At this, the edge of the knife dangling from the crumbling rocks of this year threatening to plunge headfirst into the next, I wanted to touch on that most hopeful of topics- what the future has in store for us- the ever curious. This year has been much lauded for what it's done for the gaming world, what has been brought and what has, hopefully, been stoked within the hearts of creatives the world over. We can only see that the example of Baldur's Gate 3 has been set, whether anyone else is brave enough to try and reach that staggeringly open-faced, highly reactive, systematically dense title is anyone's guess going forward. But at the very least there are a bevy of ambitious looking titles coming in the near future that we can be excited about, or at least to hear about? Because honestly, I just want to hear that one of the games on this list still exists- pretty please.
First off is the obvious. Yes, I am excited for the upcoming 'Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth'- which is an obvious pick being such a giant Yakuza fan as has been documented exhaustively on this here blog. But it goes a little deeper than just fandom. Every single snippet I hear about Like a Dragon 8 genuinely sounds like some of the most overly ambitious insanity this franchise has ever shot for, buy quite a crazy margin! Yakuza has always been a franchise of making due with what they had, for years most of the games didn't even have voiced side content because these games are made on a shoe-string compared to what the top of the Western AAA world are granted. But as Yakuza/Like a Dragon has made a name for itself in the west, that divide has shrunk further as SEGA has taken baby steps wading into the market and ensuring that we are, in fact, Like a Dragon fiends.
Infinite Wealth seems to be their most confident dive yet, as every aspect of what this new game is bringing to the table sounds genuinely insane. Much has already been said about it, but it cannot be overstated how over the top it is for them to just casually confirm how we're getting an Animal Crossing style resort management minigame just chucked atop the package here- one of the most elaborate sounding meta games this franchise has ever boasted, in a franchise full to the brim of meta games! And now they've even read the room and decided to thrown in a Rouge-lite dungeon which changes every time you delve into it, providing that kind of infinite challenge that AAA titles are starting to leech off of the indie game market. Infinite Wealth is looking like the biggest Yakuza game ever made, and I am hear for the cementing of their success as Japan's premier gaming export!
Elsewise- Final Fantasy has settled itself in my psyche through my inexplicable catching up on all things '7 Remake' over the past few months, which naturally means I'm ready for the coming next step on that adventure- Rebirth. (despite the growing concerns that this is going to be a 200 GB game. Not looking forward to Harddrive wiping just to play this one title.) Final Fantasy 7 Re- franchise has the potential to change the face of an absolute classic in a manner that does not set the entire fanbase aflame, and if we can follow along bright eyed for that journey, I want to be there on the cusp! The PS first release debate is a kick to the ego, as always, but I managed to avoid spoilers for the first game for several years, I'm sure the exercise will remain second nature going into this one. I just want to see what has been made of this recreation of the original game's best hours.
Oh and let us not forget the one game who is sailing on the wings of the new year ready to bring life back to an old narrative. The Remake for Persona 3, named 'Reloaded', looks absolutely fantastic- better each trailer- reviving the classic narrative of The Dark Hour and the team that come together in order to save the world and stop it. Touching on themes of arresting depression and death-like apathy, and finding connection and meaning through those that are our friends. It promises to provide a fantastic experience to those who have never had the chance to play the original, as well as grant a whole new audience to it's incredible hybrid electronic soundtrack which, unsurprisingly, is one of the best JRPG soundtracks ever made. Give it to the Persona team to know where to put the bulk-load of their efforts!
And another game I'm looking forward to? Well, call me a dreamer and a fool and a hopeless romantic fawning over a future he will never get the chance to see- because I am low-key all of those things for expecting to see literally anything regarding Hollow Knight Silksong. I know it's a meme at this point, the game that doesn't exist being teased year after year to a hopeful public, but I've enough experience with the budding franchise to insist that to me it is more than the meme. I utterly adored the expertly interwoven dark-fantasy epic, plucked from the heart of FromSoft souls game, a narrative which collided perfectly with the slick pixel-exact platforming combat in a glorious fusion of undeniable excellence. Hollow Knight is the best platformer ever made, and the promise of a sequel is enough to get me excited out of my mind.
Throw that excitement atop all the reveals we've had regarding the ways in which Hornet's adventure will differ from the Knight's, her spinning pirouettes, grappling hook Needle- the fact she can actually talk- I'm beyond giddy to get my hands on it myself. But like a vision of a ghost we can't seem to grasp anything concrete. The most we've ever managed to squeeze out of Team Cherry was a release window for sometime in 2023 which... well, we're slid right past that- haven't we? I hope this is all because they are nose-to-the-grindstone making the best possible game that they can, but at this point they've been so radio silent I'm not certain the equator hasn't opened up and swallowed the entire studio! Couldn't they just give us a screenshot or something? Let us know the thing is in some sort of production? Gah- this is driving me insane already!
And the last thing the new year has in store that I am, let's say morbidly, curious about would be the coming expansion for Starfield later in 2024. (Due for a year after the original launch.) That will be the moment to see if Bethesda are still stubbornly sticking to their guns or taking into account the very loud feedback they received about the game they made, and if they follow the right examples (Minecraft comes to mind) they may just be able to forge something a bit more interesting out of their currently barren universe. Oh, and I'm also looking forward to hearing about GTA 6 being delayed until late 2025- that's an exciting one! Okay, I should probably wrap this up before I slip into pure unadulterated sardony from which there will be no recovery.
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