my favorite games of 2023

Fire Emblem Engage

I had a really hard time getting into SRPGs my entire life, but both this and Tactics Ogre back-to-back really changed that for me. The tactical strategy based combat here is very well executed across the board. The combat encounters are all pretty brilliant featuring a diverse set of scenarios and the mechanics surrounding everything only serve to enhance them overall. Combine that with a fun, tokusatsu-like story and colorful cast of characters and you end with an endlessly charming game that is highly addictive. It may not have the same depth of writing as Three Houses, but it makes up for it with its snappy pacing and much stronger gameplay.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

This was a game that I was really excited for, and I was extremely happy to find out that it lived up to that excitement. It reminded me a lot of 428 in very good ways. I’m a sucker for mystery stories, so this hit me in all the right places. The execution was great and I was incredibly impressed by the art direction especially. Gen Kobayashi killed it in NEO The World Ends With You, and he continued to stun here. The game utilizing visual effects and filters to further transform his art to fit the mood was wonderful.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

As the world’s number 1 Bayonetta fan, this is not surprising to have a spot in my list. But, it’s good! Genuinely. In some ways, it is one of the most exciting games Platinum has put out in years. It’s a break from their typical stylish action game stuff, and more of a return to something like Okami. Bayonetta Origins is a gorgeous Zelda/Metroid inspired game with a shockingly good narrative. The end set-piece might honestly be my favorite in the series after 1. Don’t sleep on this especially if you’re a Clover fan.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

3D Zelda is one of those series where I think it’s hard to really go wrong. Every game has their own strengths, and are pretty amazing across the board. I adored BOTW and the way it shook up the formula, so I was happy to see TOTK continue down that path. Reusing its framework and building off it was a genius move, and this is a game that only Nintendo can pull off. Very few games make me feel like a kid experimenting, but this one did. Just like BOTW did when it came out. A genuine masterpiece in game design that shows no one does it like the Zelda team.

Street Fighter 6

SFV’s issues have been well documented over the years. While it did eventually turn into a solid game by the end of its life, it never really shook off a lot of issues from its release. The art direction was a fairly safe and uncertain retread of 4’s, a lot of characters just felt awkward due to stubby normals and design decisions, and the V-system as a whole always felt half-baked. It felt very inconsistent and afraid to move beyond SF2 (again).

SF6 is a proper response to pretty much all of that. It marks the first completely post-SF3 game (as opposed to SFV’s waffling uncertainty), and it feels fresh. It confident in trying out new ideas and it’s very inspiring to see from a division that has struggled for years now. It’s still early, so it’s hard to say how the game will fare long-term, but it’s a promising start to a new game and era. The drive system feels well thought out (so far), the new cast is the best since the 90s, and the online experience is great. It feels like the return of arcade Capcom and that might be the most important any game developer has ever been to my life.

Final Fantasy XVI

I know this game is fairly divisive among FF fans online, but I really enjoyed myself with this one. Clive’s story was really gripping for me, and I quite liked his supporting cast (Jill and Cid both had some really standout moments for me). The combat felt great, and I was happy to see something so similar to Devil May Cry with its implementation of enemy steps and so on. It felt a lot more satisfying than many other games compared to it. Combine that with a Soken OST and some incredibly cool set piece boss fights, and you end up with a game that feels pretty laser focused on my interests.

Baldur’s Gate 3

I really dug what I played of Divinity Original Sin II, so I always had a good feeling about this game. And it turned out far better than I even expected. The immersive-sim style approach you have to pretty much every scenario, the rich writing, and the phenomenal performances by the actors involved all come together to make something really wonderful. It doesn’t necessarily break any new ground for the genre, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever get a big budget CRPG with this level of love and care put into it again. It’s really easy to see why it dominated so many people’s lists for the year. It sucks you in and makes you a part of its world.

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

RE4 Remake takes a different approach to remaking RE4 and the results are great. It trades the original’s arcade precision for something more chaotic and messy, and it works really well. With the remake focusing more on horror, it feels appropriate to have everything feel more hectic to sell the mood. It’s stressful, fast, and disorienting. It keeps all the same beats and iconic moments, but adds just enough of a twist to make it feel fresh and exciting. Their approach to both the main game and Separate Ways also shows that they took lessons from RE6 and used their experience to refine those ideas instead of just tossing them. While it doesn’t replace the original for me, the fact that it can stand up there with it is a testament to how strong this game is.

