The most enthusiastic players at Mashable gathered in a room to discuss the best games of the year. This question is known to stir internet outrage, social media chaos, and heated debates. But let the digital disputes wait for another day. Here are our picks, whether you agree with them or not.
10. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 hits all the essential notes you want in a video game. The combat is smooth and fun, swinging around New York City feels as awesome as ever, it looks stunning, and the story (which feels somewhat disjointed) still has a lot of emotional weight. But what I really want to commend Spider-Man 2 for is its commitment to fitting into the lives of adults with jobs and active social lives. Sure, if you want to dive into a 100-hour adventure, you can do that, but Spider-Man 2 doesn’t ask that of you. Instead, it’s a cohesive open-world adventure packed with plenty of great side content that you can fully complete in about 25 hours. More of these games, please!
9. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
No hate towards any game, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wonderful game to play. It’s incredibly charming, from the level design to the gameplay, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s an absolute delight for the senses. I can picture the scientists at Nintendo taking New Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi’s Island and merging them to create Wonder. The game is bizarre in every sense of the word; it reminds me of Nobuhiko Ōbayashi’s House, which was written by his 10-year-old daughter Shigumi. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a fever dream, somewhat like House, albeit without any horror elements. It’s astonishing to notice the density of unique ideas displayed in the game. Nintendo loves Mario, and it shows, and it’s wonderful how the studio can create something that inspires creativity while the world around it drifts into discussions about AI art. So stop reading this and play Super Mario Bros. Wonder now.
8. Armored Core VI
Coincidentally, I found myself this year in a Mecha anime binge, watching all the Mecha anime I could find. From Code Geass and Gurren Lagann to Neon Genesis and Witch From Mercury, I was desperate to find a game to satisfy my craving. Then From Software graced us with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. When I say this is the pinnacle of Mecha gaming, I mean it. You won’t find a game this year that matches the gameplay feeling of AC6.
From the moment you learn how to dash, the experience is seamless. From Software presents Mecha combat not as a slow, heavy, terrifying crawl to victory, but as a high-speed, fiery battle to see which metal can withstand more than its opponent.
While the story is weak compared to its predecessors and contemporaries, the immense adaptability and customization in gameplay make it worth more than 20 hours of your time.
7. Dead Space (2023)
This year, we felt something missing in our lives, but fortunately, Dead Space arrived to make us whole again. It’s a worthy and faithful remake of the survival horror game produced by Visceral Games in 2008, and a proposal by Motive Studios for an action-packed game with a thoughtful upgrade over its predecessor.
Almost everything has been improved in the game, from big things like the great combat and intimate moments to little quality-of-life changes for navigating the old interface and upgrade system. Even side quests have been added to reveal character stories, such as Isaac’s girlfriend Nicole, who, though improved from the original, still lacked much purpose beyond being the “girlfriend character.”
It was
Significantly improving the sci-fi world in Dead Space with visual renewal, allowing the game settings to be truly perfect in all their horrific details.
6. Octopath Traveler 2
I am enchanted by the awesome boss battle music in Octopath Traveler 2 and would just like to leave it at that. But that wouldn’t do justice to this game inspired by the old, as there are eight different characters telling different stories that all come together in the end. However, what truly makes Octopath Traveler 2 shine is its fantastic combat system that offers numerous ways to solve any problem. Square Enix built this game so that a player can break it with a little imagination. I once scored 72,000 damage in a single attack on a late-game boss who had 90,000 health points.
The charming characters, a world that accommodates perfect grandeur, and dark murder mysteries – even a story about simply wanting to become the most famous dancer in the world – do a lot to propel Octopath 2 onto this list.
5. Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush achieved the impossible: it made me, even if temporarily, not hate the song “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys. It did this by presenting a tune that I don’t particularly like with amazing flair and clarity of vision. This rhythm-based action game from Tango Gameworks understood that one way to enjoy music (even music you don’t like) is to interact with it in some way. In this case, it was as simple as designing combos around the idea of hitting attacks to the rhythm – something that can never get old throughout Hi-Fi Rush’s short campaign.
Then you reach the part where everything in the environment moves, from exhaust vents to moving platforms, working to the rhythm that’s playing. It’s a game that makes you dance on your toes and has a stunning art style that blends Into the Spider-Verse and Jet Set Radio in a way that’s incredibly thrilling and not seen enough nowadays. If you have Xbox Game Pass, what are you waiting for?
