DualShockers’ 25 Best Games Of 2023

This list is based on a points system tallying up the individual Game of the Year lists of the DualShockers editorial team, which we’ve written throughout December.

Ooof, wow, did you just see that year in gaming that went by? There’s a strong case to be made that we’ve never experienced one quite like it, with an impressive depth of glorious, glossy triple-A games, and artful, enveloping indie games giving us gamers an incredible amount of fun to chew on.

Beyond that, it’s been great seeing what you could call ‘B’ or ‘Double-A’ games rising up and rubbing shoulders with some of the big names this year. It wasn’t so long ago that it looked like that tier of games might be dying out. While we still need to be wary of the damage caused to these games and the studios that make them by profligate companies like Embracer, we should also celebrate their successes.

So yes, what a year it’s been. Now read on for our definitive list of the top 25 games of 2023. It’s been a hell of a ride, and it’s a mighty fine read too.

25 Assassin’s Creed Mirage

True Stealth Combat Returns

Kyle: Like many fans of the series, I’ve had a bumpy relationship with Assassin’s Creed. Although I loved Valhalla, I was skeptical of Mirage ‘returning to its roots,’ as Ubisoft put it. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I missed those classic stealth elements that Assassin’s Creed does so well.

Alongside some returning features, such as the ability to quickly jump into a crowd and sneakily disappear, Mirage has plenty of new mechanics that allow you to play however you want. Want to distract the guards by paying some civilians to start a riot? You got it. How about slipping your way into a fortress by locating some unfinished building work? Go for it. There are multiple different ways to approach missions, with each one making me feel like a true master assassin.

Mirage feels like it could be a current-gen remake of the original Assassin’s Creed, and that’s not a bad thing. The story answers plenty of questions set up by Valhalla, whilst also returning the series to that classic stealth action of the series’ earlier years. Parkour is fast, fluid, and fun, whilst the combat finally allows for a more stealthy approach that was sorely lacking in Valhalla.

24 Ghostrunner 2

Neon Apocalypse

Jack: Ghostrunner 2 impressed me when I reviewed it a couple of months ago, earning it a high place in my own game of the year ranking. While I was aware of the original, Ghostrunner 2’s quality caught me off guard. In addition to amazing fast-paced action, the narrative elements elevated the experience for me.

There’s a satisfying amount of skill expression in Ghostrunner 2 — you have access to numerous tools that can be used in creative ways to pick off large groups of enemies. All the while, Jack (the game’s hero, not yours truly) is providing deadpan comic relief through his interactions with other characters. Also, the motorbike rocks.

23 Dave The Diver

Kyle: Dave The Diver very well could have been my game of the year, had it not been such a jam-packed year. Not only does it mash multiple genres together, it does them all incredibly well.

By day, you’ll explore the depths of the mysterious Blue Hole. But by night, you’ll sell your catches at Bancho’s sushi restaurant, with multiple mini-games and management sections to keep things entertaining. If that wasn’t enough for you, Dave The Diver is also an RPG that allows you to uncover and assist an ancient civilization found deep underwater.

22 Season: A Letter To The Future

Quiet Moments Speak Loudly

Rachael: Sometimes, you need to take a little break from the madness of the world and dip into a game that offers up a mindful experience. For someone who loves a good story in games, Season: A Letter to the Future allows its quiet moments to do the speaking and for me to just listen, without expectations, as I explored who Estelle was and the cultures she uncovered.

Its post-war world is rippling with cultural and agricultural life, which makes it a vibrant and vivid playground for discovery — perfect for the countless pictures taken, journal entries, and relaxing bike rides. There are no cars, bustling cities, or noisy neighborhoods, which only adds to its magical, yet peaceful mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed every inch of what Season had to offer and will undoubtedly be replaying it again throughout 2024.

Our own Jeff thought the game was great too, giving it 8.6 in his glowing review, saying “it offered a strange peace that was, all at once, a somber experience — one full of joy, sorrow, laughter, and regret.”

