After revealing our awards during the past several days, the biggest day of them all has finally come. That’s right, it’s the end of the road folks and time for us to award our greatest honor: Game of the Year. Both the nominees and winner were not taken lightly, having to exemplify the best of gaming to be named. It was a hard-fought battle, but without further adieu, here’s our top 10 games of 2023.
A stroke of marketing genius or good fortune that the stars all seemed to align at the right time. We may never learn the truth to Jusant’s being released as the second of Don’t Nod’s two titles in 2023, but it says something that it managed to trump even the satisfying highs left by the studio’s earlier release, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. Jusant nailed its pitch – a feat that was as much surprising as it was special. In one half, a puzzle-like loop of careful planning and thoughtful maneuvering. In the other, an adventurous trail of stumbled-into curiosity as to the nature and back-story of its setting. Yet for all its themes and its visual story-telling, Jusant never felt burdened by or naively lost in some longing for grander importance. Its clever tinkering of three-dimensional space, expertly-handled color palettes and delivering on a sense of progression that always asked more without feeling overly-punishing were just some of its notable strengths. Another feather to add to Don’t Nod’s illustrious cap and what might be the studio’s best work yet. Jusant is a brilliant and engaging example of mechanics and presentation working perfectly in unison.
It’s hard to believe that Dead Space is fifteen years old. From a studio best known for their work on film and TV adaptations such as The Godfather, The Simpsons and James Bond, Electronic Arts let Visceral Games spread their wings, and they were able to soar high. It felt like we entered an Alien movie, with all the jumpscares and atmospheric scenarios that come with it, but there was something special about this dystopian setting. Thankfully, Motive was able to not only capture the original game’s essence but expand upon it greatly, bringing the world of Necromorphs and the Marker to life like we’ve never seen it before. Similar to Resident Evil 4, this was far from a quick paint job; the developers reworked the USG Ishimura mining vessel to be open and seamless, not to mention set up entirely new scenarios and introduce characters that were blurbs in vocal logs. That’s on top of creating one of the most technically-impressive lightning systems in any game. It’s amazing what Motive was able to accomplish with an already spectacular property.
8Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
The Three Kingdoms era of China has long been a popular setting for games, but none of them have ever presented it like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Team Ninja transformed the historical setting into one of dark fantasy filled with many supernatural elements while incorporating their brand of challenging gameplay. The difficulty is steep but, it’s rivaled by the artistry behind some of the more difficult encounters. The battle against Lu Bu is a skill check wall for many players, but after learning his battle patterns and mastering the deflect system, a skilled player can make these battles appear to be poetry in motion. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty can be frustrating at times due to its difficulty, but the gameplay is balanced in such a way where the player is encouraged to keep trying until they eventually overcome the difficulty making each victory feel incredibly satisfying. As a solo experience, it’s a rewarding journey, but the well-implemented online co-op allows friends to team up and rid China of its demons together. Whether a soulslike veteran or someone looking for an entry point into the genre, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is among the most rewarding games of 2023.
7Super Mario Bros. Wonder
This year was bloated with fantastic titles from every corner of the gaming sphere. We had almost too much to keep up with at times, which made it all the more difficult to choose our favorites. One such strong title standing up with the rest is none other than Super Mario Bros. Wonder which brought back gaming’s iconic plumber and friends into a charming platforming adventure we hadn’t experienced in years. From the bombastic soundtrack to the outstanding gameplay that makes sure every level feels special, there’s a pure sense of joy in Wonder that makes it nearly impossible to not smile while playing. It has easily become one of Mario’s most memorable and charming titles to date, but that alone doesn’t make it one of our favorites. The beauty of Super Mario Bros. Wonder being one of our favorite games this year is the ability for this title to have outdone over ten years worth of other Mario titles without even breaking a sweat. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has more than earned its place as one of the best titles we got to experience this year.
6Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush, despite its deceptively small package, is a game of many things. It’s a game where the world moves to beat of of an amazing soundtrack with everything from pulse-pounding original tunes to licensed hits from the likes of Nine Inch Nails and The Joy Formidable. It’s a game where all those songs are used to great effect as they soundtrack some truly unforgettable setpieces that you battle your way through. It’s a game where with a terrific tense of humor and a lovable cast of misfits, right down to the individual robot workers. It’s a game with an engrossing world with a lot to check out, all presented with some of the year’s greatest visuals. It’s a game with a unique blend of Devil May Cry-style action and rhythm elements, making for an incredibly fun, unique, experimental package. It’s a game that’s such a love letter to the art of video games that it casually throws in deep cuts to the likes of Xenogears, simply because it can. To put it more simply, there’s a reason why Hi-Fi Rush ended up being one of Hardcore Gamer’s GOTY picks: because it basically IS hardcore gaming incarnate. How can we argue with that logic?
5Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Once known for their penchant to create fantastical weaponry in sci-fi universes, Insomniac Games shocked gamers across the globe with Marvel’s Spider-Man. Their take on the web head back in 2018 was a breath of fresh air for the company, allowing them to showcase their narrative, gameplay and technical chops to deliver one of the best games of that year. Since then, and a side game in 2020 starring Miles Morales, fans have been anticipating a sequel to that excellent first game. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 did not disappoint. Ratcheting up the stakes, Insomniac Games delivered an amazing sequel that delves deeper into both Spider-Man, introduces various gameplay mechanics that ratchets up the action, and a visual presentation that truly showcases the power of the PlayStation 5. It all comes together in a near perfect package. One with a heart-wrenching story that forces Peter and Miles to confront their demons, one whose gameplay captures the excitement and imagination of Spider-Man, one whose side quests pull at the heartstrings and one whose presentation manages to capture all the nuances of New York City and the characters that inhabit it. Oh, and you may’t forget the amazing web-swinging and traversal mechanics that are even more fun and expressive than the previous games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a marvelous game that stands high in a crowded year of marvelous games.
4Resident Evil 4
What a year for remakes, and horror remakes at that. Not only did we get Dead Space and System Shock, but also the game that’s said to have inspired a whole generation of third-person shooters. Resident Evil 4 was a classic from almost twenty years ago, and now a new generation will be able to experience it with, not only a visual upgrade, but fully reworked gameplay and scenarios. This is far from a 1:1 remake, but instead a re-envisioning of the classic horror thriller where the cycle of events may progress similarly, but what happens in between those threads have been altered greatly. It not only stays true to the original’s premise, but reworks every event in the best way possible. Considering Capcom’s track record of late with their remakes and newer titles in the franchise, we only have a bright outlook on the future thanks to Resident Evil 4.
3Final Fantasy XVI
The best thing Square Enix could have done for Final Fantasy is put it into the hands of the ill-named Creative Business Unit III. Final Fantasy XVI is a true evolution of the formula, introducing not only a compelling cast of characters, but a world filled with so much exploration and lore we couldn’t help to delve deeper. The combat also shines greatly; while it’s moving more towards an action-focused approach, it provides an immense amount of customization in regards to playstyle, and a strong emphasis on building your own kit for specific situations. Square Enix brought in a star-studded cast of developers to do this, from Naoki Yoshida to produce it, Ryota Suzuki to craft the combat system and Masayoshi Soken to compose the monumental soundtrack. This is a cinematic masterpiece that will go down as one of the greats in Final Fantasy’s history, offering one of the most-compelling and gratifying releases of the year.
2Baldur’s Gate 3
Countless RPGs have been inspired by tabletop role playing, but none of them have ever replicated that experience like Baldur’s Gate 3. This is an RPG that puts the emphasis on role playing, allowing the player to shape their experience in Faerûn in whichever manner they see fit. Just about every scenario can be handled through multiple approaches, and like tabletop gaming the roll of the dice will determine the outcome of the player’s choice. Freedom of choice is a great mechanic that encourages multiple playthroughs and experimentation, but this alone is not enough to make a game great. This freedom exists within a game that also features some of the best writing, worldbuilding and combat mechanics. Not to mention all the outrageous scenarios that are possible to discover hidden deep within the choice-driven narrative. Baldur’s Gate 3 builds upon the blueprints set not only by its predecessors, but also Larian’s previous games. The result is something that pushes the boundaries of what video games are capable of bringing to the role-playing experience, raising the bar for all future RPGs by being not just one of the best games of 2023, but also among the best of all time.
1Alan Wake 2
Every once in a while, a game comes along and fires on all cylinders and Alan Wake II does just that. Unbelievable visuals that truly push realism coupled with an excellent atmosphere created what is one of the best horror games of all time. The story featuring two protagonists that branches off and comes back together to cross paths is perfectly paced. It provides two separate experiences while keeping the core gameplay concept and ideas together. Alan Wake II perfectly handles both a supernatural entity meshed with a cult aspect that masterfully adds to the tension and suspense. Couple with this the game mechanics, the sound design and the location selections and it’s hard to tell this apart from a movie.
The visuals have pushed all current hardware configurations to their maximum and can confidently be called the best-looking game ever released. Unbelievable facial animations, player models and textures that have been inserted into extremely-detailed environments that will make anyone’s jaw drop. Even at its lowest settings on PC, however, the game still visually shines. Ray tracing, global illumination, you name the tech, it’s all so well implemented here that Remedy deserves all the kudos for this. The sound effects are also precisely tuned and music is input where it needs to be to compliment this world. Remedy brought its A-Game in delivering one of the best horror experiences of this generation, bringing in a talented roster of actors and actresses to further support the vision.
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