The year 2023 was truly a fantastic year for gaming. Picking a top five for the year is utterly impossible, but that's not what I aim to do here. The five games I am going to list are games I have personally played and enjoyed. So, an honorable mentions list will include all games I was unable to get to but were popular this year.

Now, let's go over five must-play games that were released in 2023, including Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and more.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

You can't mess with the classics, but you can enhance them. Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the formula that generations have come to know and love and modernizes it without ruining it. I felt like my 10-year-old self while playing this. If you grew up on Super Mario Bros. then you have to try this game! It's a love letter to the originals while introducing new concepts that keep you coming back for more. Playing this game feels like reconnecting with a long-lost friend. 

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Synopsis: "Classic Mario gameplay is turned on its head with Wonder Flowers in the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game! These game-changing items can make some wonderfully weird stuff happen. Witness pipes coming alive, wreak havoc as a giant Spike-Ball, and lots more!"

Hogwarts Legacy

We've all grown up with Harry Potter, whether it was the books or the movies. With that being said, we've all wondered what it would be like to attend Hogwarts! Hogwarts Legacy gives gamers the chance to be a student at everyone's favorite school of magic. Taking place about 100+ years before Harry Potter, the game stands out as its own chapter in the Wizarding World. This is a can't-miss for any Harry Potter fan. Porktkey Games has created a nice balance between an impactful story, and a relaxing year at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Synopsis: "Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it."

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

This is the highly anticipated sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The story told in this series is one that Star Wars fans have been waiting for. Taking place five years after the first game, Jedi Cal Kestis is still fighting back against the Empire. Cal is no longer a padawan, and Survivor utilizes that concept to evolve every aspect introduced in Fallen Order. This is a challenging game, but the story rewards the adversity of this soul-like experience.

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Synopsis: "Continue Cal’s Journey—no longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. Carrying the memories and expectations of the Jedi Order with him, his crusade against the Empire has only become more perilous."

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Marvel's Spider-Man shocked the gaming world in 2018. Five years later, the direct sequel served as an example of lightning striking twice. Everyone's favorite web-slinger(s) landed themselves on the nomination list for game of the year. The story will have you on the edge of your seat, and the gameplay will make hours feel like minutes. Immerse yourself in a New York that needs your help against hunters, symbiotes, and one of the best rogues' galleries in comic book history.

Platform: PlayStation 5
Synopsis: "Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, return for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise for PS5."

Forza Motorsport

Regarded as one of the best racing games, Forza Motorsport has a streamlined approach that is easy for casuals and die-hards to get into. This is a love letter to car enthusiasts, with smooth gameplay that gives every car a distinct feel. There are classics, modern cars, and tracks to master. While this isn't an open-world experience like Forza Horizon 5 was, it doesn't need to be. Motorsport stands out as a classic racing experience, with all the enhancements that modern gaming technology has to offer!

Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Synopsis: "Out-build the competition in the all-new career. Race your friends in multiplayer. Compete in 500+ cars on world-famous tracks with cutting-edge AI and advanced physics."

Honorable Mentions:

• Baldur's Gate 3
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Resident Evil 4
• Diablo IV
• EA Sports UFC 5
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Lies of P

Also, if you're excited about the games we got in 2023, just wait until you see the upcoming video games being released in 2024!

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