It’s very common to hear complaints about the state of the modern gaming industry. I’m certainly not immune from seeing numerous issues with gaming nowadays. That’s because the games industry does have a myriad of problems, and it will likely never be perfect. However, if you’re ever feeling pessimistic about gaming, all you need to do is remind yourself of this year. The amount of outstanding games in 2023 has been astounding so far.
Thus far, every month contains one standout title at the very least. The amount of worthwhile games to play this year is almost intimidating. Even the summer, which is usually considered a drought season for games, has some very noteworthy titles such as Final Fantasy XVI and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. However, by the time September rolls around, we are going to get absolutely flooded with major releases.
GOTY Contenders Everywhere
Most years, it’s usually pretty clear which games are going to take the most game-of-the-year awards. Last year, the biggest contender was Elden Ring, followed by God of War: Ragnarok. This year, Tears of the Kingdom is obviously the biggest GOTY contender. That’s what I would say if it wasn’t 2023.
Don’t get me wrong, Zelda still has an incredibly good chance of taking the majority of GOTY awards, but its competition is fierce. If Starfield lives up to its promises, it will receive endless heaps of praise. Even if it doesn’t, Zelda still won’t be guaranteed to win everything. 2023 still has plenty of games that have a solid chance of scoring some GOTY awards.
In recent years, FromSoftware hasn’t been able to stop putting out critically acclaimed titles. While it may not appeal to everyone, Armored Core VI will likely not be an exception to this. In addition to this, there are also games such as the Resident Evil 4 remake, which may be considered one of the finest video game remakes ever made. I feel as though I am simply scratching the surface here when it comes to potential GOTY contenders.
Great 2023 Games Don’t Stop With GOTY Contenders
There are many games this year that will not win any GOTY awards. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth checking out. Early on in the year, I reviewed Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. I considered it a potential GOTY contender for myself, but that’s because I didn’t fully realize just how good this year would be. However, I still consider it a solid action game worth checking out if you have the time.
It has also been a great year for shadow drops. For example, Hi-Fi Rush was a surprise hit with its cel-shaded visuals and general stylistic flair. Sega would release The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog for free as an April Fools’ joke. However, the game functions as a competent and charming visual novel for fans of Sonic the Hedgehog‘s extended cast.
Hell, even Dead Island 2, a game that was stuck in development hell for years, somehow didn’t launch as a complete disaster. The System Shock remake finally came out and was very faithful to the original game, for better and for worse. While none of these games will likely be at the top of anyone’s list, it’s great that they exist.
There Are Even More Games to Come In 2023
September is going to start off strong with Starfield launching on the sixth. That’s right, arguably the biggest game of 2023 is going to release very soon. Despite this, there will still be plenty of exciting games to look forward to after that. Even though we are well over halfway through the year, 2023 still has so many upcoming games to offer.
In October alone, we’ll be getting games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Forza Motorsport, Alan Wake II, and more. Beyond that, we’re also getting the Super Mario Bros. RPG remake and Like a Dragon Gaiden. While these games have yet to release, they are all very promising.
Does 2023 Have Too Many Games?
I believe that the only downside to this year is the sheer quantity of quality games. There are likely many smaller games out there I feel bad for because they won’t get the attention they deserve. It’s so easy to be overshadowed by all these games when they’re so good. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing, and I’m almost afraid that this year has too many good things.
I’m someone who loves playing many different kinds of games. Since I write about games, I somewhat see it as my duty to check out as many as I can. As such, I’m a bit sad that I don’t have the time to check out all the amazing games coming out this year. In fact, I’m sorry if I haven’t mentioned your favorite game this year in this article. There are just that many games out there.
However, I do believe 2023 will go down as a legendary year for video games. This year basically has at least one amazing game for everyone, no matter your tastes. I really wish I could play them all, yet I’m just a human with human limitations. While I wouldn’t say that previous years have been bad, it’s rare that we get years this densely packed with quality games. Hopefully, 2024 will be another incredible year for games.
