Was it just me or was 2023 the greatest year for video games ever? It seemed like an incredible new game was coming out almost every week, to the point where I was kind of overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new titles available. I tried to get to as many of the big, new releases as I could but still have quite a few on my backburner for when things die down a bit. Nevertheless I managed to whittle my year-end list down to six games.
What follows are my personal favorite games of the year, the ones that left the biggest lasting impression on me and reminded me why gaming is my most loved hobby.
But first! Some Honorable Mentions:
Dave the Diver
Hesitant as I was to play a fishing/restaurant management sim, I thankfully found Dave the Diver to be a lovely, chill time, regardless if it's a genuine indie game or not.
Hesitant as I was to play a fishing/restaurant management sim, I thankfully found Dave the Diver to be a lovely, chill time, regardless if it's a genuine indie game or not.
Cocoon
Granted I haven't finished Cocoon as of writing this (I got over halfway through and stopped for another game and am terrified to go back because I can't remember what the hell I was doing in it) but my time with it scratched that near-insatiable puzzle game itch I've had since Portal 2 came out.
Granted I haven't finished Cocoon as of writing this (I got over halfway through and stopped for another game and am terrified to go back because I can't remember what the hell I was doing in it) but my time with it scratched that near-insatiable puzzle game itch I've had since Portal 2 came out.
Hi-Fi Rush
Is this the best video game shadow-drop of all time? Hi-Fi Rush is a super fun, super addictive, and super well-made musical action game worthy of the praise it received.
Is this the best video game shadow-drop of all time? Hi-Fi Rush is a super fun, super addictive, and super well-made musical action game worthy of the praise it received.
Dead Space
If EA isn't gonna give us a new entry in this killer horror franchise, a from the ground up remake is the next best thing. And MAN what a remake it is. Revamped for the current gen and featuring some of the best visuals and sound design I've ever experienced, this return to the USG Ishimura is a welcome one.
If EA isn't gonna give us a new entry in this killer horror franchise, a from the ground up remake is the next best thing. And MAN what a remake it is. Revamped for the current gen and featuring some of the best visuals and sound design I've ever experienced, this return to the USG Ishimura is a welcome one.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
The original Oxenfree was a well written supernatural horror story with lovely art design, great music, and likable, fleshed out characters. Lost Signals is all of that and more, with an even spookier and more personal story.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Does any video game have a better comeback story than Cyberpunk? CD Projekt RED really upped the ante with some incredible improvements to the base game, but the true potential of their sci-fi behemoth was realized with the Phantom Liberty expansion. A taut, thrilling spy tale, Phantom Liberty is pure excitement from start to finish.
And now, my six favorite video games of 2023:
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| Look at Leon in all his himbo glory |
6. Resident Evil 4
Capcom :: PlayStation 5
Capcom’s streak of homeruns with the Resident Evil franchise kept rolling on this year with a brilliant remake of a game that many thought never needed one. Perhaps what’s most impressive about the 2023 version of RE4 is that it doesn’t outshine nor get overshadowed by the 2004 original; it comfortably sits by its side as a companion piece. It’s a superb vision of survival horror action that hits the gas early and never lets up.
Best Moment
Tie: The Mine Cart Escape and First Garrador Encounter
It’s hard to pick a single standout moment in a game full of them, but for me it comes down to two: the mine cart sequence in Chapter 11 and the first time you run into a Garrador during the castle section. They individually encapsulate what Resident Evil 4 is all about: a deft mix of action spectacle and skin-crawling terror.
Standout Music Track
The ending credits song is the perfect bookend for such a bombastic journey. It’s memorable, corny, and over-the-top. You know, just like Resident Evil 4.
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| Oh you be a red Yoshi floating on a flower... |
5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Nintendo :: Switch
Now that he’s 38 years into his goomba-stomping, mushroom-ingesting career, one would think that Mario wouldn’t have any new surprises up his sleeve. But Super Mario Bros. Wonder has enough weird and wild ideas to fill at least five other games. Ripe with genius level design and something new and unexpected around every corner, Wonder aptly lives up to its name. This is the kind of silly, colorful fun that only Nintendo can conjure up, and it’s the best 2D Mario game in ages.
Best Moment
Pirhana Plants on Parade
Every level in Super Mario Bros. Wonder contains a power-up or sorts called a Wonder Flower that completely transforms the level. Finding one in the second level of the game causes a bunch of piranha plants to leave the comfort of their pipes and … start singing and dancing.
