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Best Game of 2023

As Vinny likes to say, "What a season! What a season!" 2023 turned out to be one of the best years in gaming ever. Almost every game released this year was a banger, with only a few stand-outs. So many good games, that I and many others wouldn't be able to play them all. It got to a point where you had to make the hard choice to choose what games you wanted to commit and stick with. This is the main reason I can't make an honorable mentions list, because there are way too many to mention. Just know in the future that if a game came out in 2023, chances are it will be good. I'll mention a few games I've yet to play, but will do so next year and into the future. Some of these games are:

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Baldur's Gate 3

And much more

Unfortunately, 2023 was also one of the worst years in the gaming industry as a whole. With massive layoffs coming from almost all the top video game developers. And a lot of different types of corruption discovered, with very little or no punishment against the ones responsible as of the end of this year. While 2023 was awesome for games, it wasn't an awesome year for many people who worked on those games. Here's hoping they somehow bounce back in 2024 and onward.

Speaking of games, there were a couple of disappointing ones. And because of the overall great year, they really stood out. Redfall was meant to be Akrane's leap into the looter-shooter genre. But the game was broken upon release with massive bugs. And even beyond that, the overall game was far from the quality Arkane is known for. They since patched the game a lot, but I've yet to go back and see if the improvements are worth continuing.

Starfield is another one. The game was built up over the years as Bethesda's magnum opus. The game that would evolve not only how they make their games, but gaming in general. The next game that would chart the course on how future games were made from that point onward. It kept getting delayed, adding to the anticipation. In the end, what did we get? Elder Scrolls, IN SPACE! That's not to say Starfield is a bad game, it's not, but this is also the problem. It is the same game people have been playing for decades. Only now, it's IN SPACE! This disappointed a lot of people, to the point it's Giant Bomb's official most disappointing game of the year. And was given a pity nomination at the Video Game Award. And of course, it didn't win.

Anyway, this is starting to get long. So without further ado, here is my list.

List items

  • Alan Wake 2 is a combination of everything Remedy's has done in their entire history of making games, starting with original Max Payne. To just call this game a survival horror would do it a disservice. This is a masterpiece of gaming. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but the presentation, acting of the characters, the gameplay. Everything just works. It even out does many of the psychological stuff that was great in the Evil Within games. Alan Wake II is a game you can't miss. It truly is something special.

  • Take notice, because Resident Evil 4 the remake, is how you correctly make a good one of those. The original game is one of the greatest games ever made. And this remake is so well done, that one could argue that it's even better than the original. You rarely, if ever, hear that about a remake, but this one is THAT good.

  • Jedi Survivor is a nice sequel to a great story driven Star Wars game. Everything that was good about the original was improved in this game. If you enjoyed Fallen Order, then this game is worth the play through. The fact the PC port was plagued with bugs and performance issues, didn't keep it off my list. Luckily, I played the PS5 version.

  • After the disappointment that was Street Fighter V, Street Fighter VI had a lot of pressure on Capcom to be good. But Capcom has been on a role of making great games for the past couple of years, and Street Fighter VI proved to be another notch on their belt. The gameplay with the new drive system is great, but what I personally liked is how they paid attention to casual players, something that was originally abandoned and then became an afterthought in Street Fighter V. They did this my making some good single player modes.

  • Hi-Fi Rush is the game that got 2023 off to what would be an epic year in gaming. It's a pretty animated, character action game, slash rhythm game. Making it one of the best games in both genres. If so many other awesome games didn't come out in 2023, this game would've easily taken the top spot.

  • The latest mainline Final Fantasy game is a very ambitious one by Square-Enix. They boldly decided to do away with almost everything gameplay wise the series is known for and make a character action game in the spirit of Capcom's Devil May Cry and Asura's Wrath. They did a good job at both, making the action gameplay fun and epic. The game also has a powerful story about class discrimination, racism, and other serious themes that make a serious impact, making this game easily the darkest in the history of the series. Combine all this with a great soundtrack and you see why it made the list. It's easily the best mainline game in the series to come out in decades.

  • The Dead Space remake is another great game that improved upon an already great original. But like the original game wasn't as good as Resident Evil 4, the remake also wasn't as good, hence why it's lower on the list of the two. But it's still very impressive. They changed things up, for example, by making the lead character Issac have a voice from the beginning. They gave the supporting case more depth, making for an even better story than the original game. And the updated graphics and gameplay are well done.

  • As a fan of the Yakuza series, I could never bring myself to finish one. But this changed with both Judgement games and the original Like A Dragon. So when this latest version starring the series protagonist, Kiryu, came out this year, I had to play it. The game being on Game Pass made this easier. It's a short but sweet game with very fun gameplay. And a fun set of mini-games to keep you busy after finishing the story. It's also the only way you can play a full arcade version of Daytona USA 2 as one of those mini-games. When it comes to the story, it's very powerful, with one of the most touching endings this year.

  • Exoprimal is a rare example of a game that gives a bad first impression, only to reveal something good later. Exoprimal starts off as a basic PvE online game where you battle dinosaurs at the command of a very powerful AI who insist on performing experiments no matter how many pilot lives it cost. However, the more you play it, the more the game opens up to include more fun combat modes and a surprisingly interesting storyline to follow. Many people jumped on and then jumped off of Exoprimal, only for those who stuck with it to reveal what a big mistake they made. Don't make the same mistake. Exoprimal is another good game by Capcom this year.

  • Tchia is simply a beautiful adventure game about a little girl in an Island community forced to fend for herself. The game is filled with the culture of that Island, with beautiful scenery and music. The gameplay is a lot like Zelda with places to explore and items to discover. It's a very peaceful, feel good game. Much needed in these recent times when there is a lot of negativity in the world. I hope this game gets a sequel, and it's not just a one-off thing.
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