The 2023 Game Surprises
It was a weird year in games for me. A lot of the big releases left me feeling lukewarm and I instead spent most of my time in live-services with friends. Still, remembering back to the beginnings of the year, there are several games that still left an impression, ones that genuinly moved me. Here are 10 games of 2023 you should check out 🕹
1. Baldurs Gate 3
Let’s start with the least surprising entry: Everyone knows Baldurs Gate 3 is amazing. its characters, rule-system and immersive-ness, how it always makes you feel it could react to any of your decisions, is on another level. But I never would have thought it actually would be able to rekindle my love for its predecessors twenty years later. Bo game, not even Pillars of Eternity, Pathfinder WoR or Divinity were able to do that before. It’s truly a game deserving to be “Baldurs Gate 3” ❤ Thank you Larian Studios for making the what I though impossible possible!
2. Core Keeper
When opening my Steam yearly Steam review, I was pretty surprised that Core Keeper was my most played game. And I can’t even really articulate why. Something about its loop of progression, discovery, customisation and chilling with friends just works insanely well. ⛏. And it seems the world agrees, it being one of the best selling Steam indie games of the year. Good work Pugstorm 👏
3. A Short Hike
I was late to actually play A Short Hike, but I can’t not put it on my list. Adam Yu’s little sandbox of a bird hiking up a tiny 3D mountain is simply perfect. In a year where where people got the vastness of Space in Starfield boring them to bits, this little treasure trove of a piece of land delivers such a better bang for your buck that I was astonished how long I kept exploring it. It is an inspiration. I simply love this game. 🐦
4. Advance Wars 1+2 ReBoot Camp
Finally! after being delayed for more than a year because of the war in Ukraine, Nintendo finally dared to release Way Forwards reboot of Advance Wars. initially, it made me feel terribly old, especially once I compared the change in graphics. Which, by the way, Way Forward did stellar, borrowing from the plastic style of Famicom Wars. However it was its Game Design that showed that the originals are truly timeless classics. If you love strategy and never dug into Advance Wars, now is the time to do so!
5. System Shock
It really feels like 2023 has been a year of insanely strong ports an remasters. And here is another one that is really remarkable. The original System Shock was decades ahead of its time, but even with ports to modern systems it is barely playable due to its old clunky interface. Nightdive gave the game a complete makeover, whilst respecting the vision and creating a wonderful hybrid art-style of retro and new. Most importantly however, it finally make the original playable for all audiences.
6. Metal Hellsinger
There truly is something about Metal Hellsinger’s rhythm shooter that works insanely well. Blasting demons to the beat chosen by your favourite choice of classic boomsticks is fun. Your choice of weapon resulting in different rhythms to eliminating the spawns of hell to metal tunes… its an experience that feels immensely satisfying once it clicks 🤘. Thinking back on this year it really was once of the coolest moments in gameplay for me. It’s not deep, but its a damn good time!! (And I don’t even like metal).
7. Making of Karateka
Here is the simple truth: I have no connection to Karateka. Never played it. But finally we now got something that has been overdue for years: An earnest, captivating documentary in game form that actually lets you play fragments and pieces of history. In making of Karateka you play earlier games of the developer, prototypes, beta versions and even later ports. It’s all playable in the documentary whilst still being filled with original documents and video interviews! Thank you Digital Eclipse for the effort and experience. I hope you will do many, many more in this Gold Masters series!
8. A Space for the Unbound
this entry was almost given to “About an Elf” for the sheer fact that it was the weirdest thing I’ve seen all year. But then on the final stretch of 2023 I finally put in the cart of a A Space for the Unbound and was immediately captivated. Its somber, heartfelt, weird and stunningly gorgeous. Yes, it plays slow like a P&C adventure game, but finds its own pace. Its the definition of a hidden gem and should be definitely checked out.
9. Sea of Stars
This game slipped in at the literal end of the year when my physical copy arrived from Japan. So I might be biased since I’m currently playing it, but the first hours really felt as if Sabotage did it again: Take a beloved game and create an original spin on it with such an attention to detail that it will be remembered forever. Sea of Stars feels like game craftsmanship and passion in a box. I would be surprised if it does not become another classic like “The Messenger” before
10. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
This was genuinely my highlight of the year! Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a rare treat: Its a love letter to a cult game (Jet Set Radio) that not only emulates its strength and tropes as a quasi equal, but also finds its own identity and improves on the original. Similar to BG3 it is good enough that it could be called Jet Set Radio 3 any day. Its a passion project that achieved the impossible. And I am so happy to see that it also sells well. Big applause Team Reptile! I hope you make Sega jelous that they never did something new with their IP.
