The gaming world never stops evolving, and with each new title that graces a genre, fans expect to see marked improvements over previous releases. 2022 was headlined by the likes of Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok, and gamers were rightfully skeptical about 2023's ability to live up to the previous year's lofty standards. However, 2023 has blown expectations out of the park, as developers have delivered hit after hit in what some call the best year for gaming since GTA 5 and The Last of Us made their debuts in 2013. In light of 2023's exceptional performance, 2024 has an uphill climb to perform at an even remotely close level.

Hogwarts Legacy's release in February really got the ball rolling for the 2023 gaming calendar, and since the title broke Steam sales records in short order, the year hasn't looked back in terms of stellar fan reception. Although there were a few games that failed to live up to pre-release expectations, like Redfall and Forspoken, most have enjoyed success to some degree. Making a selection of the best-performing games in 2023 would be a tall order for gamers due to the quality of several options cutting across genres, from Final Fantasy 16's touching protagonist tale to Marvel's Spider-Man 2's web-weaving dynamics. 2024 has some high-profile titles like Tekken 8 already lined up, but the year has some big boots to fill after 2023's expansive gaming experience.

RELATED: January 2024 is Already Stacked With Big Game Releases

2023's Lineup Has Been Nothing But Stellar

It's tough to definitively say which game has been the best in 2023, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur's Gate 3 are neck and neck in scores. Tears of the Kingdom expanded on the story of Link in his fight to rescue Princess Zelda, and the construction mechanics were a driving factor behind its popularity. Featuring creative freedom more associated with games like Minecraft and Valheim, Tears of the Kingdom sold an incredible 18.5 million copies in two months, even outpacing Elden Ring's figures at the time.

Dungeons and Dragons is often considered somewhat niche, even in its current popular state, but Baldur's Gate 3's adoption of the D&D 5e rules broke barriers and appealed to a much wider audience than ever before. Much of its success can be attributed to an extensive run in Early Access, and BG3 gave gamers room for specialization by featuring a staggering 46 subclasses. Given the popularity of BG3 and Tears of the Kingdom, many expect the titles to rack up a few wins at The Game Awards 2023 in December.

Survival Horror and Fighting Games Appear at their Best

The survival horror scene has not been left out of the fray, and the remake of the classic Resident Evil 4 has rejuvenated the genre in the past few months. Alan Wake 2 followed suit at the tail end of October, and the title has received tons of praise for its suspense and shock factor in the short time since its release. Additionally, the fighting genre has experienced a new lease of life through Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1's gruesome fatalities, although the Capcom series has enjoyed wider fanfare. Diablo 4 and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 were some of the most highly anticipated titles coming into the year, and they delivered as well as fans thought they would.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Turbo Overkill, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Sea of Stars round out the selection of 2023's best games statistically. High-profile games like Final Fantasy 16 and Hogwarts Legacy are notably missing from the premier selection, and that speaks to the quality on offer this year. 2023 will go down as one of the best years for gaming in history, and 2024's calendar faces an uphill climb to surpass or even match the firepower with its titles.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Franchise

The Legend of Zelda

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

May 12, 2023

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Genre(s)

Adventure

ESRB

Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes

How Long To Beat

59 Hours

Metascore

96

Expand

See at Nintendo eShopSee at GameStopSee at Best BuySee at WalmartSee at Amazon