I was so excited when Octopath Traveler II was announced in September 2022's Nintendo Direct. I love the first game — warts and all. I know it has problems, but it was the cosy RPG I needed back in 2018, complete with an incredible soundtrack, a wonderful battle system, and a whole new visual style for me to obsess over.
If you were someone who didn't enjoy the first Octopath Traveler , what if I told you the sequel was 100% better in every single way? More fully-realised characters with extra interactions with each other. Better stories for each of the eight new travellers, all of which defy standard RPG tropes. A battle system with minor tweaks to make it even better, perhaps becoming one of the best turn-based systems of all time? And somehow, HD-2D visuals that look even better than they did five years ago. Octopath Traveler II is magical — a pure chocolate box of an RPG with so much to satisfy genre fans. If you're not sure, go try the demo. If you decide to bite, you're jumping into one of the finest RPGs of the generation. AH
The first in Digital Eclipse's Gold Master Series, The Making of Karateka was another triumph. Carrying the 'interactive documentary' design language of Atari 50 into an ongoing roster of titles, it explores video game history by weaving the narrative of Karateka's creation through playable builds of prior games and prototypes. The result is a dynamic, anecdote-filled celebration of a game that an increasing number of gamers may have only read about, if they've heard of it at all.
Thanks to the engaging contextual framework DE assembles, the tiniest spark of interest in games is all that's needed to discover and appreciate Jordan Mechner's profound influence on the industry. The upcoming Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story looks set to continue this line in 2024, and long may it continue. Essential stuff for anyone who cares about the evolution of the medium. GL
After the phenomenal success of Three Houses on Switch it was hard to know in which direction Intelligent Systems would take their strategy franchise next. Would they stick with the more relationship/romance focus that had gained them so many new fans in 2019? Surely yes.
Well, no actually. Fire Emblem Engage does the exact opposite of what we were expecting, dialing back the personal drama, romance and friendships in favour of non-stop battling. We say "non-stop" in direct comparison to the glacial pace of its predecessor, there are still plenty of chances to rest, chat, level up and more at this game's glorious new hub area here. It's just that the focus here is 100% on the fights this time, never mind who you fancy, mate, it's about engaging in some of the best strategy battles on Switch this time, not daydreaming in your dorm.
Now get over here and deal with these snipers while I go have a word with these folk who're laughing at Alear's haircut. PJ
I've been a huge sweaty fan of all things Blasphemous since first playing the original game for review back in September of 2019. The Game Kitchen's incredible art style, deep lore, and meaningful religious symbolism, combined with top-notch combat, made it a dark, disturbing and deliciously addicitve highlight of that year's indie offerings for me.
With Blasphemous 2 , the Spanish dev has really gone to town, expanding much more than I'd expected on the combat and exploration aspects of its first game. This is slick and polished stuff that features much better level design in terms of area connectivity and how you retread steps. Its bosses are improved too, now smarter, tougher and more spectacularly animated than ever, and there's a whole bunch of new tricks for you to get to grips with as you engage in some of the most brutal, bloody, and beautiful battling on Switch. It's no wonder I gave it 9/10! PJ
Figment 2 feels like an absolute fever dream of the best kind. Each and every character and enemy is some bizzaro figment (oh!) of the host person's imagination, but those that reside within this person's mind are only aware of this fact to a certain degree. As a result, their own drives and desires are able to be realised in a fully established world rather than constantly serving their host, which for a trope of 'there's a world in your head' is quite refreshing.
It's an absolute triumph of a game, and even though it runs not-so-brilliantly on Switch, it's worth suffering some dodgy frame rates for the ride it offers. See the 'Song of Discarded Opinions' featured below, and you'll see. AO
Never have I been more addicted to a game than the first two weeks after F-Zero 99 's launch. It was like the 99 format was made specifically for this game. All the mechanics to compensate for having 99 players on the racing track played together flawlessly and getting first in a race with that many players, well, there’s not much else that compares! FS
A gorgeous puzzle game, up there with Portal , Gorogoa , and Braid in the way it blends so cohesively and elegantly mechanics and art direction. Its simple, wordless presentation belies a mind-bending central idea that sees you jumping between worlds contained within carriable orbs, worlds which loop and warp into one another with environmental puzzles that feel as intuitive to solve as they are difficult to describe.
The frame rate on Switch is consistently in (I'd guess) the 20-25fps range, which may well be a non-negotiable for some people. However, such is the nature of its gameplay that Cocoon 's fundamental mechanics don't feel compromised, and it remains one of my highlights of 2023. GL
Oh... come on, now. Do I need to explain this one? Tears of the Kingdom is an absolute marvel in game design. The exploration is perfect and often terrifying — the Sky and the Depths are incredible. Ultrahand, Recall, Ascend, and Fuse open up a world of possibilities. And the improved story is basically exactly what I wanted from a sequel. Zelda's new direction continues to be something special, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next. AH
I mean, what can you say about this one, really? Nintendo has topped Breath of the Wild and taken this particular incarnation of Hyrule to its limit, or at least you would think. I wasn't fully convinced back when the original trailers revealed the incredibly deep building and construction aspects of this one, it seemed like more fuss on top of gameplay that was already fussy enough thank you very much.
