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Over the past few weeks, we've been looking ahead over 2023, and exploring what each major genre of games has in store for fans. We've already covered Racing, Action, RPG, and Horror, but now we're turning our attention to the Strategy side of things - and boy... there are a lot.

Release: February 23, 2023 / Platform: PC - Xbox Series & PlayStation 5 at a later date

The Second World War is one of the most covered topics in the media. This also applies to the gaming medium. Relic Entertainment is no newcomer to producing games on the subject. Both predecessors to the promising third have been phenomenal strategy experiences. At a time when developers are daring to venture a little more into the real-time strategy genre, this is something to look forward to. Destructible environments, multiplayer, the German Wehrmacht and its Afrika Korps.

One of the big surprises in recent years has been Falling Frontier. Developed by Todd D'Arcy this space epic is set in our solar system. You'll be controlling spaceships in what can best be described as something akin to Nexus: The Jupiter Incident. The differences concern scale and the fact that it takes place in real-time across the solar system versus small focused missions. The graphics have floored us at Gamereactor and its slower pace bodes well.

There was quiet for many years before Gearbox released a remaster of the two classic games Homeworld and Homeworld 2. Then we got a land-based interpretation with Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. Through a kickstarter campaign, the developers raised money and interest for a proper sequel. Scheduled for release in 2023, Homeworld 3 will offer classic real-time space combat in all three dimensions, with base building in the hive ships and resource management.

The next World War II-focused title is developed by Best Way from Ukraine. Unlike Company of Heroes, Men of War focuses more on individual soldiers. They carry ammunition, weapons, supplies and can be equipped with whatever you find. They use more realism in their portrayal and your detail control abilities are put to the test. You can even take direct command of certain units. The campaigns will let you see the war from the Allied perspective on the Western Front and from the Soviet Union's perspective on the Eastern Front. It will offer 45 battalions, over 300 modeled vehicles, multiplayer support and co-op mode.

Release: 2023 / Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in charge of a field hospital during a raging war. Brave Lamb Studio S.A. asks you that question. You take on the role of a manager in charge of a field hospital during World War I on the Western Front. Build up your medical service, care for soldiers and experience a rather unexplored side of the conflict in the medium. You will have to make strategic, tactical and moral decisions. You will apply realistic, for the time, medical equipment under authentic circumstances.

Frostpunk was a bit of a positive surprise. What would happen if you built a super-focused city builder where survival is the focus. Traditionally, these titles are about making as much profit as possible and expanding cities. In this vein, you have to make sure the inhabitants don't freeze to death, are happy with your efforts, and make sure you get to keep your job as mayor of one of the last cities on earth. The sequel promises more of the same; a difficult simulation of running a city in freezing cold.

11 Bit Studios promises that the sequel will expand on everything that made the original good and delve deeper into the nature of humanity as a creature. You'll be offered more tools than before to create your society, according to the conditions you're thrown into.

Building cities has become a big genre in recent years. They come in all different forms. Manor Lords throws you into the life of a ruler in the Middle Ages. Your task will be to build and run a medieval society, including drawing roads and shaping society with laws. You'll also get to fight in real-world battles not unlike those found in Total War. This hybrid of genres makes Slavic Magic's latest game look incredibly promising up front.

Release: Q1-Q2 2023 / Platform: PC

Seeing Pharaoh get a remaster in 2023 has been exciting. Builders of Egypt looks more like a modern interpretation of the genre set in a similar time period. Gameplay-wise, it's very reminiscent of how modern historical city builders work. It is also thought that China and Ancient Greece will get a counterpart in 2023. Whether the developers manage to get all three titles out during the year remains to be seen. Builders of Egypt is the title that looks to have been in production the longest and is expected to be released sometime before the summer.