4. Resident Evil 4 Remake
When Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005, it changed the industry. Without it, we wouldn’t have Dead Space or Alan Wake 2, two games, for example, that made it onto the list of the best games of the year. However, Capcom managed to take a classic and genre-defining game and present a faithful remake that can stand on its own as a modern classic and genre-defining title.
The Resident Evil 4 remake redirects its 18-year-old predecessor for a modern audience and refines its formula while remaining true to its roots. The RE4 Remake is a beautiful and well-crafted game – and this love from the developers is evident in big and small ways (like explaining that Leon speaks Spanish or that the knife he uses is Marvin’s knife from RE2 Remake). If you haven’t played the 2005 version, nor the updated 2023 version, you are doing yourself a disservice.
3. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
No other game embodies how great 2023 has been for playing video games (and not working in games, unfortunately) like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. When I finished the game in May, I thought there was nothing else that could take the top spot on this list. Then the rest of 2023 happened. However, let’s give Zelda its due: it is a wickedly creative sequel to one of the best games ever made, and you could easily consider it better than Breath of the Wild if you choose to. The ability to turn anything ordinary into a vehicle by adding a steering column and wheels opens up a vast world of possibilities for problem-solving that BotW cannot compete with. Also, I can’t emphasize enough that they added a second open world the size of the first in this game. The depth of Hyrule adds a new terrifying dimension that makes Tears of the Kingdom a worthy successor to a timeless game.
2.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Not for broken voices, but Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian embodies the essence of Dungeons and Dragons as a whole. We know this is a harsh analysis, but what makes BG3 one of the best games of the year is the flexibility of the experience. No two games will be alike, as the game captures a kind of universal spirit for professionals, amateurs, and non-players alike that no other game on this list can achieve.
Playing BG3 was a moment for a large part of 2023, whether that was engaging in the game or its bolder moments (we don’t judge tastes here at Mashable). It’s hard to create a game that is, in every sense, a sequel and a cultural crossover hit, but Larian Studio found the solution. And while it may not fit everyone, it is flexible enough for everyone’s preferred playstyle.
1. Alan Wake 2 (Winner)
Alan Wake 2 is, more than anything else, strikingly human. It is a game that goes out of its way at every opportunity to remind you that humans made this game by using live-action video scenes and original music from a real Finnish band playing for a fictional Finnish band. Even the creative director and lead story writer appear in Alan Wake 2. It has some great dance moves.
Ultimately, this is what gives the main dish its unique and enjoyable flavor. If it were just an ordinary survival horror game, Alan Wake 2 would be just ordinary. The shooting feels impactful, the level design is usually clever enough, and the enemy encounter distribution is enough to make the action tense, but not overly so.
But it’s not an ordinary survival horror game. It combines all this mechanical quality with a story that keeps you constantly questioning, has a really humorous tone that greatly helps to alleviate the tension, and features the best single sequence in any video game in 2023. Nothing made me smile more than Alan Wake 2 this year.
Honorable Mentions
Many amazing games were released in 2023, so we decided to recognize nine other games, including two honorable mentions.
1. Lies of P
Lies of P may not be the sequel we wanted for Bloodborne, but it’s the one we deserve. Developers Round8 Studios have given us a game that takes the foundation of Bloodborne, doubles it, and elevates it to 10, creating an inspired and hard-to-put-down project. When other games like Starfield are just open worlds being open worlds without any depth requiring detailed environment creation, it’s refreshing to play relatively linear games like Lies of P where the style and direction are focused on players so they can experience the thrill of combat.
If you’re a fan of souls-like games, you’re missing out if you haven’t played Lies of P, especially since it’s available on Game Pass.
2. Tchia
Tchia is a game where you can take over a seagull and fly around a beautiful Pacific island just because it’s fun. Really, that’s the basis behind everything in this little open-world game: just do things because you enjoy doing them.
But what makes Tchia something that will stick with me for years and not just a game I enjoyed playing in 2023 is its full embrace of the culture that birthed it. The fictional island is based on the developers’ birthplace in New Caledonia, heavily drawing from local culture and customs, employing local voice actors and musicians. It’s a special setting that feels fully like something I haven’t seen in any other game.
Source:
https://me.mashable.com/tech/35815/mashables-best-games-2023-no-baldurs-gate-3-isnt-no-1
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