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Although remakes are still frowned upon for receiving Game of the Year honors, some remakes are just too good to be denied; and that's Resident Evil 4. Remaking Resident Evil 4 is like asking a professional painter to faithfully recreate the Mona Lisa, while also modernizing her. How faithful is too faithful? How modern is too modern? How do you even go about finding the right balance between the two? And what constitutes "balance" to begin with?
In many ways, that's what makes Resident Evil 4 the most impossibly good remake we've ever seen. Capcom took Shinji Mikami's 2005 masterpiece and figured out exactly how to be faithful, modern, and better than the original. With stunning visuals, refined combat, masterful pacing, white-knuckle battles, and a tastefully retooled story, not only is this remake of Resident Evil 4 an undisputed survival horror classic, but it also makes a compelling case as the single greatest remake of all time.
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Whether it's Max Payne, Quantum Break, Control, or Alan Wake itself, few studios can match the creativity, innovation, and narrative finesse of Remedy Entertainment. For over 25 years, their painstaking craftsmanship, attention to detail, and bold ideas have pushed the medium forward beyond our wildest imagination. And in many ways, I think Alan Wake II is the culmination of everything Remedy Entertainment stands for.
Whether I was exploring a strange rural town, a deserted amusement park, an eerie talk show set, or the deepest depths of The Dark Place, Alan Wake II is an artistic tour de force with an immersive atmosphere, engaging storytelling, brilliant FMV integration, stellar music, mind-bending moments, and that signature Remedy weirdness we love.
Alan Wake II's dual-campaign struck a brilliant balance between keeping me in control and keeping me on my toes. Each campaign's pacing and structure also provided a welcome sense of contrast that gave each incredible journey a unique lane of its own — all while the game's narrative intertwines the supernatural unknown with the human element in ways that few games have ever achieved.
Saga Anderson's tale of family, parenthood, loss, and resiliency was both heartbreaking and inspiring as she pushed through her fears and self-doubts to save the people she loves. Meanwhile, Alan's grueling 13-year battle to escape The Dark Place reached stunning heights that left me clamoring for more. So, though not without its technical shortcomings, Alan Wake II is a one-of-a-kind experience that single-handedly epitomizes the notion that video games are, in fact, a form of art.
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As someone who didn't share the same love and adoration for Breath of the Wild as the masses, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom encompasses every single thing I ever wanted its predecessor to be.
Every moment I spent exploring the land, the sky, the depths, and the shrines all felt rich, meaningful, and meticulously crafted to welcome all of my wildest whims — whether I was crafting a makeshift vehicle, uniquely solving an open-ended puzzle, fusing weapons, or ascending to impossible-to-reach places. This is a pure masterclass of open-world sandbox design with incredible tools, abilities, and player freedom that brings almost every idea to life in a way that always feels warm and accepting.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also features a surprisingly engaging story that leans into Hyrule's history, its horrors, and its heroes in ways I didn't expect — all while masterfully preserving the special mystique and colorful charm that the series is known for.
And it's really that delicate balance between innovation and tradition, between the mystique and charm, between the open-endedness and pinpoint precision that makes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom beyond special. Beyond rare. Beyond great. Beyond fun. This game was truly made to be timeless in every sense of the word... and it is.
Though some may argue that Tears of the Kingdom is too similar to Breath of the Wild to earn its praises, that sense of timelessness I talked about is the ultimate counterpoint to that claim. If Breath of the Wild was timeless, Tears of the Kingdom couldn't have superseded it; and couldn't have rendered it nearly obsolete. But, it did. This clearly shows that while both games share a foundation, they diverge in execution.
So, no matter what critical lens you use to look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it perseveres. It shines. It flourishes. And that is why this was ultimately the best and most prolific video game I played in 2023.
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Let's face it. We're in an age where most sequels typically fall short of matching the highs of their predecessors. And that's why some gamers prefer one-offs over sequels sometimes — so that we don't risk falling out of love with our favorite franchises. And in the case of Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, there was no telling whether this game would live up to the first Oxenfree, a cult classic. But thankfully, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals turned out to be nothing short of a narrative-driven triumph.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals has an amazing cast of believable characters that feel human and fully realized. And those characters are enveloped in a story with heartfelt moments, difficult choices, self-realizations, broken dreams, and fears — all while effortlessly weaving a supernatural sci-fi story with cults, possessions, time-jumps, and other eerie mysteries that captivated me from beginning to end. Its incredible atmosphere, relatable conversations, and fulfilling finale made Oxenfree II: Lost Signals a memorable and deeply moving experience that I won't soon forget.
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Capturing the magic, whimsy, and essence of the Wizarding World in a video game is not as easy as Abracadabra — especially at a time when its controversial creator has divided even the most devout fans of the franchise. But despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the game, the diverse and inclusive team at Avalanche Software created a near-perfect realization of the school we all wish we attended.
