From skiing romances and unexpectedly terrifying hunting sims to the return of beloved classics and the enduring appeal of Zelda, 2023 has been a year of big hits and plenty of surprises for gamers.
As we enter the Christmas season, the toy makes a great gift for kids and adults alike. But how to choose the best among so many titles and for which console. His critics guardian They’ve collected the 20 best games of the past year… for all tastes.
20. Finba, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
Games about the importance of cooking and immigrant life. The player sees moments from the daily life of a family that immigrated from India to Canada. Through food, the mother tries to maintain her and her son’s connection to their homeland as the distance between parent and child increases, with inevitable consequences. The Tamil language, music and cuisine are lovingly portrayed, lending a special emotional weight to the story.
19. Sinar Anthems, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
As a traveler to foreign lands, with no knowledge of the local languages, you are invited to combine elements of the environment in a game that combines puzzles and adventure. The beautiful, simple technique and color palette create an otherworldly feel. A dream for linguists, but also fun for anyone who enjoys testing their brainpower.
18. Assassin’s Creed Mirage, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
Ubisoft once again brings us back to the world of historical assassins, this time focusing on Bassem Ibn Ishaq, a thief who became an apprentice assassin in ninth-century Baghdad. The story is focused and you are mostly confined within the city walls, which allowed the designers to create every street, square and alley with stunning historical detail. Chasing targets, wandering around enemy buildings, or exploring the landscape with camels and horses is a lot of fun.
17. Metroid Prime Remastered, Nintendo Switch
Harking back to another era of first-person shooters, this 20-year-old immersive sci-fi adventure is a treat. Bounty hunter Samus Aran lands on a dying planet in a mysterious, intelligent and challenging game.
16. Thirsty Suits, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
A skateboard romance role-playing adventure about a second-generation Indian immigrant who returns to her homeland to confront her former lovers. “Thirsty Suitors” sounds like Scott Pilgrim meets Gilmore Girls. But it is much more than that. It’s full of fascinating detail, has things to say about the immigrant experience, and says it with style, heart, and verve.
15. Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch
The Pikmin series is perhaps one of the strangest series that came out of the “bowels” of Nintendo and even at a time when the company was not doing well (Gamecube). However, audiences loved its natural aesthetics, cute characters, and the fact that it combined near-perfect exploration with real-time strategy. Hopefully now we’ll get to the fourth title in the series, which not only perfects what we love about Pikmin, but also adds a ton of depth.
14. Hi-Fi Rush for Xbox and PC
Chai feels a bit lost, but he’s happy about it – even after a factory accident turns him into a robot with an electronic guitar arm. The world of Hi-Fi Rush pulses and sways to the beat of the soundtrack. An exciting and stylish action game.
13. Dredge, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
It’s truly a wonder that we’ve had to wait this long for a terrifying Lovecraftian fishing simulator, but we finally have one. Dredge presents you with dark, rough waves as you try to catch increasingly monster fish and then attempt to safely return to port. A game that captures the beautiful, haunting danger of the ocean.
12. Street Fighter 6, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
More than three decades after Street Fighter II, Capcom’s fighting game series is still successfully reinventing and modernizing itself. With a new combat system, vibrant visual design, and a truly fantastic online multiplayer mode, this is a joyful celebration of a genre that refuses to give up and retreat.
11. Resident Evil 4 Remake for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S/X and PC
Capcom’s throwbacks to survival horror game past have always been successful. While maintaining the fear and shock of the original games, it updates the graphics and adds new narrative twists.
10. Sea of Stars, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
In a strong year for RPGs from Japan, Sea of Stars stood out. Two young Solstice warriors combine their magical powers to defeat the evil alchemist, but the fun of the game lies in the fun pace, gorgeous 2D graphics, and exciting turn-based battles. A respectful ode to a simpler time.
9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC
Another great adventure in the Star Wars series. Renegade Jedi Cal Kestis is the hero once again, wielding new powers against old enemies, while the locations, sounds, and battle sequences brilliantly capture the feel of the films.
8. Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch
Returning to the wonderful world of Mario is always a treat. Each level holds a surprise, imaginatively twisting and subverting Mario lore in ways that will delight kids and parents alike.
7. Space for Unbound for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC
A magical realism game set in rural Indonesia. This is the story of a pair of high school students growing up in the late 1990s, who deal with other people’s problems as well as their own by using an amulet notebook to delve deeper into their thoughts and understand their feelings. The supernatural elements here turn this coming-of-age story into a strange and compelling mystery.
6. Alan Wake 2, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series S/X
A surreal adventure involving parallel realities and mysterious horrors. Popular games in 2020 aren’t usually exciting and innovative. Fortunately, some still may be.
5. Dave Diver Nintendo Switch, PC
Playing as diver Dave, you’ll dive deeper and deeper into a sea trench full of dangerous and exotic marine life. Catch fish, shoot sharks and collect treasures. In the evening, you can serve your catch in the beautiful sushi restaurant. With a surprisingly engaging pace of play, the game becomes more fun, complex and interesting as it progresses. Let it surprise you with its depths.
4. Cocoon PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC
Set in a magical sci-fi world, Cocoon invites players to enter a world where boundaries are broken and realities are intertwined. Consistently gorgeous sound and graphics support the most quietly gorgeous puzzle gameplay to come out in years, from some of the best minds behind the masterful Limbo and Inside.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation 5
This ambitious part takes us back to New York City, with new enemies and personal challenges for the heroes. Once again, the feeling of moving around the city is impressive. The enemies are interesting and challenging, and the story cleverly links them to the protagonists’ backstories. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be fading, Spider-Man 2 shows that there’s plenty of life left in the games.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
Once you pick up this fantasy RPG, you’re unlikely to play anything else. It contains hundreds of hours of well-written, intelligent, and incredibly fluid story, which shapes the player’s choices and actions so greatly that they truly feel like they can do anything.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom Tears Nintendo Switch
Yes, this newest tale of magic and adventure is set in the same world as Breath of the Wild, and you’ll encounter many villages, forests, and mountain landscapes as you search for the ever-threatening princess. But Tears of the Kingdom is full of new sights and experiences, from the Sky Islands to the entire underground Kingdom of Mirrors. It also allows you to craft vehicles, weapons, and other tools, opening up amazing creative avenues. Sometimes a game comes along that makes you feel proud to play. This is definitely one of them.
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