Web-slinging superheroes, enormous fighting robots, lightsabers locked in combat and rolling virtual dice across the tabletop fantasy realm, it’s been a mind-blowing 12 months in gaming. But with so much choice and an ever-lengthening ‘must-play list’, how will you choose which ones to settle down with over the festive period?
Luckily, we here at NME HQ have spent the year mouse-clicking and smashing buttons until our fingers bled – just to bring you this, the ultimate, undisputed (OK, a little bit disputed) ranking of 2023’s greatest games. We hope you enjoy.
Alex Flood, Interim Commissioning Editor (Entertainment)
Contributors: Jen Allen, Vikki Blake, Andrew Brown, Francisco Dominguez, Alex Flood, Francis Kenna, Jordan Oloman, Dominic Preston, Sarah Thwaites, Sherry Toh.
20 ‘Humanity’
Platforms: PS4/5, PC
This popular puzzle platformer put us in the paws of a canine shepherd, tasked with helping humans find their way to a luminescent cube and the mysteries that lay beyond. Directing an endless cohort of Lemmings-style knuckleheads through increasingly complex 3D puzzle boxes sounds like it could get a bit samey, but the addictive action was complemented by reactive soundscapes that created a curious sense of momentum. Your controller’s haptic feedback only deepened the immersion, with a chorus of pattering feet and the pop of confetti coursing through your fingers. As levels flowed into one another and new obstacles arose, the minimalist vistas grew in scale and scope, imbuing the adventure with consistent surprises to marvel at. Like any good puzzle game, there was plenty of frustration to be felt ahead of the eureka moments – but it just made your eventual success all the more satisfying.
Best bit: Every time you pinpoint the path to a level’s end, the disorganised chaos of the crowd turned into an almost meditative harmony.
For fans of: Rez, Superhot. SThwaites
19. ‘Lies Of P’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
If the local Punch and Judy show freaked you out as a kid, then do not play Lies Of P. Set in a nightmarish fairytale world inhabited by creepy clockwork puppets that come to life and hack approaching humans to death, the Soulslike slasher made for a surprising, sinister delight when it hit shelves in September.
The game revolved around an Edwards Scissorhands-esque Stalker, half-puppet and half-real boy. Armed with an array of dismantlable weapons – giant scimitar, exploding shield, steampunk flamethrower – the pitiless Pinocchio allowed us to go on a murderous rampage and, in a crucial difference to the other robots, tell lies. This played a crucial role during important story decisions, which occurred in between the tricky but satisfying boss levels.
With a few too many similarities to its genre contemporaries – Bloodborne, Sekiro, Dark Souls – Lies Of P could have benefitted from a bit more tinkering in Geppetto’s workshop. But when there was this much fun to be had, who’s complaining?
Best bit: There is nothing more grimly satisfying than battering a few robots, and admiring your oil-drenched chemise afterwards.
For fans of: Bloodborne, Steelrising. AF
18 ‘Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And the Lost Demon’
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Far removed from its predecessors, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And the Lost Demon forwent chaotic character action for a more narrative-driven action-adventure title. Presented in the format of a children’s storybook, a younger, inexperienced iteration of the franchise’s leading witch Bayonetta had to rely on her disobedient Demon ally, Cheshire, when it came to battles. It was in stark contrast to the no-nonsense hack-and-slash of her later adventures, yet combat remained flexible and continued to expand throughout the duration of the game.
Even then, it took an unfamiliar form to what series veterans will be used to, while the puzzle-solving sat next to the likes of The Legend Of Zelda in its ingenuity. In addition to an exceptionally distinct artistic style, and a wistful story exploring the relations between parent and child, this prequel found arresting ways to explore sides of Bayonetta we’d never seen before.
Best bit: One of Bayonetta’s iconic abilities making its canonical debut just in time for the epic climax.
