Game of the Year 2023 predictions: Which titles are leading the race for the crown so far?

Although the last few years have been pretty cut and dry in terms of games, save for a few noteworthy titles, 2023 seems to have started with a bang, featuring some potential "Game of the Year" titles within the year's first half. The 2020 pandemic somewhat downsized the advent of the ninth generation of consoles, but it seems things are finally stabilizing almost three years later.

2022 saw some heavy hitters like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok compete for the Game of the Year, but nothing truly stood out apart from a handful of games.

However, 2023 has been a game-changer, starting with bangers like the surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks, and the highly anticipated sequels like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as well as the recently released Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 following soon after.

Here's a look at some released games leading the race for the Game of the Year 2023.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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All games leading the charge for the Game of the Year 2023

Hi-Fi Rush

Owned by Bethesda, underrated studio Tango Gameworks has games like The Evil Within series and Ghostwire: Tokyo to its name. While the studio never found widespread success with its previous survival-horror offerings, it gained instant recognition for its rhythm-action game, Hi-Fi Rush. The title surprised everyone with its quality single-player campaign and high-octane gameplay.

Despite the genre not being Tango Gameworks' niche, the developer delivered what can be considered a true follow-up to games like Jet Set Radio and Insomniac Games' forgotten gem, Sunset Overdrive.

With a stellar gameplay loop and an enjoyable light-hearted story, Hi-Fi Rush is another solid game released this year and a contender for the Game of the Year 2023 award.

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Street Fighter 6

This is also the year for fighting games, with three major I.P.s releasing their latest installments within the same year. While Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 are scheduled to release later this year, we got a taste of what Capcom has been working on since the last Street Fighter game in 2015. Street Fighter 6 is an objective evolution over its predecessors in all aspects.

With a robust combat system, multiple accessibility options, and a roster of old and new characters, Street Fighter 6 is among the best fighting games and a title worthy of earning the Game of the Year 2023.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Much like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom was expected to be a great new entry in the classic RPG series. While it is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features a few evolving differences that set it apart from its predecessor.

Although it might not have the same impact as Breath of the Wild, it is a quality title with some revolutionary ideas that bring a whole new dimension to its open-world exploration-based gameplay loop, i.e., Ultrahand abilities and the vastly expanded map of Hyrule.

Like its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is a strong contender for the Game of the Year 2023.

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Final Fantasy 16

Final Fantasy 16 is easily one of the best mainline entries in the series, challenging the notion of what exactly the “Final Fantasy” series truly stands for. Developed by Creative Business Unit 3, the team behind the highly beloved MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, this installment is developed as the series’ very first purely action-oriented title, with very little in the way of traditional role-playing elements.

It has a fantastic and expressive combat system, as well as an expertly crafted story filled with plenty of character moments and a lot of heart. Hence, the latest mainline Final Fantasy quickly made its way into the same echelon of games as the original title or the couple of sequels that followed it.

Final Fantasy 16, much like some of the very best titles in the JRPG series, is a surefire contender for the Game of the Year 2023 award.

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Armored Core 6

FromSoftware are the undisputed masters of crafting some of the best gaming experiences out there. While the Japanese developer is mostly known for their souls-like offerings, this year they demonstrated their ability to craft experiences that are way out of their usual comfort zone. Armored Core 6 took us (alongside many other FromSoftware fans) by surprise, due to its sheer quality and engaging gameplay systems.

As the first mainline entry in the Armored Core franchise in over a decade, Armored Core 6 delivered something truly special and memorable, not only to the veterans of the series but also to newcomers.

Featuring a fast-paced and challenging mech-action combat system, coupled with a robust mech-building system as well as a fantastic story to back it all up, Armored Core 6 is everything one comes to expect from a FromSoftware experience. It is a title that’s very much worthy of being the Game of the Year 2023.

