Thirsty Suitors

It’s been a surreal year for video games, with publishers cutting jobs by the thousands and shuttering countless studios while boasting business has never been better. This cognitive dissonance leaves a bitter aftertaste. But the best games of 2023 are undeniable, including Outerloop Games’ Thirsty Suitors. This eight-hour story about a woman named Jala returning to her hometown to sort through failed relationships is a breath of fresh air. Whatever’s in the air that caused Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comic to reboot by healing trauma, bears fruit here. Battling Jala’s exes draws the player into dreamlike inscapes with mythical stakes, animals, and songs.

Jedi: Survivor

Against expectations, EA’s Jedi: Survivor was Brian Tallerico’s favorite Star Wars product in years. He has little interest in Disney+ shows outside of Andor but couldn’t get enough of this game’s world. Its open landscapes feel like they hold secrets, upgrades and characters around every corner. As his Jedi grew more powerful, he grew more addicted to seeing where the story went, until a familiar face advanced the game to his list. If the Jedi games continue with this entertaining escapism quality, maybe he can become a big Star Wars fan after all.

Starfield

After making the PC leap, Alex James Kane spent over 50 hours with Starfield between the main story and odd jobs. While it has weaknesses with so many explorable planets, if you approach it as a space exploration sim with Fallout scavenging, satisfying gunplay and similarities to Skyrim, there’s plenty to marvel at. Particularly charming is the reverence for old Earth artifacts and Earth itself, treated like a late family member everyone’s still mourning.

Resident Evil 4

Including a 2005 game on a best of 2023 list is odd, but the Resident Evil 4 remake was Brian Tallerico’s most enjoyable shooter of the year. The developers didn’t just slap paint on one of his favorite games - they somehow made it better. When asked his best games of all time, Resident Evil 4 often comes first, and he says the 2023 version is even better. Updating gameplay to meet modern expectations without losing essence, the team found the perfect survival horror and action balance. He loves the RE franchise but this game did it best.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The time Alex James Kane spent with Tears of the Kingdom was awe-inspiring artistically and technically. Yet it’s so dense with puzzles and crafting that he still has a long way to go. If Breath of the Wild cut the open-world formula to its essence, Tears refuses comfort with that template through maximalism. He also enjoyed Mario Bros. Wonder though just started it, and the intimidating yet astonishing Baldur’s Gate 3. A third of his Steam time was spent in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s multiplayer too. Jedi: Survivor and Texas Chain Saw Massacre also impressed along with urban fantasy shooter El Paso, Elsewhere about a doomed romance resembling Armageddon.

Alan Wake II

Brian Tallerico can’t stop thinking about Alan Wake II, designed to haunt gamers through an expertly realized mission. It’s reminiscent of Twin Peaks: The Return not just for relaunching a dead property but by warping and questioning reality. Playing an investigator who may be the fictional creation of writer Alan Wake stuck in an alternate reality since the first game, he’s unleashed a fiery alter ego on the world. The ambitious narrative allows playgrounds with gaming foundations, including an unreal live-action chapter. It was breathtaking with nothing else like it in gaming or elsewhere this year.

Best Combat

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake set a high bar for third-person combat, but the graceful and responsive fighting in FromSoftware’s Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon sets a new standard. Its combat feels carefully authored to highlight player expression through mech construction and playstyle. Despite frenetic fights, you never feel out of control thanks to Armored Core VI’s constant responsiveness around player intent.

Best Original Score

Pulling emotion from both explosive boss fights and quiet hideaway moments, Final Fantasy XVI’s soundtrack exceeded expectations. Composers Masayoshi Soken, Ramin Djawadi and other talented artists crafted music enhancing the game’s best parts. We’ll be humming these tracks for years to come.

Best Hero

As Valisthea’s lodestar, Clive Rosfield guides players through the complex world of Final Fantasy XVI. His engaging backstory and passionate performance by Ben Starr set him apart from other brooding protagonists. Clive beautifully fills the role of guiding audiences through the gripping setting.

Best Villain

In Tears of the Kingdom, Ganondorf makes his most formidable appearance yet against Link. For the first time, he’s fully voiced and depicted in an immortal, dehydrated form scarier than ever before. His climactic battle may be fans’ favorite Ganondorf fight yet in this long-running series.

Best Moment

Halfway through Alan Wake 2, players experience a live-action recap of the first game featuring choreographed fights and brutal combat. It’s a bold creative decision that few studios could pull off as stunningly as Remedy Entertainment.

Best Art Direction

From photorealistic environments to eerie enemies, Alan Wake 2 consistently entranced with its unsettling visuals balanced on the line between reality and nightmares. Exceptional chapter cards and a moody Pacific Northwest and New York conveyed the title’s creepy dark places.