21 Remnant 2

Root Out Corruption With Friends

Jeff: Remnant: From The Ashes offered a brutal but fun soulslike challenge with guns. It was a bit rough around the edges, but the world stones and the portals into different settings offered exciting ways to explore a variety of locations filled with deadly enemies. Remnant 2 took everything the first game did well and enhanced it, smoothing out those rough edges and bringing an overall more refined touch to this unique offering.

The game works well enough as a solo experience, but where it truly shines is in the fun and chaos of co-op with friends. Even without a pal along for the journey, you’ll venture through several alien locations, collecting parts from a diverse range of bosses, and craft increasingly cool weaponry on your journey to wipe the Root from existence.

The game works well enough as a solo experience, but where it truly shines is in the fun and chaos of co-op with friends.

The story can be a bit cheesy and cryptic at times, but the true enjoyment of the game is in its replayability, as every level can be randomized, adding a freshness to retreading the same areas over and over again. The portal-based setup offers a great premise to continue adding new worlds to the mix via its excellent DLC; here’s hoping for a long life ahead for this game.

20 Hogwarts Legacy

A Magical Adventure Awaits

Kyle: It might not be perfect, but Hogwarts Legacy quickly became one of my favorite games of this year. In my review, I praised the game’s immensely detailed and immersive world, as well as its plethora of quests and mini-games.

Hogwarts Legacy does exactly what you’d want a game set in the Harry Potter universe to do: make you feel like a witch or wizard in the world of J.K. Rowling’s creation. There are plenty of classes to attend (all with their own entertaining mini-games), mysteries to uncover, spells to learn, and places to explore. Whether you want to buy a new broom from Ollivanders or battle a troll in the forbidden forest, Hogwarts Legacy has it all.

19 The Outlast Trials

Trial By Electric Wire

Rob: I’m glad to see this madcap co-op horror gauntlet make it onto the list, which I suspect is largely propelled by the fact that it unexpectedly became something of an after-hours office game for Jack, Kyle, and I. I liked it so much, in fact, that I even spoke to the devs about it.

The Outlast Trials is jumpy, it’s jolty, and has an excellent loop of stealthily sneaking to complete your objectives before all hell breaks loose and your seemingly tight team cravenly scatters in all directions. It’s full of cool creepy tricks, armwrestling mini-games, and with the right support, it could go on to become something quite special as it sprints out of Early Access.

18 Hi-Fi Rush

Rock & Robots

Matthew S: Dropping onto the scene in January out of absolutely nowhere, Hi-Fi Rush was a great start to an amazing year of gaming. The story is centered on our hero Chai being labeled as a defect by an evil corporation for having his music player accidentally embedded in his chest while he’s being fitted with a cybernetic prosthetic arm, and if that sentence didn’t melt your brain, the guitar riffs might, because beating bad robots to the beat of the music is a great time.

…the flashy visual presentation is one any rock star would be proud to set their music to.

An absolutely thumping soundtrack featuring acts like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, and Fiona Apple makes this rhythm-enhanced brawler even more memorable. Plus, the flashy visual presentation is one any rock star would be proud to set their music to.

17 Octopath Traveler 2

JRPG Excellence

Jack: I’ll say it — Octopath Traveler 2 is slept on. This isn’t a genre bias — I’m not even a prolific JRPG player — but Octopath 2 has been one of my best gaming experiences of the year. The concept of an ensemble cast with branching stories is a surprisingly novel type of storytelling in video games.

The voice acting, original soundtrack, mesmerizing art style, and unique narrative combine to produce the gold standard of the genre. As I progressed through the story, I became attached to all eight main characters; it’s an emotional story and a truly special game.

16 Pikmin 4

A Pint-Sized Juggernaut

Matthew O.: Nobody does joy and nostalgia quite like Nintendo. Pikmin 4 is a success on all levels. It’s a delight to be stranded once again, this time rescuing fellow travelers. The addition of our adorable pup makes for a wonderful twist on traversal and combat, and the game does a fantastic job of mixing challenge with family-friendly fun. While the credits may roll relatively quickly, there’s so much more to do. That back half of the content is where you’ll find more challenging tasks.

