter was originally a modification of Half-Life, but it quickly gained its own popularity and became a staple in LAN parties.
Since then, the Counter-Strike series has taken on a life of its own to become one of the most well-known first-person shooters. Its sequel, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, can be considered one of the games that pioneered the competitive FPS scene.
Fans were surprised when a video game sequel was announced for the Counter-Strike series. Counter-Strike 2, which is set to release sometime this summer, is an overhaul of the entire game and aims to improve on everything that the previous titles offered.
Counter-Strike 2 will deliver a hit of nostalgia for people who played the original game and will be welcomed with open arms by those who are still on CS:GO. There is a lot of optimism surrounding the title, and there is good reason to be optimistic about it. After all, it comes from the people who created one of the most popular competitive FPS games of all time.
5) Fable 4
Since releasing in 2004, the Fable series has captured the hearts of gamers worldwide. This is in spite of its creator, Peter Molyneux, having a terrible history of overpromising and failing to deliver. It has become one of the most popular RPGs and will soon have a sequel titled Fable 4. The latest installment was announced in the most recent Xbox Games Showcase.
What did Peter Molyneux promise that he didn’t follow through on? by u/Unsafeturtle in Fable
A brief trailer for Fable 4 was shown at the event, but it did not yet feature any gameplay, and no actual release date was confirmed. Many people are wondering what to expect with the upcoming video game sequel, and a common question that fans have is whether the developer will finally live up to his promises.
Regardless of whether Fable 4 overpromises and underdelivers again, there is good reason to believe that it will be successful. After all, fans have shown that they can still love a game despite its shortcomings.
6) Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
The Assassin’s Creed franchise started out as a more grounded stealth experience but evolved into a massive open-world RPG series, thanks to its last three installments. Fans of the original game felt alienated as the series departed from its roots and became more distant with each video game sequel that arrived, namely: Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
These RPG-oriented installments received a lot of criticism. Aside from missing the feel of the original titles, players stated that the maps lacked depth since the side missions and the side activities were too repetitive. Now, after three titles, it appears Assassin’s Creed is ready to depart from being an RPG.
First announced in September 2022, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is a return to the series’ roots. The upcoming title will feature parkour and stealth-based action, as we saw in the gameplay trailer showcased at Ubisoft Forward earlier this year.
The much-anticipated video game sequel is slated for release in October 2023. There is some excitement surrounding its launch, but much of it can be called cautious optimism given Ubisoft’s reputation.
7) Elder Scrolls 6
When Elder Scrolls: V Skyrim was first released, the year was 2011. Back then, people played it on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
Fast forward to 2023, and the critically successful video game sequel to Oblivion has been released and re-released over and over again for the latest generation of consoles. It even made its way to the handheld Nintendo Switch.
Its video game sequel was announced in 2018. That’s right, Elder Scrolls 6 was first officially announced five years ago, and it is set for release in the next couple of years. In the interim, there has been much speculation about what we can expect from it.
While Todd Howard has not disclosed much information regarding Elder Scrolls 6, fans know that they will get a grand adventure set in a sprawling open world. The upcoming video game sequel might even be bigger in depth and scale than Skyrim.
Despite not knowing when it is coming out, fans are immensely excited about Elder Scrolls 6. Everyone is optimistic that it can surpass what Skyrim has achieved.
8) Grand Theft Auto 6
Grand Theft Auto 5 was launched in 2013 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Since then, it has been ported to every generation of home consoles that have been released. A decade later, there are still players who frequent its online lobbies while they wait for a sequel.
Grand Theft Auto 6 was officially announced in February 2022 via a tweet from Rockstar Games. Better yet, it is already in active development.
While there hasn’t been any confirmation with regard to its release date, fans of the series are excited about the fact that the game is returning to Vice City.
Fans and critics alike can be confident that GTA 6 is in good hands with Rockstar Games. The mainline entries in the series have always been successful, and the studio will surely capitalize on the success of the previous Grand Theft Auto titles to deliver a massive sequel deserving of the spotlight it is getting.
There are plenty more games to look out for in 2023 and the next few years, but these are the upcoming sequels that are too big to fail.
Leave a Reply