For fans of: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019), Ōkami. FK
17 ‘Metroid Prime Remastered’
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
We may not have had so much as a screenshot since Metroid Prime 4 was announced six long years ago, but that at least gave Nintendo time to put together a top-to-bottom remaster of the first-person spin-off series’ debut game. A painstakingly faithful recreation of the GameCube classic, it only had two meaningful changes: updated graphics that pushed the Switch hardware to breaking point; and revamped modern controls that reflect how much the first-person shooter format has changed since 2002. While Metroid may have looked like a sci-fi shoot-em-up, in reality this was a sombre, lonely trek up, down and across a ruined planet, casting you as explorer and archeologist as much as it did bounty hunter and badass. Oddly melancholy for a game where your chief way of interacting with the world is via laser gun, and as good as it ever was 20 years ago.
Best bit: The first time the flare of weapons fire reveals Samus’ reflection in the visor, a trick few games have dared copy since.
For fans of: Metroid Dread, Prey. DP
16 ‘Amnesia: The Bunker’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Developer Frictional’s latest horror game was a triumphant return to form. Tense, tragic and terrifying in equal measure, Amnesia: The Bunker required just one thing of you: to get the hell out of there, and as quickly as possible. But what started out as such a simple pursuit became increasingly more complex the longer you crept around in its dimly lit environment – and we learned the hard way exactly what’s meant by the old adage, “necessity is the mother of invention”. Just don’t expect to ever get acclimatised to the rats, dark or endless eviscerated corpses you keep tripping over. These were once men with dreams and fears and sweethearts waiting for them back home. And this is why Frictional is the undisputed master of the macabre. Don’t miss it.
Best bit: Becoming best friends with a generator. Yes, a generator.
For fans of: SOMA, Alien: Isolation. VB
15 ‘Pikmin 4’
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
With this fourth chapter, one of Nintendo’s most misunderstood franchises finally got its well-deserved day in the sun. A real-time strategy puzzle game where you direct leafy minions to collect discarded pretzels and battle disproportionate nightmare creatures, it sat awkwardly next to its name-brand siblings, Mario and Zelda. Fortunately, Pikmin 4 saw the series escape its reputation as aesthetically endearing but mechanically off-putting, and delivered an accessible experience to be enjoyed by die-hards and newcomers alike. Previous games were cortisol cocktails, overwhelming players with time limits and difficulty spikes, dragging them away from the series’ heartwarming moral centre. While retaining a rewarding sense of challenge, Pikmin 4 avoided previous pitfalls but still compelled us to size down and reinterpret the clumsy minutiae of the world around us – to appreciate trash as treasure. A tranquil odyssey full of giggles and gambits, this underrated Nintendo curio is up there with the best and brightest adventures.
Best bit: You’ll be joined on your journey by a Pikmin-carrying puppy companion called Oatchi, who grows alongside you as you progress the adventure.
For fans of: Ape Escape 2, X-Com. JO
14 ‘Dredge’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
All aboard! In spooky fishing game Dredge, nothing is as it seems amid a sea of Lovecraftian terrors. By day, cast your net into the briny blue and make a living by selling the mutated monstrosities you catch. By night… well, you don’t want to be caught on the water when it gets dark. For many reasons, Dredge was one of the most creative and atmospheric games of 2023. You could spend long, peaceful minutes fishing to pay for a new engine – only to realise it was getting dark and you were a worryingly long way from shore.
Cleverly mixing tranquil moments with the spooky, this single-player indie didn’t waste a second of its relatively short story, while a sanity meter meant you were always left second-guessing every bump in the night. If you prefer smart horror that manipulates tension over jump scares, then consider Dredge a must-play debut from Black Salt Games.
Best bit: Your first night at sea, which proves that what you don’t know can in fact hurt you.
For fans of: Dave The Diver, Subnautica. AB
13 ‘Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Fresh off creating gothic fantasy Elden Ring in 2022, developer FromSoftware returned to its sci-fi roots this year with action blockbuster Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon. A far cry from Elden Ring, this brutal yet rewarding thriller swapped magic for missiles as it let players take control of highly-customisable mech robots in winner-takes-all deathmatches.
