2023 proved to be a year to remember for gamers, with dozens of memorable titles released. We’ve handpicked a selection of 2023’s must-play titles for you, from the best multiplayer experiences, to captivating narratives. Here are our top gaming picks for 2023:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The long-awaited sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally made its way to players’ screens in 2023, and it did not let fans down. If players thought Breath of the Wild was huge, they hadn’t seen anything yet. Tears of the Kingdom expands the scale of Hyrule massively, allowing players to explore both the skies above, and the Depths below.
Players are granted an incredible amount of freedom, but are never struck with the feeling of not knowing what to do next – there’s always something to do or somewhere to explore. The character and sound design are all outstanding, with each area feeling unique. Overall, Tears of the Kingdom’s release was a massive gaming event in 2023, and will likely remain an iconic title for many years to come.
Party Animals
Party Animals was one of the most underrated releases of 2023. The game features an incredibly adorable cast of animal characters, who are all the perfect amount of round and fluffy. All of the animations are hilariously cute, with characters frequently scratching their butts and rolling about with ease.
The game modes themselves are varied enough to keep players entertained for hours, whether that’s solo or with friends. Whether there’s a goal to complete as a team, or it’s simply a free for all, Party Animals is bursting with life and personality, and is the perfect party game to come out of 2023.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4’s Remake was an excellent opportunity for fans to revisit the world they first visited in the 2005 original Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 4 is everything a remake should be: it preserves the essence of the original game, but introduces players to much more modernised gameplay features.
The game features gorgeous updated graphics, and a totally reimagined storyline, breathing new life into old characters. Luis in particular received a much more fleshed out character arc, and gave players a chance to get to know his character a lot more. Ashley was also updated to handle herself a bit more, and was a much nicer companion to travel with than in the original. Resident Evil 4’s Remake simply takes everything great about the original game, and makes it that much better.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre burst onto the scene as a refreshing new take on the asymmetrical multiplayer horror genre. Players are thrown into a 3v4 scenario, with 3 players taking the role of the vicious Slaughter Family, and 4 taking the roles of their captured Victims. The Victims must then try to escape the property through one of various exits, whilst the Slaughter Family must hunt them down before they can make their exit.
The game does an incredible job at making players feel like they’re really in a horror movie, with plenty of cinematic moments and close calls to be had. All the Family members are equally as deranged as the other, and the Victims portray the feeling of true terror remarkably well. Overall, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an excellent rendition of multiplayer horror, and is a must-play for thrill-seekers.
Darkest Dungeon II
Darkest Dungeon II is a dark fantasy, action role-playing game. The player must lead a party of four through burning cities, overgrown forests, rotting fields, and abandoned coastlines. Throughout their journey, players will come across some utterly grotesque enemies, each with their own uniquely stunning character design and animations. The heroes the player brings along with them vary in appearance, personality, and skills, who have equally gorgeous animations for each ability they use.
Darkest Dungeon II takes everything that was great about Darkest Dungeon and made it even better. The game is still incredibly tough, but maintains a system that makes every victory so incredibly rewarding. Players will come across some evidence of incredibly twisted acts of humanity throughout their journey, and must restore the world to what it once was.
