Last year, my GOTY list took a lot of influence from what I’d learned from each of the games I’d played and I’d like to do something similar this year.
Looking at the games industry more broadly in 2023, there’s a clear takeaway: for some it’s been the best year, for others its been the worst. It’s a joy to see the public absolutely embrace some of these excellent 2023 releases, but it’s been marred by a lot of the hardships the people who make those games have experienced. If there’s any silver lining out of this, it’s that there are a lot of great projects in development right now that we can only hope will employ some of the talented creatives out there who have been in the firing line.
Speaking more personally, my 2023 hasn’t been as big of a gaming year as it has for others. I never have as much time to play video games as I would like and therefore you may be shocked to find a GOTY list that does not include Baldur’s Gate 3 nor Tears of the Kingdom (I’ll get to them one day, I swear). Working as closely with games as we do I think there’s always a certain pressure to constantly be playing the latest greatest thing, but if there’s something I’ve taken away from this year it’s that returning to a comfort game or taking a minute to go back and experience a title you missed is never going to be wasted time. They all have something to teach us.
What this list includes is a mix of titles, both released this year and in the past, that I’ve enjoyed playing in 2023.
Blanc
Something I don’t get time to do enough of is play couch co-op games with friends, but while on holiday earlier this year I had the chance to do just that, and Blanc was the game that rose to the occasion.
The lovely little black and white animated indie is from French developers Casus Ludi and puts you and your fellow player into the shoes of a wolf cub and deer fawn. These unlikely friends find themselves separated from their families in a snow storm and must work together to find their way home. Like other co-op games, each character has unique abilities that allow you to progress, forcing you and your companion to work together to solve puzzles.
Blanc is a short and sweet experience with a beautiful art-style and two of the most adorable characters that is perfect for bringing friends together.
Uncharted 2
As a byproduct of a video game book club that we do on my podcast Controller Club, I often find mysel playing older games for the first time, which includes my journey playing through the Uncharted games.
This year, it was Uncharted 2, which I felt was a significant step up from the first game. One of my biggest joys about playing through this franchise so long after its release has been seeing the line of progression between games. Uncharted 2 introduces so many of the mechanics that Naughty Dog has become known for, from stealth encounters to blockbuster set pieces, and while I will forever hate the final boss fight in this game, I am wholeheartedly on the ride for Nathan Drake’s story.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Horizon Forbidden West was my game of the year in 2022 and I was incredibly pleased that its DLC, Burning Shores, lived up to those standards.
Set within the wasteland of what was once Los Angeles, Burning Shores is packed with dazzling apocalyptic recreations of our most modern pop culture locations. Paired with that is the very human story of Aloy who sees real growth as a character in this chapter and manages to finally open herself to real connection.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores continued to prove it is one of the most beautiful-looking games around, but it was paired with an equally nice story. For me it really rammed home the notion that DLC chapters can still be seminal experiences.
Burning Shores also marks one of my first video game reviews for Kotaku, so it’ll always be that extra bit special for me.
Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical
Stray Gods is an astounding achievement for a first-time studio. Hailing from Melbourne, Summerfall Studios managed to push the envelope, creating something that uniquely blends genres, stuns with its art style and employs some of the most talented voice actors in the business. The music is catchy too.
The further you get into Stray Gods, the more you realise what a miracle it is. The effort that has gone into its branching narrative and dialogue trees, its plot twists, turns and endings, and its plethora of suave Greek mythology characters that could rival those of Hades is simply incredible, and that’s before you add in the musical numbers.
This one reminded me of the incredible talent we have in our local games industry.
The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2
I’m a The Last of Us apologist, it’s true, but some of my most significant personal gaming moments this year happened while playing The Last of Us Part 1 or 2.
It began when I decided to replay The Last of Us alongside the weekly episode drops of the HBO TV show. It was this process that truly made me appreciate how good of an adaptation The Last of Us is – in some places even better than the games – which was so gratifying as a long time fan of the franchise.
Following the end of season 1, I found myself in a TLOU void, so I decided to put myself through the pain of The Last of Us Part 2, for the first time since its release in 2020.
As it turns out- it’s still pretty traumatic! But this playthrough ended up being bittersweet because later in the year I visited Seattle for the first time and was able to walk through the real locations I’d only ever explored in a video game. The Last of Us 2 already has one of the most emotional stories, but being able to physically be in the same place as Ellie and Abby really hit different.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
While everyone was obsessing over Tears of the Kingdom this year I decided to see what all the fuss was with this Breath of the Wild game. And hey, it was pretty good!
This game was my companion during my wisdom teeth recovery this year and what a wonderful companion it was. Running around the glorious fields of Hyrule, cooking a bunch of food recipes I couldn’t hope to eat at the time really helped me forget the painful situation I was in. I still haven’t finished the game but I’m definitely on the bandwagon.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
In my 2020 GOTY roundup I said that Cyberpunk 2077 would have a place on my list next year. Well, it came a little bit later than expected, but in 2023 Cyberpunk is definitely a game worthy of this ‘best of’ list.
I’ll be honest, even in 2020 I found Cyberpunk 2077 to be very enjoyable. I was fixated by its futuristic cityscape and the its ensemble of well rounded side quests and characters. There were bugs, yes, but I could see through them.
This year, it’s clear that Cyberpunk 2077 evolved into the game it was supposed to be three years ago.
It’s in large part thanks to the addition of the Phantom Liberty DLC, which is possibly the best quest the game has to offer. The story places you in an espionage thriller, where you meet a number of intriguing new characters and must decide which side to take. Phantom Liberty is one of those stories that really engages you in the action with its selection of morally grey decisions, which reminded me just how immersive a good RPG can be.
Cyberpunk 2077’s latest success is also due to the commitment of the CD Projekt Red devs, who have continued to back this project even during its darkest hours. In a year marred with so many struggles, it was nice to see a real redemption arc. Hopefully, there are more of those to come.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
If I have to put a label on my favourite game of the year, it would go to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
It helps that the original game was already pretty incredible, but to follow up such a game with something that was on the same level, if not better, is a real achievement. Spider-Man 2 provided everything the doctor ordered: sleeker graphics, a larger world to explore, new combat abilities and a new chapter with beloved characters. It continued to appease my Marvel appetite by riffing on comic book canon to create a narrative that was familiar but fresh, with new gameplay mechanics that pushed the boundaries of the PS5. There is nothing I enjoyed more this year than whipping around New York in those web wings.
It’s also a game with personality that is born out of all those little details the developers have taken time to include with such care. From the unique design of the spider-bots to Miles and Peter’s little interactions when they pass each other in the street, Spider-Man 2 has such style and flair, and it really embodies everything that makes the Spider-Man character so great. I can’t wait for whatever Insomniac does with it next.
Thank you for joining me on this recap of my video game education this year. If you’d like to continue with me on my video game journey next year, I’ll take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my podcast, Controller Club, where we have a friendly little community that we’d love you to be a part of.
Lead Image: CD Projekt Red/Casus Ludi/Insomniac
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