Carter McKendry
September 26, 2023 
It’s official: Tokyo Game Show is back and bigger than ever! Featuring a record-smashing 787 exhibitors hosting 2,682 booths, Tokyo Game Show 2023 almost doubled 2022’s COVID-restricted offerings. So was it worth the wait? Check it out!
The show opened in the sweltering heat of an unusually warm Japanese September, but the mood remained celebratory and it seemed like nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the attendees, who were eager to check out the latest and greatest in cutting-edge tech alongside fun new spins on some old favorites. It also helped that cardboard hand fans were a popular promotional item at quite a few booths.
Unsurprisingly, Square Enix, Sega, and Konami have pulled out all the stops to show off their upcoming titles. Lines easily hit the two and three hour mark for people wanting to play a demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth but nothing could beat the Konami booth’s seemingly endless mass of Metal Gear fans.
Persona fans had plenty to do, with both Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Tactica making a prominent appearance on one side of the sprawling Sega booth.
Nearby, if you weren’t in a position to go through the multi-hour wait for the Final Fantasy VII demo then you could still enjoy the elaborate displays for Square Enix’s other famous titles, including a massive lego tribute to FFXIV’s Crystarium City.
Gaming lifestyle brands were showing off the goods, from luxury desks all the way to gaming-themed apartments for rent, with guaranteed soundproofing and high-speed internet.
Meanwhile, Capcom celebrated their already-released titles, with a Street Fighter 6 tournament and a special stage where you could get photos taken while being murdered by Resident Evil 4’s Chainsaw Man alongside a playable demo for the upcoming Dragon’s Dogma II
Koei Tecmo brought the moon with them to promote the new action RPG in the Fate universe, Fate/Samurai Remnant.
Konami knows what Metal Gear fans want, and it’s cardboard boxes.
A few booths even went to the trouble of bringing authentic arcade cabinets to the show for everyone’s enjoyment. Now that’s dedication!
KAngel, of Needy Streamer Overload fame, was there in all her pastel denpa glory (but maybe keep your distance).
PC hardware was also in the spotlight this year, with boutique vendors eager to show off for both performance enthusiasts and aesthetic devotees, sometimes at the same time!
If brand deals are to be believed, Tokyo Game Show runs on MONSTER and MONSTER alone.
On the other side of the Makuhari Messe event space, indie games were given a dedicated space to show off away from the shadow of the big industry players. The titles might be less recognizable, but I guarantee that every gamer who checked it out was able to find something worth their time.
Whether you were able to make an appearance in person or just follow along from the comfort of your own home, what was your favorite part of the Tokyo Game Show 2023 festivities?
