Notes:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 1661 points
2. Baldur's Gate 3 - 1545 points
3. Alan Wake II - 880 points
4. Super Mario Bros. Wonder - 859 points
5. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) - 815 points
6. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - 705 points
7. Final Fantasy XVI - 564 points
8. Hi-Fi Rush - 529 points
9. Street Fighter 6 - 455 points
10. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon - 378 points
11. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - 358 points
12. Lies of P - 346 points
13. Octopath Traveler II - 335 points
14. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - 318 points
15. Pikmin 4 - 316 points
16. Starfield - 310 points
17. Dead Space (Remake) - 288 points
18. Cocoon - 283 points
19. Metroid Prime Remastered - 273 points
20. Diablo IV - 222 points
- We would like to thank Rösti, tgrfawcett, B-Dubs, ColdSun, ghostcrew, DownUnderCoder, and all of the site staff for putting in the work for this year's annual Game of the Year vote.
- As in years past, this year's trophy and banners were designed and created by the inimitable Rösti!
- We would also like to thank the community for voting and commenting. ResetEra GotY is a celebration of your favorites.
- 2023 voting thread
Top 20 Games of 2023
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 1661 points
Breath of the Wild was one of the most incredible gaming experiences, truly making me feel like a child again with the huge open world and being able to go almost anywhere and everywhere as soon as you leave the plateau. I was always day one on the sequel, but even I had a little hesitation and worry when the marketing for the game was strangely silent on the new additions until we saw the deep dive. Ultrahand, Rewind, and Ascend are all fantastic abilities that truly change the way players interact with not only enemies but Hyrule itself. The many contraptions, invetions, and gadgets people have created dominated social media discussion for most of the year and we still see people experimenting with it. The addition of the sky and underground gives even more verticality, caves are scattered about and reward adventurers that check every nook and cranny, and the temples themselves often have a stretch leading up to it that makes those portions part of the experience that get closer to classic dungeons. Truly incredible and the ending fight with accompanying music is one of the strongest end sequences to any video game period.
This game needs to be studied by scientists for decades to come, what kind of devilry did Nintendo conjure to create this game. There are multiple gameplay mechanics where any one of them added to any other game would break the game completely. Not only do all these wild, mind blowing mechanics all work perfectly but they work perfectly together. I can't think of a single player action adventure game that allows more freedom in how to do anything, I would watch videos for hours on YouTube of people coming up with the most incredible devices and contraptions. Yes I know, do you really need to use a tank with 15 lasers to kill these easy enemies, no you can play the game like a boring old Zelda game and it has some of the same repetition issues BOTW has BUT that freedom to be creative really helped make the adventure feel different.
There's little that I can say that's not been said plenty of time before, but Tears of the Kingdom is a triumphant sequel to Breath of the Wild. Once again we have a suitably epic story to provide impetus for the gameplay, spanning the history of Hyrule, and with some unusually heart-wrenching moments. The game map is tweaked just enough to feel fresh alongside introducing a novel set of new puzzle-solving mechanics, and the introduction of additional 'layers' with the underground depths and the skies above adds a great deal to the exploration - even if that sometimes brings a bit of frustration. Throughout, the way that miniature puzzles are woven into the world is inspired and the sheer quantity (and quality!) of detail that's packed in means that there's rarely a time that you'll not find something of interest as you explore.
2. Baldur's Gate 3 - 1545 points
I love Divinity: Original Sin 1 and 2, so I was already on board for Larian's next project before it was even announced as Baldur's Gate 3. The developer has taken its CRPG pedigree to a new level though - BG3's narrative craft and roleplaying mechanics are best in class and shine consistently. Though the main plot doesn't dazzle in its originality, the depth of its characterization, sidequests, and small moments coalesce into an incredible storytelling accomplishment. Meanwhile, the many permutations in its story and moment-to-moment interactions based on class, race, and other factors feels like the closest thing yet to play a tabletop RPG in video game form. I also have to give Baldur's Gate 3 credit for having the most impressive co-op mode I've ever encountered - my wife and I played through the whole game together and got into all kinds of out-of-the-box hijinks and combat scenarios because it truly promotes player freedom, even in multiplayer.
