2023 was a very strong year for video games; we saw many high-end AAA releases, a resurgence of the survival horror genre and studios that put their players and fans first in a landscape dominated by anti-consumer practices. It’s a shame that the corporate side was so cutthroat over the last twelve months with many rounds of layoffs and a continued insistence on intrusive marketing and live-service titles. For now, let’s take a look back at the best and worst games of the year...
Games That Came And Went With Low Impact
3rd: Exoprimal
This mech-based shooter pitting human soldiers against dinosaurs had a surprisingly enjoyable gameplay loop, but it didn’t set the world on fire, remaining firmly in its place as a AA title. It could have built a larger playerbase but settled for the middle road.
2nd: Aliens: Dark Descent
While not exactly the Aliens game many had wanted, Dark Descent made a capable if tepid impression with fans of the license. The wait goes on for another horror title or a full-on sequel to 2014’s Alien Isolation.
1st: Dead Island 2
After so many years in development across multiple studios, Dead Island 2 was perfectly playable, but the delays really hampered its overall appeal. Arriving long after the video game zombie craze had died down didn’t help either.
Biggest Gaming Casualties
3rd: Google Stadia
Let down by both performance problems and a lack of game ownership, Google’s foray into the gaming market crashed out as its streaming platform failed to catch on. It may well be the last service of its kind.
2nd: Electronic Entertainment Expo
Once known as gaming Christmas for many, E3 was finally killed off for good towards the end of 2023 as exhibitors pulled out and funding levels dropped. Since 1995 it was a constant fixture in the industry, but now is the time to move on.
1st: Vast numbers of employees laid off across many major studios
The industry continues to hold a brutal approach to developers who aren’t profitable with many studios making major cuts. Over 9000 people were made redundant this year with some of the worst offenders including the Embracer Group, EA, Bungie, Microsoft and Epic Games.
Most Disappointing Game
3rd: Forspoken
What could have been an engaging new IP devolved into cringe worthy writing, lacklustre combat and lazy world-building. Forspoken proved so disastrous that its studio, Luminous Productions, closed shortly after release.
2nd: Company of Heroes 3
The once proud strategy franchise ended its trilogy with a dull thud, launching with a litany of technical issues and a weaker amount of content, things didn’t go well for the third Company of Heroes on PC.
1st: Starfield
Bethesda’s long-awaited new IP was a colossal disappointment, one that highlighted just how outdated and lazy their approach has become. They simply refuse to move forward as a studio which doesn’t bode well for The Elder Scrolls 6.
Best And Worst Industry Trends
Best: The return of consumer-friendly practices
2023 saw many companies turn back towards their fans and refuse to bow to money-hungry practices. Leading the way were Santa Monica Studio and Larian Studios; with the free release of God of War: Ragnarok Valhalla DLC and the complete package of Baldur’s Gate 3, some companies are showing others how business should be done within the industry. More developers need to take note of this approach in the years to come.
Worst: A multitude of lazy AAA titles and crappy AA releases
Despite being in the early days of the ninth console generation, many developers are trying to cash in with low effort releases. Skull Island: Rise of Kong, The Walking Dead: Destinies and Stray Souls were just some of the crappy games released this year. Other titles in the AAA scene were clearly rushed to market, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Luckily, the community was quick to call out these releases straight away.
Weakest Company Performance
3rd: Arkane Studios
Once a widely respected developer with titles like Dishonored, Arkane were badly bitten by the live-service craze this year. Redfall showed a stunning lack of vision and put a lot of ineptitude on display. Here’s hoping they stay far away from live services in future.
2nd: Ubisoft
With few successful blockbuster titles and continued delays for games like Skull and Bones, Ubisoft had a very underwhelming 2023. As is common in corporate settings, CEO Yves Guillemot blamed the employees rather than poor decisions at the executive level.
1st: Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda needed another knockout hit with Starfield, but their outdated practices in design and gameplay were put front and centre this year. After releasing a lacklustre AAA title, they then doubled down by gas lighting negative reviews.
Dishonourable Mentions: Skull Island Rise of Kong, The Walking Dead: Destinies, Stray Souls
Worst Games Of The Year
3rd: Redfall
An embarrassing live service project that should never have seen the light of day, Redfall was a bitter blow not just for Arkane Studios, but also Microsoft and the wider Xbox brand. The game is a boring slog through endless waves of moronic vampires with no depth or detail.
2nd: The Lord of The Rings: Gollum
A truly awful take on a popular license, The Lord of The Rings: Gollum disgraces both video games and the source material. Not a single gameplay element functions properly and some of the ideas are truly baffling, like winning an argument with Gollum’s split personality.
1st: The Day Before
Barely even a game at all, The Day Before stands as a massive con from top to bottom with its developer lying and cheating the community at every opportunity. They have no excuse for releasing such an awful and poorly made product.
Best Games Of The Year
Honourable Mentions: Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3rd: Alan Wake 2
After thirteen long years of waiting, Alan Wake 2 delivered exactly what Remedy Entertainment is best at; intriguing stories, crunchy combat and a surreal, off-kilter atmosphere. It certainly deserves all the praise it received.
2nd: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Capcom continues their winning streak with another cracking remake. Some felt that Resident Evil 4 didn’t need a remake, but what we got was an excellent update with some brilliant combat and story changes that maintained the same intense horror as the original.
1st: Baldur’s Gate III
A masterful RPG and an even better sequel; be it storytelling, voice acting, multiplayer or player choice, Baldur’s Gate 3 easily outclassed every other release this year while also offering an enormous amount of content to players.
With a solid year wrapped up, 2024 has a lot to live up to. Next year is looking pretty quiet for releases at the moment, but we will be seeing large-scale titles like Tekken 8, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Stalker 2. We’ll also be seeing more adaptations of big name franchises like Fallout, Borderlands and Sonic The Hedgehog 3. See you there...
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