If you vote "Other" please specify which game in the comments.

2023 was a great year for gaming - to me, it's the best year since 1998.

My only complaint is that most of the games are sequels or remakes. Very few original IPs. It's also interesting to note that Xbox/Microsoft games are almost entirely absent.

Notes:
1) For the purposes of this thread and poll, a remake is a game that has differences from the original beyond updated graphics, sound, etc.; a remaster is just updated visuals, sound, etc. with no difference in gameplay or story.
2) DLC-only releases don't count. Sorry Cyberpunk.
3) Games must be released on at least one of the following: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch.
4) Only new games. Games that were released in previous years but brought to a new system this year don't count.

In alphabetical order, here is a list of games that would at all be finalists in other years, if not outright winners:
Alan Wake 2
Armored Core VI
Baldur's Gate 3
Dead Space Remake
Diablo 4
Final Fantasy XVI
Hi-Fi Rush
Hogwarts Legacy
Lies of P
Remnant II
Resident Evil 4 Remake + DLC
Sea of Stars
Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Starfield
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Warhammer 40k Boltgun

Here are my thoughts on some of these:

Starfield is my pick for GOTY. Issues, for sure, but it is an ambitious game that is greater than the sum of its parts. Also, one of the few unique IPs in a year flooded with sequels. I've commented extensively in the threads here dedicated to the game, so I won't say more.

Baldur's Gate 3: if any game can beat Zelda for GOTY it's this one. Yet, I didn't play it. I played Divinity I and II also from Larian Studios, and wasn't blown away. Solid games, but not amazing. I'll probably pick this one up in a few years when it's $20.

Armored Core VI: I had an absolute blast with this game. I would say it's too niche for GOTY but for another nominee, Baldur's Gate 3, that appeals beyond its niche.

Resident Evil 4 Remake was the clear winner to me until Starfield. The original RE4 is one of the greatest games of all time, and this lives up to the legend. When it gets PSVR2 support (hopefully next year), it too might be one of the best of all time.

I was super disappointed with Final Fantasy XVI. The 1st half of the game is a 9.5, the 2nd half is a 6, and the ending is a 2.

Zelda would normally be the shoe-in but for Baldur's Gate 3. I'm interested to see how the voting goes. I think it's a phenomenal game undone by the fact that it's mostly a reskin of Breath of the Wild, and made worse by the system of combining items to make better weapons. I got about halfway through, then got bored with it and never finished.

Spider-Man 2 gets my award for "Woke Game of the Year." From tired tropes about the superiority of women, token gay relationships, to stupid anti-gun rhetoric, and literally replacing Spider-Man with a diversity hire whose skills and abilities (not counting Spider powers) don't jive with his background. It was mostly fun, but fell into the problem of just being a prettier version of the first game. Also, Spider-Man 1 & 2 ripped a lot off from the old Batman Arkham games, this one added Spider-Man flying like Batman...yikes.


Really limited in number of poll options, so we can redo the poll if another "Other" gets a lot of votes.


ETA: Special mention to PSVR2 titles Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil 8. If you have disposable income and were wondering about VR, these two games alone justify the purchase of PSVR2. Each is literally one of the greatest gaming experiences in my life.

There is absolutely no contest this year.  The GOTY is hands down BG3.

I’ve only played 2 of them.  Starfield and BG3


Of the two….hmmmm


It’s actually closer than you think.  Starfield to me is more replayable long term because of how NG+ changes as it goes

BG3 is an amazing game though


Wow

Man

I really don’t know

It’s probably BG3

But like I said. Closer than you think

TOTK got my vote because I'm biased a bit, but I think BG3 should earn it too. I haven't even played BG3 yet, but from what I understand it met expectations and delivered a title that everyone has been asking for.

TOTK is awesome, but it feels too much like a big expansion of BOTW.

BG3 by a milie.

If it had delivered, Starfield.

Alan Wake 2 is my GOTY. Easily.

If I had one more spot in the poll, I would have put Alan Wake 2 in there. I almost added it over Spider-Man 2.

I'd have done it. Spiderman 2 is shovelware.

I don't think that any of the releases this year have been great.  Going with Skyrim, Fallout 3, COD:MW, BOTW, HZD level games - games that are still played and had great stories and action.  Skyrim probably tops them all.  

However, of the choices, Starfield easily.  I think it could have been done better, and I hope that the DLCs make it great, but as is, it is a new universe to explore, game mechanisms were ambitious, and implemented fairly well.  Not perfect, but best of the choices.

BG3 doesn't appeal to me at all, why turn based combat?  I mean, it is 2023.  Surely it could have been realtime.  Just not for me.

I understand.

To expand on my GOTY thoughts,

Alan Wake 2 - My GOTY. I love what Remedy is doing. The writing and performances are stand out for me. The way the game uses live action is perfect. I love this style of survival horror so much. While the game has some weaker parts they don't really hang around a whole lot. It's a quick 16-20 hour narrative that I enjoyed a lot. The music is fucking awesome.


Armored Core VI - Love ya From Soft, but I thought AC6 was boring.

Baldur's Gate 3 - Didn't play it. Will probably win the official GOTY.

Dead Space Remake - Loved it.

Diablo 4 - Boring. This kind of game just isn't for me.

Final Fantasy XVI - Loved it. And it has some really great moments. But the weak points drag it down a lot. The music and performances are amazing. Some of the boss fights scream super high production. I love the very dark tone of the game.

Hogwarts Legacy - Boring.

Lies of P - Looks amazing but I didn't play it.

Remnant II - Boring.