However, within hours of jumping in, the genius of gifting players the ability to freely manipulate, build, and break so many different aspects of the world becomes clear. It presents you the most incredible open-world rendition of Hyrule yet, stuffs every corner of this world with secrets, surprises, and high adventure, and then lets you loose in it with a toy box full of the series' best tricks to date.
This game is another masterpiece from Nintendo. I find myself going in with a plan and quickly getting side-tracked…and that’s a good thing! Much like Breath of the Wild, it’s easy to get lost in this one for hours on end. It’s the mark of brilliance in my opinion, and when you are chipping away at the main quest, it’s just as immersive. LD
This is Nintendo at its freewheeling best when it comes to creativity, and the result is easily one of the strongest games on any platform this year. The best Zelda of all time? Probably. The best game of 2023? It's an easy-peasy argument to make. PJ
Alright, innit? GL
Comments 37
Whaaaaaaaaat?! TotK was number1?! That's crazy!
this list confirms that 2023 was just not my year.
there are some good games on here, but I played them the first time 😂
OTOH I wish "lack of interesting games" (MY PERSONAL OPINION) was my biggest complaint about 2023.
Onward and upward, y'all. ❤️
@FawfulsFury
"And finally - big surprise! - our most-voted-for staff GOTY 2023..."
Banger year, no doubt. TOTK is probably my favourite game of all time, metroid prime remastered was so good and some banger games like Dave the diver and blasphemous 2 feel made for handheld. If its the switch's last full year of support, what a year!
Most of the games that I scored 9/10 or higher this year made the list so I can't complain too much. Particularly happy to see Paranormasight get a mention as that's one that probably deserves more attention than it's received.
My GOTY 2023 is Theatrhythm, personally.
While I didn't play it nearly as much as one other game (XIV), it is the new experience of the year, and brought me amazing amounts of joy and fun.
Here's hoping 2024 has better offerings, because not much to be excited for this year.
If remakes really count, I would say Mario RPG for me. Such a fantastic remake for a fantastic game. Besides a few odd character name changes and being generally easy, it’s better than ever. But when it comes to new games, Tears is clear.
Sticking to five, I'd have to go with Zelda, Theatrythm, Pikmin 4 (despite the gutting of the co-op, smdh), Metroid Prime Remaster, and uh... probably Advance Wars. I'm kind of blanking on what other games came out this year lol
Oops forgot Mario Wonder lol. That one too.
2023 people, be grateful you were here for it.
Many thanks and Season's Greetings to all staff, writers and readers of Nintendo Life. I love (most of) you all.
What a great year to be a Switch owner. I could be a little biased because I was late to Switch adoption, therefore missing the first few years, but wow, what a year. TotK, Metroid Prime Remastered & Dave the Diver were my favs personally.
TOTK, Octopath Traveler 2 and Sea of Stars were my top picks for the Switch. Great selection of games this year.
Great picks honourable mentions included, practically all games that either I've played (in some cases not on Switch, for example haven't replayed Ghost Trick yet) and loved/am currently playing and loving or I'm looking forward to eventually doing so!
Cocoon was supposed to get a performance patch soon after launch, according to an Annapurna rep on ResetEra. Not exactly happy it's still MIA.
This list is also sorely missing Gravity Circuit
It's not going to be anything very original here but Mario and Zelda really crushed the competition on this console and on any other.
These two series pump out master classes after master classes but this year in particular, they gave the whole industry a good old one-two punch and reminded everyone what's what.
Regarding Fire Emblem Engage, I feel like all outlets miss the point. My problem was not the loss of social elements from Three Houses to Engage, but what turned me off Engage was the disgusting art style and change of tone. 3H was subdued and tasteful with fantastic lore. Engage is just toothpaste-puke in style. I’ll pick it up used someday.
I wish future redeemed from xenoblade 3 was here, but I good list.
TotK, Wonder and Super Mario RPG are just really great. Pikmin 4 is just really great too, am happy for the series how this turned out.
Most of the games I've heard of and they sound good from people's reactions.
Some good games here though I've only played a handful of them.
Persona 5 Tactica was my goty- gotta love the Phantom Theives and some all out attacks!
Engage is my no.2. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did (still unsure if I prefer 3h).
Zelda is no.3, brilliant game but I haven't finished it yet. I think it'll be a slow burner and could very well end up being the final game I complete on switch (I think that would be awesome.)
I've just started Xeno 3 dlc. So far it's very possible it'll end up being one of my favourites this year as well.
I can't remember a year where we got both a new mainline Zelda and Mario. A new Pikmin too, AND the AAA remakes Metroid Prime and Mario RPG. That's an unusually strong first party effort. Not your usual "last year" for a system.
