2023: A Golden Year for Games

If you were to ask me where my passion lies (aside from writing), I would have to say video games. I have always been fascinated with the level of immersion that games can provide and their unique methods of storytelling.

Growing up I played pretty much whatever I could get my hands on, though my favorite genres were role-playing games and shooters by far. Halo, Gears of War, Elder Scrolls, and Dragon Age are just a few of the franchises that defined my childhood and teenage years.

The game industry is perhaps the largest entertainment industry in the world. In the United States, it brings in more capital than films and sports combined. That's difficult to wrap your mind around.

Over time, as with any industry, there have been good years and bad years, busy years and dead years, etc. I don't think anyone will disagree with me when I say that 2021 and 2022 were, aside from a couple gems, extremely slow years for the gaming industry. There just weren't many major releases, largely due to the pandemic causing significant delays (as with everything else).

2023, on the other hand, feels completely different. This year has been the busiest year the games industry has seen in a long time and I daresay will see. Many of the games that were delayed out of '21 and '22 are now being released, to critical acclaim. It's like a reward for all our patience.

It's difficult to keep up and quite honestly, having too many games to play is one of the best problems to have.

I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on what has been a truly revolutionary year for video games and talk about some of my favorites that have released this year.

Dead Space (2023)

I began the year with Dead Space, the quintessential Sci-Fi horror game. Though I never played the original, this quickly became tied with Resident Evil 2 for my favorite survival horror game. The atmosphere and tone are just unmatched by almost anything else I have played. It's scary, terrifyingly beautiful, engaging, and entertaining, and I hope to return for a playthrough on New Game + at some point.

In February I received my invitation to Hogwarts. As a Slytherin, I learned the unforgivable curses and saved the Wizarding World from one of its biggest threats. A dream come true for Harry Potter fans, Hogwarts Legacy was an exhilirating ride from start to finish and bodes well for the future of Harry Potter video games, and shows that the Wizarding World does not need to be brought down by the controversies surrounding its author.

Throughout March I was busy with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - A soulslike action rpg, and Resident Evil 4 Remake - another definitive horror reimagining. I regret to say I am still making my way through Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (though I only have two boss fights left, I believe) but I did complete Resident Evil 4, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with both games.

More games followed in April, May, and June. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor was a near-perfect sequel, improving on every aspect of the original. Diablo IV, while flawed, was also a good time and provided me with the ARPG fix that I've been craving for a while. I hear The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is also quite good, though I haven't gotten to it (or its predecessor, regrettably) yet.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)

Currently I am playing through Final Fantasy XVI, and Baldur's Gate 3, and having a blast with both games. Their stories are truly captivating.

The year has also treated us to some...less than stellar titles that have been entertaining in their own way.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I'm beyond excited for the likes of Starfield, Mortal Kombat 1, Assassin's Creed, Spider-Man 2, Lords of the Fallen, and Alan Wake 2, among others. I just hope I can keep up.

Oh, and for those who are interested, I will be streaming on Twitch in the coming months. I am still working out the details but rest assured it will come in due time. I hope you'll join me as we enjoy what 2023 has to offer, as well as some gems from the past. More details to come soon.

Happy gaming everyone.

~Brandon