Hunter’s Top Games Of 2023
This year has been a wild ride in the realm of video games. The sheer volume of quality releases that were coming out across all genres throughout the year has been completely insane. This is almost certainly the most video games I’ve played in a single calendar year, and the crazy thing is that I still have a handful of games that have slipped through the cracks. As of writing this I still haven’t played Dave The Diver yet, or other games that have captured my interest such as Lies Of P or The Super Mario RPG remake. But hey, I’m here to talk about the games I did play this year so let’s get to that.
6. Sea Of Stars
Image Credit: Sabotage Studios
Sea Of Stars is a wonderful example of taking influences from genre classics and putting your own stamp on it. I feel like this comes across really well in the character designs. It’d be easy to look at Valere, Zale,Erlina, or Serai and say that they look like what’d you’d expect a retro RPG character to look like but I think they all look distinct enough that I’d be able to pick them out if you lined them up next to other similar characters.
The game’s writing manages to be rather charming. It strikes a nice balance of being pretty tongue in cheek about a lot of the genre tropes while also still having a lot of heart as well. The story itself starts off as a pretty classic hero's journey but it starts to veer off into a more interesting direction by the end of the first act. . The dynamic between the main trio of Zale, Valere, and Garl is quite compelling and serves as a really solid emotional core for the story. The other characters you meet along the way such as Teaks or Serai are also quite charming.
It’d be reasonable to say that I’ve seen other games do a lot of what Sea Of Stars does, but not as well in most aspects. I think it's the best looking of these high quality pixel art-style RPGs that have come out in the past few years. I think that the timed button presses in the combat are utilized in a manner that feels more satisfying than other games that use the action command combat style. Even the dungeons feel like they are put together in a manner that makes a lot of sense. Rather than just being some rooms with a couple of treasure boxes in it they felt much more like actual locations. It’s a game influenced by classics that is sure to be remembered as a classic in its own right in a few years.
5. Alan Wake 2
Image Credit: Remedy Entertainment
I do so enjoy when games decide to be weird. I’ve always enjoyed Remedy’s games for their willingness to be experimental at the Triple A level. It also helps that Remedy has always had segments of their game that flirt with the idea of being creepy or unsettling and now Alan Wake 2 is their first time committing to a full on horror game.
The dual narrative of the game was a good call. The two threads of the story were quite complementary to each other. With Saga’s story being the more grounded mystery narrative. While Alan’s story got more wacky and surreal.
As far as gameplay is concerned Alan Wake 2 functions as you would expect a modern third person horror game to work. The thing that I appreciate is how much this game is willing to just let the player sit and gestate in the atmosphere of the game. There were long stretches of gameplay where I was not encountering enemies and even when I was it was only a couple at a time.
The strongest element of Alan Wake 2 is its presentation. The way the game is put together elevates it so much. This is true in every aspect of the game’s presentation. The experimenting with live action footage is really well done. There are plenty of moments done with the in engine graphics that look fantastic as well. So many cool shots of rooms bathed in red light or some kind of ethereal green glow. And then finally the music in this game is off the charts. Two of my favorite moments in the game are specifically as good as they are because of the song choice. There are some really effective call backs to themes from the first game as well as some really well done tracks for the ending chapter interstitials.
Alan Wake 2 had a vision it was committed to and it stuck to the vision when most games would pump the brakes. All of these really solid elements in the game come together to make Alan Wake 2 one of the most unique games I’ve played in the past few years.
4. Hi-Fi Rush
Image Credit: Tango Gameworks, Bethesda
Hi-Fi Rush is 2023’s most pleasant surprise. A rhythm hack and slash is the kind of thing that seems really obvious in hindsight but it is also something I never even thought to ask for. Its commitment to the bit is insane too. Every detail of the world in Hi-Fi Rush is timed to the beat of the music. From Chai’s finger snapping to the movements of the machinery in the levels.
