“Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth” is officially due to drop in 2024. The highly anticipated addition to the role-playing franchise will arrive for the PS5, notably on “two discs.” (What that detail means is still unclear, but a logical assumption would be that the game is just that big.)
The major announcement was the last of many revelations at the Summer Game Fest 2023 big games showcase on Thursday, held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles to highlight upcoming releases gamers can look forward to in the near future. Also among the biggest items were reveals of the “Mortal Kombat 1” gameplay, the debut of a new “Sonic the Hedgehog” game, a fresh trailer for Netflix’s “Witcher” fantasy series and more.
The annual convention kicked off with a surprise “Prince of Persia” appearance, revealing that “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown” will release on Jan. 18, 2024. Given how long it’s been since publisher Ubisoft gave the franchise any attention (not counting a delayed “Prince of Persia” remake project that’s still stuck in limbo), the news came as a particular surprise.
Another shock for 2D platforming fans came with the reveal of “Sonic Superstars,” a new speedy platformer starring Sonic the Hedgehog and his core group of friends: Tails, Knuckles and Amy. The game can be played solo or in co-op, supporting up to four players. It’s set to arrive this fall and will release on all major gaming consoles and PC. Its pricing starts at $60, with no word on whether there will be more expensive deluxe editions made available.
In addition to “Sonic,” Sega also showed off a new trailer for the “Yakuza” spinoff exploring what happened to Kazuma Kiryu after the developments of “Yakuza 6.” The new game, “Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name” arrives Nov. 9.
SGF 2023 also featured the gameplay debut of “Mortal Kombat 1,” showing gamers what they can expect from the newest installment in the famous franchise. There weren’t as many surprises there — anyone familiar with the series knows to expect gory one-on-one combat rendered with the latest graphics technology the industry has to offer.
“Alan Wake 2” also got a fresh gameplay reveal, showing off the third-person shooting action players can expect from the horror sequel to “Alan Wake,” a narrative-driven thriller heavily inspired by the work of writers like Stephen King.
The game, which releases in October, will cost $50 on PC and $60 on consoles, bucking the industry’s recent $70-or-bust trend.
In other big news, “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” got a release date: Oct. 20, 2023. Though Sony previously showed off gameplay, the title itself was without a proper release date until now.
Dontnod appears to be taking a break from “Life is Strange” mania to return to third-person action games with “Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden,” slated for the end of 2023. It’s been a while since Dontnod entertained the genre, with “Vampyr” and “Remember Me” both a ways in the rearview mirror.
And rounding off the list of major announcements was a trailer for the new “Black Desert Online” expansion, featuring the legendary “Imoogi,” a serpent from Korean mythology. The expansion, “Land of the Morning Light,” arrives Wednesday.