Resident Evil 4 Remake + DLC - Loved it.

Spider-Man 2 - Didn't play it. But from what I've seen it's so safe and samey that I can't see it.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Boring but I'm so sick of Star Wars I only played it for maybe 20 minutes.

Starfield - I love Bethesda and Todd Howard. I get what they were going for and I do think it's an amazing game. But I really dislike the NG+.

I'm shocked BG3 gets so much broad love despite being turn-based. And an RPG. Based on D&D. In 2023.

I kind of want to play it just to see what the fuss is about, but having played the Divinity games also by Larian Studios and not being blown away, I'm not inclined to pay full price for BG3.
I liked the Pillars of Eternity games by Obsidian, which came out around the same time, much more than Divinity.

Great perspective. I enjoyed reading it.

While my personal score for FFXVI is low, I agree with what you said about it. The actors' performances were great, especially Ben Starr who played Clive. He really carried it, IMO.

Alan Wake 2 is on my short list to buy as soon as I have free time again. It looks amazing.

Baldur's Gate 3 is my pick.

Skyrim and the Fallout series are some of my favorite games but I hate Starfield.
The story is just bad and filled with girl bosses and diversity hires.
I did not like any of the companions the only one I could tolerate kept talking about the big snake she used to have.

Then I ran into these two cunts that is when I was done with it.

Double Dragon Gaiden
Runner up?
Robocop Rogue City

only played 2 of these

diablo 4
remnant 2

of the 2 remnant
will get to armored core eventually

There in is your problem.  This isn't a Divinity game.  The writing, the gameplay, the story, everything is different.  Stop treating it like a Divinity game and you'll soon find out it's definitely not one and you'll love it.  I like Divinity, but I don't love Divinity.  I find parts of the game just get under my skin.  The mechanics sometimes just make no sense and it pisses me off.

Everything in BG3 just works, and the world is awesome, unlike Divinity.

If you don't like RPGs, you won't like an.... RPG.  People complaining that it's turn based... it's Baldur's Gate...

How anyone can sit there and claim Starfield is anything other than a mediocre, unfinished game is beyond me.  It's no where near the polish and depth of BG3.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a work of art and has set the bar so high in game design that all other games are now a disappointment.

Larian Studios has a pretty long, yet narrow history. Judging a studio by their previous work (especially their most recent work) isn't unreasonable. Both are turn-based, story-driven, Western RPGs by the same studio...but "everything is different." Okay.

You (and others) say all these great things about BG3, but I, who knows the studio's history, don't want to pay full price and take a chance that "this one is different." Especially with the woke elements that incentivize main-stream accolades regardless of the game's actual quality.


I was making a general comment that the turn-based genre isn't the most popular these days, and turn-based RPGs even less so. Is the game getting an artificial bump in ratings just because "it's Baldur's Gate"? Baldur's Gate setting + LGBTQ+-/@~ characters is automatically at least an 8.5/10, right? Basic gameplay and a story and it might as well be The Last of Us Part III.

Have you spent the year just playing Destiny 2?

You're missing out.

Robocop is getting insane reviews.

Just spent $2300 on a mattress so games (and guns) budget is kaput unfortunately

I found it.
NWO WARS

Am I the only person who was not terribly impressed by BG3?  The first two acts were pretty solid, but it sort of fell on its face in act 3.  Graphically, it's nice, and at least it wasn't buggy like just about every other new game, but I just don't get the hype.

Starfield is probably their least buggy game ever.

I'd give BG3 a try, but I don't like turn based RPGs.

I'd give AW2 a try (loved the first one), but I don't buy games on the Epic Games store.

I think BG3 did a great job with the mechanics. The story and companions meh at best. After act 1 I killed all the companions I could and use hirelings for a while then quit.

No love for Redfall?

Was there anything in it?

I'd rather play Lord of Ring Gollum.

Honestly, I loved the world design. They nailed that Stephen King-Derry, Maine haunting feeling. And the safehouse/prepper setups had me drooling.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you just want to see a westerly wind lift Smeagol's loincloth when he's climbing Cirith Ungol.

lol

It's nice to hear something positive about it.

I watched a stream a few days ago of a group of guys playing Lethal Company. I wish I still had my group of friends to play with. I guess it's still "early access" so can't be considered for GOTY, but it looks like it's the most fun game experience I've seen in a long time.

It looks like fun but it's just another Phasmophobia type game.

It'll be the darling for content/youtubers for a minute. I already watched Wendigoon and Critical's stream.

Cyberpunk.

It counts because it's better than starfield by miles and I don't care about ops rules.

Definitely DLC of the Year. Great story, fun gameplay.

BG3

Hands since its the only listed game I've played lol

Baldur's Gate 3 just took GOTY at the Game Awards.

It took the most awards overall, too.

Congrats, Larian. Can't say I disagree with any of the picks. I like that Alan Wake 2 got Narrative and art direction. FFXVI definitely deserved score/soundtrack.

I can't fairly say which is better because I didn't see the guy who won, but I would have liked to see Ben Starr (Clive in FFXVI) win best performance.

Here's the full list of winners in an easy to see format:
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-game-awards-2023-winners-the-full-list

Agreed.

I refunded BG3.

Only 2023 release I played is Street Fighter 6. So I guess I have to vote that.

A turn based combat game won best of the year? LOL

How many former SIG Sauer lobbyists did some consulting work for Larian Studios?

We knew it was going to be GOTY for at least 8 months.

Hogwarts Legacy.

Not for the game itself, but for all the leftist butthurt it generated.