The end of a weird year is upon us. The state of the world is getting worse all the time, so thankfully video games were there this year in spades for us. And speaking of things not being great, if you’ve read/watched/listened to really any news or interviews within the industry this year, it hasn’t been an easy one. Layoffs and closures were everywhere, with studios shutting down and letting go of their staff in droves. It’s worth celebrating games every year, but in these times with the makers of incredible games now being suddenly unemployed (despite perhaps having just made a critical and commercially successful title), it’s more suitable than ever to appreciate the care and creativity that goes into these works of art. And there are a LOT of works of art this year; so many games are accelerating the artform to levels we never thought we’d see, and we are so lucky to have them. These are my personal choices for the best games of the year. Thank you reading if you arehere.
In a year so stupidly packed with great games, I’ve still not yet played several; Cocoon is a weird puzzle game I’m all for, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk looks fun as hell, Killer Frequency is very up my alley and I love the concept, Robocop: Rogue City is a violent faithful Robocop adaptation that I can’t wait to try, and oh yeah Baldur’s Gate 3 — arguably the best game of the year and possibly ever for a lot of people online, that maybe looks like it might be a good game that I should play. I need infinite money and time if anyone is looking to grant me thesethings.
Like last years list, I’m dividing this into two sections:
Games not released in 2023 that I played and loved thisyear
My favorite games released in 2023,ranked
Ranking games in a list is more fun than just spouting them off in a messy order (and there’s always the anticipation of what the number one entry is, if you get anticipation from reading lists like these!) and a lot of these I’ve loved for various reasons, but this list I’ve actually ordered in what I believe is the best ranking for these games. Number one is truly my game of the year, no question about that. But first we got the games not from this year that I’m dying to talkabout.
Non-2023 Games I Loved ThisYear
Inscryption
Inscryption was included on my Best Of 2022 list but it’s back again this year, for good reason. Much like my initial experience with Bloodborne, I got stuck during the first few hours, the difficulty of each boss halting my progress and having to return to the start just emotionally knocking me down a peg each time. But I loved it, it hooked me, and I needed to continue and experience the rest. I finally beat the game this year and, big surprise, it gets even wilder and I was over the moon for it the entire time. What. A. Game! Easily one of my new favorites of all time, it’s mechanics/gameplay/lore/mysteries/everything are deeper than you would expect, and it just peels back the bizarre layers again and again as you get further into an enigma of storytelling and presentation. I’ll be singing the praises of this game for years tocome.
Marvel’s MidnightSuns
Marvel’s Midnight Suns feels like a board game in the best possible way, with your heroes placed around a playing field, cards in your hand to dish out countless abilities, and your turn over when you’ve run out of moves or options. Throw in heroes like Blade, Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, Magik and others that you never get in games nowadays (alongside the most-likely-contractually-obligated Iron Man/Spider-Man/Hulk/Capt. America/etc.) and level them up RPG-style in an old church in Salem, MA where they’re all roommates and you have a fun little concoction. You can chat with the heroes, go on little friend dates with them (fishing with Wolverine, anyone?) and then take them on missions where you get to fight against Hydra soldiers and demonic enemies that makes this side of Marvel is so fun to see; embracing the weird and supernatural side of the comics was what we needed for a game likethis.
Disco Elysium: The FinalCut
Disco Elysium is a waking nightmare of civil unrest, a creeping fog of personal and literal destruction that hangs over the (hungover) head of the protagonist in this freezing cold port town. Striking workers, troubled youths, fed up soldiers and cryptozoologists litter the streets, all playing a part in the murder mystery you’re tasked with solving. It’s a spanning narrative full of choices, both dialogue and action-based, that meld your poor lump of a hero into whatever horrific or heroic identity you want to be; just as long as you please treat your annoyed partner, Kim Kitsuragi, with respect, or you are a terrible person and I don’t like you. The writing is on whole other level, not just from a gaming standpoint. The soundtrack, the world-building, the dice-rolling role playing elements that determine each decision, it’s a miracle of a video game that needs to be seen to believe itexists.
