Ok the sun, the sea, the beach… but the holidays for many of us are a serious matter, like a golden opportunity to finally be in front of video games to recover some of the most interesting titles released this year. And that’s exactly what we decided to talk to ours today very personal list of 10 games of 2023 to catch up on during the summer holidays.
In fact, this can be an excellent time of the year to not get distracted by relatively important tasks such as work (bah!) and finally dedicate yourself to your passions!
Important premise! The best-known video games released this year, such as Hogwarts Legacy, Final Fantasy XVI o Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, not because they don’t deserve your attention (Play with them!) but because we’re sure that, in one way or another, you’ve surely heard of them. We will therefore devote ourselves to games a little further from the spotlight but which absolutely deserve our attention.
The 2023 games to recover:
Dave the Diver
Scuba diver by day, manager of a sushi restaurant by night. If this phrase hasn’t already enchanted you, let us talk about Dave The Diver.
We are facing a simulation video game developed by Mintrocket and published by Nexon in a retro style that immerses us (Capita!?) as Dave, a scuba diver intent on exploring the ocean and collecting fish for his sushi restaurant. Between coral reefs, wrecks and caves we will have an underwater world available in which to look for treasures, avoid dangers and collect lots and lots of fish.
Released in June of this year, Dave The Diver quickly became the “game of the summer”, praised for its pixel-style graphics, addictive gameplay and relaxing atmosphere.
Dave The Diver is only available on PC via Steam.
Developer:
MINTROCKET
Price:
19,99 €
Atomic Heart
Of a completely different kind, Atomic Heart is a first-person shooter video game developed by Mundfish and published by Focus Home Interactive. We are in one alternate world where the Soviet Union was successful and scientists have created an automated, robotic world. However, the robots rebelled and took over the research lab. We will be a specialized agent sent to investigate the incident and stop the robot uprising.
Despite a not so brilliant launch in February, Atomic Heart has been cleaned up of most of the initial bugs. If you are a fan of FPS and alternative worlds, this is the game for you.
Atomic Heart is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox
Wild Hearts
Staying on the subject of Hearts, we find Wild Heartsthe adventure title developed by Zoink Games and published by Electronic Arts in the wake of the much better known Monster Hunter.
This title is set in a fantasy version of Sengoku-era Japan, where players can hunt monsters, collect their parts and use them to create weapons and armor. The game also includes building mechanics, to build structures such as crates and springs which can be combined into more complex structures or used in battle. With these, so many weapons available and all our skill (?!), we will have to defeat the gigantic and fascinating kemono, majestic and furious creatures who embody the power of primordial nature.
Wild Hearts is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, this latest version has many optimization problems that cannot be defeated with weapons, so be careful!
Diablo IV
OK, it might seem like our “games out of the spotlight” premise here is fake, but let us explain. Diablo IV is undoubtedly one of the games that have made this year hot in terms of video games and certainly needs no introduction. What you may not know is that in a few days the first in-game season will begin which will bring lots of new content, a reset, seasonal events and much more.
The summer holidays could be a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself even more in the world of Diablo! (As well as being in keeping with this hellish heat).
Diablo IV is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 and on Xbox.
Another title that needs no introduction but that you might have missed is Octopath Traveler IIthe second chapter of the saga of Square Enix released last February. Also in this title, as per the name, we will have available eight different main characters and their intriguing and intricate stories for you to discover. In the second chapter we find interesting news such as day and night game segments and two-player collaboration in certain sections of the story.
As for the plot… “it’s set in Solistia, an area divided by the ocean into two continents, one eastern and one western. We are in an age of discoveries, in which sea routes are crossed by large ships and steam energy gives life to ever new technologies. Some rejoice in this age of great invention and cultural flourishing, while others are driven to despair by war, disease and famine.”
If you are passionate about stories and enchanted worlds, Octopath Traveler II absolutely must be recovered! The game is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows.
Age of Wonders 4
For lovers of strategy and fantasy, comes the fourth installment of the series that has merged the two things together: Age of Wonders.
The fourth chapter, developed by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive, debuted this year and features a number of new features compared to previous games in the series. The game is set in a fantasy world where players control a faction and must conquer all enemies, building cities, recruiting units and of course, winning battles! Among the novelties of the chapter, we find the real-time combat system as well as a new magic system, a new research system and a new faction system.
Age of Wonders IV is available on PC.
Developer:
Triumph Studios
Price:
49,99 €
Sons Of The Forest
The heir of The Forest arrived this year (in Early-Access version) and intends to revolutionize, once again, the world of survival games.
The game is set on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and players must survive by crafting tools, building shelters, and hunting for food. The island is inhabited by a variety of hostile creatures, including cannibals, mutants and giant spiders (why always spiders!?). Players can also explore the island and discover its secrets, including the fate of the previous group of survivors.
To survive, we’ll have to gather resources to build tools and weapons, and create a variety of other items, such as clothes, food and traps.
Sons Of The Forest is available on PC via Steam.
Developer:
Endnight Games Ltd
Price:
28,99 €
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Burning Shores is the expansion of Horizon Forbidden West, the second chapter of the Horizon series starring the mythical Aloy is the post-apocalyptic world inhabited, among other things by dinosaur-like metallic creatures. This mission begins when Aloy meets Seca, a raider who is looking for some of her companions who have been lost. Aloy agrees to help Seca find her friends and the two head right to Burning Shores.
No plot spoilers, obviously, but Burning Shores expands the already rich plot of the saga with more than interesting implications and characters!
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores è disponibile su PlayStation 4 e PlayStation 5.
Dead Island 2
List of sequels and also highly anticipated! Dead Island 2 is a third-person survival horror video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver. Announced in 2012, yes, you read that right, Dead Island is set on the fictional island of Banoi in the Philippines. The island has been overrun by a zombie plague and players must find a way to survive.
A vast open world opens up before us to explore, an adrenaline-pumping combat system and an engaging story. If you’re a fan of survival video games, you can’t miss it… even if you’re on vacation by the sea.
Dead Island 2 is available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
Blanc
The very tender one closes the list of 2023 games to be recovered this summer Blanca co-op art adventure that tells the story of a wolf cub and a fawn stranded in a vast snowy wilderness.
Blanc features a unique black and white graphic style that is fully hand drawn in 2D before coming to life in 3D. Blanc focuses on the journey and experiences of animals with textless gameplay and story, allowing players to immerse themselves deeply in this fantasy world. Each animal has unique and complementary strengths to those of the other, which you will have to exploit to explore the snowy landscapes, to make up for the summer heat!
Blanc is available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Developer: Adventure Games
Price:
14,99 €