It's not often that a traditional, party-based RPG can join the hall of the all-time greats. The push for cinematic games presented traditional RPGs with a conundrum: either move to an action system and drop party control, or maintain a turn based or RTwP structure at the expense of cinematic flair. Baldur's Gate 3 successfully threads the needle. The story is gripping, and this is one of very few games that manages to succeed at making both the central plot and the individual narratives of each party member be great on their own but also well integrated with each other. The interactions with your party members and other major characters are presented in an appropriately cinematic manner to help give the story its epic tone. The turn-based combat is a dream come true; the entire D&D ruleset but possible to engage with on a human timescale.
3. Alan Wake II - 880 points
The atmosphere, presentation and just awesome weirdness of this game kept me completely hooked from start to finish. Remedy had a specific vision for this game and really went all out. The blend of live action was great, the music and audio design was perfection, the locations were varied and incredibly realised. The combat was tense and fun enough, but not the main focus. Switching between Alan and Saga also worked really well, Saga is a great new character and it kept things fresh bouncing between them. One of the most beautiful games I've ever played, that lighting was incredible.
Holy fuck what an incredible game. Mixing Lynchian absurdity and survival horror with Remedy's style, AW2 is a game that I never expected to get after the first game flopped, and I was thrilled to see Sam Lake get his chance to follow up all these years later after their success with Control. Returning to Bright Falls all these years later as things go down again, this time with bits of Control (and totally-not-Max Payne, played by in-universe Sam Lake the fake actor, written and portrayed by actual Sam Lake lol) sprinkled in, the game is such a joy. It's beautiful on a technical and artist level, the character models are incredibly detailed and wonderfully voiced, the blending of FMV and game in that Remedy style is as good as ever, the writing is excellent, and the vibes are exactly what I wanted all these years later. While I think the combat is good, it's still probably the worst part of the game and still lends to some awesome moments. This is everything and more that I wanted in a sequel to Alan Wake, and while we may never see another one, Remedy went all-out with AW2 and nailed it.
4. Super Mario Bros. Wonder - 859 points
A new voice for Mario. Addictive 2D Mario courses with surprises around every corner and what felt like new enemies or things to do in every level. Taking 2D Mario forward to give it a new lease on life for the future with lessons taken from Mario Maker, the Mario movie, and classic Mario to make something new and wonderful.
Mario's iconicity isn't merely a result of good games, but also because as a character he embodies Nintendo's unparalleled inventive approach to game design. Wonder is finally the game that re-injects the drive to innovate into the 2D side of games and delivering what may be in contention for one of the best 2D Mario games ever, and a game that's definitely in the pantheon for one of the best 2D platformers. This game, and a certain other Nintendo game released this year, extols the virtues of Nintendo's "take your time" approach to design, with them stressing that they never set a deadline for conceptualizing the game. In a post Mario Maker world it almost felt like a necessity to overperform, but the remarkable end package still manages to come across as a surprise. It feels borderline criminal that we hadn't gotten more of this from Nintendo up until now, but the catharsis of getting a 2D Mario game this well animated, this visually appealing, with this many unique ideas per level, and experimenting with progression by offering sub-plots across different worlds is intensely cathartic.
5. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) - 815 points
Resident Evil 4 original has long stood as one of the most memorable games in my personal gaming history, and that's far from an original take. The remake had huge shoes to fill, and I feel like the team behind this remake took that tall task in carefully-executed stride! I personally came away from this remake feeling that they managed to bring over all of the most memorable qualities of the original and improve on a great deal of them. I was almost worried before this game released that the campy action movie vibe would be lost, but it's totally here and totally amplified, delivering on the highest of my hopes. What a game.
