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Game Of The Year Editor’s Pick, 2023 - Zoe J. Osik
Most years, I can look back at the games I’ve played and choose my favorites with relative ease. This year, not so much. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but 2023 has been an exceptional year for video games launches. There’s been an embarrassment of riches to behold - a strange thing to say when massive layoffs have rocked the industry to its core, but here we are.
Narrowing things down to ten titles hasn’t been the easiest thing I’ve done this week, but it’s certainly been fun. And agonizing. But thrilling. But also frustrating. Here’s the ten I enjoyed the most, I think.
Be sure to check outall the spiffy GOTY listsmy colleagues have written, too. They’re probably cooler than mine.
10. Fire Emblem Engage
Fire Emblem Engage’s story is weak, its cast is largely unimpressive, and it relies too heavily on a brand of nostalgia that undermines it rather than elevates it, but it’s also fun as heck. I’m OK with this latest entry upping the ante on Fire Emblem’s excellent battle system, even as it drops the ball on the rest of the package. After all, Fire Emblem used to pride itself on the depth of its combat, the plethora of approaches to victory, and the exciting class system - all stuff Engage has got in spades.
9. Final Fantasy 16
The combat gets stale, the pacing is downright bizarre, and the RPG elements are severely lacking, but the story is solid, the script is spectacular, and the cast is fantastic. Especially its protagonist, Clive Rosfield. Major props to Ben Starr’s voice acting; without his genius delivery, this wouldn’t have worked so well. Ultimately,Final Fantasy 16is a visual triumph that engrossed me almost the whole way through. (I didn’t love the ending, alas.)
8. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The cheek of Nintendo to name thisSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, and then to deliver on the stated goal of leaving me in a state of wonder dozens of times throughout my journey to save the Flower Kingdom. If you were hoping for a jolt of fresh energy after so many years stuck in New Super Mario Bros. territory, here it is.
7. Cassette Beasts
Cassette Beastsis not ‘we have Pokemon at home’, it is entirely its own animal. It’s a video game that takes a well-worn genre and flips it on its head in some very spiffy ways. It’s not just the lingo; any developer can tell you that rather than catching and raising your monsters, you’re recording them and playing them back to battle your foes. But only a developer with the ambition to make it all feel truly unique can give us something this excellent.
6. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Despite not having the words ‘Final Fantasy’ in the title,Theatrhythm FInal Bar Lineis the best Final Fantasy game of the year. I’m not even much of a rhythm gaming fan, but gosh, I sure do adore Final Fantasy music, and golly gee, there are over 500 tracks here. Theatrhythm doesn’t just smack me with nostalgia. It straight up ambushes me with it, and I eat it up like Gysahl Greens on a warm summer’s day.
5. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo
The best visual novels have a vibe all their own. You envision them, and that mental image is unlike anything else in memory. From the exquisite art style that blends peak 1980s anime with a dark and cold color palette to the haunting soundtrack and disquieting atmosphere,Paranormasight’s the full package.
4. Octopath Traveler 2
The original Octopath Traveler was as refreshing as it was repetitive. A rad battle system, a handful of terrific characters, and an oddly good time pilfering belongings off of everyone in the world - but the gameplay loop was mundane, and some of the stories were kind of a snooze.
Everything has been polished to a mirror sheen withthe sequel. All eight ‘travelers’ are delightfully written. There’s more room to experiment in battle, more plentiful opportunities to customize your party, and a fittingly epic final chapter ties things together for the cast in a way that really ought to have happened in the first game.
3. Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Look. I realize this is the fourth Square Enix pick in a row, and the fifth one on the list. It’s not my fault my favorite developer had a banner year. ButStar Ocean: The Second Story Ris, in truth, Gemdrops’ triumphant moment.
Some dubious difficulty decreases aside, none of the original’s legacy has been lost; Gemdrops simply brought Star Ocean: The Second Story into the current decade with savvy UI tweaks, additional gameplay elements galore, and the best fast travel system I’ve ever seen.
2. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Breath of the Wild is an all-timer of mine, and so isTears of the Kingdom… so I can hardly believe TOTK ‘only’ manages second place, but here we are. Revisiting this robust and marvelously expansive iteration of Hyrule with sky segments and a vast underground realm is spicy enough stuff, but what I love most about this game is the qualitative uptick in several areas BOTW didn’t really wow me with.
The story is richer, with a greater number of quests to enjoy. Hyrule’s scattered settlements have more going on now, and every inch of the world feels more alive.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
Historically, CRPGs don’t always click with me, butBaldur’s Gate 3changed my entire outlook. It’s on so many of my colleagues’ lists that I’m not going to waste your time going into the myriad reasons that I’m right there with them. This is a seminal video game, a labor of love that’s single-handedly brought me into the Dungeons & Dragons fold, and will doubtless do the same for others.
