Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers to share their own personal PS5 and PS4 picks for 2023. Today, it's the turn of reviewer John Cal McCormick.
5. Venba
What a treat this game is. From the wonderful music to the heartfelt narrative to the enticing crackling and sizzling each time you cook a traditional Indian dish, this short story about Tamil immigrants trying to find a place in a foreign land nails it at every turn.
4. Like a Dragon: Ishin!
The series formally known as Yakuza is a firm favourite of mine, and this feudal-times spin-off does everything I like about the franchise in a fun new setting. As a remake of a PS3 game there's some almost archaic design here, but that kinda adds to its charm for me, and any annoying quirks are handsomely outweighed by the amazing boss fights, thoroughly engaging story, and an opportunity to see my boy Kuze being a rotter in an entirely new time period.
3. Final Fantasy XVI
Despite being a massive Final Fantasy fan, I haven't actually loved any of the games in the series — aside from the online Final Fantasy XIV — since the ninth game on the original PlayStation. While I would have been happier with some more traditional RPG mechanics and a more satisfying conclusion, I loved most of my time with Final Fantasy XVI. Excellent characters, a mostly enthralling narrative, and some truly ludicrous boss battles make this the best single-player Final Fantasy since IX for me.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
This is almost exactly what I wanted from a Spider-Man sequel. Aside from the mostly crummy side content, it delivers on every front. I think the story builds to a sensational finish after a relatively slow start, and Venom makes for an excellent baddie. The combat is wonderful, the traversal delightful, and I even liked the Adidas Miles Morales suit that everyone hates.
1. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
This is a massive pick from the heart. I know there were games that were more innovative, more fresh, more thoughtful, etc. But no game in 2023 had me grinning as wildly as I was during the climactic battle in Like a Dragon Gaiden. No game had my bottom lip wobbling like the ending to this one. It was exactly what I wanted from a bite-sized Yakuza game, and my only hope is that Gaiden becomes its own series of smaller titles filling in gaps in the Like a Dragon timeline. One of these a year forever, please.
What do you think of John's personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly, or berate relentlessly in the comments section below.
Comments 34
Wow Like a Dragon Gaiden was the moment I realised I'm completely done with Kiryu games. I never made it to the end of chapter 2. The second chapter is just abysmal.
Like A Dragon Gaiden is awesome. Im on chapter 3 doing all the Akame Network stuff. Its nice to have a smaller experience before the giant Infinite Wealth. Ishin I found ok but would put it with Yakuza 4 as my least favourite
The ending of Gaiden really made me drown in my tears T_T
Nice list mate, good games all!
What a brilliant list. Nice to see FF16 and especially Venba.
Great list John, I enjoyed Ishin and obviously SM2, will add Venba to the back log!!
Kiryu has always been a great protagonist but Gaiden really did solidify him as one of gaming's best right up there with the likes of Snake and Ellie etc.
That ending legitimately moved me to tears. Great game indeed.
I got to get back into Yakuza/Like a Dragon. I last played them on PS2 and PS3 and then they stopped bringing them across in good time (I think Yakuza 5 was 3+ years later) and I haven't been back since.
I didn't finish the Like a Dragon with Ichiban, would I be fine playing the Gaiden game before even finishing the previous one? I don't quite enjoy the turn based combat as much as the traditional one.
@AFCC This game is all about linking Kiryu’s timeline in LaD so it might not make much sense to you in places but it’ll I don’t think it’s essential. Probably more important to have played the main games, especially Y6.
Yakuza games start great for me then get stale and boring towards the middle. Could never get into that series sadly
I'll be playing Yakuza Gaiden.
But unfortunately I fall into the camp of not really liking the way like a dragon has gone with the turn base.
I literally get these games for the crazy fast pace combat and unfortunately they took that away from me.
So the only games I'll be playing will be the spin off games with the normal combat from now on
@AFCC there are some pretty massive spoilers for LAD later on in Gaiden
I really need to get to Venba. Great list!
Yakuza nation rise up
Like A Dragon Gaiden is in my top 3 this year, along with Robocop and Resident Evil 4. The new combat style was a lot of fun and boy what an ending
Coool.1.baldur's gate 3.2.spiderman 2.3.dead space remake.4.octopath traveler 2.5.alan wake 2.thats my list.word up son
I wish Venba would get added to the subscription service. Seems like the perfect game for Extra.
Yeah I still need to play LAD The Man Who Erased his Name(Annoying long name lol) especially since it's the last one with Kiryu.
Thats a pretty weeb-ey list.
@Nepp67 it isn’t the last one with Kiryu…
2 Yakuza games, I like it! And with Infinite Wealth next month, we LAD fans are eating good right now. I gotta get the platinum for Gaiden, seems really easy compared to the other games.
Good list! My top games this year are:
horizon forbbiden west
god of war ragnarok
yakuza 0
no man sky
marvel guardians of galaxy
jedi fallen order
darksiders genesis
yeah i know none of then are games that release this year but my backlog is extense and i play what im in the mood.
Nice list, cool to see two Like a Dragon games in there. I have LaD Gaiden as my Game of the Year pick on PS5, and second overall to Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Removed - spoilers
@Nepp67 big spoiler there
Find it difficult to argue tbh. Gaiden was fantastic
Like A Dragon Gaiden is really up there with the best of the series. They have basically perfected the action combat, a culmination of years and years of refining it, which I will really miss after the total switch to turn based RPG. I hope they will continue to have an action series, whether it be with Judgment or something entirely new.
@JohntheRaptor Hate to break it to you but this journalist site along with many others spoil it.
Finished LaD Gaiden last night. Still playing to 100%, but that ending ruined me. Kiryu deserves the world. Probably will be my GOTY at this rate.
@JohntheRaptor
It's in the trailers. Not a really a spoiler
With Yakuza games I get the Netflix problem of which one to play, there's so many of them. Then I give up and play the Witcher instead
@xeofate
Just play 0 and if you like that play whichever ones you want after that. Most of the plot points between games don't matter but the journey of Kiryu's life and his relationships are the best part of these games.
But you need to stick it out though. There are lots of cut scenes, and lots of side content, and the game can become grindie (grindy), but the human stories are really where it is at.
Or play Judgement and Lost Judgement.
Also, play with subs and Japanese voice acting. SOOOO good.
That's a list for sure, different things for different folks i guess, more power to you, BUT any list this year that snubs Remnant 2 i take issue with
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