The real joy was in creating a mech of your own though, before unleashing it in a believable universe filled with cutthroat corporations and legendary fighters. Whether you wanted to make a lumbering tank or flying swordsman, a flexible customisation system felt deeply rewarding to play with – doubly so when you came up with the perfect killing machine for a boss you’d spent hours unsuccessfully trying to take down. Oh, and don’t forget the explosions. So many explosions.
Best bit: Deciding where your loyalties lay in a climatic series of twists.
For fans of: Bayonetta 3, Bloodborne. AB
12 ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Another highlight from an already-brilliant year for Mario fans. Though the series broke new ground with a box office-busting movie and well-received remake of cult classic Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros. Wonder was a return to the series’ 2D roots that reminded us why we fell in love with Nintendo’s plucky plumber in the first place.
Filled with tricky platforming challenges and Goomba-stomping goodness, the game takes place in the leafy Flower Kingdom, where Mario and company are tasked with foiling yet another of Koopa Bowser’s villainous schemes. Fans left waiting years for another 2D adventure could’ve been forgiven for wondering if Mario’s side-scrolling days were over. They needn’t have worried though, this once-familiar format felt as fresh as ever.
Best bit: Hopping along with a parade of singing Petey Piranhas.
For fans of: Kirby’s Return To Dreamland, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. AB
11 ‘Venba’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
It’s unusual to play a game that makes you hungry, but that’s precisely what Venba did. It told a touching story of two Tamil immigrants in Canada learning to adjust to a different culture while raising their son, and all the challenges that entails.
An incredibly touching tale even if you don’t have directly related life experience – we’ve all known what it’s like to adapt to somewhere or something new – Venba was a mixture of a visual novel and puzzle game, that proved immensely satisfying when trying to figure out how best to cook traditional food with familial love oozing from every meal.
Short but sweet, Venba also only took an hour or two to play through, meaning it was an appropriate palate cleanser for gaming’s more aggressive mainstream world. The only things you could have asked for more of were its recipes, as some of the meals were impossible not to drool over.
Best bit: Cooking a Biryani for your son before he heads to college feels like a true labour of love with multiple layers to build upon the delicious rice-based curry.
For fans of: Unpacking, Florence. JA
10 ‘Cocoon’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
This delightfully inventive puzzle platformer asked players to direct a small flying insect through various weird and wonderful worlds – all packed with tantalising challenges and bigger bugs determined to squash you. If you’d played designer Jeppe Carlsen’s other games – the quietly moving sidescrollers Limbo and Inside – you’d probably have been expecting gorgeously rendered environments and a tearjerking story. And you wouldn’t have been disappointed.
But Cocoon was a progression of Carlsen’s style too – adding 3D elements and a mechanical complexity that blew anything he’s done before out of the water. When you consider the game’s controls consist of just one button (plus directional abilities) it makes this achievement seem all the more stunning. Cocoon takes just five hours to play through, but you’ll be thinking about it for days after.
Best bit: The first time you’re sucked, Rick And Morty-style, from one psychedelic world and into another.
For fans of: Planet Of Lana, Limbo. AF
9 ‘Street Fighter 6’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Coming off the heels of a poorly conceived fifth entry, Capcom managed to confidently rejuvenate its seminal fighting game series with Street Fighter 6.
In an attempt to break down the infamous barrier of entry to a genre that often seems impenetrable, this latest instalment went the extra mile with an optional, simplified modern control scheme, comprehensive individual character breakdowns, a training mode that made its contemporaries seem archaic by comparison and industry-leading accessibility options. The result was the most accessible entry to date; and it achieved all of this without ever alienating veteran players.
The hardcore competitive scene is still the beating heart of Street Fighter 6, as its expertly polished mechanics (including the new Drive Meter), along with superb online infrastructure, ensures that it will continue to have a healthy player base for years to come. Another genre-defining classic from Capcom? It’s hard to argue otherwise.
