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Game Of The Year Editor’s Pick, 2023 - Vaspaan Dastoor
I probably played fewer games in 2023 than in any other year in recent memory, but the ones I did play all left their mark in pretty impactful ways. It was a superb year for indies, full of stories that tugged at my heartstrings for a variety of reasons. My only regret is not having played more.
There’sa feast of GOTY listscoming your way over the next couple of weeks, with 30 of us in total contributing to an overall list that will be revealed on December 18.
10. Diablo 4
Diablo 4sneaks into my top ten on the strength of its exceptional single-player storyline, which kept me wholly invested right to the end. Lilith proves to be a twisted and formidable foe in a darkly beautiful Sanctuary, whileRalph Inesonis perfectly cast as the gruff Horadrim Lorath. I couldn’t tell you what the endgame content is like, though, because I didn’t touch it.
9. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Theatrhythm Final Bar Lineis perhaps the only video game in existence I’d say is well worth the £100 price forall the extra bells and whistles.
8. Chants of Sennaar
I used to teach English, I’ve lived in three other countries, and have four languages swimming around in the grey stuff upstairs. It goes without saying (or even without signing in indecipherable squiggles) thatChants of Sennaar— a stunning puzzler about bridging cultures and languages — is right up my street.
7. A Space for the Unbound
A Space for the Unboundis an emotional rollercoaster, but I am so, so glad I took the time to see it through to the end. It feels like the kind of game Haruki Murakami might make, if he were so inclined. It’s certainly not one I’m going to forget in a hurry.
6. Final Fantasy 16
I enjoyedFinal Fantasy 16’s hard shift into action RPG territory. More accessible gameplay than recent genre darlings was definitely welcome, while going for a darker fantasy plot andside storiesfelt like a risk that paid off — at least for me.
Sure, it has its faults, but its sheer scale meant that it was one of the few big-budget games I was compelled to play this year. Those Eikon battles? Whew.
Honorable Mentions that didn’t make the top ten
5. Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
Feeling like something of an alien in my home country these days, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops, just hanging out and listening to stories other patrons share with one another.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterflybuilds on an original I loved, offering more tales full of life and helping me feel just that little less isolated. Now I really want to open a café.
4. Mr. Saitou
Laura Shigihara’s follow-up to the excellentRakuen, Mr. Saitou focuses on an unlikely friendship between an overworked salaryman and an excitable young boy he meets while in hospital.
It’s a short, one-sitting game that features a delightful cast of supporting characters, a fantastic soundtrack (featuringUndertale’s Toby Fox), and a goofy story that’s all about positivity, love, and finding yourself. I’m not crying at the ending, you are.
Even if you don’t play Mr. Saitou, at leastcheck out the electro-pop-rock-rap concert cutscene. If this doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, nothing will.
3. Videoverse
In 2003, the year Kinmoku’s latest takes place, I was a student. Having moved to a town where I didn’t really know anyone, I’d stay in the college library until its late-evening close, immersed in early online communities just likeVideoverse. I built friendships and relationships, and felt just as lost as Emmett when the platforms I used began to degrade and disappear as the decade wore on and more cynical social networks took prominence.
As such, Videoverse was a raw experience for me, dredging up feelings of love and loss, and one I just don’t want to leave behind. That’s testament to Lucy Blundell’s incredibly authentic and relatable worldbuilding and writing.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3is a game that, for a period after launch, squatted so dominantly in my mind that I might as well have changed my name to Rincewind. I burned out after more than 180 hours, and haven’t been back yet, but I know I’ll be playing it for years to come.
Theamazing teamhere at TheGamer putsthe appeal of BG3into wordsfar betterthan I ever could, so take the time to read their work.
If it wasn’t for the ‘big game’ fatigue I’ve started to feel, and the fact that BG3isn’t easy to return toif you take a sizable break, it would have comfortably been number one. However, I’ve become a real slave to JRPG comfort food as a coping mechanism, so…
1. Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Square Enix puzzles me immensely. It constantly messes with the legacy of its most lucrative IP, Final Fantasy, with half-baked updates and spin-offs, but then comes out with stunningly innovative or refreshed titles such asOctopath Travelerand Live A Live.
Star Ocean: The Second Story Rhas become one of the examples of how remakes of pixel-era RPGs should be done, and one worthy of the best game in an often-overlooked series. BG3 may be an industry-defining all-timer, but Second Story R has been the most fun I’ve had with a game sincelast year’s winner, Citizen Sleeper. More please!