Best Family Game

Infused with positivity from start to finish, Super Mario Bros. Wonder provides laughter for players of all ages. Up to four can cooperate locally while various power-ups and difficulty indicators help include newcomers. Nintendo crafted an adventure the whole family will enjoy together.

Best Cooperative Multiplayer

D&D fans can live out their party fantasies through the complete Baldur’s Gate 3 experience with up to three friends. This role-playing epic captures the joy of adventuring alongside companions without a dungeon master through its flexibility and reactivity.

Best Competitive Multiplayer

Following Street Fighter V’s stumbles, Street Fighter 6’s talented team delivered astounding netcode, mechanics, and content from launch. Whether playing online arenas or local lobbies, the refined fighting retains the genre’s traditions while standing as one of the best in years.

Best Platforming

Super Mario Bros. Wonder breathed life into the classic genre with clever level designs, badges, and Wonder effects that change gameplay unexpectedly. Mario’s latest outing maintains precision while keeping stages feeling fresh through varied power-ups.

Best Simulation

While most in the genre involve city-building, Terra Nil asks players to assist nature’s reclamation of the destroyed earth. Pushing environmental recovery forward through various challenges proves deeply rewarding in this thought-provoking simulator.

Best Puzzle Game

The Talos Principle II offers over 100 brilliantly crafted puzzle rooms and a choice-driven narrative discussing consciousness and existence philosophy. It’s an intellectually engaging sequel staying true to the original’s thoughtful creative spirit.

Best Horror Game

Crafting a gorgeously claustrophobic nightmare, Alan Wake 2 balances visuals and sound design to maximize stress and fear. Remedy Entertainment heightened every element to pull players deeper into this harrowing love letter to survival horror.

Best Role-Playing Game

Baldur’s Gate 3 achieves what few other RPGs can - near-infinite flexibility without sacrificing quality storytelling. Its reactivity accounts for a vast array of choices, letting each player experience totally different yet compelling versions of the same epic tale.

Best Sports Game

MLB The Show 23 supported the series’ reputation as a premier sports franchise. Improved gameplay joined a rich suite of modes including an excellent focus on The Negro Leagues, honoring overlooked athletes’ histories.

Best Racing Game

Forza Motorsport now leads its virtual racing rivalry by delivering the fantastic physics expectations while evolving favorite features. Stunning graphics complement excellent driving alongside fans online in this standout entry.

Best Fighting Game

Street Fighter 6 sets a high bar, bringing beloved characters, smooth netcode, and beginner-friendly options from launch. Whether online arenas or local matches, this refined fighting game recaptures what makes the genre great for both competition and enjoyment.

Best Simulation Game

While most sims involve city-building, Terra Nil asks players to assist nature’s reclamation of the destroyed Earth. Pushing environmental recovery forward proves intellectually rewarding and thought-provoking in this unique simulator.

Best Developer

Nintendo had an exceptional year between acclaimed entries in their biggest franchises like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder alongside other beloved series. They continue setting the gold standard for video game development.

Best Publisher

Capcom successfully remade genre-defining games while launching new entries in franchises like Street Fighter and Exoprimal. From Resident Evil to Monster Hunter, they expertly produce fan favorites across multiple genres at a high standard.

Best Remake

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake faced immense pressure but managed to modernize the classic survivors without losing its essence. Remaining faithful to the beloved source material, it reinvented the game for new players as one of the best in its class.

Best Expansion/DLC

Cyberpunk 2077’s story concludes beautifully in Phantom Liberty, reminding players why CD Projekt Red creates some of gaming’s most memorable worlds. With overhauls and this excellent story content, the full Cyberpunk package is worth experiencing.

Best Action Game

Insomniac doubled down on what makes Spider-Man great by adding Miles Morales and symbiotes while refining combat. Merely traversing Seattle and San Francisco feels as exciting as any boss thanks to fluid acrobatic movement.

Best Sony Exclusive

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 promises to be Insomniac’s most bombastic superhero epic yet with a thrilling adventure for both web-slingers. Using PlayStation 5’s power, the detailed open world is a technical showcase for the wall-crawler’s graceful mobility.

Best Nintendo Exclusive

Against beloved releases like Pikmin 4 and Mario RPG, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom innovated fantastically using The Ultrahand. Between incredible player creations, puzzles, and gripping story, it’s no surprise this juggernaut won Game of the Year.

Best PC Exclusive

Friends vs Friends stands out with its innovative first-person card combat forcing on-the-fly strategic creativity. Vibrant arenas host randomized matchups where players combine cards for powerful combos in competitive multiplayer mayhem.

Game of the Year

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom surprised, inspired creativity, and concluded the franchise’s history beautifully. Combining unmatched puzzles, exploration, and a fun story with The Ultrahand’s engineering possibilities, it’s easy to understand why critics love this Nintendo masterpiece above 2023’s other classics.