Best bit: Every single time an opponent is opened up to take the brunt of a Level 3 Super Art in an online ranked match.
For fans of: Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 7. FK
8 ‘Dead Space’
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
With several major remakes already released this year (and more on the way), you might be beginning to wonder if we’re experiencing a remake glut – and if that’s a good thing. Motive Studio’s remake of Dead Space was a persuasive argument that it is. Though sticking closely to the 2008 original, engineer Isaac Clarke’s isolated search for his girlfriend Nicole aboard the infected USG Ishimura was eerily more relevant in 2023 and the wake of COVID-19 than it was when the game was first released in 2008.
The remake’s audio and visual upgrades, along with the combat mechanic’s gory new ‘Peeling System,’ were a masterclass in terrifying immersion, and even in the bright light of day left us jumping out of our skins at the slightest sound and expecting baby-like Necromorph Crawlers at every turn. The inclusion of a content warning system that popped up mid-game, along with the option to blur distressing scenes, made this gory horror accessible to a broader audience than before.
Best bit: The satisfaction (and relief) from killing the Leviathan Necromorph still stands out.
For fans of: Alien: Isolation, Alan Wake. SToh
7. ‘Hi-Fi Rush’
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Though musical action game Hi-Fi Rush launched back in January, it remains one of this year’s biggest surprises. When would-be rockstar Chai is mistakenly fused with his MP3 player, he sets off on a toe-tapping mission to fight the villainous Vandelay Technologies.
Off the back of lavish horror Ghostwire: Tokyo, nobody could have predicted that developer Tango Gameworks’ next title would be a colourful action-rhythm adventure with a banging soundtrack. The one thing that didn’t come as a surprise? Bashing robots to tunes from Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy and The Black Keys was incredibly fun.
Forgiving controls meant you didn’t need a perfect inner metronome to save the world either, though it was impossible to make it through certain fights without headbanging. A short and sweet surprise, Hi-Fi Rush left us pining for an encore all year.
Best bit: Turning robots into scrap while ‘Invaders Must Die’ blared.
For fans of: Metal: Hellsinger, Devil May Cry. AB
6. ‘Resident Evil 4’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
This long-awaited update of the 2005 classic was never going to be less than a banger. Capcom’s remake team already knocked it out of the park with Resident Evil 2 in 2019 and, to a lesser extent, Resident Evil 3 in 2020 – but this was the game it had all been building to.
With improved graphics and even more exciting action, this leaner, cleaner and downright meaner approach to the horror/action hybrid didn’t disappoint either. Knife and melee combat were brought to the fore, guns re-balanced and ammo made scarcer to put the emphasis back on desperate survival.
Throw in some structural tweaks and a whole new set of miserably bad jokes from the franchise’s ‘funniest’ protagonist – and you had the definitive take on one of gaming’s all-time greats.
Best bit: Nothing will ever top the opening village fight – as single enemies give way to an intelligent horde and you realise that none of the old Resi rules apply.
For fans of: Dead Space, Alan Wake 2. DP
5 ‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’
Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
The galaxy far, far away may have become a tedious place in the diminishing returns of its many sequel films and spin-off TV series, but for gaming fans it’s never been more thrilling. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the long-awaited sequel to 2019’s Fallen Order, found its now-battle-scarred hero Cal Kestis on the brink of a discovery – one that could potentially turn the tide of his continued struggle against the evil Empire.
Whether he managed to get to his goal was up to you though – and the improved combat mechanics, more fleshed out side-quests and (thank god) less complicated map made this new journey even more enjoyable than the last. The genuinely moving story had us in tears at its emotional climax too. Perhaps the team behind Star Wars’ next movie should take note…
Best bit: Cere Junda’s final, epic face-off with you-know-who somehow topped every lightsaber boss battle that came before.
