Now that we’re approaching the Fall months of 2023, however, Tears of the Kingdom’s chances of being the unanimous Game of the Year amongst critics and fans are frankly looking slightly less certain. Granted, there’s absolutely no denying the game’s exceptional quality, and if you think it will wind up being your personal Game of the Year, then please don’t let us or anyone else stand in the way! It'll almost certainly be topping the tables around these parts.
However, given the ridiculous cadence of outstanding games launching in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom is facing some tough competition from games on other platforms. And you know what? We think that’s just excellent .
Looking back, particular standouts include Resident Evil 4 , Dead Space , Final Fantasy XVI , Diablo IV , Hogwarts Legacy , Street Fighter 6 , Baldur’s Gate 3 , Star Wars Jedi: Survivor , and Hi-Fi Rush . Then, of course, all of the Switch games we mentioned earlier.
We’re not done yet, though. Looking ahead to the coming months, we’ll be getting Super Mario Bros. Wonder , Super Mario RPG , Starfield , Forza Motorsport , Sea of Stars , Alan Wake II , Mortal Kombat 1 , Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 , and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III .
Phew…
Alan Wake II is looking absolutely outstanding — Image: Epic Games
The point is, there’s an absurd amount of quality games launching in 2023, and while it would be awfully tempting to hand the Game of the Year crown to Tears of the Kingdom and be done with it, it would be rather premature at this stage. Competition is a great thing for the industry, and if something were to creep out of the shadows and snatch the trophy away from Zelda, then surely this would only spur Nintendo on to make something even greater in the future (if such a thing is even possible).
But out of all of the games listed, which ones currently stand the biggest chance of causing an upset? At the time of writing, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Metroid Prime Remastered currently sit at 96 and 94 on Metacritic respectively. Given that the latter is a remaster of a GameCube title, we feel it can likely be discounted at this point, but Baldur’s Gate 3? Heck, that game’s been getting some wild praise across the board; not just from critics, but all over social media, too. If anything can claim victory over Zelda, it’s probably that.
As we move into September, however, all eyes will be on Betheda’s Starfield. The extensive gameplay presentation back in June promptly required viewers to scoop their jaws up from off the ground, but there’s nevertheless the nagging doubt in fans’ minds as to the technical quality of the release. 30fps? What is it, a Switch game!?!
Bethesda games have always had their fair share of bugs and glitches, and it’s likely that Starfield will have a few of its own. Then again, with the might of Microsoft’s unwavering support, could it buck a long and unfortunate trend? Fingers crossed.
Will Starfield launch without those 'trademark' Bethesda bugs? — Image: Microsoft
If it were any other year — particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic — then Tears of the Kingdom will likely be the shoo-in for Game of the Year. But now that studios and publishers have adapted to life after such that global event, the floodgates have well and truly opened. If Zelda doesn’t claim victory at the end of the year, we’re not even going to be mad; we’re just ecstatic to see the gaming industry thriving once again.
Do you think Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will sweep the 2023 GOTYs? (3,711 votes)
Definitely, it's a shoo-in 20 %Probably, but it's got some tough competition 46 %Who knows! 13 %I think something else could clean up 12 %Nope, not a chance 5 %Oh, who cares? 3 %
Which game has the best chance of causing an upset for Link and co.? (3,478 votes)
Baldur's Gate III 63 %Resident Evil 4 2 %Street Fighter 6 0.5% Diablo IV 2 %Final Fantasy XVI 5 %Metroid Prime Remastered 1 %Marvel's Spider-Man 2 7 %Starfield 14 %Super Mario Bros. Wonder 4 %Other (comment below) 2 %
Leave a comment below with how your Game of the Year is shaping up so far. Which upcoming title do you think could most challenge your current standings? Let us know.