Top Games of 2023 So Far [First Half]

Each year usually has a collection of standout releases remembered for years. In 2023, the sheer amount of amazing games is simply overwhelming, from expansive RPGs and racing sims to horror and fishing. That’s even with six months remaining and several top-tier titles like Starfield, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and more on the way. Without further ado, here are the 15 best games of 2023 so far.

Final Fantasy 16

Even with the shift to real-time action and a darker story, Final Fantasy 16 excels at the genre’s main pillars. Its story is gripping with excellent characterization and well-written dialogue; the combat is satisfying with a wealth of options and a variety of unique encounters, and the presentation is simply excellent with its visual fidelity (especially in the Eikon battles) and soundtrack. Issues with Performance Mode and some lackluster side quests aside; Final Fantasy 16 is just fantastic.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The expectations for Nintendo’s long-awaited sequel were sky-high, yet it went above and beyond those to deliver one of the greatest games ever made. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom didn’t just quench one’s thirst for adventure but gave them so many awesome tools to outright break the game. It then presented various unique puzzles and combat scenarios designed around the same, encouraging players to dig deep into the sandbox and really comb Hyrule’s depths (and Depths). However, it also offers one of the more satisfying Zelda stories. From top to bottom, Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

From the new Parry mechanic to gameplay, Resident Evil 4 Remake offers new and engaging features. The gorgeous visuals, which look incredibly stunning and add to the darker atmosphere, don’t hurt either.

F1 23

After last year’s underwhelming entry, F1 23 signals a return to quality with new tracks, features like 35% Race Distance (and the return of Red Flags), and a new Braking Point campaign. F1 World expands on F1 Life, with goals to pursue across all modes, and the Safety Rating system ensures better online play. It all comes together well with the solid racing, and having the Podium Pass return on top of everything else is great.

Street Fighter 6

Capcom’s newest mainline Street Fighter casts off the shadows of its controversial predecessor with a gorgeous new presentation, the Drive system for strategic yet fast-paced mechanics, and loads of new features to make online play great. The 18 characters each feel excellent to play, while Modern Controls ensure everyone can jump in and start having a good time. World Tour isn’t the strongest part, but it’s still a fun beat ’em up-style campaign with lots of rewards to unlock.

Planet of Lana

Wishfully’s side-scrolling puzzle platformer inspired by the likes of Inside offers a gorgeous sci-fi adventure with stunning vistas and well-designed puzzles. Lana’s quest to find her older sister after aliens attack her planet is presented with confidence, featuring an excellent soundtrack and solid platforming mechanics. If only it wasn’t over so soon.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Despite severe issues at launch, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor shone through with its incredible gameplay, expanded exploration and abilities, and compelling storyline. The darker narrative explored a more desperate side of Cal Kestis while featuring new opponents to fight, Lightsaber Styles to dispatch them with, and tons of different activities and secrets to find. Though somewhat forgotten, thanks to Tears of the Kingdom launching soon after, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is still a satisfying hack-and-slash adventure.

Dredge

Fishing meets cosmic horror – what more needs to be said? Dredge sees players exploring The Marrows and catching fish while taking on different quests. However, as you unearth mysterious artifacts, horrors of the deep soon emerge, especially after dark. With over 125 fish, unique abilities, more than a few terrifying situations and great fishing mechanics, Dredge is an addictive experience.

Hi-Fi Rush

Tango Gameworks’ breakout Xbox console exclusive is just what Microsoft needed. It’s a great character action game with incredible hack-and-slash mechanics, a rocking soundtrack and perfect rhythmic gameplay. The story is also pretty fun, with protagonist Chai fighting against the evil Vandelay Technologies with over-the-top combos and assistance. With gorgeous animated visuals and incredible boss fights, Hi-Fi Rush is a must-play title for action game fans.

Dead Island 2

How fresh could slaying the undead in 2023 feel? Dambuster Studios’ answered that question very well with Dead Island 2. Taking a linear approach to its level design, it focused on the satisfaction of slaying zombies with plenty of powerful weapons and abilities, unique characters, and incredibly visceral gore. Dead Island 2 could have been a disaster following its development hell, but it rose above expectations to deliver a fun romp through HELL-A.

Hogwarts Legacy

While it probably could have done more with reputation systems and classes, Hogwarts Legacy is still a fun open-world action RPG. With its variety of spells and mechanics, the combat is easy to get into and offers some satisfying effects (especially when Avada Kedavara’ing an enemy into oblivion). The companion quest chains are great, and as a whole, it does a great job immersing you in the world of Hogwarts with everything there is to see and do.

Amnesia: The Bunker

Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Bunker takes a more sandbox approach to horror as players venture through a sealed World War 1 bunker, hunted by a terrifying creature. The generator and fuel mechanics add to the horror, while the darkness is downright oppressive. Being able to approach things non-linearly with different solutions is also great, even if some of those lead to quicker deaths.

Dead Space Remake

Dead Space Remake leans further into reimagining the original sci-fi horror. It adds several new rooms and puzzles, new mechanics for some random horror, side quests that highlight certain characters more and even reworks major aspects of the story in interesting ways. Combined with the new Peeling system and revamped Zero-G, it’s a stunning display of action and terror worthy of its inspiration.

Metroid Prime Remastered

While remakes dominated the headlines, Nintendo showcased that a remaster can be just as good. Metroid Prime Remastered isn’t as straightforward, with its visuals bordering on remake-esque with their fidelity. However, it retains everything fans know and love about the classic, from the excellent level design and combat to the unique first-person mechanics and stellar bosses. A sequel is long overdue, but Metroid Prime Remastered fills that void in all the best ways.

Dave the Diver

Another top-tier ocean-related game with fishing? You bet, but Dave the Diver goes even further beyond as you venture into the Blue Hole to catch fish and use those gains to run a sushi restaurant. Interesting side quests, great humor, fun mini-games and a great art style to go with the sleek soundtrack make this a smorgasbord of incredible gameplay.

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