In 2023, The Best Games Put My Decisions First

As someone who has been playing games for as long as my pudgy little toddler hands could hold a Super Nintendo controller, it's been interesting for me to see how my taste in games has changed over the years. What started out as an intense love for mascot platformers eventually turned into a deep appreciation for simulation games. Over time, this passion turned to RPGs, and then action-adventure games, often with RPG elements and condensed, purposeful worlds. Yet despite all their differences, there's a thread through them all that this year's new releases made me aware of--and I'm now compelled to tug at it.

Recently, GameSpot named Baldur's Gate 3 its game of the year--a choice I heavily advocated for. During our deliberations, I told my colleagues, "I don't think it's the most cinematic game this year, or the most 'artistic,' but I do think it is the best game." My second favorite game of 2023 was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which, once again, I can admit wasn't as artistic as something like Alan Wake 2, and lacked the polish and sheer spectacle of Final Fantasy XVI, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, or Star Wars Jedi: Survivor--though I will argue that descending into the depths was one of the coolest gaming moments of the past year. So, I then began to wonder, "What in my eyes made for a great game?" And while novel concepts, strong mechanics, fascinating characters, and interesting art are all up there, what it really came down to--and what I think some of 2023's top tiles did best--is give me a choice.

I've always loved decision-based games, whether the decision I'm making is my party composition, to build a rollercoaster that will send my park-goers to their doom, or to romance Thane yet again in Mass Effect 2. Fortunately for me, many games allow players a sense of choice and freedom, and more of these games are being made each and every day. But in a year of mind-blowing games, Baldur's Gate 3 and Tears of the Kingdom won my heart because of how they elevated what "freedom" in a game entails.Continue Reading at GameSpot


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