Two hot strategy games with similar gameplay are expected during the year. One is called Warno and is similar to Steel Division and European Escalation (same developer) with a focus on the Cold War. The other is Broken Arrow, which offers stunning graphics and an unprecedented modularity of forces. You can customise individual weapon systems and platforms in detail. Replace weapons on tanks and customise functionality. The time period is set in the present but should offer the same kind of grandiose scale as Warno, for example. You control a high number of troops, vehicles and other things on huge battlefields. Both Broken Arrow and Warno look really promising even if similar to each other. If you like war games like Ruse, European Escalation, Steel Division and World in Conflict, these are worth keeping an eye on.

Stargate has a long history in the world of film and television. In this industry, the number of titles is all the fewer. Stargate: Timekeepers will hopefully change that. You take on the role of one of the Special Forces in the same universe as SG-1. The story picks up shortly after Season 7 with over 14 missions. Gameplay-wise, it has a real-time tactical set-up. During the course of the adventure, you will be fighting primarily against the evil Goa'uld. You will experience revolts, meet iconic races and characters. It remains to be seen if it can do the brand justice.

Heroes of Might and Magic on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is probably not quite the right description. What is clear, however, is that Songs of Conquest is a declaration of love for King's Bounty, Heroes of Might and Magic, and Disciples. You gather resources, build cities in a turn-based mode. Then you fight with your heroes as generals and your troops in a turn-based board game-like system. You can cast spells and move forces across hexes. Each troop on the map is represented by a number to represent the amount of soldiers or monsters. Your role is not only to win on the battlefields but also to conquer enemy strongholds. If you grew up with any of the aforementioned series, this is a title to keep an eye on.

Seeing Dune get an adaptation in the gaming world was not surprising. Dune: Spice Wars is a 4X real-time game. You build cities and try to compete against other factions over resources and cities on the desert world of Arrakis. You can choose to take on the role of one of five factions. Each faction operates differently with different mechanisms to win and defeat the enemy. Even the soldiers are different. There are also neutral factions to befriend or conquer. If you liked the series' infamous giant sand worms, these are also included here. They can quickly eat your strongest units if you're not careful.

The Great War: Western Front

If you're interested in the First World War, you've probably been disappointed by the narrow range of games available. Developed by the former Westwood Studios (Red Alert and Command and Conquer) folks under the name Petroglyph Games, comes a grandiose take on the Great War. Just as the name suggests, this is set on the Western Front with a focus on trench warfare and permanent destruction. The damage you inflict on the battlefield is saved and next time the destruction continues from that point. The idea is that you will see the process from beautiful landscapes to no man's land. You will lead the war effort in two ways. One is a more Total War-like mode where you fortify, move forces, research and perform other activities. The other activity is large-scale, real-time skirmishes. Petroglyph Games has put a lot of focus on exploration and making it as true to reality as possible.

Grand strategy awaits you in Espiocracy. Although the layout is similar to something like Europa Universalis or Hearts of Iron, there is a special focus area. During the Cold War, espionage was rampant from all the major powers. You can choose to play as one of over 70 nations. Your mission is to use your intelligence, your spies and everything in between to change the world. You can carry out coups, wage proxy conflicts and use your spies to create conditions that benefit you. Instead of running large forces, you run the country's intelligence operations.

Have you ever wondered who tells your troops the orders you give. In most strategy games, you are a form of higher power whose forces move instantly at the touch of a button. King's Orders looks to tinker with this concept and anchor it in something more reality-based. In medieval times, orders were usually sent via messengers. This whole experience is about sending orders via an intermediary i.e. a messenger. Your forces won't act without your word but it takes a little longer than you're used to from other games. Of course, you can use this to your advantage and hinder your opponents' messengers. Just as the enemy can prevent yours from reaching the right place. This offers a slightly more stripped down, streamlined experience where your control over the forces revolves around how your commands get through or not. The entire metagame revolves around manipulating and sabotaging the enemy's command system. This is something we at Gamereactor have rarely seen in the genre therefore we are curious and interested in Afterlife's upcoming title.

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