So far, this year has been top-tier for video game releases. With <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2023/05/03/star-wars-jedi-survivor-review-fighting-the-empire-has-never-felt-this-good/" target="_blank"><i>Star Wars Jedi: Survivor</i></a> and <i>The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom</i>, gamers have had plenty of solid options to enjoy – however, it's not game over just yet. Here are some of the biggest releases yet to come. The popular fighting game series <i>Mortal Kombat</i> returns this year with a complete reboot of its storyline. Fittingly named <i>Mortal Kombat 1</i>, it's set to tell its story in a new light, using characters who used to be villains as good guys and vice-versa. The last two titles in the series, <i>Mortal Kombat 9 </i>and<i> Mortal Kombat X,</i> revitalised the franchise, with the latter selling more than 12 million copies worldwide, according to its publishers Warner Bros. <i>Mortal Kombat 1</i> is set for release on September 14 on all major consoles. Since the release of the first <i>RoboCop </i>film in 1987, the titular character has appeared in eight games, with cameo appearances in other titles, too. In <i>RoboCop: Rogue City</i>, gamers will play from the perspective of the technologically enhanced police officer for the first time. The first-person shooter takes players through futuristic Detroit and to fight the worst of the criminal underworld. <i>RoboCop: Rogue City</i> is set for release in September on all major consoles, with an exact date yet to be announced. Set in 9th-century <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/07/05/abbasid-architecture-to-the-fore-in-new-assassins-creed-mirage-video-game/" target="_blank">Baghdad</a>, the latest game in the<i> Assassin's Creed</i> series has fans excited with the promise of more stealth gameplay. The epic historical's main character is Basim, an assassin who previously appeared in <i>Valhalla, </i>the last game in the series. The franchise returns to a Middle Eastern setting for the first time since the original <i>Assassin's Creed</i> in 2007, which was set in Jerusalem during the Crusades. <i>Assassin's Creed Mirage</i> is set for release on October 12 on all major consoles. The sequel to the long-awaited <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/weekend/2023/07/14/alan-wake-remastered-review-replaying-the-bone-chilling-game-before-sequels-release/" target="_blank"><i>Alan Wake</i></a><i> </i>is finally on the way, 13 years after the first was released. Set in a small town in Washington, Alan Wake is a writer who becomes lost in a surreal and scary alternate world in which he must save his wife from the shadows. The survival horror game is played from a third-person perspective as either Alan Wake or FBI agent Saga Anderson. <i>Alan Wake 2</i> is set for release on October 17 and will be playable on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Probably the most anticipated game of the year, the sequel to 2018’s <i>Marvel's Spider-Man</i> looks to be bigger and more exciting. Trailers reveal Venom will be playable in addition to Peter Parker and Miles Morales from the previous game. According to sales reports, the first game and its downloadable content had sold more than 33 million copies by May last year. <i>Marvel's Spider-Man 2</i> is set for release on October 20 exclusively on the PlayStation 5. Since the release of <i>Super Mario Bros</i> in 1985, Nintendo has released numerous games featuring the famous Italian plumber. The character's popularity is at an all-time high this year after the release of an animated film in April. Nintendo surprised fans during its <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/pop-culture/2023/06/22/nintendo-direct-showcase-2023-from-super-mario-bros-wonder-to-warioware-move-it/" target="_blank">showcase</a> in June by announcing <i>Super Mario Bros Wonder</i>, a new side-scrolling game that will feature Mario as well as Luigi and Princess Peach. The gameplay in <i>Wonder </i>looks more dynamic and evolving than any game in the series, with stages that feature morphing shapes that both aid and hinder. <i>Super Mario Bros Wonder</i> is set for release on October 20 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
