The popularity of the open-world genre has resulted in developers coming up with new ways to make traversal of the increasingly large maps engaging. In 2023, gamers will be seeing plenty of examples of this through the triple-A games that are scheduled for release. Games will be set in all sorts of environments, allowing for creative traversal methods.
Whether it be through Frey's magical parkour in Forspoken or Link's glider in Tears of the Kingdom, gamers will be spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing how to get from point A to B. Players who find getting into a vehicle and driving to the next mission boring should pay attention to several upcoming titles.
Forspoken's Magical Parkour
Forspoken is an upcoming open-world fantasy game by Luminous Productions. It centers on a New Yorker named Frey Holland who is warped to the world of Athia where she has to take on the evil matriarchs known as the Tantas if she hopes of ever getting home. Fortunately, in Athia, Frey wields magic powers that aid her in battle, with over a hundred spells that can be used offensively and defensively. Frey will also have a pretty convenient way of getting around. Trailers have shown her utilizing magical parkour that has her zipping across the landscape at high speeds. It seems like it will be a fun mechanic to use, and it might make exploring the dangerous world of Athia more interesting.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Glider
Players will enjoy new adventures with Link in 2023, and it appears that Ganon and his malevolent Malice are back to bring peril to Hyrule. The upcoming game is no carbon copy of Breath of the Wild, however. Hyrule has changed, with much of the land having broken up into floating sky islands. To get between sky islands, trailers have shown Link riding a bird-shaped stone glider, which should be an entertaining new traversal mechanic for him. It also appears that he will gain additional tools that will help him take to the skies. In a trailer, he is seen freezing stone debris, then using it like an elevator to ascend. Although not much is known about this new ability, it appears to function somewhat similarly to Stasis in Breath of the Wild.
Broomstick Riding in Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the most ambitious attempt thus far to bring the Wizarding World to gaming. The game will have players enrolling at Hogwarts as fifth-year students. They will be able to visit many places that will be familiar to Harry Potter fans, including the Room of Requirements, Hogsmeade, and the common rooms of the different Hogwarts houses. Players will also be able to attend classes, tame magical creatures, and partake in duels. Although Quidditch won't be present in Hogwarts Legacy, broomstick riding will be available as a means of transportation. The ability to participate in broomstick races should be enough to satisfy gamers who were hoping to play Quidditch, but developers have also stated that players will be able to use brooms to "explore new and familiar locations surrounding Hogwarts Castle."
Spaceships in Starfield
Bethesda will be taking players to outer space in 2023 with Starfield, which is a long-awaited game that promises an epic intergalactic adventure. The events of Starfield begin after the Colony War, which had factions of humans warring in space. Now that there is relative peace in The Settled Systems, players are free to explore the cosmos, pick which faction they will side with, and carve out their own story. It has been revealed that players will be able to build and customize their own spaceships which they can then use to fly between planets. The spaceships are capable of combat, and they may find themselves having to shoot at hostile enemies.
It appears that 2023 will be filled with big game releases. This is, in part, because several games meant to release in 2022 have been delayed. With a particularly packed first half of 2023, gamers will get to explore various methods of traversal, whether it be soaring through space or riding magical broomsticks.