Choosing which Pikmin to use for the day adds a wonderful element of strategy to the game. And, while choosing the wrong Pikmin can sometimes be punishing, it always feels fair. This is all to say that Pikmin 4 perfectly balances its challenges without ever losing sight of the fun factor. Nintendo has created a masterpiece of a sequel with stunning visuals and beautiful sound design. I’ve never been happier to blow that iconic whistle to rally the little fellows.

15 Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Time For Some Mini-Games

Sam: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name feels like the perfect love letter to Kiryu Kazuma’s time as lead protagonist.

Despite being far shorter than the mainline Yakuza games, The Man Who Erased His Name manages to tell a touching story, introduces some of the series’ greatest side characters, and still manages to maintain that Like a Dragon goofiness that we have all come to know and love from the series.

14 Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

Music To Our Ears

Matthew S: Move over, Angela Lansbury. You may have five well-deserved Tony Awards and starred as crime-solver Jessica Fletcher for 12 seasons of Murder She Wrote, but Stray Gods came out this year, mixing murder mystery with a Broadway-caliber musical, and throwing in a modern take on Greek mythology to boot.

…the real game changer here is the Grammy-nominated music.

But the real game changer here is the Grammy-nominated music. I’m a sucker for a good musical, and Stray Gods competes with some of the best out there today, letting your mid-song choices affect not only the lyrics, but sometimes even the tempo, tone, and instruments used. It must have been a massive undertaking for music director Austin Wintory, but I’m glad I was Here for the Ride.

Here’s my review of Stray Gods if you want to get into the nitty-gritty.

13 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Elephant Mario Is The Best Mario

CJ: 2D Mario games always bring a certain level of entertainment, and players generally know what to expect with each new entry, but Wonder takes that tried and true formula and gives it a unique flair. There are new characters, new mechanics, and new worlds to play through (as is expected with a new Mario release), but where the game really shines is in its new “Wonder Effects.”

Each level contains a Wonder Effect that is activated when players collect the Wonder Flower present on the stage. These effects can cause just about anything to happen, from a stampede of bull-like enemies to a breakout musical performed by Piranha Plants. These make every level feel fresh and put replayability at an all-time high.

12 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Deep Customization, Unforgettable Adventure

Jeff: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order, and while Fallen Order’s story is a bit tighter in its telling, Jedi: Survivor takes every other aspect — from personal customization to enemy variety, character writing, and puzzle design — and steps up the quality. Picking up several years after the first game leaves off, you follow Cal at a time when the rigors of the never-ending conflict against the Empire are wearing him down. He’s lost friends, lost his way, and after a mission gone wrong, he’s left wondering what’s next. A story filled with familiar faces and many new ones, Jedi: Survivor’s narrative delves into the dangers of obsession and inflexibility.

Jedi: Survivor offers one of the best gaming experiences for Star Wars fans (my personal favorite), delivering challenging yet satisfying lightsaber combat, excellent character acting, and the varied alien locations that make Star Wars so distinct. I can’t wait to see what Respawn Entertainment does next with Cal and friends on his journey through these troubling times.

11 Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Projekt Red Redemption

Rob: It’s not been an easy road for Cyberpunk 2077, but there’s definitely something feel-good about the fact that developer CDPR has managed to bring together its undeniable talents for an expansion that beautifully wraps up their troubled, but ultimately really quite good, RPG.

Set in a whole new area of the city called Dogtown, which is run by a military group, you get embroiled in a spy thriller of a story as you work with FIA operative Solomon Reed (Idris Elba) to secure the President’s daughter.

Beyond a thrilling main campaign filled with plenty of twists, you can get caught up in side-quests filled with engaging dialogue choices and excellent facial animations. Our reviewer Vlad gave it a 9/10, calling it “a prime example of how sometimes, less is more, challenging the industry’s obsession with vast worlds and thousands of planets.”