Fate/Samurai Remnant

Beyond Fate/Zero, I have really limited experience with the Fate series. I know most of Fate/Stay Night from osmosis online, but I never read it myself. Luckily, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a completely standalone entry, and a perfect starting point for anyone interested. Featuring a fantastic set of characters and my favorite story of the year, FSR is a really great narrative from start to finish. The narrative team behind Fire Emblem Three Houses worked on it, and just like that it features wonderfully complex character motivations and twists that get stuck in your brain. Rei Wataru’s art and designs are also gorgeous, and only serve to elevate the strong writing holding this game up. The combat did wear a bit thin on me over time, but it’s certainly worth playing through if the concept intrigues you.

Super Mario Wonder

I love Mario, and it’s always been one of my favorite series my entire life. Wonder is another fantastic entry, and easily one of the best 2D platformers of all time. It’s Nintendo at their most creative, and it’s constantly throwing new concepts at you only to toss them out later for something new. This game is a never-ending barrage of fun, and I loved every minute of it. It reminds me of a 2D take on something like Super Mario Galaxy and it’s an easy choice for my favorite new game this year. It’s one I’ll be revisiting repeatedly for years.

My favorite addition to an existing game was Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed. A wonderful culmination of the series to this point, and an extremely satisfying addition to 3 as a whole. I think with this it’s cemented 3 as my favorite of the series and I could not be more excited for Takahashi’s next game.

As far as service games go, my list remains pretty consistent. Final Fantasy XIV got more patches with good content. The new MSQ, variant/criterion dungeons, and raid series have all been wonderful. Fortnite fell into a bit of a lull for me. I was pretty underwhelmed by the last few seasons in particular. But its most recent season is amazing and Epic launching 3 full new games under the banner is impressive. Even more impressive that they’re all good too!

The best non-2023 game I played this year was Atelier Sophie 2. I’ve talked about it in-depth over the last several months elsewhere but the mix of systems, art direction, tone, and cast really worked for me on every level. It hits all of the things I love in RPGs, and it’s sold me on the series. Sophie 2’s crafting system in particular hits that SMT part of my brain, and those who know me know how much of a fiend I am for that kind of content. Easy entry into my favorites of all time list and my favorite game I’ve played all year.

Other games I enjoyed but haven’t been able to play more of or wasn’t able to fit in my list:

• White Album — It’s awesome to see an early Leaf game in English. It’s an important piece of history and very fun to experience nowadays. I’m hoping this opens the doors to more official localizations to their earlier works.
• Theatrhythm Final Bar Line — Full of fantastic fanservice with a killer lineup of music. A rock solid rhythm game with some cool RPG systems surrounding it to give it some meat beyond chasing high scores.
• Pikmin 4 — I’m only at the very beginning but I can tell this one’s gonna be something special. I’m one of those people who couldn’t handle the stress of a time limit, so this one’s for me.
• Lethal Company — Easily the best co-op horror game since Phasmophobia. This game is blowing up for a good reason. I’ve already had hours fly by playing with friends and laughing and screaming constantly.
• Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia — A new game inspired by SMT is always exciting. I have limited experience with Touhou, but this game is incredibly cool and I can’t wait to really get into it.
• Octopath Traveler II — I enjoyed a lot of the original but the structure really wore me out. This seems to address my criticisms from the first so I’m excited to see where it goes. I’ve only played a bit of the intro, but it seems truly wonderful.
• Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines — A remarkably cute and sweet little visual novel. Easily beaten over a weekend but it’s easily my favorite game that went under-the-radar this year.
• Pizza Tower — Great homage to the Wario Land series featuring incredibly creative designs, an amazing OST, and super tight controls.
• Process of Elimination — I love murder mystery stories, so I was super into what I played of this game until other things pulled me away. Something I desperately need to return to because I know I’ll love the rest.
• TEVI — Metroidvanias are like comfort food to me, and this one seems very high quality from the brief amount I’ve played. I plan on digging into this more throughout the month.

I still have more from the year I’m waiting to play too. Dodonpachi Daioujou Rinne Tensei is arriving Monday for me, and I can’t wait to start it. I’m a horrible shmup player, but I adore Cave’s music, art, and general feel for their games. Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising is another I’m looking forward to, but I’m going to have to wait on it. The beta was incredible (with a lot of great changes from the original), and it seems like it’s gonna be a hot game. It feels very reminiscent of the old Arcsys revisions, in a good way.