2023 has been one of the best years in recent memory for video games, and we're only halfway done. Just when you thought your backlog couldn't get any deeper, it feels like every studio on the planet has decided that 2023 is the year to throw out its next banger. Or in the case of Square Enix, two bangers. I'm talking about Final Fantasy 16 and Octopath Traveler 2, but hey, if you enjoyed Forspoken, good for you.
June alone could fill this year's ballot of Game of the Years nominees. Kindly giving us three weeks with Tears of the Kingdom before it kicked back into gear, the video game slate last month was relentless. Street Fighter 6, Diablo 4, and Final Fantasy 16 all launched during the same three-week period, and they could all potentially be considered for GOTY a few months from now.
Everyone already seems convinced Tears of the Kingdom has that all wrapped up, though. I don't agree. Don't get me wrong, I've been playing the latest Zelda game and it’s nothing short of remarkable. Just last night I was standing on a Hylian bridge, looking out over the map, stunned once again that this is all happening on a Nintendo Switch. I then proceeded to beat another shrine in a way the developers definitely didn't intend. That freedom might well be the best thing about the Breath of the Wild sequel.
I've enjoyed my time with Tears of the Kingdom immensely and will continue to do so for a long while yet. I somehow feel like I have achieved a tonne and barely scratched the surface at the same time. However, I don't fall into the camp that it will immediately be christened GOTY.
So many games big and small are absolutely contenders, with Final Fantasy 16 being the big one. An entirely new take on the series, the scale and scope of Clive's adventure is incredible. Diablo 4 is also a low-key contender that continues to generate buzz, and Jedi: Survivor might be my personal GOTY. A terrific continuation of Cal's journey and the best Star Wars game I’ve played in a very long time. Throw Resident Evil 4 into the hat too. It might be a remake, but it’s a damn good one.
A few of the fantastic indie games we've seen should also be considered. Dredge generated a lot of buzz, and Tchia easily makes my top five. Due to the nature of the industry, and the number of big-budget games we've already had this year that have blown people away, seeing either of those make the ballot sadly seems unlikely.
I'm unconvinced Tears of the Kingdom is a shoo-in for GOTY since there’s still so much more to come. August kicks off with Baldur's Gate 3, another contender if it delivers on its promises, and then Armored Core 6 a few weeks later. Another outsider, but the potential's there if it can deliver on the expectations some have for it. After Armored Core we’ve got Mortal Kombat 1, Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Wonder, Spider-Man 2, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. I can see at least two of those five being a part of the GOTY conversation.
You might have noticed I skipped over a significant launch hitting Xbox at the beginning of September, Starfield. There's a reason for that. Of all the games to have launched so far and the others still to come in 2023, I think Starfield is the one that poses the biggest threat to Tears of the Kingdom's potential crown. There was reasonable doubt hanging over the quality of Starfield not too long ago, partly down to its delays but also thanks to the state of Redfall. That doubt has been almost entirely erased after Starfield's direct. Now it looks like it's going to be everything Bethesda fans and Xbox owners want it to be. If it delivers, I really think 2023's GOTY will be (at least) a two-horse race.
I'm under no illusion. I know what Tears of the Kingdom is. I've been playing it for weeks like the rest of you, marveling at what it is and the miracles its creators have performed to make it happen. Yes, it is the odds-on favorite to win GOTY, but no, it's not the only game in the running. 2023 is shaping up to be one of the best years for new titles in video game history. I just hope when the nominees are established later this year, we recognize that and Tears of the Kingdom doesn't get all of the attention. So many other titles deserve a share of the praise, and potentially the coveted GOTY accolade.