Gamer's Delight: 2023 In Review

My favorite gaming experiences of the year

This year was a fantastic year for gamers. As I looked back over 2023, I realized that I actually played more new titles this year than I usually do. Since every other platform is showing you some kind of yearly wrap up, I thought it only fitting that I should share my top five games that I played this year.

#5 - Assassin's Creed Mirage

Assassin's Creed Mirage was meant to be a return to form for the franchise after fifteen years. Although there are some issues with execution, that doesn't mean that everything was poorly done. The traversal and visuals were stunning, and I can respect Ubisoft for wanting to try and give the fans what they have been asking for. This game is not perfect but it's still fun to play and given that the first point of playing video games is to have fun, I feel it deserves a place on this list.

#4 - Hogwarts Legacy

Despite the controversy surrounding this game, I can't deny that I was excited for Hogwarts Legacy. I grew up with Harry Potter and the idea of a role-playing game in the world of Harry Potter was simply too interesting to pass up. The combat can easily become addicting and provided players a certain level of freedom and experimentation. Although the main storyline was fairly simple, I found the side missions to be engaging. However, the shining star of the game is Hogwarts castle itself. It is beautifully detailed and wonderfully crafted and getting to explore every inch is a dream come true for any Harry Potter fan.

#3 - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was another game that I had high expectations for and I'm happy to say that they were exceeded. The story felt like a strong continuation from the first game, while also throwing a few surprises my way. The combat took what had been established before and expanded it upon it, allowing players the option to alter their play style to what suits them best. With customization at the forefront of the player experience, it's an absolute blast for Star Wars fans and for fans of action games in general.

#2 - Spider-Man 2

The other major sequel I was looking forward to this year, Spider-Man 2 gave me everything I wanted and more. Another game that expanded upon the combat, Spider-Man 2 knew when to make things familiar and knew when to shake things up. The characterization of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales were top notch and I enjoyed having the option to switch between protagonists at will. That's not to mention the incredible villains of Kraven the Hunter and the Venom symbiote. It was a treat to swing through New York City again and I can't wait to see what Insomniac does moving forward.

#1 - God of War: Ragnarok

I'm cheating a little bit with my top entry since it technically came out at the end of last year, but I didn't have an opportunity to play through God of War: Ragnarök  until this year. I played this game in July, and I still talk about it frequently. The story was exciting and emotional in all the right ways. The combat had a slight learning curve but was satisfying to master. The visuals perfectly towed the line between realism and fantasy. By far, my favorite aspect of this title is the sheer abundance of accessibility features. As a gamer with a disability, being able to enjoy myself without worrying about my physical ability was a relief. This game allowed me to challenge myself more than I thought possible and set a new personal standard for what makes a video game amazing.

Obviously, this list is my personal opinion of the best games I played this year. I understand that not everyone will agree with me, and that's perfectly fine. Every gamer had a different experience this year, but I think it's important to acknowledge that gamers were treated very well with this year's releases. No matter what platform you play on or what types of games you like to play, I hope that everyone managed to have fun with their games this year. Here's hoping this next year will be just as great!

This post was written by Vanessa Hart, creator of Deep Dive Gaming