Hades
Ever since its release a few years back, it’s been one of those games you see mentioned everywhere, “You haven’t played Hades?!” Okay, okay, what is the big deal? I’ll check it out sometime, relax. Well, goddammit, they were all right. Hades plays like a dream, one of those lightning fast action titles where you hone into your moves and light up the screen with a million flashes and colors with a precision you didn’t realize you had. Combining the powers of several Gods like Zeus, Ares, Athena and many more to make this amazing build of immense power that wrecks hordes of enemies feels incredible every time. And then you do another run. And then you do it again. And again. And again. And again and again and somehow you never want to stop playing. Practically a perfect videogame.
Max Payne
I missed the Max Payne train in the early-mid 2000’s, even though the series beckoned to me, the slow-mo-action-obsessed teen I was. It wasn’t until I got my socks rocked off by Max Payne 3 in 2012 that I knew this guy was my guy. Well, it still took me until 2023 to finally play Max Payne, after feverishly consuming as much Hong Kong action movies as I could the past couple years. The gritty noir narration, the henchmen goons ripe for the killing, the dual-wielding dives, the countless John Woo/Chow Yun-Fat references, Max Payne is absolutely my guy. I cannot wait for the remakes of the first two games that Remedy are working on, they are surely going to kill it. This is also not the last you’ll hear about Max Payne in thisarticle…
EDIT: Posting this article the literal day I read that James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and who portrayed him physically for the third game, has passed away. Rest in peace to alegend.
Tinykin
I saw this one mentioned in an underrated games of 2022 video, and it immediately jumped out to me with its Paper Mario-style 2D characters and classic platforming exploration. You’re a little explorer let loose in house that insects have built into their own civilization, where each room is a massive world to explore with stuff to collect, quests to complete and countless little beings named “tinykin” that you can use to move items, blow up obstructions, build bridges, create electrical currents, and so on. The music is gorgeous, the charm just oozes out of this one at every chance, and I simply didn’t want it to end. I should also mention you can ride a little soap bar like a skateboard and can zip and grind around the levels, in case this one needed anymore convincing.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
I’m always a sucker for a linear third-person-action stealth game with compelling characters and a dark mature storyline, who ain’t? In terms of mood, it’s a downer of a game, with death, disease, gore and corpses around every corner; the fact that you play as children and teenagers the entire time makes it that much more grim. You spend the entire game sneaking around, fending off murderous soldiers and so, so, SO many rats (how are there that many rats, honestly) and even get to do some puzzle solving, which are a nice break from the incessantly dire tone of the rest of the game. I haven’t played the sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem yet, but I can’t wait to see what happensnext.
Evil West/Desperados III/Little Nightmares 2/Buddy Simulator 1984
Cramming these all into one little blurb because I don’t want this to be too long (holy sh*t there’s so many good video games outthere);
Evil West is simply a generic ruff & gruff cowboy dude fighting hordes of wacky monsters with chunky fun as hell combat, can’t recommend this one enough if you love third-person actiongames.
Desperados III hooked me hard with its tactical top-down strategy/stealth missions, there’s so much content jam packed here, all in a fun Wild West setting with cool characters. Highly addictive and highly replayable.
Little Nightmares 2 looks incredible, oozes dread and is full of intense sequences that fits perfectly into its short length. The story is surreal, the imagery nightmarish and if you like horror even remotely it’s an absolute mustplay.
Buddy Simulator 1984 is the little indie horror title that keeps on giving as it unravels itself to you in so many insane ways. Like Inscryption it’s a game that keeps changing and you don’t want to spoil anything talking about it, as it constantly shifts and pulls you into its dark, whimsical void.
Favorite Games of 2023,Ranked
8. Humanity
As much as I love a good puzzle game, they can always be one hard puzzle away from me turning the game off for feeling too stupid to solve it. Humanity is full of hard puzzles, ones that make your brain feel like it’s pumping into overdrive, the tiny workers inside fighting to keep the thing powered on. But… how does… well if I just… no, wait… what?! It’s mind melting not just due to the logic and intelligence needed, but the ethereal psychedelic look and style of the game too. When you solve a puzzle you feel like a God, and that feels suitable considering I think that’s what you play as; a glowing Shiba Inu dog leading people into the afterlife (I think… it’s all up to interpretation). The puzzles keep evolving gameplay wise, and eventually you’re arming these folks with weapons and waging full on war; there’s even boss battles to partake in. It’s visually stunning and a perfect puzzle game for those who wanna exercise those sleepy braincells lurking around upthere.
