My Top 10(+3) Games of 2023
My top 10 favorite games of the year, plus a couple honorable mentions.
13 Games
Its crazy to me that a game that took me 130 hours on my first playthrough left me wanting more. I desperately want more game just so I can spend more time with my party. The amount of content packed into this one game is frankly absurd, there is so much I didn't do but I will absolutely be doing more playthroughs.
1
Before I beat Baldur's Gate 3, this was my GOTY. Spider-Man 2 was a very emotional and important moment for me. It reminded me why I loved Spider-Man so much growing up after years of being disappointed in the way he has been treated in recent times. Miles needs a better suit.
2
This is the game I always imagined Jet Set Radio would be before I actually played it. It feels and looks incredible, it has my favorite soundtrack of the year, and the story was surprisingly fun. This was a game made specifically for me.
3
XVI may have some problems like the pacing and the combat getting stale by the end, but the story made this a very special game for me. Clive is one of my favorite video game protagonists. His story is one that really resonated with me in ways I wasn't expecting. The ending of this game had me shaking by the time credits rolled. I really loved all of the characters in this honestly. The scene with Clive and Jill on the beach was a moment of emotional vulnerability and sincerity that we just don't get in media often.
4
RE4make never could have had the same impact the original did, but that doesn't mean they didn't show up 20 years later and yet again define the peak of the Third Person Shooter.
5
Fighting games aren't something I've spent too much time on in the past, I usually just do an arcade run and shut them off, but SF6 was the game that broke that habit for me. Not only was the fighting itself incredible, but there was actually a really fun and substantial single-player mode that made me feel more confident when playing online. I didn't spend a hell of a lot of time with it all things considered, but it left a real impression on me. I'm definitely going to put more time into it in the future.
6
This is basically a perfect game to me. I can't think of any real problems with it. The only reason its not higher is everything above it was more emotionally fulfilling. Peppino is how I'm feeling at all times.
7
I love Hi-Fi Rush quite a bit. I love rhythm games and I love action games so shoving those together is a quick way to my heart.
8
I've spent a lot of time with this game, most of it closer to its launch in early access, and while I've had some complaints, most of them have either been ironed out or likely will be at the full launch in February. I need more games to have a Kelvin or a Virginia.
9
The Kiryu story here is incredibly solid, I genuinely don't have any complaints with that part of the game. What keeps this from going higher on the list is the crime drama surrounding it. A lot of it just feels rushed and like its only there out of obligation and to justify the character drama. I do really like those new character's though. I need Akame to show up in 8.
10
While TOTK was initially higher on this list, what I came to realize is despite how much I enjoyed it, it didn't stick with me the way I would have expected/hoped. Still an incredible game, just not making the top 10.
11
This is the game I desperately wanted to find a spot for in the top 10 but for the life of me I couldn't make the room. More people need to play this. It is an incredibly fun 3D platformer/Metroidvania that's only real fault is the combat being weak.
12
Another game I tried very hard to find a place for in the top 10 but it just didn't fit. This is one of my favorite horror experiences in a while. The genuine terror The Beast made me feel was exhilarating and something that most horror can't replicate. Can't recommend enough.
13