@KateGray
Where are Kate's picks!
She has impeccable taste and I require her submissions!
@NintendoWife 2017 (Breath of the Wild & Super Mario Odyssey).
@Edd-O You are right! I knew I should have double checked that Either way, I remember stretches where there was barely one big-ish first party game for a whole year. This was above average for sure.
For me my top 5 Switch games of the year are
1. Tears of the Kingdom
2. Blasphemous 2
3. Metroid Prime
4. Mario Wonder
5. Disney Illusion Island
I know Zelda is a boring pick for number 1, but its just simply the best game that came out on switch this year. It is what it is. But I do want to give a strong shoutout to Blasphemous 2 though. Its a fairly close second and easily my favorite indie game of the year. If you haven't played it yet you should absolutely give it a shot
Not many people played Paranormasight and Square giving it basically no advertising didn't help either.
That game deserves the world and more.
I'm just happy that Super Mario RPG is relevent again and the remake is fantastic. Couldn't be happier! And TotK is a no brainer pick, also fantastic
2023 was a great year for Switch games, and that says a lot since 2017 was incredible.
my personal GOTY is Armored Core 6, followed by Zelda TOTK. Also Metroid Prime but that was just a remaster, even it was an excellent one! F-zero 99? nah...
This is what the Game Awards should have looked like
TOTK is easily mine as well. It's pretty rare a game makes me smile in delight and this game has been doing it regularly over the 140 hours I've put in so far. Biggest letdown was Theatrhythm. It's gorgeous and has the best song selection of the series and yet the barebones quest mode & the way new characters are just handed to you in groups has completely turned me off. Curtain Call's quest mode wasn't exactly deep but it had a very satisfying loop and randomness to it, and there was a sense of progression in unlocking characters and harder collections of songs. Even the first game did better by threading each title with their intros and closing sequences.
Really surprised to not see Give Me Toilet Paper! on this list. Easily the most inventive title for Switch of 2023.
Didn’t really like the look of Fire Emblem Engage but picked it up in the recent sale and having a good time with it. The story is absolutely terrible with some annoying characters (story and characters are what I miss most of all from Three Houses rather the social sim side) but it’s still a good game with the classic fire emblem feel. Would just about make my top 5 Switch games for the year:
1. TOTK
2. Cocoon
3. SMBW
4. Dredge
5. Fire Emblem Engage
Can’t wait to try Cocoon, MarioRPG, and Metroid Prime!
Unfortunately I’m too busy with TotK to get to any of those quiiiiiute yet.
Pikmin 4 was good too, even though I was personally a bit letdown after 3 deluxe.
Easily the greatest Switch year, if not Nintendo year, if not gaming year, ever!
Since I'm one of the few people not a huge fan of the Zelda series, TOTK does not feature at all in my game of the year calculations.
My Top 3:
Metroid Prime Remastered
F-Zero 99
SMB Wonder
Honourable Mention:
Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp
I'd love to mention the Quake 2 remaster, albeit it was released on just about everything. It's a stunning remaster, complete with bonus content too. For all the trash EA gets, credit to them for FC24.
Shamefully I'm yet to play Fire Emblem Engaged and Super Mario RPG, after acquiring the former only late in year and the latter was a late year release anyway. Pikmin 4 is another I missed entirely, and not even tried the demo.
TOTK was my favorite. Then Pikman 4, then Super Mario RPG.
Haven't played Mario Wonder because I don't like platformer games(except for Metroid).
@AJWolfTill I'm not on staff anymore so I don't contribute to these!! but my 2023 GOTY picks for Switch (that I played) are, in order:
Zelda: TOTK
Ghost Trick
Cobalt Core
Chants of Sennaar
Vampire Survivors
Dredge
Case of the Golden Idol
Pikmin 4
A Highland Song
Story of Seasons: AWL
Venba
I strongly suspect Paranormasight, Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Cocoon, and Dave the Diver will be on there when I play more. Also, Outer Wilds rules, but I didn't play it on Switch!
@KateGray
I think I knew you'd left but had repressed it or been in denial. 😅
Very honoured you took the time to write up your favs list at my belligerent request!
Most of those are already on my wishlist but great to know they have the KG seal of approval! I hadn't heard of Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood or Cobalt Core though. (I realise at times like this how few games I play the year they release).
Sennaar, Idol, Cocoon and Outer Wilds are almost definitely going to be my jam.
@AJWolfTill I started Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood last night — it's unusual but very interesting. It's not really like anything I've played before — sort of Tarot-inspired, very, erm, raunchy, fantastic character writing. I have no idea where it's going or what it's about, and I don't mind at all!
Cobalt Core is a roguelike deckbuilder in the vein of Slay The Spire with a touch of FTL: Faster than Light, and really genuinely funny writing. It's all based around movement, which is a cool twist on the roguelike deckbuilder formula.
I hope you enjoy all the games you get to experience for the first time! I'm so excited for youuuu!!!
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