Whether you're on-foot, on-broom, or on a hippogriff, every nook and cranny of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and their surrounding settlements feels alive, vibrant, and equally as captivating as the books and films. And unlike the personal views of its lore-master, representation has never been better for the franchise — with all ethnicities, gender identities, and preferences accounted for with grace. While its main story isn't as magical as the books, Hogwarts Legacy thrives from having fun combat, rewarding exploration, and enjoyable side-quests — culminating in a faithful Wizarding World experience made with love, passion, and progression in mind.
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Starfield isn't perfect. That's right. In case you haven't heard, the flawless, seamless, and limitless Starfield of our dreams is not what we got in reality; and for some reason, the notion of Starfield having flaws seems to have been deemed completely unacceptable by the internet at large. But, despite being woefully misunderstood and unfairly criticized by many, Starfield is still a comprehensive sci-fi experience that advances Bethesda's signature RPG formula quite well.
Whether I was supporting my favorite factions, exploring cities, or discovering new planets with my shipmates in tow, I had a great time with Starfield's impressive scale, combat, and freedom. And while Starfield's flat narrative, aging engine, and dated design conventions certainly obstructed some of my enjoyment of the game, there was still something innately lovable about the game's clumsiness. So, despite its warts, Starfield was a fantastic experience that showed that Bethesda's pedigree of producing well-made Western RPGs hasn't fallen by the wayside.
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In the gaming industry, imitation is the sincerest form of fuckery. You can name any successful game out there — creatively or commercially — and you'll find a dozen creatively bankrupt copycats right behind it trying to claim a piece of the pie. And this is especially true of Souls-like games, which rarely ever live up to FromSoftware's gold standard... until Lies of P came along.
With a mesmerizing world, deep combat, and fine-tuned difficulty, Lies of P manages to rival FromSoftware's most iconic Souls-like games with its sheer quality, polish, and flair. Even more astonishing is its eerie rendition of Pinnochio, which recontextualizes the world, lore, characters, and story beats in a surprisingly engrossing way I never would have expected to love. All things considered, Lies of P will go down as one of the biggest surprises of 2023 and the best traditional Souls-like game I've ever played.
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Sim-racing games are often stigmatized as being too difficult, too boring, and too niche for their own good. And while Forza Motorsport doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel in any regard, it is certainly the most approachable, accessible, and user-friendly sim-racing experience I've ever seen, and I think that deserves to be celebrated.
With fine-tuned vehicle handling, impressive visuals and sound design, beginner-friendly tuning options, a unique car leveling system, and persistent driving score feedback, Forza Motorsport is a welcoming sim-racing experience that understands that there's an inroad to making sim-racing games more palatable for all audiences and seizes that opportunity. While I would've liked to have seen a little more personality and presentational flair give more color to the overall experience, I also appreciate the level of focus this game devotes to the art of racing — which is why this a game I'll be keeping installed on my Xbox for a long time as it continues to expand with new content and quality-of-life enhancements.
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As a day-one Yakuza fan, nothing makes me happier than seeing this series break through the mainstream to get the attention it deserves. But, what makes this particular game so special is how much it means to longtime fans like me.
In many ways, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is the culmination of everything that Kazuma Kiryu has endured throughout every chapter of his life. It's a game that explores his identity, his sense of duty, his unbreakable resolve, and what he holds dear in ways that only a longtime fan could truly understand. Although the game's overall structure is somewhat padded and predictable at times, this quaint 10-hour story still packs quite a punch of melodrama, quirkiness, and fun that made it one of the best and most emotionally charged games I played this year.
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Whether you're excited about their Marvel-centric future or not, you can't deny that Insomniac Games knows what makes comic-based games click. It takes cinematic flair, epic setpieces, intuitive gameplay, and plenty of "love letter" moments to both earn and keep the trust of the comic community, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 delivers those elements in spades.
With top-notch presentation values, an expanded recreation of New York, fun combat, and flawless traversal, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an absolute showpiece of a game that encapsulates how far the industry has come with doing our favorite superheroes justice in the gaming space. While its middling story and uninspired side-content keep the game from reaching new heights, it never lacked energy, confidence, or consistency at any point throughout the journey. So, while I agree that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could have been more bold and daring compared to its predecessors, its reliability and familiarity were like comfort food for my year in gaming.
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As a survival horror connoisseur, Dead Space is one of those franchises that represent the best of what this genre has to offer. However, I always felt a strange disconnect with the series back in its heyday. While I appreciated its brand of horror, I always felt like the limitations of the PS3 and Xbox 360's hardware kept Dead Space from being as prolific as it intended to be.
In many ways, this remake of the original Dead Space confirmed those long-running feelings. The dark, drippy, and brooding setting of the USG Ishimura feels fully realized, its gameplay feels more refined, and its most harrowing moments evoke the sense of unease I was looking for all those years ago — despite reprising some dated scare tactics and narrative shortcomings.
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