7. Sea OfStars
Sabotage Studio made one of my favorite modern games, ninja-platformer The Messenger, and when Sea Of Stars was announced as a throwback RPG I kept my eyes on it, not as an RPG fan, but just due to how much I trusted the developers to make something great. And much to no ones surprise, they delivered an awesome little game that feels old and nostalgic but still modern and fresh. This is maybe the most user-friendly RPG I’ve ever played, with tons of difficulty options to help new players. Turn-based combat has timed button presses like a Paper Mario game, and as expected for an RPG it has a lush and colorful world full of quests, secrets, bosses and even a fun little minigame to play in the various taverns. A truly great game if you’ve played dozens of RPGs or none atall.
6. Dead SpaceRemake
There’s a bit of a dirty feeling putting a remake of a game that came out over a decade ago on a “Best Of The Year” list, considering how many new and original titles are coming out and deserve a spot. And there’s always the argument that if a game still looks, plays and generally feels great in its original form, does it need a remake? Well, Dead Space is one of those games, but hey, they remade it in 4K with 60 FPS and incredibly fast loading times with gloriously realistic action and carnage, mutilated limbs and tentacles and all, so why bother complaining? One of the best survival horror/action games ever made, and the definitive version of the game that features just enough new polishes and tweaks to make it worthy of being on thislist.
5. Dredge
Originality in games, we all want to see it thrive, and Dredge rises from the murky depths in all its original glory. You are a mysterious guy on a boat, sailing around catching fish, upgrading your tools, rods and nets, selling your catch of the day and uncovered wares from the deep to citizens around various towns located in various islands and archipelagos. Explore, fish, sell, sleep, rise and repeat. It’s addictive and fun to just work at your goals, make your boat better and faster, fill in all of the various types of fish in your checklist notebook, and do little quests. But Dredge suddenly gets strange, and warns you to not go out after dark, and therein lies the beast(s) of the game. Obvious influences from a famous horror author that is known for oceanic other-worldly elder gods and terrors of the unknown is all you need to know; there’s so many fun things to uncover here, and it has several memorable endings that are worth seeing for their glorious horrifying payoffs.
4. Spider-Man 2
The developers behind the Spider-Man games, Insomniac, are practically incapable of not making fun as hell games; it’s deep in their blood at this point (EDIT: Just popping in post Insomniac leak to say hacking video game companies is lame as hell but most of all f*ck hackers who leak employee personal information). The story of Spider-Man 2 grips you from the start with its tale of bloodthirsty villains, relationship-testing perils between friends and lovers, and the dual storylines of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Kraven The Hunter has never been a villain I’ve been interested in, yet he makes his presence known here in a major way, lighting up the screen and anything in his way each time. But the big selling point here for me is Venom. Holy sh*t, the guy knows how to make an impact. I’m a mark for Spider-Man stuff; I’ve always been a big fan, so it’s not hard at all to impress me with this stuff; the web-swinging, the villains, the amount of incredible suits, the several boroughs of NYC to explore, it’s an all-killer-no-filler Marvel extravaganza.
3. Star Wars Jedi:Survivor
I did not expect to love this one as much as I did; not knocking down the first game in this series, Jedi: Fallen Order, but it was a perfectly fun and fine game, gripes aside. Jedi: Survivor is the classic sequel that just goes, “Oh you want bigger, and better, and deeper, and more meaningful? Easy.” Similar to Spider-Man 2, it just takes what worked before, and cranks the knob up higher. A whirlwind adventure game with so many nooks and crannies to explore, dungeons and challenge chambers to complete, secret bosses and quests galore, and a gripping storyline that showcases the zany and whimsical world of Star Wars along with the dark and mature plotlines it can also deliver. The combat, the platforming, the cool customizations for Cal Kestis (a denim jacket-wearing Jedi with a mullet and handlebar mustache, yes please), and the fact that alongside your various lightsaber builds (single blade, double blade, dual wield, etc.) you can also wield a blaster here, it’s exactly what all Star Wars players want to have at their disposal when playing in this universe.
