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We’ve been treated to such an incredible 2023, with some of the best games we’ve seen in years, and some of those games appeared here after significant delays. Delays happen constantly in the gaming industry, especially lately, as the whole world got put on hold in 2020, stalling game development in so many studios it’s hard to count. Game delays happen for various reasons, but ultimately, the main reason is that these companies want the game to be the best it can be. We have many anticipated games coming up, so here are five that are most likely to miss their release dates.
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
This one is unfortunate due to the massive hype around it, but we have yet to get a release date for this Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. All we know is that it’s slated for an early 2024 release. That doesn’t inspire much confidence, especially coming from Square Enix, which had Final Fantasy XV in development for ten years and is known for its extensive production cycles on games. If we get a release date in the coming months, we’ll buy in the early 2024 release idea.
When this one does come out, it will add to the weird and unpredictable story of the first game and hopefully take us in new and exciting directions. From the gameplay that’s been released, it looks like it will build on the incredibly satisfying combat system that made the first game great, and some new party members will be along for the ride as well. The most intriguing aspect is how Sephiroth will play into the proceedings here. Is he good? Evil? Neither? Early 2024 will have the answers.
4. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
As ambitious an effort as this appears to be, we have seen basically nothing when it comes to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. This game is due out December 7th, and as far as gameplay goes, we’ve seen barely a glimpse. Ubisoft has been suspiciously quiet about a game that has been in development for quite a long time. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has already been delayed from 2022 to 2023, which was already a bizarre happening considering that Avatar: The Way of Water was released in 2022, and you’d assume Ubisoft would try to capitalize on that. The next Avatar movie isn’t coming out until 2025, so now this game sits in a weird post-Avatar hype world during a year where incredible games are dropping left and right.
That’s not to say the game won’t be great when it comes out. The interesting decision to go first person is a bit puzzling, considering we’re playing as one of the Navii. Still, at least we will be able to see ourselves when riding mounts or flying through the air on the dragons of the world while fighting enemies. The combat looks intriguing, with both aerial and ground combat available to the player and the ability to set traps for your enemies who don’t know the world as you do. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, with some of the most lush forests imaginable and sights that will bring back memories of the first time you saw Avatar in theatres. It’s also going to have two-player co-op, which could add to the experience considerably. No word on a delay yet, and there is a release date of December 7th, but as the weeks go on, it gets more and more likely Ubisoft could push this one to 2024.
3. Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Granblue Fantasy: Relink has been in development for an extraordinary amount of time. Announced initially in 2016, this game has gone through it when it comes to the development cycle. The hype started building early when it was announced Platinum Games was going to be involved in the massive, action-based JRPG, but they departed the project shortly after, which clearly affected the process here. The initial release date was supposed to be 2019, but then it got postponed a year, and then the pandemic happened, and then it got an announced release date in 2022. Well, it wouldn’t be on this list if it hit that date, so on we go. Finally, we have a release date of February 1st, 2024. Will it hit this date? We aren’t holding our breath.
It’s a shame because there is a lot to like here in both gameplay and aesthetics. Granblue Fantasy: Relink comes from a mobile game that then spawned an anime and has a sizable fanbase built in. It’s got a beautiful, anime-inspired look that recalls games like Tales of Arise, and the combat looks like an exciting action RPG system where you can switch characters on the fly. The scale of some of these fights is outrageous for a game in this genre, and it’s clear they’ve been taking some notes from contemporaries like Final Fantasy 16. It will also be four-player co-op, which is a rarity in JRPGs and a much-appreciated addition to a game that I, and the rest of the world, are hoping finally makes its mark early next year.
2. The Day Before
As far as The Last of Us style games go, The Day Before is up there with one of the most talked about. Instead of a single player, the game will be an MMO. The gameplay is an intriguing mix of The Division and The Last of Us, and the hype has only grown for The Day Before. It’s due out on November 10th, but this game has a red flag that makes it seem less reliable. That red flag is it’s been delayed already. It was due out this past spring and surprisingly delayed the game almost a year later. Why? Because they rebuilt the entire game in Unreal Engine 5.
This is a massive undertaking, so it remains to be seen if things will go smoothly to the finish line. Adding to the doubt level is that it’s currently unavailable on the Steam Store due to copyright issues. This is especially concerning with The Day Before, due November 10, 2023. When it releases, you’ll get some pulse-pounding zombie action mixed with survival elements like scrounging for materials. Imagine DayZ is coming out in 2023, and you’ll have the right idea of what this game is trying to achieve when and if The Day Before hits its release date.
1. Avowed
Now that the big RPGs of 2023 are out, it’s worth wondering what’s to come in terms of the next big game. That game seems to be Avowed, an original IP from the RPG masters Obsidian Entertainment. Avowed is a bit puzzling. It’s due out in 2024, but the concern here revolves around the very different trailers we’ve seen from the game. The tone of the first trailer was very dark and mysterious, pointing to a gritty fantasy tale that would be a breath of fresh air from the typical games of that genre. The next gameplay trailer was far brighter and more colorful, and the tone felt completely switched.
There seems to be a much more light-hearted game here, complete with incredibly cheesy voiceovers and a tone that makes me think of Immortals of Aveum. Avowed takes place in the world of Pillars of Eternity, so regardless, the game has a built-in following. As long as they can focus on the game’s tone and stick with it, we should get this ambitious, first-person action RPG sometime in 2024. Figuring out this one’s release is nearly impossible, as it was initially rumored to be released in late 2022 with healthy optimism for 2023. That’s not happening, as it wanted to avoid Starfield‘s release, so we’re completely up in the air now. If Obsidian Entertainment is confident in this one, they shouldn’t worry about what games coincide with its release date.
