With 2023 coming to an end, it’s time for the 2023 Final Weapon Awards! There are a total of eight awards we will be giving out this year, which are the following:
- Game of the Year
- Innovation in Game Direction
- Excellence in Storytelling
- Best Art Direction
- Best Original Score
- Technical Achievement
- Best Indie Game
- Most Anticipated Game
This article will showcase each Final Weapon staff member’s pick for 2023 Game of the Year, which recognizes a game that truly is the best that 2023 has to offer. With that, here are our picks for the 2023 Game of the Year Award.
Staff Game of the Year Picks
Andrew – Final Fantasy XVI
My personal game of the year is Final Fantasy XVI. The narrative, characters, and music were all fantastic. I already had high standards when I heard that the Final Fantasy XIV development team was working on FFXVI, but they went above and beyond. Despite the gripes I have with the combat system, I personally feel the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to this game. Final Fantasy XVI is a massive improvement from the previous FF games, and I am so glad that the development team stepped it up.
Itch – Resident Evil 4
This isn’t an easy choice to make. In fact, there isn’t a zero-percent chance that I will change my mind about this in the future. 2023 is a year full of GOTY contenders, and out of the games I played, I was torn between selecting either the Resident Evil 4 remake or Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. For now, I have to conclude that Resident Evil 4 is the best overall package.
It’s not completely fair, as the original Resident Evil 4 is one of the finest action games ever made. However, the fact that the remake managed to live up to its legacy is quite the feat. While there are a few aspects of the original I prefer, the remake manages to reimagine the game in a way that feels fresh yet familiar.
As much as I loved the Resident Evil 2 remake, Resident Evil 4 surpasses it in many regards. There’s little in the way of cut content, and there’s rarely ever a dull moment. Combat always manages to retain a sense of tension throughout the entire game, even as you accumulate a more powerful arsenal. It’s quite difficult to make a game that’s better than Resident Evil 4.
Noah – Resident Evil 4
2023 has been a remarkable year for video games, with dozens of titles in my consideration for these awards. I thought heavily about what games innovated and left an impact on the industry. With that, my Game of the Year is none other than Resident Evil 4, which continues to pull me back for more even now. I got the chance to review the title this year, and it blew me away with the atmosphere it was able to create alongside the perfected gameplay.
Capcom’s RE Engine is utilized to perfection with gorgeous visuals and gruesome enemies. The fun continued with Separate Ways, a remake of Ada Wong’s campaign of the same name. Any content that was modified or cut from the base game made its way here, creating a seamless experience that bettered the narrative.
Resident Evil 4 is the perfect blend of horror and action. It’s taken the best elements of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes and crafted something that will be remembered for generations. The original was so loved and often revered as one of the greatest titles ever to be created, and this remake has done that and more. I stated in my review that I was confident RE4 stands in my favorite games ever, and I stand by that more than ever looking back on this year.
Saras – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is a game I’ve been looking forward to for the last five years. I’ve always been a fan of the character since I was a kid, and that devotion extended to the numerous game adaptations. Whether it be my first introduction to the Spider-Verse with Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions or the classic open-world adventure, Spider-Man 2. Insomniac’s recent take on the Spider-Man formula, however, manages to go above and beyond what I expected.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 adds some new layers to the existing “web-swinging” formula. Both Peter Parker and Miles Morales take on the role of the titular character, working together to stop beloved comic book villains like Kraven the Hunter and Venom. Both characters can maneuver through the city with webs and the newly introduced web-wings. The gameplay and combat have been honed to an impressive degree, and the story is the best it’s ever been. With some shocking twists and turns and a simply addicting gameplay loop, Spider-Man 2 is essential for fans and newcomers alike.
Soul – Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name wonderfully bridges the gaps between Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth from Kiryu’s perspective. I was truly surprised by the amount of content in this game, and the narrative holds up the series’ high standards with twists and turns. Meanwhile, Kiryu has never felt better to control in an action game, thanks to the many improvements made to his Yakuza fighting style and the all-new Agent fighting style. The Castle clearly highlights the incredible combat system since Gaiden lets you play as fan-favorite characters like Masaharu Kaito and Goro Majima in a really fun arena setting. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a true Yakuza game in every sense of the phrase, and that makes it my personal game of the year.
Final Weapon’s Game of the Year 2023 – Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is Final Weapon’s 2023 Game of the Year. Remaking the 2005 mega-hit was a seemingly impossible task, but Capcom created a title they should be proud of. 2023’s Resident Evil 4 recaptures what made the original so great and built upon it. Each environment was expertly built to create a seamless, immersive experience that encapsulates everything that makes the Resident Evil series so great.