10 Diablo 4

An Unforgettable Six-Act Experience

Emma: Diablo 4…oh, the mixed feelings I have about this game. Prior to its debut, it was probably one of the most anticipated games of the decade, and yet after we’ve seen a few seasons, the hype is mostly lukewarm. However, when I look at the initial experience of playing through the core campaign, I do think that it deserves a spot on this list, despite the hit-or-miss seasonal content that has followed.

Lilith is a baddie, and she alone breathed new life into the Diablo story, captivating me, and millions of other fans, throughout the six acts that make up the core game.

Within the core game, we got to experience the most unique and iconic villain to come out of the series to date. Lilith is a baddie, and she alone breathed new life into the Diablo story, captivating me, and millions of other fans, throughout the six acts that make up the core game. She is diabolical, and not in the typical, two-dimensional way we’ve seen in prior Diablo games. She has complex motives and a warped love/hate relationship with humanity — her children — which made me both cheer her on as she wreaked havoc, and sharpen my sword when we finally went head-to-head.

9 Final Fantasy 16

All About That Combat

Emma: If you were anything like me and completely missed the Final Fantasy bandwagon when you were growing up, Final Fantasy 16 might be the perfect gateway drug to hop onboard (PSA: Don’t do drugs, kids. Drugs are bad). I really had no expectations when starting FF16 as I had only dabbled with a few Final Fantasy games prior, but what I experienced throughout the roughly 40 hours it took me to finish it was nothing short of pure, distilled entertainment.

The story alone was very engaging, and I found myself growing attached to a handful of the characters, like Gav with his cheeky humor and unwavering dependability akin to a loyal golden retriever, and Cid, with his doesn’t give a crap but secretly cares a lot rebel bad-boy energy, perfectly delivered by the iconic actor, Ralph Ineson. But the real joy I experienced was the combat.

After taking down a few of the big bads, I had access to a plethora of godlike powers that I could combine with flashy sword skills and a bullet-time dodging ability to utterly obliterate any foe in front of me; a thrill that never got old, and one that I took advantage of as much as possible throughout the entirety of my playthrough.

8 Dead Space Remake

An Excellent ReMonster

Rob: Everyone I know who loved the original Dead Space had a great time with the remake. It’s extremely faithful to the spirit, pacing, and mechanics of the original, while giving the brutalist bowels of the USG Ishimura a grim, gory, glossy makeover.

With more sprawling level design, incredible orchestral score and sound, and even more visceral dismemberment of vile Necromorphs at your disposal, this remake pretty much depreciates the original. It’s the way to play Dead Space. Here’s hoping they give a similar treatment to the sequels.

Our Elijah loved it in his review, declaring it “damn good fun, interesting ideas and appreciation of the greater franchise that most remakes lack.”

7 Starfield

A Stellar Start To A Long Voyage

Emma: Despite what the haters say, Starfield is an incredible game. Sure, it might not have fully lived up to the inflated expectations Bethesda fans had for it, but it did deliver on everything the studio promised, and more.

It’s easy to spend 100+ hours exploring the beautifully crafted galaxy, searching for the next mystery to be found just behind the orbit of some frozen moon, or going on a bold expedition to its most dangerous star system. I had an absolute blast discovering all the unique powers the game offered and building a dozen or so ships just to see how far I could push the ship-building system.

And although my journey wrapped up about 120 hours in, I look forward to returning again and again for another voyage through the galaxy when the DLC and future updates drop over the next few years.

6 Resident Evil 4 Remake

What’re You Buying, Stranger?

CJ: Resident Evil 4 Remake made its way to the top of our best remakes of 2023 list, and rightfully so. Resident Evil 4 is one of the best Resident Evil games, and the remake adds even more to the mix. There’s a bit more emphasis on the “horror” elements in this survival horror, so if you’ve only played the original, brace yourself for more jump scares this time around.

RE4 Remake is faithful with a few notable changes and fixes. Auto-saving, the addition of a parry system, and the exclusion of some of the original game’s heavy-handed QTEs make this the definitive way to play the classic game.