For fans of: Horizon Forbidden West, God Of War Ragnarök. AF
4 ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’
Platforms: PlayStation 5
This year, Insomniac Games took Spiderman to bold, audacious new heights by capturing the charm, nimbleness and unstoppable velocity of Marvel’s best superhero(es) like never before.
With each tremendous swing, blocks of New York City swooshed past in the blink of an eye. You could ascend the Empire State Building quicker than Tom Holland, then divebomb down 34th Street at exhilarating speed. Web-based navigation not enough? Spidey-suit’s new wings were on offer, so you could glide through Manhattan in acrobatic style. It was an indulgent power fantasy for adrenaline junkies, taken to the max with Peter Parker’s powerful Symbiote suit and Miles Morales’ high-voltage moves.
Despite an A-list of villains, Kraven, Sandman and company never stood a chance. Without that precise moment-to-moment Spidey sensation, its thrilling, high stakes character drama, memorable set pieces and fine tag-team action would have hardly mattered.
Best bit: Miles Morales’ pursuit of Black Cat through a chain of portals is both a thrilling chase through NYC and audacious technological showcase – and it gets even better with that exciting backs-to-the-wall finale.
For fans of: Batman: Arkham Knight, Sunset Overdrive. FD
3 ‘The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom’
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom didn’t just live up to its critically acclaimed predecessor, Breath Of The Wild, it exceeded it in every way imaginable. With series antagonist Ganondorf returning to wreak havoc and Princess Zelda cast back in time, it was once again up to plucky hero Link to save Hyrule.
However, it wasn’t the same kingdom we’d grown accustomed to: the addition of massive floating islands and vast underground caverns make this Link’s biggest adventure yet, while his old powers had been replaced with new reality-bending abilities.
Flying through ceilings, rewinding time and even building an assortment of hodge-podge vehicles meant players found they could tackle Nintendo’s devious puzzles with untold creativity. Throw in one of this year’s prettiest scores and the return of series-staple dungeons, and we were left with an adventure that was nothing short of magical for both new and returning Zelda fans.
Best bit: When Link finally got his hands on the Master Sword – we’re not crying, you are!
For fans of: Elden Ring, Minecraft. AB
2 ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Over the summer, role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 gripped fantasy fans like nothing else – and it still hasn’t let them go. The action begins with players getting infected by Mindflayer Tadpoles, which will turn them into tentacled terrors if not treated. But the true majesty of Baldur’s Gate 3 was in the freedom you had to make that adventure your own. Want to test your sword and bow against one of the world’s strongest necromancers? You can do just that – or just turn him into a sheep and punt him off a cliff.
Months later, we’re still discovering new ways to complete quests in this open-world epic, and the hold that its charismatic party members have on us shows no signs of letting up. Still not sold? A picture says a thousand words – just look at Larian founder Swen Vinke struggling to hold Baldur’s Gate 3’s many awards trophies… from one ceremony.
Best bit: Entering the city of Baldur’s Gate for the first time and feeling like, tens of hours in, your adventure had just begun.
For fans of: Dungeons & Dragons, Divinity: Original Sin 2. AB
1 ‘Alan Wake 2’
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Remedy’s Alan Wake 2 – an atmospheric, supernatural chiller stuffed full of deliciously cruel jump scares and tortuous twists – was a sequel that was oh-so-worth waiting for. Masterfully balancing third-person action with detective mini-games and one of the most engrossing stories we’ve played in years, it blended full-motion video with in-game graphics to craft a world that feels as real as you and me, making it one of the most astonishing-looking games ever made.
It didn’t matter where you went; whether you were picking through the detritus of an abandoned theme park or just trying to escape a subway station with your sanity intact, Alan Wake 2’s world was rich, detailed, ripe for exploration, and desperately good fun. Yes, we wanted all the Cult Stashes. Yes, we wanted to solve all the Nursery Rhyme puzzles. Not because we’re completionists, but because we never wanted the ride to end.
Best bit: Rock Opera. ‘Nuff said.