2023 GOTY Awards – Fexys The Best Games of 2023
Dec. 15, 2023Armored Core 6takes the prize this year for Best Gameplay. It wove together two distinct parts that many fans of the mech genre have been wanting for many years: in-depth customization and frantic fast-paced battles.
Fans and newcomers to the Armored Core series were delighted to see the degree ofbuild customizationsavailable to them. Just like the other souls-likes under FromSoftware’s belt, the “learn and adapt” thinking process is alive and well here as well. Players put together their efficient killing machine, start theirmissions, and see how efficient their Core is at not dying. If failure rears its ugly head, then it’s back to the garage, and time to experiment with another combination.
Of course, Core assembly wouldn’t be as enjoyable as it is if the actual combat wasn’t any good. Just like its predecessors,Armored Core 6’s combatis punishing yet fair in most cases. It is extremely satisfying to pilot your very own mech while destroying everything in your path. The fact that the controls are very responsive adds to the overall great combat feel. Read on in ourArmored Core 6 Reviewfor more details!
Visuals and Audio are always difficult categories to weigh in on, as so many factors and nuances can come into play when choosing this award. However Baldur’s Gate 3 does both graphics and audio very well, and even more so when they are put together.
Adding a second (or third) player into the thick of combat adds yet another layer of excitement and strategy, allowing friends to find the best ways to tackle challenges. Due to the game’s flexiblearchetypesystem, there’s sure to be a playstyle for everyone. Each player could take up a specific role such as support with a mix of the Handler and Alchemist Archetypes. Or you could go full melee with a pure Challenger.
The sky’s the limit in a multiplayer session of Remnant 2! Check outour reviewfor more on the game.
The game’s first act alone contains at least 30 hours of content for newcomers, especially if you spend the time to take in everything. It is in this first slice of the game alone, there are dozens of quests to partake in, items to collect, and secrets to discover. This is also not counting the various choices that lead you to new events that you wouldn’t have otherwise experienced if you selected different options.
Lastly, this also does not consider the game’s flexibility in terms of character builds. There are twelve character classes in total, with at least three subclasses to specialize in. If you want a fully-featured RPG that will last you at least a hundred hours, then this is the title for you!
It was a tough decision for Best Soulslike this year, as we had two extremely solid contenders in the form of Lies of P andLords of the Fallen. However it is the latter that took the crown, but only by a slim margin.
Lords of the Fallen is an amazingly ambitious game from developers Hexworks, as it was able to deliver an enormousintricately interconnected world. This resulted in a world that was a joy to get lost in and explore every nook and cranny available. The feat is further compounded by the fact that you can swap between two realms that have their own set ofenemiesand unique pathways, adding layers and layers of complexity and content to the mix.
Of course, it is all wrapped in some good, though not excellent,combat. We had issues with enemy variety, but overall the game’s combat systems worked well.Magicand throwable items in particular are very well-implemented, and players also have tons of build variety due to the number ofweapontypes available.
Be sure to check out ourLords of the Fallen Reviewto see how well this soulslike fares!
Everyone loves a redemption story, and CDProjekt Red was able to re-earn the goodwill they’ve fostered since The Witcher 3 with the release of thePhantom Liberty DLCof Cyberpunk 2077. Phantom Liberty is an excellent expansion to cyberpunk that added a new major area called Dogtown. This lawless land has a completely different feel to the main part of Night City with massive walls that separate it from the rest of the population. It also added an entirely new storyline that’s heavy on espionage and subterfuge.
Some may also associate Phantom Liberty with the fabledPatch 2.0released alongside the DLC. This massive update drastically improved the game in many ways, with tons of perk readjustments, car chase sequences, and more.
Check out ourPhantom Liberty Reviewfor more of our thoughts on the DLC.
Don’t let the game’s 2D sidescrolling perspective fool you: it is inherently a complex game that hides many of its secrets for players brave enough to dig deep. The Metroidvania leans into its strengths, providing a very satisfying gameplay loop that will have players engaged throughout the harrowing journey. Check out ourBlasphemous 2 Reviewfor a deeper dive.
While we have been coveringLies of Pon the Fextralife network for quite some time already, we were still surprised at what the final product had to offer: a very solid souls-like reimagining of a classic tale with a twisted twist. And coming from a developer that isn’t usually known for this type of genre makes it even more surprising.
Lies of P may look like a Bloodborne clone from the onset, but the final product shows that the title can stand on its own two wooden puppet legs. It features an excellentcombat systemthat focuses on highly aggressive and agile gameplay. Controls were very tight and responsive, and combat deaths always felt like it was because of something you could’ve done better, rather than the failures feeling cheap.
We consider Lies of P as one of the best Souls-like games around, with our full impressions inour review here.
Larian Studios’ previous game,Divinity 2was already an excellent turn-based RPG in its own right, though it did not reach mass appeal. This time around, the developers created lightning in a bottle, something so special that it’s greater than the sum of its parts. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a roleplaying game at its heart, but sprinkled with excellent combat, impeccable performances by the cast, and memorable stories and characters, all held up by the passion of its developers and the community.
Baldur’s Gate 3 managed to do something no one thought possible: it became an almost global phenomenon, attracting droves and droves of fans new and old. Even non-gamers suddenly gave the CRPG a try, which is impressive as this is a genre not commonly known to be newbie-friendly.
Larian Studios isn’t known for creating paid DLCs for their games but is fond of providing tons of post-launch support. We just recently got the huge Patch #5 which added thousands of lines of dialogue to create an entirely new epilogue. Hopefully, the teams at Larian can create some even more memorable adventures using the building blocks they’ve made while creating this gem of a game, and this won’t be their last foray into the land of Faerun. Shadowheart Approves.
Community Member: Bardaer
Wiki Contributor: Atletikus
As it is every year, this was a VERY difficult choice! We now have over 200 wikis with dedicated community editors who go the extra mile to help out those who need guides. Atletikus is our pick this year for amazing contributions to the Baldur’s Gate 3 Wiki, making thousands of fixes to critical pages, improving the formatting of pages, and coordinated with contributors to keep a cohesive format.
Special mentions to the outstanding contributions to the Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord wiki from Horseapple, and the many many edits to several wikis by longtime editor RashtorNesmarck! As with the past few years, thank you to R3dn3ck3r and Varinese for always helping with so many games!
To keep up with all upcoming releases, visit theFextralife Wikis Hub
Fexelea
MMO raider by day and guide writer by night, Fex enjoys multiplatform gaming, good books and animes, and streaming with a cold beer.
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