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It’s never too early to start tracking what games might make our year-end best of lists. And that cannot be more true this year, with 2023 already proving to be a stellar year for games. The first quarter alone already saw the releases of some terrific remakes, solid sequels, and some standout indies.
Here are our picks of the best games released so far:
Best game to show off your new PSVR 2: Horizon Call of the Mountain
Being the flagship day one release for the PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2), there’s perhaps no better game to showcase the hardware’s capabilities than Horizon Call of the Mountain. The game brings the world of Horizon in first-person perspective through virtual reality (VR), delivering interactive ways for you to climb mountains and shoot bows. It’s an enjoyable adventure that hooks you with its creative gameplay mechanics and immerses you with its impressive visuals.
If you’re not sold on VR gaming yet, Call of the Mountain might just be the game that’ll change that.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is available now exclusively on the PS VR2, which you’ll need a PS5 to play.
Best surprise release: Hi-Fi Rush
When games are announced, you typically have to wait a year or two before they’re released. That’s considering there aren’t any delays. Hi-Fi Rush, however, came as a massive surprise, releasing the same day it was announced. And, boy, what a surprise it is.
Developer Tango Gameworks has created a wholly unique experience that demands you sync the on-screen action with the game’s infectious soundtrack. The gameplay is essentially what you might get if you combined Devil May Cry with Guitar Hero, and it’s immensely satisfying to learn and master.
What elevates the experience further is the brilliant art direction, which is underscored by vibrant cell-shaded visuals and stylish animations.
Hi-Fi Rush is out now on Xbox Series X|S and PC. If you have Game Pass, you can use your subscription to play the game at no extra cost.
Best hidden gem: A Space for the Unbound
Similar to other media, video games are capable of making a strong social impact. That’s what A Space for the Unbound attempts to do by delivering an emotional story that deals with mature themes like mental health issues. While it’s far from perfect, with backtracking and some puzzles proving to be a chore, the game manages to “keeps things as simple and relatable as possible”, as One More Game’s review notes, which helps hold your attention and get its important message across.
The game is also a good showcase for Southeast Asian talent, with developer Mojiken being based in Surabaya, Indonesia.
A Space for the Unbound is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Best game to play in the dark: Dead Space
Motive Studio’s remake of the 2008 classic Dead Space sets the bar for the ultimate survival horror experience. It modernizes the already stellar visuals and sound of the beloved original for the latest generation of consoles, while preserving the third-person gameplay that fans have come to regard so highly of.
The sizable list of enhancements and changes dramatically improve everything from the narrative to the atmosphere, making your trip to the deserted USG Ishimura feel as tension-filled and as adrenaline-inducing as humanly possible. It’s the type of game you’d want to play in the dark with the best audio audio setup you have around.
Dead Space is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Best game to play for tens, if not hundreds, of hours: Octopath Traveler 2
If you have the time to spare, Octopath Traveler 2 is a sprawling Japanese role-playing game that you could easily spend hours playing. The game spans eight individual journeys, and each one feels distinctive in its own way. One More Game’s review praises this sequel as an “improvement” over its predecessor that keeps “familiar charms, while elevating the experience at the same time”.
The outlet also thinks the music and the gameplay makes this new entry worth playing.
Octopath Traveler 2 is out now on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Best game for your nostalgia fix: Resident Evil 4
The original Resident Evil 4, which first released in 2005, is often regarded as one of the best games to ever be put out. So expectations were through the roof when Capcom first announced a remake. Thankfully, it more lives up to the original’s legacy, modernizing the story, the controls, the combat, and the survival-horror thrills.
It’ll feel familiar to those who’ve played the original yet wholly new at the same time – and that’s what many remakes and reimaginings always strive for. As for newcomers, this is the definitive way to experience a seemingly timeless classic.
Resident Evil 4 is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Best hard-as-nails game if you want to be punished: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Face it, sometimes you enjoy when a game challenges you to the point that you could snap your controller in half. If you’re looking for such a game, look no further than Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a new Soulslike from Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden and Nioh fame.
Much like other games in the genre, Wo Long’s combat is brutal and has a steep learning curve, but it feels incredibly rewarding to master. Sure, it might take tens, if not hundreds, of deaths, but once everything starts clicking, the game becomes oh so hard to put down.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Best game for the wizards at heart: Hogwarts Legacy
One can argue that there hasn’t been a Harry Potter game that truly immersed you in the wizarding world until Hogwarts Legacy. This open-world adventure lets you live out your dreams of picking up a wand and becoming a student at Hogwarts, where you’ll learn new spells, craft potions, and befriend a whole host fantastic beasts.
More than that, the game is simply fun to play, featuring a strong combat system, a detailed world to explore, deep character customization, and quests aplenty. While it might now be hard for some to separate author J.K. Rowling’s problematic views on gender identity with her work, taken solely as a game, Hogwarts Legacy nails the fundamentals.
Hogwarts Legacy is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch later this year. – Rappler.com
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