Standout Music Track
Mario music is almost always fantastic, but if there was one tiny way to improve on perfection it would be to add some hand claps. And guess what. THEY DO THAT HERE!
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| Love me some Kazuya Takahashi art |
4. Final Fantasy XVI
Square Enix :: PlayStation 5
The folks at Creative Business Unit 3 (what a name) reinvented the Final Fantasy series for a new generation by (mostly) abandoning the classic RPG elements the series is known for in exchange for adrenaline-fueled action. It’s pure spectacle, with an insanely fun and rewarding combat system and one over-the-top set piece after the other. But it also has a deep, emotional story with rich characters and excellent world-building, and, most importantly, always feels like a Final Fantasy game.
Best Moment
Bahamut Boss Fight
Pretty much every boss battle in this game is a Dragon Ball Z super fight extravaganza but the fight against Bahamut a little over halfway through the game is pure insanity. You’re fighting a giant dragon in space! HOW COOL IS THAT?!
Standout Music Track
Masayoshi Soken’s score has been rightly praised and the track that plays during most of the boss fights is so epic it somehow makes those fights even cooler.
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| MY BOYS |
3. Marvel’s Spider-man 2
Insomniac Games :: PlayStation 5
Insomniac can just keep making Spider-man games forever because they have absolutely perfected the web-slinging, wall-crawling formula. All the boxes are checked here: gameplay, exploration, side missions, collectibles, etc. are all top-notch. But like their previous two Spidey games, what impresses me the most is how well Insomniac understands these characters and this world. Insomniac has crafted some of the best Spider-man stories of all-time, and Spider-man 2 is the best of the bunch.
Best Moment
Sandman Fight
Things get off to an insane start with both Spider-men defending NY against ol’ Flint Marko in a huge, sprawling battle that spans most of the map. Even better is the fact that the game manages to stay at that same level of badassery for its entirety.
Standout Music Track
Used at the beginning of the game to reintroduce players to the characters and world, there’s no better track to bob your head along to as you start swinging your way through New York once again.
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| Link deciding whether to save Zelda or build a cool car |
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo :: Switch
How do you follow one of the greatest games of all-time? You make another one of the greatest games of all time. Tears of the Kingdom takes everything new and exciting about Breath of the Wild and somehow makes it all new and exciting again. Out of all the new tweaks and additions though, the most impressive is the ability to build pretty much whatever you want out of almost anything you can find, giving you near-limitless ways to tackle any battle or puzzle in any way you want. This is a giant sandbox filled with an infinite number of toys wrapped in a beautiful and poignant tale about the meaning of sacrifice and the importance of hope, and it could very well be Nintendo’s ultimate gaming triumph.
Best Moment
The Ending
I wouldn’t dare spoil what happens during the climactic battle but know that it ranks highly on my list of greatest video game final boss fights. And once the fighting stops and the credits begin to roll? Prepare to shed a few tears.
Standout Music Track
A lot of the music in Tears of the Kingdom is repeated from Breath of the Wild and other Zelda games, which, while a slight letdown, is forgivable when it’s all still really great. The fight against Colgera in the Wind Temple is an interpolation of the Dragon Roost Island theme from Wind Waker, albeit way more grandiose.
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| Alan Wake hasn't bathed in 13 years |
1. Alan Wake 2
Remedy :: PlayStation 5
In a gaming year full of exceptional titles none stood out for me more than Remedy’s 13-years-in-the-making arthouse survival horror masterpiece Alan Wake 2. Terrifying, hilarious, and emotional in equal measure, the follow-up to the 2010 cult classic (and personal favorite of mine) constantly pushes the envelope of what video games can be. Remedy really swung for the fences here and knocked that ball into another galaxy. It’s far and away the most interesting, engaging, and mind-blowing game I played in 2023 and nothing else really comes close.
Best Moment
We Sing
What could possibly be one of the greatest video game moments in the history of mankind comes out of nowhere to throw all your preconceived notions of what kind of game Alan Wake 2 is out the window. Trust me, you’re not prepared.
Standout Music Track
Like the original, Alan Wake 2’s story is split up into chapters similar to a TV show. In between the chapters are original songs written and performed by Finnish artists specifically for the game, inspired by its story, characters, and themes. ‘Follow You Into the Dark’ is the first one you hear after Chapter 1, and it’s the first indication of just how rich of a multimedia art project Alan Wake 2 really is.
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