Dead Space leads PLAY's huge Games Of 2023 special

PLAY Magazine
(Image credit: Future, EA)

PLAY #22 is out now, and it’s the time of year to look ahead. Within the pages of this Games Of 2023 special, we have heaps of incredible previews taking a look at everything that’ll be lighting up your life across PS5, PSVR2, and PS4 next year. Our cover game, Dead Space, will be kicking things off in a big way come January, with a luxurious PS5 remake that really pushes what’s possible on the new console.

Subscribe to PLAY Magazine here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.

Games Of 2023 Preview Special

Dead Space

(Image credit: Future, EA)

We spent plenty of time talking with some of the team at EA Motive about the big PS5 remake, revealing how they revelled in upping the gore factor, how they’ve changed the games in some interesting ways, and how they’ve leveraged PS5’s power to enhance the original, from gorgeous lights to creepy shadows.

Street Fighter 6

(Image credit: Future, Capcom)

But that’s not all! We packed as many games we’re excited about as we could into the feature, including heaps of hands-ons. From more details on the games you’re looking forward to, and hopefully some new ones to add to your list, there’s something for everyone.

Resident Evil 4

(Image credit: Future, Capcom)

While 2023 is definitely looking like a great year for horror, thanks in part to the sheer fidelity and level of immersion possible on current-gen consoles, that’s not all next year has to offer (though we do have some great deep dives on Resident Evil 4 and Dead Island 2). We also get into Like A Dragon: Ishin, Forspoken, Final Fantasy 16, Street Fighter 6, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and more!

PSVR2: priced, dated, and games revealed

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

(Image credit: Future, Supermassive)

But how about some festive cheer? PlayStation has finally given us the gift of PSVR2 launch details – if you can call the steep price a ‘gift’. While the cost will limit the audience, there’s no getting around how impressive a piece of kit it is, and fortunately unlike its predecessor it has the games to match.

It’ll launch with first-party support in Horizon Call Of The Mountain, with plenty more to come, and some mega-sized third-party titles too. Let’s hope the release momentum in February can build throughout the year, rather than stall.

A feast of reviews

Sonic Frontiers

(Image credit: Future, SEGA)

The blockbusters continue into this issue’s reviews section, including big new launches with Sonic Frontiers and The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me. One was a pleasant suprise - but we’ll leave which is which for you to discover.

Plus: Star Ocean: The Divine Force, Return To Monkey Island, The Chant, Gungrave GORE, and more! We also take a longer look at Resident Evil Re:Verse and Dragon Ball: The Breakers.

RetroStation: the best Metal Gear you never played

Metal Gear Solid X Ape Escape

(Image credit: Future, Konami, Sony)

You know we can’t resist getting old school with the RetroStation. This month we take a big look at the Metal Gear Solid and Ape Escape crossovers, talking to the voice actors involved for behind-the-scenes details.

We also dust off Fate/EXTRA, which remains a very unique PSP RPG, Yakuza 5’s 10th anniversary, the history of Christmas, and beyond!

Subscribe and save

PLAY Magazine

(Image credit: Future, EA)

If you want to be one of those everyone, why not subscribe to PLAY Magazine? For fantastic access and insightful commentary on all the latest PS5, PS4, and PSVR games, we deliver to your door (or device) each month, with exclusive subscriber covers. Plus, subscribing saves you a chunk of cash while supporting the magazine directly. We can’t do what we do without your support!

You can subscribe to the print edition, digital version, or save even more with the print/digital bundle – whatever you choose, you’ll be receiving an unprecedented trove of dedicated PlayStation coverage every month.

Oscar Taylor-Kent
Games Editor

Games Editor Oscar Taylor-Kent brings his Official PlayStation Magazine and PLAY knowledge to continue to revel in all things capital 'G' games. A noted PS Vita apologist, he's always got his fingers on many buttons, having also written for Edge, PC Gamer, SFX, Official Xbox Magazine, Kotaku, Waypoint, GamesMaster, PCGamesN, and Xbox, to name a few.

When not knee deep in character action games, he loves to get lost in an epic story across RPGs and visual novels. Recent favourites? Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, 1000xResist, and Metaphor: ReFantazio! Rarely focused entirely on the new, the call to return to retro is constant, whether that's a quick evening speed through Sonic 3 & Knuckles or yet another Jakathon through Naughty Dog's PS2 masterpieces.

With contributions from
Read more
Ghost of Yotei lead Atsu in straw hat
What to expect from PlayStation in 2025: Classic games, live services, and moving beyond consoles
Retro Gamer 270
Amazing PS2 gifts in this month’s Retro Gamer
Marvel's Wolverine
PlayStation State of Play predictions: leaks, rumors, and what we hope to see…
Image of 12 months of PS Plus Premium with a purple GamesRadar background.
Lost Records isn't even finished and it's already my GOTY, and now you can see why as Sony has dropped 12 months of PS Premium to under $100
Saros screenshot featuring the main character and am imposing monster in the background with a swirling void in its chest and multiple arms with balls of fire
Everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play February 2025
Best games of 2025: images of Split Fiction, Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and Monster Hunter Wilds.
The best games to play in 2025, so far
Latest in Dead Space
Dead Space
"We're not interested right now": Original Dead Space creators say their pitch for a fourth game was turned down by EA
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2 and 3 Remakes may be on the way if we all respond positively to this EA survey
Dead Space
Turns out Dead Space players have been upgrading the worst weapon
Dead Space
Like the original, the Dead Space remake gave its devs a major headache over one particular scene
Dead Space Line Gun
The Dead Space Line Gun location
Dead Space
Dead Space devs already have "ideas" for the next game in the series
Latest in News
Four Helldivers lined up on base ship
A year after Malevelon Creek became Helldivers 2's fiercest battleground, it looks like the Automatons are coming back for more
Kurt Russell in The Thing holding a stick of dynamite.
43 years later, John Carpenter has hinted at who turns into The Thing in the horror movie and one eagle-eyed fan has worked it out
Amid Assassin's Creed Shadows' controversies, shrine popularized by Ghost of Tsushima bans all tourists after "unforgivable act of disrespect"
A WoW Classic player chased by a dinosaur in a green forest
"If this is just how it is, then yeah, that's the end": WoW Classic's most famous hardcore guild calls time for now after multiple raiders lose their MMO characters to DDoS attacks
Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in Jennifer's Body
Star of cult hit Jennifer's Body says marketing "ruined" the horror movie's chances, but they may get another shot with a sequel 16 years later
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight: Silksong gets unprecedented second update in 2 weeks, with a Steam page tweak pointing to a 2025 release