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Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian Studios is no stranger to creating masterpieces, with their previous work on the Divinity series being the perfect example of that. However, nothing would’ve prepared players, and not even Larian themselves, for how successful their most recent title - Baldur’s Gate 3 - would end up being. It is the quintessential example of how a role-playing game should feel and play like.

It gives players agency on everything, from character creation to romance partners to even the fate of not only their in-game avatar but also key NPCs and party members. Baldur’s Gate 3 essentially feels like the perfect digital rendition of the classic pen-and-paper role-playing games many of us enjoyed back in the old days.

Following its release, many players are expecting Baldur’s Gate 3 to win the Game of the Year 2023 award, and we don’t think we’d contest that sentiment.

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Diablo 4

While Blizzard Entertainment might have fumbled in the last few years, following the lackluster release of Overwatch 2 or the failure of Diablo Immortal, it finally found its footing with Diablo 4. However, no one expected the developer to deliver a Game of the Year-worthy title the same year they canceled the highly-anticipated PvE mode for Overwatch 2.

Diablo 4 is essentially everything players expect from a mainline Diablo title. From an expansive list of starter classes to a fun and engaging combat loop, the game offers plenty for old-school action RPG fans, making it a strong candidate for Game of the Year 2023.

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Starfield

Starfield might not be the Fallout or The Elder Scrolls alternative that many were hoping for it to be, but it still is easily one of the very best role-playing games out there, a quintessential example of a traditional “Bethesda RPG.” Apart from its interstellar setting, it is a Bethesda RPG, through and through, both for better and for worse. However, despite its many flaws, it still reigns as one of the studios’ best work to date.

Everything players loved about the studios’ previous titles, such as immersive storytelling, emphasis on organic exploration, and some really well-written side stories, Starfield features it all. However, instead of being relegated to a single open world with a handful of handcrafted dungeons layered across it, it offers an entire galaxy of planets filled with such unique open worlds to explore.

Starfield is truly the evolution of the Bethesda RPG formula and a genuinely strong contender for the Game of the Year 2023 award.

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Lies of P

Ever since the Dark Souls trilogy and other “Soulsborne” titles gained mainline traction, the Soulslike genre has seen multiple attempts by many a number of independent and even AAA developers to imitate the same experience as FromSoftware’s magnum opus.

However, none has come even remotely close to matching the same emotions invoked by the “Souls” games, that is until this year’s surprise hit - Lies of P.

Coming from a relatively lesser-known publisher and developer, Neowiz, it is the perfect embodiment of the kind of experiences FromSoftware is capable of crafting. In fact, the game is so in line with a typical FromSoftware experience that at a cursory glance, it might even pass as something developed by the Japanese developer.

What’s even more impressive about Lies of P is that despite taking obvious inspiration from games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne for its level design, combat, and storytelling, it still managed to carve out a unique identity of its own.

The title has a fantastic combat system that is immensely rewarding despite its very high skill ceiling, as well as some truly magnificent boss fights. Lies of P is a game that is deserving of the Game of the Year 2023 award due to its sheer quality and inventiveness.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

It’s no secret that Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man games are truly exceptional and among some of the very best titles within the superhero action-adventure genre. As such, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the highly anticipated sequel, turned out to be another fantastic webslinger title from Insomniac Games.

However, what did surprise many players was how much the sequel evolves over its predecessor, making it arguably the best rendition of an original Spider-Man story in video game format.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the epitome of what a superhero open-world game should feel and play like. It has a really well-written story that features not one but two Spider-Men. There is a vastly expanded cast of characters, as well as iconic villains like Kraven the Hunter, Venom, and more.

Not only does it have one of the best open-world traversal systems, it comes with a plethora of visual upgrades thanks to being a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

And despite this year being stacked with some really amazing games, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 still holds its own as one of the strongest contenders for the crown of the Game of the Year 2023.

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Considering the numerous successful releases, many in the gaming community will agree that 2023 is one of the best years for video games. We will update this list as more games are released to prepare the definitive list of some of the best games of this year.