This year brought us a lot of cool games. A remarkable number of sequels did incredibly well. It made choosing extra difficult, but these are the best games of 2023.
The year is over, and that means looking back at what the gaming industry brought us this year.
There was plenty of dregs in between with games like Redfall and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, where the production felt rushed and the overall experience left quite a bit to be desired.
In terms of gaming news, this year was very interesting. For example, Microsoft acquired Activision and its accompanying Call of Duty games, several series or movies about games were released, such as HBO’s The Last of Us or The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and we got the long-awaited trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI at the last minute.
The best games of 2023
Actual gaming was a true delight this year. And it’s all thanks to these wonderful games. We liked them so much because they surprised us, showed originality or were just a lot of fun. Here are the seven best games of 2023.
Lies of P
Available on: Playstation 4/5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S
When saying “Dark Souls is really really easy,” chances are your nose will grow. They had those thoughts at South Korean Neowiz too when they came up with Lies of P. This combination of Pinocchio with Dark Souls is so good that you almost forget that From Software, the developer of the Dark Souls games, has nothing to do with it.
Lies of P delivers a terrifying parody of the Pinocchio story much like Bloodborne with its Victorian style. Tight gameplay with challenging combat keeps the game exciting from start to finish. Moreover, the different play styles make it fun to start the game over again. If you dare, of course.
Neowiz
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Available on: Playstation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S
The stunning sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order promised to be a hit when first rumored. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor builds on all the elements that made the first part such a success and expands on them considerably. More action, more movement and more ways to hack into enemies with your lightsaber.
Not only in the action does Star Wars Jedi: Survivor score. The world in the intergalactic conflict feels alive with characters that leave real impressions. In this volume, The Force is even more with us than in the previous game.
EA, Lucasfilm, Respawn
Hogwarts Legacy
Available on: Playstation 4/5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S/, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Are you feeling your own a true Gryffindor or more of a Hufflepuff? It doesn’t matter in Hogwarts Legacy, because it’s a magical experience either way. Iconic spells like wingardium leviosa and the unforgivable avada kedavra are just a wave of the wand away in this open-world game.
Hogwarts may be in the game’s title, but players are given the opportunity to explore beyond the magic castle as well. And that’s what sets Hogwarts Legacy so apart from previous Wizarding World games. Mating with trolls, flying on broomsticks or discovering all the secrets of the immense Hogwarts, it’s all covered in Hogwarts Legacy. Still not completely satisfied with your chosen wizard house? Be sure to replay the game, as each house has its own quests and characters worth playing. I myself am a true Hufflepuff, but had at least as much fun with Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
There is something to discover everywhere in the castle (Image: Portkey Games / Warner Bros.)
Metroid Prime Remastered
Available on: Nintendo Switch
Metroid Prime Remastered not only provides our childhood memories with a lick of HD paint, but also proves challenging enough to try again after all these years. This remaster follows Samus Aran’s first three-dimensional adventure. An important starting point for the next 3D Metroid games
The game brings us a nicely polished version of Metroid Prime. You can now see even better which aliens want to make your life miserable and the eureka moments of the puzzles feel more intense than in the original. In addition, the game is quite a challenge with save points that are quite far apart. Still, it’s worth every drop of blood, sweat or tears to dive into the world of Metroid Prime Remastered.
Nintendo
Spider-Man 2
Available on: Playstation 5
What’s better than one Spider-Man? Two Spider-Men! Then throw in a bigger and livelier New York, a whole bunch of iconic villains, and downright cool ways to swing through the city and you have a perfect sequel to Spider-Man (PS4).
This game also brought out the best in the PS5. Take as an example the seamless transition from Peter Parker’s Spider-Man to Miles Morales’ chill version of the web-slinger. Both superheroes are their complete own version of Spidey which is reflected in the gameplay. The result: an impressive game that will easily entangle you in its webs for hours.
Marvel, Insomniac
Baldur’s Gate 3
Available on: Playstation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S
Whether you like role-playing games or not, Baldur’s Gate 3 won this year’s Game Awards for nothing. A success the game owes not only to the growing popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, on which Baldur’s Gate 3 is based. It may not be a sandbox game, but the game gives the player an almost infinite number of options for defeating enemies.
In fact, sometimes there is no need to even fight. If your character has a smooth chat, some fights can be avoided. Even the chatter, and sometimes more than that, between the various characters you encounter feels organic and offers depth to this already imaginative world. And all by rolling a few digital dice.
Larian
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Available on: Nintendo Switch
This year is proving to be a successful year for sequels. And the latest addition to this list of games is no exception. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom offers players even more freedom than predecessor Breath of The Wild. With new game mechanics that revolve around building all sorts of crazy machines and structures to solve puzzles, it gives players multiple options to save Hyrule.
Before the game was even out, we looked forward to exploring the flying islands that could be seen above Hyrule. Our eyes searched the skies, completely surprising us with the underground mirror world that Nintendo kept hidden from us until its release.
The game gives us countless breathtaking moments: diving into the deep darkness of The Depths for the first time, or flying around on your self-made double-decker made from materials gathered together. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has it all: creativity, puzzles, epic battles and an immense world with something hidden in every nook and cranny. It guarantees an experience you can easily spend hundreds of hours in.
Nintendo
We’re curious to see what games 2024 brings us. For all the ins and outs, reviews and other cool content, be sure to check back with us next year!
