Our Favorite Video Games of 2023
It’s the end of the year and that means it’s a time of reflection. The Game Awards have come and gone. Every other outlet has probably put their lists out. Now, it’s our turn. Below you will find up to three entries of favorite games from all of us here at GeekTyrant. Be sure to let us know your favorite games from 2023 in the comments below.
Tommy Williams
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Favorite Expansion
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: CD Projekt
Runner-Up: Guild Wars 2 Secrets of the Obscure
I know you all think I’ve been replaced by a robot for putting something ahead of Guild Wars 2. However, while I love Secrets of the Obscure, it’s being rolled out over several updates which lessens the impact and Phantom Liberty was just so much more impactful for Cyberpunk 2077 than Secrets of the Obscure for Guild Wars 2. Phantom Liberty was released alongside the 2.0 update and the game was completely changed by these updates. The story in Phantom Liberty is so good that it has actually gotten me to play through it more than once which is huge! I like playing open world RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077, but I often only play through them once and then move on. Since reviewing Phantom Liberty I have gone back and put several more hours on my main character doing Phantom Liberty, side jobs, gigs, and more. If you haven’t already played Cyberpunk 2077, I would highly recommend getting the Ultimate Edition which comes with Phantom Liberty.
Metroid Prime Remastered - Favorite Port/Remaster/Remake
Developer: Retro Studios
Publisher Nintendo
Runner-Up: Super Mario RPG
Metroid Prime Remastered is so beautifully done! I struggled with the original controls, but the remaster allows you to use the second thumbstick to look around while you move and it’s a game changer! That alone would really do it, but the enhanced visuals really do solidify this as one of the best remasters in recent years. Every boss fight was fun and challenging and even when I wanted to throw my controller I couldn’t wait to give it another go. The story and gameplay are top tier and I cannot wait for a remaster of the second game. Hopefully that happens soon.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Game of the Year
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Runner-Up: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Tears of the Kingdom is such an incredible game. The story is well crafted. The gameplay is fun. There’s so much to do in the game that there are several people I know who spent hours just goofing off doing crazy things instead of finishing the story. Even though my creativity was lacking with Fuse, I loved to see random videos from strangers online as well as family to see what they came up with. It is sad that there are some performance problems, but the amount of pure fun that you can have in the game is limitless. Heck, in my Nintendo Year in Review, Tears of the Kingdom was my #1 most played game on the Switch with over 100 hours. The next most played was about 35 hours.
Anna Williams
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical - Best Indie Game
Developer: Summerfall Studios
Publisher: Humble Games
Every so often you get to play a game that caters to so many of your interests you can’t help but wonder if the game was made specifically for you. Stray Gods was that game for me: musicals, Greek mythology, romance, and choose your own adventure all combined for an incredible experience. With an amazing cast of voice actors and endearing characters, this game was unlike anything I have played before. Each song has so many possibilities of lyrics and tone based on your own decisions. With 4 different romance options and what feels like endless song options the replay value for the game is high. I cannot say enough great things about this game, if you have any passing interest in musical theater then you need to try this game out.
Vampire Survivors on Switch - Best Port
Developer: poncle
Publisher: poncle
Vampire Survivors is an incredibly addicting game. The premise is so simple, pick a character and try to survive hordes of increasingly stronger monsters for as long as you can. The game play is so simple too, all you have to do is walk around and pick which weapons/passive items you want at level up. Simple but perfect and I think that’s why it has lent itself well to so many different platforms. The Switch version that has introduced me to the game has been everything I could want. This is a great traveling game since it is easy to set down and pick up again at a moment's notice.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Game of the Year
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
What can I say, this game was an amazing follow up to an already great game. I loved this game so much. The story was so good, I loved that Zelda got to have a more proactive role in the story and it was so fun finding all the memories left behind for you. I also enjoyed how emotionally satisfying the ending of the game was. The gameplay was crazy fun and the world was expanded so much more than we all thought it would be. I still cannot believe the shock we all had when we first encountered the depths when we all thought it was just going to be sky islands added to the game. This game in the franchise did such a good job of hinting at and honoring the past games, it was really a delight to find all those easter eggs. And let’s not forget the music that I could listen to all day. This was the game I was most excited for this year and it didn’t let me down at all.
Daniel Black
Final Fantasy XVI - Game of the Year
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
The last time I played a game where I was so engaged in the story was probably Kingdom Hearts 2.
Marvel SNAP - Best Ongoing Game
Developer: Second Dinner
Publisher: Nuverse
Runner Up: Destiny 2 (Seasons, not Lightfall)