The Best of Gaming in 2023

It's that time of the year again! A moment to reflect on what the past year has bestowed upon us. For gamers, 2023 stands out as one of the greatest years in the history of video games. For a long time now, I've regarded 2007 as the pinnacle year in gaming. This sentiment isn't solely due to the shift from the 6th to the 7th generation of consoles, but also because it played host to some of the most iconic games in the industry. The influences of which are seen even today. Juggernauts like the first Modern Warfare, the first Assassin’s Creed, the first Uncharted, Portal, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Grand Theft Auto IV, God of War 2, Halo 3 and Halflife2: Episode 2 were all released the same year back in 2007. There have been years with more big titles yes, but the sheer pedigree of the franchises born in 2007 solidifies its place as the most significant year for games in my opinion.

In many ways, 2023 nearly matched, if not surpassed, the significance that 2007 held for the gaming industry, particularly when considering the multitude of exceptional titles released during this year. Limiting them to a top 10 list fails to give due credit to other games, and attempting to assess each one individually is impractical given the extensive list. Therefore, let's categorize these games, allowing us to evaluate them as a collective group to make things fair. Let’s start with…….

The Surprises

Be it the shadow-drop of God of War: Ragnar?k-Valhalla, or the just magnitude of the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, the games in this category surprised us in some way or form other than of course being fantastic games on their own. Other games in this group include Robocop: Rogue City, a delightful throwback to the 80s, capturing the essence of the original film while being a blast to play. Something that many did not see coming. Lies of P, a Souls borne title from a new studio, also made waves by achieving a great level of success, drawing comparisons to Bloodborne, a feat that many studios attempted but failed to accomplish.

However, the biggest surprise came from Alan Wake 2, the sequel to the 2010 game Alan Wake. It stands out simply because the game refused to settle for being a typical sequel, exceeding expectations with Remedy's mastery in mixed media, stellar sound design, visual fidelity, atmosphere, and tone. Alan Wake 2 transcended its initial promise as a survival horror game, turning out to be a remarkable experience in ways only Remedy could deliver.

The Remakes

It wasn’t long ago that remakes and remasters were frowned upon. Seen as cash grabs that companies implemented to gain high returns over low costs. But there was discourse among game about how remakes and remasters can add value if done right. We have seen good examples of these over the past few years like the Resident Evil remakes, but it was 2023 where remasters and remakes truly shined across the board. It started with Dead Space, which not only faithfully recreated the 2008 game but added some meaningful changes including giving the protagonist Isaac a voice.

The game achieved this while keeping the scares intact, making it a must-play for horror fans. Sticking with horror there was also Resident Evil 4. The remake is of a company that showed the world how remakes are done, of a game that showed the world how third-person horror is done. And the result is one of the best remakes of this generation yet. Like Dead Space, the RE4 remake, kept the scares intact while modernizing the game in meaningful ways making it one of the best remakes ever made.

Not wanting to be outdone, Nintendo released the remake of Super Mario RPG, which released to critical acclaim, alongside the remaster of one of the best Metroid games in Metroid Prime. The title says remaster but the game had a completely overhauled control scheme with modernized visuals while staying true to the original’s art style, along with various quality-of-life improvements, enough to both qualify as a remake and score a 10/10 from major outlets like IGN. 2023 also saw the western release of Like a Dragon: Ishin, a remake of a game which served as a spin-off of the Yakuza franchise, which borrowed characters from the original games, but set in Edo period of Japan. Staying true to all RGG titles, this game was chaotic, weird, melodramatic, and funny all in the best ways possible.

Sequels

What are game franchises without sequels? And 2023 had no shortage of stellar sequels. Titles like Ghost Runner 2, and Remnant 2 were released to critical acclaim, while Jedi: Survivor took the series to new heights by delivering a game much bigger in scale filled with memorable characters and story moments. From Software unleashed Armored Core 6, 11 years after the previous game in the franchise and yet the game resonated with its fanbase that was longing for some hardcore mech action. Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy 16 both released highly favorable reviews from critics and players alike. The biggest sequel though was Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This game threw so many gameplay innovations at the player and let them run wild in its sandbox. Breath of the Wild was an amazing game and more of the same would have sufficed, but Tears of the Kingdom continued to evolve the franchise like most of Zelda’s sequels do, and it did that to glorious effect.

While not strictly sequels Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, Super Mario: Wonder, and Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name, all proved to be strong entries in their respective franchises.

Fighting Games

It is not every year that three major fighting games make headlines in the same year. Somehow the star seemed aligned for fighting game fans in 2023 and Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Tekken 8 all made the news, with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat releasing the same year. Tekken 8 is just 26 days late to the party to be considered a 2023 release, but the buzz has been there all year long. The best part about all these games is that both Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat have been unanimously agreed upon to be the best versions of the games in the franchise yet, at least in the gameplay department. And if the impressions from the closed Beta and the released demo are any indication Tekken 8 seems to be on the same path. As a Tekken aficionado myself, I can see the improvements in Tekken 8, and does look better than ever. It is safe to say that fighting game fans have had one of the best years in 2023.

Indies

A big part of what made 2023 a big year is the steady stream of fantastic titles from the Indie Scene. While most AAA studios opt for a safer route and avert big risks for budget reasons, it is the Indie games that burst with creativity. 2023 saw the release of some of the best indie games like Tchia, which won the best Indie game at the Game Awards, and Cocoon which was also recognized at the grand stage.

Games like Venba and Thirsty Suitors shed light on the vibrant cultures of India and Sri Lanka while being highly entertaining games in their own right. While titles like Sea of Stars, Dave the Diver, and Dredge broke new ground on what is possible in an Indie game. Indie games certainly stood shoulder to shoulder alongside their AAA counterparts in 2023, and that went a long way in solidifying the year as one of the biggest years for video games.

And that was our take on 2023 for video games. By all accounts, 2024 is shaping up to be just as good, and you should see why by checking out our blog which explains the same. What game did you feel was the best in 2023? What is your take on 2023 in general? Please let us know in the comments.

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