25 December 2023 , 10:00
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After a year of blockbuster AAA titles and indies all releasing, we come together to bring you our top 10 video games of 2023.
2023 could very well be one of the best years on record for video games ever, rivalling the likes of 2017, 1998, and 2004 for just how impressive, varied and genre-defining the titles released have been. This makes whittling down the 10 best games of the year a difficult proposition. And yet, the Mirror Gaming team has duked it out diligently to give you our definitive ranking. From the return of a platforming icon to spine-tingling horror titles, here’s Mirror Gaming’s top 10 video games of 2023.
10. Pizza Tower
Pizza Tower launched all the way back in January and was perhaps the greatest omen of how 2023 would be for games. Starting development way back in 2018 from debut studio Tour De Pizza, Pizza Tower is an indie take on Nintendo’s rarely used Wario Land series.
However, what makes Pizza Tower so special is just how imaginative it is. Each level has a unique and distinct feel and gimmick, which is then abandoned by the next level to do something wildly different, and yet it always works. It also helps that it’s a sure-fire contender for best art style (taking heavy inspiration from the likes of Ren and Stimpy, and Ed, Edd n Eddy) and soundtrack of 2023.
9. Party Animals
Party Animals is the definition of chaotic fun, with this physics-based multiplayer game able to make, or break, friendships in an instant. Although Recreate Games' PC and Xbox brawler game is certainly not the first in this genre, with Fall Guys and Gang Beasts being the most high-profile, Party Animals innovates by adding new ways of wreaking havoc on your opponents, allowing you to punch, toss, hold and even jump-kick other players, all while playing as an adorable animal.
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Characters being purposely awkward to control is where much of the Party animals chaos comes from (Recreate Games)With its purposefully clumsy controls and charming selection of characters including puppies, kittens, ducks, unicorns and even sharks, the game is frustrating and wonderful in equal measure, and that's the whole point. The title has three modes; Last Stand, Team Score and Arcade, and 20 maps, so there's plenty of variety too. But, don't be surprised if you find yourself playing Last Stand over and over again, and don't be surprised when you beg for just one more game.
8. Immortals of Aveum
Immortals of Aveum may have struggled to find a huge audience in 2023, but that doesn’t discount all the strides it makes in terms of making the concept of a single-player first-person shooter still feel relevant. Building an original world, characters, and combat system takes a lot of ingenuity, after all, and you feel it in almost every aspect when blasting away at enemies not with a gun, but rather our main hero’s selection of magic-based powers.
You play as Jak, a lowly pickpocket who following a personal loss is thrown into an ancient war after joining the titular group of champion protectors. This story proves the bedrock for a different style of FPS that is like nothing else in the genre you’ll play. It also helps that Immortals of Aveum takes is one of the few modern games still to take full advantage of Unreal Engine 5. Playing it on either PS5 or Xbox Series X|S is a true thing of beauty, with such stunning visuals backed up by a combat system based on chaining spell attacks and parries, and an extremely ambitious narrative.
7. Islanders VR
Islanders VR is a casual and beyond relaxing city building game without the immense pressure other sims like Cities: Skylines or Civilisation 6 can bring. Instead of having a budget to adhere to or mouths to feed, you simply place down buildings on an island to score points, and once an island is complete, it vanishes forever and you move onto the next.
After initially releasing back in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC, I’ve been highly anticipating the virtual reality edition of the game so I can totally disappear from the world for hours at a time. Pair the absolutely gorgeous cartoony artstyle with a soundtrack that’ll make you forget every problem you’ve ever had and Islanders VR is absolutely riveting virtual reality title that anyone who enjoys city or farming sims should give a whirl.
6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Respawn Entertainment outdid itself this year by building upon the already-brilliant foundation it set with 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order exponentially. Placing you back in the boots of padawan-turned-rogue jedi on the run Cal Kestis, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor expands the scope to improve on all the Darks Souls-like combat essentials, alongside presenting a wider cast of characters and (crucially) giving you six more beautiful planets to explore. The result is a sequel that is bigger and better for all the right reasons.
At a time when I became disillusioned about the state of the Star Wars franchise as a whole, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gave me hope that there does lay an exciting future for more ambitious and interesting stories to be told in video games. Because rather than play it safe, with the same rigid structure and so-so narrative as before, the second game in this inevitable trilogy makes the leap to be a full-blown Metroidvania with grace. In every sense, this is what AAA Star Wars games should be.
5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
After years of 2D Mario games being extremely similar due to all being under the ‘New Super Mario Bros’ banner, Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings 2D Mario back in the biggest way. The gorgeous visuals and animation make Super Mario Bros. Wonder a joy to look at, however, the game really shines due to the new mechanics.
Wonder Seeds and Badges are the biggest shakeups to the 2D Super Mario formula in around 17 years since Wall Jumping was introduced. Wonder Seeds make every level a memorable experience, while badges give you even more ways to tackle those levels. Nintendo has finally made a 2D Mario that’s able to stand alongside the 3D entries.
4. Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is Remedy on another level. After years of worldbuilding in the likes of Alan Wake and Control, Alan Wake 2 feels like the game Remedy has been building up to this whole time. Not only is Alan Wake 2 a fantastic horror game in its own right but it shines the brightest with its unique approach to storytelling.
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Alan Wake 2 is one of the most original, and best-looking games to release in 2023. (Remedy Entertainment)The core mystery at the heart of Alan Wake 2 is engaging from start to finish, and this is only boosted by the fantastic The Mind Place and Writers Room mechanics, which allow you to have direct input on the world around you. Not to mention the seamless blend of Live Action and in-game footage – something that remedy has been tinkering with since Quantum Break – finally hitting its stride here
3. Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is a game that finds itself now in the rare position of having not one, but two versions that could easily be referred to as one of the greatest games of all time. That a remake can so confidently sit alongside the original, upgrading the graphics, gameplay and design in such a way that it now makes sense for a modern audience is one thing. Another is just how easy the team at Capcom makes it look, especially when coming off the back of other great Resident Evil games like Village and Resident Evil 2.
The Resident Evil 4 remake sits on this list because of how much care has been placed in nailing the essentials, without being afraid to nip and tuck other classic sections in such a way that makes Leon S. Kennedy’s mission to save the president’s daughter much smoother to play. It helps that the RE Engine is fully putting in the work here, improving on Capcom’s other recent remakes to render this year’s version of Resident Evil 4 one of the best-looking action horror games ever made. This Resident Evil 4 doesn’t outright replace the original, but still stands as its equal.
2. Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is a dream come true. Considering Capcom’s recent hot-streak all eyes were on Street Fighter after Street Fighter 5 was such a disappointment. Not only is Street Fighter 6 the best Street Fighter in years, but it’s possibly the greatest fighting game ever made. Even without mentioning the core player vs player fighting, the amount of single-player content is unprecedented for a fighting game, and the new tools to help players learn the game are best-in-class.
But man that core fighting is incredible too. The Drive system is the culmination of every single main gimmick since Street Fighter 2 (parries from 3, focus from 4 etc) and makes Street Fighter 6 such an exciting fighting game to play.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could’ve easily been the most disappointing game of 2023. After how incredible Zelda: Breath of the Wild was, Nintendo had incredibly high expectations to live up to. And yet here we are at the end of 2023 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom not only lived up to the hype, but surpassed it.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, against all odds, managed to improve on its 2017 predecessor. (Nintendo)The introduction of the new Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall abilities transformed The Legend of Zelda from one of the best open world games ever made to one of the most creative games out there. Tears of the Kingdom took what made its predecessor so good and amplified it tenfold by giving players even more freedom to tackle the land of Hyrule however they please.