After a few lean years, 2023 turned out to be a stellar year for fans, and it had everything – great sequels, remakes, some absolutely stunning new properties which are sure to become big going ahead, redemption for poorly received games of previous years, some absolute gems in indie games…it would be fair to say that gamers were spoilt for choice in this year.
We bring to you what we at TheGameNomad think are the best games of 2023
15. Sea Of Stars
The winner of 2023 Best Indie Game Of The Year at The Game Awards, this game was received well at the time of launch and its popularity has since only grown, with 4 million users having experienced Sea Of Stars since launch. The game is all about turn based combat and puzzle solving, and has two main protagonists Valere and Zale, who can control the powers of the moon and sun respectively against an evil alchemist. Excellent level design, fun gameplay and a game that gave old school RPG feels by the bucketload, we felt Sea Of Stars deserves to be counted among the very best 2023 had to offer
14. Hi-Fi Rush
Ok, so that we don’t miss anything – this game had awesome music, rip-roaring combat, platforming, puzzles, excellent animation, an absolutely likeable set of characters… oh and awesome music. Combining our love of music and gaming to deliver one of the most unique and entertaining gaming experiences of the year, Tango Gameworks absolutely nailed this solid entry in the best games of 2023 list
13. Lies Of P
Wearing the Bloodborne inspiration openly, Lies Of P arrived on the scene and became an instant hit among the Bloodborne-sequel starved Playstation fans, and just plain simple Bloodborne-starved PC gamers. Some great weapons, tough as nails bosses, tight combat mechanics, soaring orchestral strains for boss fights, multiple endings with lore, NPC and quests all delivered in typical Souls-like fashion; Neowiz studios have a super-hit on their hands – and with a DLC and sequel already in the works, the future looks bright for this franchise. You can on one of the more interesting out of several builds possible in Lies Of P here
12. Star Wars Jedi Survivor
One of those classic instances of taking all the good things introduced in the first part and coming with a bigger and more entertaining sequel – bigger worlds, cast of characters, exploration, combat, perks, skill trees, boss fights and a genuinely good story to serve all of this, it is of little surprise that everyone here at The Game Nomad loved this. It was a wise move to stick with all abilities of Cal Kestis learnt in the first game already unlocked – and build on it – thus giving that link and continuity to players along with the all important feel of a character who is growing stronger. We can’t wait to see how they cap off the trilogy
11. Cyberpunk 2077 : Phantom Liberty
Completing a redemption arc that has few other equivalent examples, the Phantom Liberty expansion and the 2.0 patch for the base game made the game as good as new with completely revamped skill trees and an even more organic and natural feeling world. Phantom Liberty also boasts of a superb storyline and a new area with a reasonably lengthy campaign, a great turn by Idris Elba and complex situations with difficult and impactful choices.
10. Hogwarts Legacy
Lets face it … ever since the books, the child in all of us has always wanted to experience Hogwarts and the world of wizards. Sure, the movies did a good job of making us see and enjoy the characters from the books, but then that wasn’t us. Enter Hogwarts Legacy – and though it takes place in a different time than the books and the characters we are all fond of, it does an absolute -well – magical job of realizing the world for us to experience it as a character that we make – and name, and make him dress in a wide variety of robes, learn spells, give exams, break rules …this was an easy one for us to put up for our list of best games of 2023.
9. Final Fantasy XVI
Featuring a scale of battles, cut scenes and overall stakes at a level that we have never seen before, this surprisingly mature entry into the Final Fantasy universe blended a solid combat based gameplay with everything that the Final Fantasy series is known for, and is easily one of the years’ best offerings for gamers – both fans and people laying their hands on a Final Fantasy game for the first time
8. Street Fighter 6
Taking everything that one would want in a fighting game – and adding that something special which makes a good game great, we have our next entry in the best games of 2023 list – Street Fighter 6. A great comeback after the mixed feedback on Street Fighter 5, Capcom has delivered on – an amazing roster of fighters, a spectacular online Battle Hub and new abilities based upon the Drive gauge. A much deserved entry in this list, it is a game that one can keep going back to for hours and hours together.
7.Dead Space Remake
The first of the 2 remakes to make it to this list (both in the same genre), the game takes all the parts that made the original one of the greatest survival horror games of all time, and added a distinct character of its own in the remake – for example, the main protagonist is now a fully voiced one, in keeping with the current level of video games – something that would not have been an issue or mattered that much back in 2008 when the original came out. Similarly – weapons, combat have been tweaked just enough to keep things fresh – and recognizable at the same time. Motive Studios have done a fantastic job of remaking and updating a beloved classic for fans of the original as well as introducing the game for a generation that would have missed the landmark original.
6.Alan Wake 2
Remedy Entertainment – the makers of twisted worlds of Alan Wake, Max Payne and the recent Control – have outdone themselves with the sequel to the 2010 classic – and unlike other sequels on this list, the end result is not just the standard ‘bigger and better’ version of the first entry in the series – but is tonally a completely different beast from the first – and that is what makes it a one-of-a-kind experience. It shows Remedy Entertainment in total control of their craft – combining different sequences, gameplay, narrative, world-building and genre types with a skill and mastery that is simply breath-taking.
5. Resident Evil 4 Remake
It is hard to state the impact Resident Evil 4 has had on the industry, or on the gamers. It is easily a generation defining game – and Capcom has walked the tightrope – keeping the spirit and all elements that made the original such a revered game – and adding enough elements to make this game the best Resident Evil game ever, and one of the best for the current year as well.
4.Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Taking the best elements of platforming and super smooth gameplay, and introducing the new elements of Wonder effect – it boasts of a joyful, bright and vivid colour palette that goes excellently with the gameplay elements. We had a blast playing Mario’s outing in the Flower World and putting it on the top games of the year was an easy choice for us.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Like Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Spider-Man 2 didn’t innovate anything new, but did everything that was good in the original Spider-Man and the Miles Morales game, and amped it up to 11. Swinging around was good? well you now have Web Wings and Wind Tunnels to take it to a different level. And to accompany that you have a map that now includes Brooklyn and Queens in addition to what you had before. And so on…The game is also easily the best showcase for PS5, with each and every frame an absolute joy to behold. Add a story that has all the right emotional beats and top class set pieces, and you have a game that in any other year, would have just romped up to the no. 1 position. But still, among the unmissable games for 2023, Spider-Man 2 stands tall.
2. Legend Of Zelda : Tears Of The Kingdom
Continuing on the trend of putting out sequels that build brilliantly over all elements that worked for the franchise in the previous outing, Legend Of Zelda : Tears Of The Kingdom does all of that and more – it introduces a dizzying level of possibilities in traversal and building mechanics, and puts you in a big, big world to keep exploring and discovering – adding Sky Worlds and The Depths. This one is a safe bet to be ranked among the greatest games of – not just the year, but of all time
1.Baldur’s Gate 3
Winner of the GOTY 2023 at the Game Awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a staggering achievement any way you look at it. It combined the esoteric rules and mechanics of dice rolls and table top RPG and translated it into a visual spectacle with near immaculate world-building, a diverse set of engaging NPCs, tactical battles, almost an intimidating set of options for character customization and creation that you can put hours into… it is frankly hard to find fault with what Larian Studios have created – a benchmark and a milestone when it comes to game development, and the best game of 2023.
And there you have it – the top games of 2023. If 2024 comes anywhere close to the kind of year that we had in 2023, then we are in for a treat