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 contributor Scott McCrae.
5. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Armored Core 6 is just a rad game overall. Having never played any of the other games in the series, I wasn't 100% sure how I would mesh with this game. But then I used my giant mech chainsaw to destroy someone else in a 1v1 mech fight and it clicked. As much as I'd love to tell you that I spent hours configuring my mech to be the coolest thing and the most efficient for each mission, I am a mere plebeian who just treated the release as an action game starring a chainsaw wielding mecha.
4. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
I was skeptical about the decision RGG Studio made to bring Kiryu out of retirement, but after Gaiden I can't wait to see him again. Like a Dragon Gaiden somehow manages to be one of the shorter Yakuza stories and one of the most impactful, setting up Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth in a way that has me even more excited for my most anticipated game of 2024. RGG Studio once again proves it is unmatched when it comes to making the hypest finales possible, and then followed it up by making me cry like a baby.
3. Resident Evil 4
I didn't want Capcom to remake Resident Evil 4. The original still holds up and remaking it only gives it a chance to be ruined. As you can see, I have to eat hats a lot. Resident Evil 4 did a masterful job of adapting one of the greatest games ever made into another one of the greatest games ever made. The gameplay feels phenomenal, the campy dialogue is still intact and they made Luis Sera one of the most compelling characters in the whole series. Basically, I should stop doubting Capcom, because it always delivers right now.
2. Alan Wake 2
Remedy is on another level. Alan Wake 2 outshines other 'cinematic' focused titles (like the majority of Sony's first-party output) and it does it on what I imagine is at least half the budget. Alan Wake 2 could have been a safe survival horror game, but what Remedy does with its innovative story and level design propels it into all-timer status. It's one of the most intense and atmospheric games I've ever played while also being one of the funniest and exciting. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face while playing THAT level, and it's going to stick with me for years to come.
1. Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is a masterpiece. Capcom is firing on all cylinders with this game, with the incredible art direction, soundtrack, character designs, newcomers, accessibility options, netcode, and unprecedented amount of single-player content. But, none of that would matter if the core fighting wasn't so incredible. Street Fighter 6 isn't only the best fighting game of 2023 by a country mile, it's right up there as one of the best fighting games ever made with Third Strike, CVS2, and Garou. No game got more hours from me this year, and that's something I expect will continue well into next year.
What do you think of Scott's personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly, or berate relentlessly in the comments section below.
Comments 13
Oh wow what a great and amazing top five I bet the person who wrote it is super cool.
Man, great list! I felt exactly the same way about RE4 when it was announced. It felt too soon, you know? But I suppose I’ll meet you at the hat buffet because, if we learned anything this year as gamers, it’s to trust in Capcom.
I never played the original RE4 as I became a dad around the time it came out and then it just passed me by so the remake is like a new game to me, it is absolutely brilliant and now I get to enjoy it all over again in VR SF6 is also brilliant!
RE4 may just be the best remake ever made in my opinion. It’s superb on every level. As for Capcom’s other #1 spot — I wish I was good at fighting games. It’s very fun, but me and games like that are simply not compatible.
It may not seem so from the reviews and online comments but Street Fighter 6’s brilliance is underrated. Probably one of the best fighters ever made
Another good list. Im feeling the shame for not picking up sf6 yet... Its been such a packed year
SF6 really did take over my life for like 3 months. 😄
It really is an incredible fighting game through and through. I fully intend to continue to play it for years to come.
@Titntin If you are a fighting game fan you owe it to yourself mate! It simply feels amazing to play and constantly pushes you to be better. I have learned more about fighting game mechanics from the last 6 months with SF6 than I have in the previous 25 years of playing them.
Now Epic just needs to let Remedy make a physical edition of Alan Wake 2. I will GLADLY double dip on that game
SF 6 is an interest choice. As a game itself, it's awesome, really enjoy playing it but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Capcom's DLC practices with this release have been nothing short of putrid at best. How this company can get DLC right with the RE games and not SF is beyond me. I understand it's different teams but still, one respects the people who support the product, the other clearly does not.
You have refined tastes, sir. I feel like SF6 kind of got shafted for GotY consideration, although it's probably #3 on my personal list
@Gamer83 - I dunno if I’d go that far. If nothing else, the fighter pass has been decent so far; a small price to earn some extra goodies (icons, music, etc.) and with the option of then going on and earning back what you spent on it, allowing you to spend that on the next one, effectively rewarding you for engaging with the game, while potentially providing (imo) pretty good value for money by the end.
(I’d also argue their release of new characters isn’t bad either, relatively speaking anyway)
———
This could probably pass for my final list to be honest; admittedly I haven’t played Alan Wake yet, but from what I’ve heard of the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if I put it at no.2. But everything else? AC has been a solid mech game so far, LaD Gaiden is another great entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, Resident Evil 4 Remake is an excellent remake that’s just been getting better the more I replay it, and finally, Street Fighter 6 might just be one of my all-time favourite fighting games. I’ve already sunk more hours in it than any other Playstation 4/5 game, and we’re only 6 months in. Everything about it, from the new artstyle, to character movement, to the new mechanics, the new characters, the battle hub, the training room, the music, the arcade mode, everything the game had at launch has been a blast to play, and I’d highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t played it yet, especially if they’ve never played a fighting game before.
@FullMetalWesker
The Fighter Pass is a bit annoying but I could deal with it. I'm more talking about how it's ridiculous that you're only given two costumes for the main characters and outfit 3 to buy for all of them costs about $100. It's beyond ridiculous. This is stuff that used to be, and still should be, unlockable by simply playing the game you paid full price for (more if you got the Deluxe Edition). Koei Tecmo gets criticized for this absolute garbage practice, and rightly so, but for some reason Capcom, Bandai Namco and NetherRealm all get a pass. It's especially annoying in this case because, as we've seen with RE DLC, Capcom does know to do this right, just chooses not to with SF. Still an awesome game, even worthy of being an overall Game of the Year winner, I just wish there wasn't scummy stuff that comes along with it that has to be called out.
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