I don't envy the team that worked on this game, having the burden of reimagining one of the most influential works in an entire medium, but they actually managed to make just about all of the right choices in doing so. For example: in making Leon more mobile this time around, the enemies needed to move quicker too, but in doing so made them so much more effective offensively, and so to counter THAT they added parrying as a defensive option (which itself is balanced by knife durability). Somehow, while messing with the original's perfect balance in order to make it feel more like a modern game, they ended up landing at something that feels well-rounded itself while being completely different. RE4R is an incredible example of knowing what to change about a remake and what to leave alone
6. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - 705 points
It's rare that a game's mechanics and loose ends are compelling enough to keep me playing after the credits roll, but Spider-Man 2 was one of only two games this year that drew me all the way to the platinum trophy. While it's clearly iterating on the already compelling Spider-Man and Miles Morales experiences, I was impressed with the gameplay variety, spectacle, and new traversal mechanics. Virtually everything was meaningfully improved upon to create my ideal gaming experience for the year, and I grinned at homages to game after classic game that made their appearance along the way.
One of the most impressive games I have ever played from both a technical and gameplay perspective. Nothing is wasted in this game, every side misson and location on the map is an absolute blast. Combat is fast and fluid and works perfectly. The story had me interested the entire time and the set pieces are second to none. Just moving around NYC is a treat to the eyes and the thumbs. Top 10 games of all time imo.
7. Final Fantasy XVI - 564 points
When firing at all cylinders it's captivating, spectacular, satisfying to play and impossible to put down, with the highest of highs I've ever experienced in a video game. Much like a rollercoaster, the game has to take you from up to down and it's during the downtime that you are kept grounded and attached to the world with a lots of interesting scenarios and side stories that are in support of the main themes the game is going for. These themes such as fighting back against fate and strength in community are relatively simple and nothing new. But some strong presentation, acting and cutscene direction in the main quest with the fleshing out done by side quests make sure what the game is going for is delivered very well. It's in many ways a relatively simple game that wears it's heart on it's sleeve. Marrying that with the ridiculously expressively combat system and some of the best setpieces in any game, leave my personal favorite game of 2023.
No contest. Even with its faults, I simply didn't experience such thrills with any other game as I did with FF XVI. Clive is one of the best protagonists of the saga, and the entire cast of main characters is very memorable, and their personalities are only enhanced by the incredible work done by their respective voice actors. The soundtrack is also the best one I listened to this year. People have praised Soken for years, but it was with this game that I came to know and admire his talent. And I can't close my opinion without mentioning the battle with Bahamut. It was the most epic moment I've experienced in video games in years.
8. Hi-Fi Rush - 529 points
My pick for Game of the Year last year was Pentiment, a game released late enough that it pretty much missed the cut-off for the big awards. So it's a little amusing that my pick for this year, Hi-Fi Rush, was released so early in a year that people have called one of the best for game releases, that there was also a worry it might be forgotten. Well, if even if it was at large, it certainly wasn't by me, nor will it for any time soon. Such a perfect gameplay mix of the character action and rhythm genres, it makes you wonder why nobody had done it earlier. Arguably coming with not one, but two soundtracks, a cast of characters out of a Saturday morning cartoon with the fun - and occasionally emotional - story to match, and an incredible art style reminiscent of the Jet Set Radios of the world, Hi-Fi Rush was my game of the year for 2023 from the start all the way through to the end.
A surprise in every sense of the word. For Tango to make such a dramatic pivot and to do so with such success is a hell of an accomplishment. This game combines an absolutely incredible sense of style, fun and accessible rhythm combat, a killer soundtrack of original and licensed music, and characters that really win you over by the end of their journey to make a complete package in the truest sense of the word. A perfectly realized idea from start to finish and easily my favorite game of the year.
9. Street Fighter 6 - 455 points
Put simply, Street Fighter 6 is the gold standard of a fighting game release, not just in 2023 but quite possibly in general. Right here is a game oozing as much swagger as the characters doing the pre match walk out, a fighting game with a full single player campaign that can teach genre fundamentals as you play, it strikes a balance between bringing back the most well known classic characters and introducing a whole batch of instant hit newcomers that then proceed to steal the show.
