The Seven Best Video Games of 2023 (So Far)

Video games continue to enjoy good health. We are almost in the middle of 2023 and we can already count on a handful of interesting titles, for all tastes, which demonstrate the good and varied state of the industry.

During the period, there were falls, resounding one might add, as was the case of red fall, the Xbox exclusive vampire shooter that will quite possibly become the most notorious game of the year. But at the same time, there are some good titles worth checking out. Even Nintendo has news.

Not all of them are necessarily new games – we’ll explain this little phenomenon later – but it was an interesting and varied semester, with good releases and, above all, new mobile platforms: the addition to the Steam Deck boom comes the announcement Asus ROG ally which should be available soon in Chile and which further expands the possibility of accessing video games anywhere.

For now, to be more or less up to date, these are the most outstanding titles of these first months of 2023, waiting for an end of the year that should also be full of expected titles, such as star field, Baldur’s Gate 3 or the new video game based on Spider Man . In the meantime, here are the ones to keep in mind:

When the Switch, Nintendo’s latest console, debuted, one of its most impressive games at the time was the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Not only because it was the long-awaited sequel to the saga created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1986. Moreover, it was the game that would make the most of the new platform.

And what an impression it left: to this day, the title continues to be hailed as one of the best action-adventure games of all time. The following, tears of the kingdom, it was more than expected and the fans knew it. Nintendo too.

They were delayed, of course, and we can even say how much innovation Nintendo really innovated in this opus, which arrives six years later. But there’s no doubt that the game has been universally well-reviewed and a hit with consumers. So much that tears of the kingdom broke a Guinness record: it became Nintendo’s best-selling game, with 10 million units shipped in just three days.

A new adventure, new combat and transport abilities for Link, many complex puzzles, as well as the construction of objects and floating islands; These are just some of the novelties that the open world of Hyrule presents, in a game that already stands out as a candidate for the best title of the year. Only available for Nintendo Switch.

It’s not news that the creation of new original titles (or IPs, “intellectual properties”) is a problem among video game developers today. But it’s true that the adaptation of an old and beloved horror game from 2005 has achieved such high levels of quality and enthusiasm from the fan community – and the general public.

So much so that the fourth edition of resident Evil It’s already being hailed as one of the best games of the year, whether it’s a remake or not. Yes, it enhances the experience of the very atmospheric original game in several ways, and it also means a turning point in the series, which has started to have more action elements and even a port for virtual reality platforms.

This Resident Evil 4 puts us in the shoes of Special Agent Leon Kennedy —and under his commercial shampoo hair—, now in charge of the difficult mission of finding the kidnapped daughter of the President of the United States. All this in the middle of small rural Spanish towns full of alienated farmers and occult witches.

The story remains, but the mechanics change; for the better, by the way. The game seems much smoother and the scares are maintained and exacerbated. In addition, the new coat of graphic paint gives it an even more expressive and exasperating atmosphere.

If you are on this same path, be very careful with the redo of dead space , another survival horror classic, but set in an abandoned space station, which is infested with horrible creatures called necromorphs. Atmospheric, tense and full of scares and gore, it’s a must see if you’ve never played it before. Available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

After several decades, finally comes a title that does justice to the world of Harry Potter and company, this time in a vast digital adventure. Set a century before the events of the books, the player begins the story by exploring the vast halls of Hogwarts School in third person, learning a series of spells and incantations with the help of other students and teachers. Anything to reveal a dark secret in the wizarding world.

Reviewers and users alike have agreed that the setting and detailing of the recreation of the Harry Potter universe is the best that has been developed so far, especially for fans (which are not uncommon). The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary and is clearly in service to the events taking place at Hogwarts. But everything works just fine, even for those unfamiliar with JK Rowling’s work. Available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch.

The force is still very present in the world of video games. After the warm welcome from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the previous game, the franchise is officially reopened with a new single-player adventure. Once again it brings in Cal Kestis as the protagonist of this narrative branch that is definitely canon in the ever-expanding universe of star wars.

Visually spectacular, mixing RPG elements with expansive worlds to explore, the title doesn’t stray too far from the action-adventure formula and lightsaber-focused combat. Despite the good reception from the public and the critics, it will be the last match of star wars developed by EA, since the license with Lucasfilm ends this year. We’ll see what the future holds in this galaxy far, far away. Available for PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

The little surprise of the semester. Released by Bethesda – now owned by Microsoft – and released rather quietly and exclusively for the Xbox, this youthful adventure of rhythm, robots and futuristic combat has a very colorful, pop and cartoonish art direction, as if was a game produced by MTV in the nineties. All courtesy of the experienced Japanese studio tango games most famous for their horror games (they were the creators of the saga resident Evil) than for multicolored rhythmic adventures.

Mixing traditional elements of classic platformers with contact combat (light + heavy), the objective is to try to perform the blows in time to the music of the game. This way we will get the best advantage of the possibilities of the adolescent protagonist. It’s a very refreshing game, with an extremely appealing visual style, and it’s not at all difficult to handle (although it is difficult to achieve the perfect timing). Never mind, HiFi Rush it’s a visual and moving delight, with indie songs and a high-paced soundtrack. Available for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Fresh from the oven, the long-awaited and long-delayed fourth installment of the super-popular fantasy franchise that Blizzard created in 1997 is finally available for PC and next-gen consoles. Again, the game lets you adopt different classes of warriors to defeat dark demonic forces, this time embodied by the demon Lilith.

The traditional elements are retained: procedural labyrinthine maps full of secrets, mysteries, hordes of diverse enemies and much more. booty; that is, several passive items and powers found along the way to improve character performance. The big news is that the game and the world of Sanctuary are presented as an open world that the player can explore at will. This, in addition to the possibility of playing online battles in cooperation with other users, even from other platforms. all he is cross playwhich in itself is great news. Available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, X/S and PC.

It’s surprising how 35 years have passed since Capcom launched the revolutionary street fighter in the arcades, with its six buttons for defense, attack and its iconic combinations of combos and kicks. Today it is still one of the fighting franchises one on one most popular in history, a constant favorite in tournaments of e-sport and also in the (rare) arcades in the world. Clearly, the saga and its characters have some rope left for a while.

The recently released Street Fighter 6 keeps the franchise alive with three different game modes, renewed mechanics and visual effects that make the fights much more fierce and spectacular. There’s real-time (?) commentary and the characters – there are new names – also have a curious volumetric effect that gives them a lot more combat clout. The objective of the game, at least according to its creators, is all about attack creativity. A safe bet for fans of this genre. Available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox X/S, PC and Arcade.

*Prices for this item are current as of June 5, 2023. Values ​​and availability subject to change.