2. Resident Evil 4Remake
In this entry I will continue to contradict what I said above in the Dead Space entry; Resident Evil 4 Remake is a remake of a 2005 video game, one of my favorites of all time, that was, up until I played my pick for number one, my game of 2023. In a year with an overabundance of greatness, I couldn’t overlook the fact that the remake of the game that literally changed my life as a teenager was still my favorite game of the bunch. How the hell was I not going to love experiencing this game in a whole new way; butter-y smooth action, new controls (dodging, blocking, ducking and stealth attacks practically reinvent the entire game), and reworking entire sequences to keep old players on their toes. There’s so many moments where I entered an area and went “oh sh*t, I remember what happens here” and either it plays out exactly the same as I remember (just with a new fancy coat of paint) or it’s a completely changed new experience where I had no idea what to expect. There’s some omissions you miss, and some new additions you adore. Certain characters have more personality and more appearances, with Ashley and Luis each getting a big update. The beloved merchant of course is here, who also features very fun shooting galleries to partake in, and he even dishes out various little side missions that you can choose to do or not. He has more lines of dialogue, but his voice is different and just can’t live up to the iconic-ness of the original guy. He’s still just as goofy and memorable as ever though (“Heh heh heh — thank you!”). But in terms of why this game is so damn good, you don’t need me to explain that to you. It’s Resident Evil4!
1. Alan Wake2
f*cking right, Alan Wake 2. This is why I love video games as a medium. People that sh*t on video games but consume hours of movies and television each week, are you even paying attention?! Alan Wake 2 puts the controller in your hand and guides you into a dual twisting narrative of tight exploration gameplay based around gun combat and puzzles, and as a game itself it’s incredible. But this sh*t is a full-on media experience; it features hours of live-action scenes, in-game cutscenes and both live-action and in-game musical performances. The actors are portraying their characters through video game graphics and real world performances, seamlessly changing sometimes in the middle of a scene. Alan Wake 2 as a storytelling vessel is dense, confusing, funny, terrifying, and generally out of its mind. To give an example of how wonky they wanted to go, please bear with me as I try to explain this in the most straightforward way possible:
Sam Lake, the co-director of the game and creative director for Remedy, the developer of Alan Wake 2, is in the game as a character named Alex Casey. He is physically portrayed by Sam Lake, but voiced by actor James McCaffrey (Again, RIP. What a great performance he gives). Alex Casey is an FBI agent, who also shares the same name with a fictional detective character in the game created and written by the character AlanWake.
Alex Casey (the fictional detective) is also in the game, portrayed by Sam Lake and James McCaffrey. Both Alex Casey’s in the game are the same physically (looks and voice). Alex Casey the detective bears a physical resemblance to Max Payne, the titular character from a separate game series created byRemedy.
Max Payne was, in the first Max Payne game, played by Sam Lake and voiced by James McCaffrey. He is a hard-boiled detective who is known for having a scowl/smirk that Sam Lake gave the character as a character trait. He narrates the story and his actions in a film noir-like delivery throughout hisgames.
Alex Casey, the detective character, in Alan Wake 2 is embroiled in nefarious plots and cases, wherein he narrates what is happening in various flashback-like moments where his appearance and voice are broadcast on the screen in a stylishmanner.
Sam Lake also plays himself in the first Alan Wake game, appearing on a talk show with the fictional Alan Wake, where Sam Lake is asked to “do the face” and looks at the camera and does the Max Payne scowl/smirk.
Sam Lake/Alex Casey #1/Alex Casey #2/Max Payne are all different characters portrayed by Sam Lake/James McCaffrey and it’s all done gloriously well without being silly/stupid but also it’s so silly and stupid yet incredible and awesome and how can you not love thissh*t?
If you are still with me, my main takeaway from Alan Wake 2 and why it’s so damn good is that it takes the tried and true video game formula of action/survival horror gameplay and uses that as its playground to deliver its madcap plot, twists and turns, presentation, art direction, performances, music and sound design that all have their own microcosms of brilliance. It takes its budget and runs with it to ensure their vision is succinct and faithful to their true concept. Games have been pushing experimental boundaries for awhile now (especially indie developers), making any idea possible no matter how bizarre or difficult to pull off it may seem; Alan Wake 2 does it with a big studio and budget that most studios of this caliber can’t do, won’t do, and aren’t interested in doing. Let Remedy cook — they have all the tools and ingredients to whip up something delicious and they’ll leave you full and satisfied each time. It’s a privilege to play something this good and get wrapped up in a narrative this twisted that you remember what the medium is capable of when art considered “risky” is given the chance to flourish. One of my new favorite games of alltime.
