2023 turned out to be a blockbuster year for video games. Hotly anticipated platform titles debuted monthly and sometimes every two weeks, capturing the attention of players. But given the quality of the production, gamers didn't mind spending hours in the gaming world. The biggest challenge has proven to be staying on top of all the new releases, and there's no doubt that many people will still be playing catch-up well into 2024, especially given the length of some of these games.
Some of the most memorable titles of the year include:
The iconic dungeon crawler is back with more classes, more weapons and more demons to slay. The fourth main game in Blizzard Entertainment's series is similar to its predecessors, with players choosing between several customizable classes (Druid, Barbarian, Horn, Mage, and Necromancer) and traveling between five beautifully rendered regions. As usual, the player collects better gear and weapons while dealing with more difficult enemies, leading to the main antagonist of the game - Lillith.
The best title in the Resident Evil series has received a remake that is more than worthy of the reputation of the original. The story of the original game is preserved - players take control of the American agent Leon S. Kennedy, who fights to save the president's daughter, Ashley Graham, from the dual threat of the Los Illuminados sect in Spain and the mysterious virus known as Las Plagas. The remake revamped the combat mechanics, allowing Leon to move and fire his weapon at the same time, as well as block his enemies with his knife. The map has also been revamped, adding additional areas and enemies for Leon to fight his way through. One of the biggest improvements to the game is that Ashley has a lot more options and feels more like Leon's partner. All these additions make RE4 an even more exciting adventure and a pinnacle of modern survival horror.
One of the most anticipated games of the year, the sequel to Spider-Man and Insomniac's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an epic and emotional journey that deepened the themes of the previous two games and allowed the characters and the city they inhabit to evolve . Spider-Man 2 put the player in control of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, giving them both their own arcs (stories - ed.) that aptly reflect where they are in their respective lives. The return of Harry Osborn and the appearance of Kraven Hunter shake up the partnership of Miles, Peter and MJ, and the appearance of Venom threatens to tear the city apart. While the previous two games were already incredibly intuitive, Insomniac somehow managed to improve the gameplay even further with the addition of spider wings and a redesigned gadget and energy wheel, making taking down enemies a much smoother and more immediate process. Although the game is slightly shorter than Spider-Man, the side quests make more sense and work better within the context of the game's themes of time constraints.
The third title in Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate franchise takes role-playing to new heights. Based on Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3 takes place in the open world of the Forgotten Realms. Players create their character by choosing from 12 classes, and join a group of pre-made characters for an adventure that can be played solo or in multiplayer mode, with the player able to switch between the two. The gameplay uses turn-based combat and encourages mixing attacks and relying on the party.
While much of this is pretty standard for fantasy RPGs, it's the supporting characters and the relationships you can develop that really make Baldur's Gate 3 a special experience. Relationships and romances are developed through plot and dialogue choices, and each supporting character is fully fleshed out, reminiscent of the heyday of BioWare (who developed the first game). The game is perfect for those looking for the dynamic complexity of characters from the Mass Effect trilogy and Dragon Age: Origins. Unlike several other RPGs, Baldur's Gate 3 encourages freedom, meaning that there is no single way to defeat an enemy or complete a task, and key NPC characters can be killed without making progress impossible. the story. With a game length of over 100 hours, there's plenty to explore, both alone and with friends, making Baldur's Gate 3 a true gamer's gift.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is the result of the over-ambitious development of the planned DLC content for Breath of the Wild. Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom allowed the time and space for all of that ambition to get the attention it rightly deserves. The player once again takes control of Link, who explores the world of Hyrule in search of Zelda and tries to stop the Demon King Ganon from destroying the world. Tears of the Kingdom expands on the open world aspect by adding caves and sky islands to explore. The fluidity of Link's movement and combat, along with the new power-ups, make traveling through Hyrule a fun, if naturally challenging, experience. It is easy to get lost in the beauty of the game and just explore, but the fascinating story related to the ancient history of Hyrule always brings the player back to the central mission and solving the mysteries that await him there. /BGNES
Katerina Taneva, editor in the International Department of BGNES Agency.
