5 highly anticipated video game sequels for 2023 and beyond

Sometimes video games are successful enough to guarantee a sequel, which continues the story of the protagonist and weaves a new narrative into the game world.

Like in any other form of entertainment, a sequel to a video game also has the responsibility to be better than its predecessor in many ways, either in terms of gameplay or story, preferably both.

2022 has seen a fair few video game sequels, including Horizon Forbidden West and Sniper Elite 5. It is also set to have a couple more sequel releases, like A Plague Take: Requiem and God of War: Ragnarok.

This leaves several sequel titles, which are due to release sometime in 2023, and some that do not even have a release date yet.

1) Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

A single-player-centric Star Wars game was a vacancy no studio had seemingly wanted to fill for a long time until Respawn Entertainment was handed the reins to this game. As such, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a much-awaited single-player video game set in the Star Wars franchise.

The video game was highly successful upon its release, and many praised the focus on the single-player aspect. It featured an original story with new characters in the Star Wars universe, and the sequel was in high demand for quite a while. In January 2022, the developer confirmed that a follow-up video game was developing.

In May 2022, the sequel was officially revealed as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor during the Star Wars Celebration. A teaser trailer was also showcased during the event, giving clues as to where the story could be heading, including a look at a mysterious new figure seen inside a Bacta Tank.

2) Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth

While many expected Final Fantasy VII Remake to be a 1:1 recreation of an old classic for modern generations, they soon found out it was not the case. Halfway through the game, it becomes evident that the events of the remake are taking place in a different timeline.

It was an even bigger surprise to many when the game ended in a cliffhanger. Thus, the promises of a sequel were laid and were subsequently fulfilled when developer Square Enix announced the second game, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, during a FF 7 25ht anniversary celebration.

Not much is known as where the story will go from the ending of FF 7 Remake, as this is uncharted ground for the original video game, which was a standalone title. Rebirth will serve as the second game in a trilogy that will encompass the entire FF & Remake story. FF 7 Rebirth is expected to be released in late 2023 or early 2024.

3) Breath of the Wild 2

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild remains the most recent Zelda game in the franchise, barring remasters and releases. The game was released on March 3, 2017, and sees players released into the open world of the Kingdom of Hyrule. As Link, players are tasked with rescuing Princess Zelda from the clutches of Calamity Ganon and freeing the land of Hyrule.

The game was a critical and commercial success, pleasing both fans and critics alike. As Zelda games do not have a tradition of getting sequels, being separate standalone adventures, a follow-up to this game was announced during E3 2019. It was a surprise for many.

Aside from the fact that it will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive and be released sometime in 2023, little is known about the game. A teaser trailer reveals some new abilities that Link might have access to while showing that the map of Hyrule will be altered to an extent, as evidenced by the floating islands spotted in the sky.

4) Alan Wake 2

Remedy Entertainment had a lot of success with the first Alan Wake game, originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. The narrative saw an author named Alan Wake head to the small-town settlement of Bright Falls to overcome his writer’s block.

However, when strange incidents happen around town and its nearby water body Cauldron Lake, Alan realizes something is not quite normal about the locale.

While the game ended somewhat of a cliffhanger, Alan Wake hadn’t gotten a sequel for quite a while. The eponymous protagonist made his next big appearance in the video game, Control’s final DLC titled AWE, where the game crossed over with Alan’s world, albeit for a brief period.

Alan Wake II was announced by Remedy at The Video game Awards 2021 and will reportedly be published by Epic Games. It is set to be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows and is set to arrive sometime in 2023.

5) Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Hellbalde: Senua’s Sacrifice was an unlooked-for masterpiece in 2017. Developed and published by Ninja Theory, the game sees protagonist Senua travel to the realm of Helheim in an attempt to bring her dead lover back to life. It was critically praised for its depiction of mental psychosis and was called a work of art.

The story is layered and progresses in simple linear gameplay, although the narrative is anything but. While the game’s story is quite a standalone experience, a sequel was announced during The Game Awards 2019, where a gameplay trailer was shown, and the game's title was revealed to be Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.

Since then, a release date has not yet been revealed, leading many to believe it will get a 2023 launch. Seeing how 2022 is at its halfway point and no details regarding the game's release have been revealed, it is safe to assume that developer Ninja Theory is hard at work on the project.