The game is paced pretty impeccably as well. I never felt like any mission was overstaying its welcome and it never felt like any of the fights were taking too long. The extra special moves and combos you could purchase were also great for encouraging you to switch it up every now and then.
The game is an audio and visual delight as well. Since it's a rhythm game, having good music kind of comes with the territory but I still feel like it's worth praising here. The balance of good original compositions and really cool usages of licensed music is perfectly struck in this game. As far as the artstyle goes, the cell shaded look is wonderfully done. The character designs and overall look of the world really mesh together give the game a nice saturday morning cartoon vibe.
HiFi Rush’s writing is perfect for what it is trying to accomplish. Genuinely, this game is hilarious. There was a part a few hours in that had me sliding out of my chair in a cackling fit. The solid character writing really helps the comedy of the games. Chai is the kind of fun and charismatic protagonist that you’d hope to see in a crazy action game. Peppermint is the perfect foil for him as well. The game manages to have the two banter and snipe back and forth at each other without making it feel grating or mean spirited. The rest of the characters you meet along the way are all pretty great as well.
I think part of what makes HiFi Rush such a stand out to me is that it is something new and exciting. A lot of media these days is dominated by nostalgia. Whether it takes the form of remakes of things that were already beloved or sequels to long running series. And make no mistake, I love a lot of that stuff too. But it was super refreshing to see a brand new idea manifest and be this good on its first showing.
3. Final Fantasy 16
Image Credit: Square Enix
My interest in Final Fantasy has been through its ups and downs. The remake of Final Fantasy 7 certainly renewed my interest in the series which helped to make me all the more excited when Final Fantasy 16 was announced. A grandiose world and the newest iteration of the more action oriented combat the series has been trending towards served to bolster my excitement.
I’m going to switch it up and start by praising the music. Oh doctor, the music in this game shreds. Hide, Hideaway, Find The Flame, Moongazing, the list goes on but almost every track is a winner in Final Fantasy 16. The game’s got it all cool and relaxing area themes. Somber tunes for the more dramatic moments, and wild and bombastic numbers for the crazy boss fights.
The gameplay of Final Fantasy 16 is divisive. Some people insist that the action leaning combat is not what Final Fantasy is supposed to be. I don’t really agree. I think the action gameplay is fine. It gets especially satisfying when you get more eikons to work with later. Sure, some of the longer encounters can feel a bit repetitive but overall I think it does the job as well as it could.
The world and story of Final Fantasy 16 is really well done in most respects. I remember not really letting my excitement for the game hit me until I played the demo of the first couple of hours. I remember getting to the end and being sold on just about everything the game was showing me. I was fascinated by the political drama the game was presenting as well as the more interpersonal drama of characters like Clive, Jill, and Joshua.
The arc of the narrative veered away from the political drama later on in the story, but the character writing being so solid is what kept me invested the entire time. The game eventually hit a point where it introduced another new side character and I just had to accept that I was going to like everyone in this game that was not the main villain. The performance behind all of these characters do a wonderful job at bringing them to life. Ben Starr and Ralph Ineson as Clive and Cid respectively just slipped into their roles perfectly.
At the end of the day Final Fantasy 16 managed to give me exactly what I want out of a game in this series. A larger than life world and story with characters that are immensely compelling. The great tunes are a lovely bonus as well.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3
Image Credit: Larian Studios
This entry is fresh out of the oven. At the time of writing this it's barely been 24 hours since I’ve finished Baldur’s Gate 3. It managed to create several instances where I was going to wrap up my session for the night, only to find myself doing “just one more thing” about 6 more times after I was originally going to stop. I think the defining characteristic of Baldur’s Gate 3 is freedom. It is very rare that the game will stop you from trying to do something the way you want to attempt it. My discussions with Kyle as I’ve been going through this game have been delightful because it really seems like we had vastly different experiences that were equally as cool.
