Brotechmedia Best Video Games of 2023

I think it’s fair to say that 2023 has been one of the better years in gaming for a while. We’ve had some great games release this year, and there are games for everyone.

I haven’t played every major release this year, so some games won’t make the list. Anyway, here is my personal favourite games of 2023 (in no particular order):

Street Fighter 6

I’m a huge fan of fighting games, and I’m a huge fan of Street Fighter (one of my favourite franchises in gaming). I have been since SF2 on the SNES. However, I have to say that Street Fighter V at launch was a huge letdown with the lack of characters, no arcade mode, and a poor online connection. The game got a lot better with patches and updates over time, as you would expect, and it ended up being a good fighting game, but many people had already left the game due to its lacklustre launch. Street Fighter 6, however, is a fantastic fighting game, and for me, it’s the best fighting we’ve had in years. A decent roster of characters, an arcade mode, a story mode, and an excellent online game with superb net code make the game super smooth to play. Also, the ability to filter whether you play against players using wi-fi or a wired connection is how every fighting game should be online. Street Fighter 6 is cross-platform, so you can play against your friends or family regardless of which platform they are on (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One). Fighting games are generally difficult to master and require a lot of practice, but the great thing about SF6 is the new ‘Modern Controls’, which is targeted towards new or casual fighting game players. You can do an awesome combo with the press of one or two buttons, or if you like the old-school classic controls, you can, of course, do that. All I can say is that Street Fighter is back!

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Capcom has released some unbelievable games in recent years, such as Street Fighter 6, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter World, Devil May Cry 5, and many more (maybe not Exoprimal). In my opinion, just like the Resident Evil 2 remake, the Resident Evil 4 remake is one of the best remakes ever made. I always worry about how developers will remake classic games and if they will make a mess of it, but Capcom did an incredible job with the RE4 remake. As you would expect, the graphical improvements are drastic, as are the gameplay improvements. The gunplay is smooth and precise, as is the character movement. Playing stealth, shooting, parrying, and kicking the crap out of enemies is so satisfying, and with the weapon variety to choose from, I never got bored playing the game. I should also mention that the multiple difficulty levels make the game so replayable that you can challenge yourself to get that S-Rank (especially on Professional). But the main thing when it comes to survival horror is: how is the atmosphere in the game? Well, Capcom nailed it. I loved this game; it’s a must-play. I cannot wait to see what Capcom does next with the franchise (Code Veronica, please, Capcom). Watch my full Resident Evil 4 Professional S+ playthrough on YouTube.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has that classic Zelda formula but with a new twist, and for me, it ended up being one of the greatest open-world games ever made. Tears of the Kingdom is no different; it is an excellent sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo has expanded upon Breath of the Wild by adding a sky area (a bit like Skyward Sword) and an underground area called ‘The Depths’. Tears of the Kingdom allows players to craft weapons like you could in Breath of the Wild, and now players have the ability to create vehicles such as motorcycles, boats, and cars. You can pretty much craft whatever you want in this game to traverse around the world. Anything in the world can be used to craft vehicles or weapons; the world is your oyster. That’s what makes Tears of the Kingdom a special game; it throws the player into this huge open world to explore and just lets the player be as creative as they like.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Insomniac Games did a brilliant job with Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales, and Spider-Man 2 is no different. In the first Spider-Man, as you would expect, you play as Peter Parker, but in Spider-Man 2, you get to play as Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The gameplay is fast-paced, web-swinging fun with various ways to take down enemies from hand-on-hand combat, stealth, and using gadgets. Where Spider-Man 2 really shines is the traversal. Swinging around New York City at high speeds, jumping from building to building, is such a blast. I enjoyed the story and side content in Spider-Man 2 (I got the platinum trophy), and I look forward to seeing what Insomniac Games does next. Watch my Spider-Man 2 full playthrough on YouTube.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

When it comes to Mario, Nintendo always finds new ways to innovate the series and create fantastic platformer games. I do like 3D Mario games, but I’ve personally always preferred the 2D Mario games, with Super Mario Bros. World and Super Mario Bros. 3 being my favourite games in the series. Playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder just reminded me of Super Mario Bros. World, where it just felt innovative and the controls felt perfect. The level design, colours, music, everything about this game is just top-tier from Nintendo. Playing co-op with friends or family, using creative ways to get the wonder seeds, and using power-ups to progress levels is so much fun to do. I felt that 2D Mario games didn’t receive as much love as the 3D Mario games received from Nintendo in recent years, but this is the best 2D Mario game that Nintendo has released in years, and it’s great to see a 2D Mario game back where it belongs.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Let me just start out by saying I love the Yakuza games. I never got around to play any of them back on the PS2. However, in late 2017, I decided to play Yakuza 0, and I was hooked. The characters, the story, karaoke, funny side quests, and most importantly, the gameplay were top-notch. The hand-on-hand combat was some of the most fun I’d ever experienced in a video game, and I just had to play the other games in the series. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is more of the same. Like a Dragon Gaiden takes place after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, where you play as secret agent ‘Joryu’ (aka Kazuma Kiryu). Like a Dragon Gaiden plays like the classic fighting style from previous games with two combat styles, plus now players can use high-tech gadgets during combat. Another nice touch is that you can play the Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth demo once you have completed Like a Dragon Gaiden. It’s not as long as the previous Yakuza games, but it’s a really enjoyable 12-15 hour experience. Watch my Like a Dragon Gaiden full playthrough on YouTube.

Dead Space Remake

The original Dead Space was released in 2008 for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 to critical acclaim when the survival horror genre wasn’t exactly pulling up any trees, and the remake has improved on the original in every way with enhanced visuals, better lighting, and much more precise and smooth controls. Dead Space Remake, in my opinion, is one of the best survival horror games of all time. The atmosphere is simply outstanding, and the sense of vulnerability while stuck in space is just one of a kind. Like in the original Resident Evil games, you do not want to waste resources, and inventory management is crucial, as survival horror should be. It is one of the most intense video games you will likely ever play. I know it’s another remake on this list, but Dead Space Remake is a brilliant video game and a must-play. It is the definitive way to play Dead Space.