This is the kind of fighting game that reminds me why i like fighting games so much. I didn't really think it was possible to have a fighting game that's both beginner friendly and full of endless mechanical depth, but somehow Capcom pulled it off. As someone who often thinks "player expression" is a nonsense buzzword, I genuinely think SF6 is a game where you can see someone's personality through their playstyle; It's one of the few games where I love mirror matches because no one really plays my character the exact way I do so it's always a learning experience. That's why I still love SF6 after playing hundreds of hours; I'm always learning.
10. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon - 378 points
This one's gotta be the one that put the biggest smile on my face this year. Having been a fan of the franchise since Armored Core 3, I had been yearning for a return to these games since Verdict Day, and it always just felt like this series was put on the back burner for FROMSOFT with the insane success of the souls games. Since the initial reveal at last year's Game Awards, this game was at the top of my list for this year, and to say that FROMSOFT stuck the landing would be the biggest of understatements. The took the bar and propelled it into heights that I didn't even think were possible with this franchise, from the right gameplay, the level design, the boss encounters, the customization, the music, just a damn near perfect complete package for me as far as what I was looking for in a return to these games. So happy to see this game make such a triumphant return, and I can't wait to see what the team has in store for us in the future. ARMORED CORE IS BACK BAYBEEEEEE.
I just wanna gush about it: the gameplay is weirdly both cozy and extremely satisfying, the missions structure makes for an incredibly replayable game, the art style knocks it out of the park and, the most surprising aspect, the story turned out to be a highlight with emotional guts wrenching moments and a compelling mystery. On top of all that, it's just a freaking cool game ! Weaving through a bazillion missiles and lasers you can barely make sense just gets me hyped in a way few things do. It might even be better than Elden Ring. FROM really outdid themselves with this one. They even got my to play through it 3 times in a row on release... and I'll be sure to replay it eventually.
11. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - 358 points
First, I'm just such a fan of the genre and many any of its touchstone films are amoung my absolute favorites. We very rarely get AAA games set in that mileu and CD Projekt Red absolutely knocked it out of the park. In doing so they delivered a thoughtful, human, and earnest adaptation of the world Mike Pondsmith created all those years ago with the first edition of the Cyberpunk TTRPG. Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty are bursting with humanity, light, darkness, heart, corruption, evil, depravity, joy, and hope. Dogtown is a wonderful backdrop for the the espionage thriller story and an absolute blast as a place to just play around and go nuts with your character. Phantom Liberty completes Cyberpunk 2077 and underscores just how rich, detailed, and lived in the setting feels and the writing and character just take it over the top. It's a game and world that knows exactly what I like, messy people and good stories along with some really fun and engaging gameplay.
12. Lies of P - 346 points
What made me fall for Lies of P at the start was the fantastic weapon system. I love how you can kitbash blades and handles together to create the type of weapon you want. You like that Salamander dagger, but want to improve that range? Just slap the blade on a long handle. Like that bonesaw, but you made a dex build? Just slap the saw on a dex handle and you're good. I loved messing around with the different combos. But aside from that, the complete package here is super polished. Great boss fights, good level design with all killer and no filler... and a memorable hub in Hotel Krat. Every time I put on a record, did the rounds talking to people, tested some weapons (training dummies, yay!) or just soaked in the atmo... It all felt so cozy and warm. I lost track of time more than once in this game, I was very much absorbed.
13. Octopath Traveler II - 335 points
No game I've played this year comes close to how good OTII is. I'm happy it's being shown so much love in this thread because it feels like it flew under most people's radar. Yet, it has a killer OST, fantastic combat, better-than-average exploration and, of course, its best quality: 8 different characters, each with a unique and, generally, thoughtful narrative that could stand proudly on its own in any other game! In particular, Castti, Throné, and Osvald's stories are phenomenal and will forever stay with me.
14. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - 318 points
What do you get when you take a reasonably competent but clearly in need of improvement freshman attempt at a third person action/adventure game and address nearly every single complaint users had with the original game? One of the strongest 3D Metroidvania games in years. Jedi Survivor takes bits of the first game's Soulslike inspiration but widens the scope massively, resulting in a far more balanced, far deeper, and far more enjoyable experience than the original game. I enjoyed spending another adventure with Cal, Merrin and the crew and hope Respawn is able to continue their upward trajectory with the third game.
15. Pikmin 4 - 316 points
There is no moment that better captures the tonal uniqueness of the Pikmin franchise as a whole than a large group of Pikmin joyously singing in harmony as they carry the corpse of a giant dead creature back to base to be processed. The appeal of Pikmin's gameplay is the continual balance of serenity and danger, with a beautiful, lush world that is familiar as it is bizarrely alien. It's a combination of various garden locales, beaches, caves, sewers, house interiors, all explored from a micro perspective. Even the most basic household items have now become delightfully gigantic in scale...As a newcomer to the franchise, Pikmin 4 is an excellent installment for new players and veterans alike...
16. Starfield - 310 points
BGS delivers again with a gameplay loop that is uniquely their own, this time with a brand new setting & IP.
Love the NASA-punk vibe. They nailed the hard science aesthetic, and landing exclusively on next-gen hardware, the attention to detail is just out of this world. Bonus props to the retro-future industrial design, everything from computers/hardware to architecture & fashion design. The maps are a joy to navigate and lush with detail & ambiance. And the visual variety on offer from one planet to the next is really sweet with the number of unique topographical biomes you can come across.
Starfield is what I come to BGS games for...that, Oingo Boingo-esq "Who do you want to be today?" open-ended freedom that lets one tailor their game sessions specifically to any mood. At any moment there's like a dozen different things I can be doing and I absolutely love that I can engage with the game on my own terms every time I fire it up. It's a great sense of freedom & possibility.
17. Dead Space (Remake) - 288 points
Motive knocked it out of the park. I've always loved the Dead Space franchise and while the first game had the most memorable setting, its sequel quickly upstaged pretty much all aspects of gameplay. Motive has done several incredible things with the remake: they've introduced Dead Space 2 gameplay mechanics into the first game, drastically improving things like the zero-g sections and making kinesis a viable offensive alternative, they've given Isaac a voice, and they've reworked the design of the Ishimura into a fully connected, fully traversable, living ship. The result is the game you remember Dead Space being back in 2008 (and makes going back to the original all the more bracing when you realize how much more fully fleshed out the remake is). Hopefully EA will drown them in cash to continue remaking/making the Dead Space franchise for years to come. GOTY (and one of the GOATs).
18. Cocoon - 283 points
Cocoon came out of nowhere to absolutely ensorcell me for the brief, but mesmerizing journey. It felt incredibly innovative and universal in its communication regarding the mechanics leading to many moments of profound satisfaction while solving a puzzle that stopped me in my tracks for a few minutes at a time or longer. Brilliant game that made me feel brilliant.
19. Metroid Prime Remastered - 273 points
Metroid Prime is one of my favorite games of all time. It feels a bit like cheating to put a remaster up here, but it feels less that way when you actually look at the game. No one needs to hear again why Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games ever made, but the work on the remaster deserves recognition. With every single visual aspect completely remade, Metroid Prime Remastered is probably the absent looking Switch game out there and doesn't look out of place next to other current gen titles. It's gorgeous, and unlike some other visual remakes (looking at you, Halo CE Anniversary), it perfectly preserves and even enhances the look, feel, and general atmosphere of the original.
20. Diablo IV - 222 points
I just cannot stop playing, I love what was delivered here. A big part of the world that has been mentioned or visited in sections since the first diablo entry is now fully available to explore! Key characters have been given proper attention and even the new cast blends in properly. Blizzard hasn't written something this good since warcraft III personally. I found really ironic how Inarius, an angel, which should be seen as this 'holy' entity is just being selfish for his own goals and the demon Lilith has actually more compassion for their own son(s). And how one of the main villains of the series is just perfectly setup to become the main adversary in the next chapter of this entry.