One of my favorite anecdotes I’ve had in my past week or two of playing was this really amusing prison break I pulled off. Essentially because I had to help another person escape, my super sneak rogue was having trouble getting out of the prison without the guards seeing the prisoner. So in response to this obstacle: I had my other party members run interference by engaging the guards in conversation or standing in their line of sight to block my character’s escape route. Part of what’s so tickling about that story is that there are at least two other ways to go about the sequence. Either A: Kill the aforementioned guards and let the prisoner out after that. Or B: The pure stealth version of what I was trying where my rogue just escaped with the prisoner without the aid of my party’s interference.
And all of this freedom is afforded to you in a world that is very compelling to exist in and interact with. The set up for the story was pretty unique and while the story did settle into something pretty typical of the broad scoped fantasy RPG genre, by that point I had already fallen in love with the characters and world. The game also excels at delivering the grand dramatic moments as well. There were some sequences in Act 2 especially that had me saying “Oh man, I want to do that again.” Almost as soon as I finished doing them.
One thing that is quite impressive is how good this game is at making the NPCs so compelling. There were so many instances during Act 3 where someone I helped out back at the start of the game would show up again and I found myself caring about them far more than I thought I would when I initially met them.
The core cast is just as compelling. I feel like it takes a minute to settle in with a lot of the party members. With the exception of Karlach, almost everyone else you recruit seems kind of dodgy at the start. That being said, it was a joy to get to know some of these characters. And the game did a great job at making me feel like my character was having a positive impact on them. There were a few stand out instances where I chose to let my companions make their own choices when it came to the pivotal decisions of their story arcs. And it felt like a lot of them made the right choices not because I won a persuasion check, but because my previous interactions with them convinced them that they could be better than they thought they were.
I think the highest compliment I can give this game is that I would play it again if I had more time on my hands. If this game was out when I was in middle school it would easily be a game I had played more than any reasonable person should. But for now I’ll have to settle for the one incredible playthrough I had.
1. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Image Credit: Nintendo
Ever since I beat Breath Of The Wild I had been saying that I think the eventual follow up will be even better. I’m pleased to report that I was right. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom exceeded pretty much every expectation I had for the game.
The most impressive thing about Tears Of The Kingdom is its commitment to detail. This commitment to detail allows for some really great creative problem solving. The new toolset in this game does a great job at balancing creative freedom and utility. I wasn’t using Ultrahand to make any wild contraptions, but I was able to wrap my head around it enough to make an airship or raft that would get the job done. And I managed to have plenty of fun with the fuse and rewind abilities.
The other really impressive thing about the game is how enticing they made it to explore. There’s a certain intrigue that comes with returning to a familiar world that I feel like Tears Of The Kingdom really capitalized on. There’s also the general loop of how exploring the three layers of the map symbiotically feed into each other. If you spend any amount of time on the sky islands you’ll find a map for treasures down in the depths. These tend to be pretty helpful pieces of equipment more often than not. But more importantly than that, you’ll probably tag a plethora of light roots on your way to these treasures and these light roots all correspond with shrine locations on the surface.
The story and characters are some of my favorites in the Zelda series. It's certainly no narrative masterpiece, but these games have always been great at lighting the spark that will just make my imagination do the rest anyway. The game still has perhaps the strongest emotional core of any story in the series. And it managed to go places I wasn’t expecting. When I figured out what one of the major twists were I played the rest of the week in a state of what I can only describe as a combination of denial and dread. Having my favorite versions of Link and Zelda certainly helps too. At this point I’d be willing to put up with much worse to see what happens to them. And we can now add my favorite version of Ganondorf to the list too.
When it's all said and done, no game struck me quite like Tears Of The Kingdom did this year. Everyday I played the game felt like an adventure well spent. I’d be at work the following day fondly reflecting on what I got up to the previous night. I played the game for around three weeks straight and it never felt like it was overstaying its welcome. The last bit of gameplay in Tears Of The Kingdom is my favorite moment in a game this year. And it was the perfect finale to what was by far my favorite experience with a game this year.