While I honestly think the PS5 and Xbox Series generation of consoles has been largely disappointing thus far, 2023 was chock full of absolute top tier games to play. Here are a handful of my favorites.
Hogwarts Legacy
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series XlS, Switch, PC
I need to be up front right off the bat and admit I’m not a Potter-head. My wife absolutely loves The Wizarding World and I appreciate what it has to offer and enjoyed the movies (you thought I read?). With that said, even as someone who may not know the deep lore regarding Harry Potter, I think Hogwarts Legacy is a beautiful fantastical RPG to get lost in. The cinematic and voice acting are top notch as are the breathtaking visuals and vistas. Starting off as a student and slowly learning new spells and befriending all sorts of quirky people is an absolute pleasure. RPGs are known for their side quests, no doubt, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the ones on offer here range from interesting to comical, usually thanks to the cast of characters.
I found the RPG elements like upgrading gear, learning and upgrading spells, etc to be a perfect fit for the world of Harry Potter. I haven’t explored everything on offer here, but you can bet this is a title I will absolutely keep coming back to over the years—especially on Steam Deck.
Sea of Stars
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series XlS, Switch, PC
Sea of Stars is a game I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. What really makes the game great is how it’s a true love letter to the SNES era of RPGs. It’s so faithful in its visual style but also includes clever modern visual techniques and effects games of that generation simply couldn’t do. There’s been multiple times I caught myself gawking at certain lighting effects or the way fog was rendered.
There’s a lot of things that happen in the story, none of which I will discuss here, but just know I think it’s pretty good. It’s also nice every character is both memorable and likable with believable character arcs. The way they’re written feels organic and real as opposed to the usual RPG tropes we’ve seen time and time again. The battle system is also lots of fun with interesting mechanics which are added on top of the usual turn based RPG battle system. Hell, I loved this game so much that I gifted it to some of my friends.
Moonstone Island
Available on: PC, macOS, Linux, Switch
I have to be straight up with you—I have not yet completed Moonstone Island. I received a code a bit ago but we just had our first newborn baby girl, so things have been busy. I’ve been eagerly saving this gem for when the newborn fog started lifting, which has thankfully started happening. The best way I can describe Moonstone Island in one sentence is if you took parts of Stardew Valley, mixed it with Pokémon creature collecting and stat building, and combined it all with deck building battle system of games like Slay the Spire. Moonstone Island is literally the cozy RPG / life sim / creature collector I’ve always wanted.
In the short few months the games has been out, the devs have been super receptive and responsive to fan feedback and communicative about updates and newly added features. For example, I wanted the game to be even cozier and now it is thanks to the addition of an easy battle mode. Perhaps my biggest gripe with farming games, especially those as robust with exploration as Moonstone Island, is that the days often feel far too short. This is something the devs listened to and now players can set the day length to Long or Longest. Chef’s Kiss.
I can’t get enough of this gem. I’ve been romancing this cute horticulture gal while I’m out creature collecting, crafting, exploring the randomly generate islands, and besting temples and bosses. I’m also just chilling on my farm planting plants and tending to my crops. This. Game. Easiest entry on this list for me, hands down.
Eternights
Available on: PS4, PS5, PC
I remember when I saw Eternights shown during (what I think was) one of PlayStation’s State of Play events….but it could have been some indie event. Anyway, what drew me to this title was honestly the Persona-esque looking gameplay….well let me tell you….this game is anything but Persona.
Impressively, Eternights was made by one guy who admittedly was heavily inspired by the Persona series. I’m happy to report his debut title isn’t some indie clone but does enough different that it can stand on its own. The basic gist is that your friend pushes you to sign up for an app to hit the dating scene and, miraculously (or suspiciously) you match with a girl and agree to go on a date that next night. Except that the world ends and people turn into horrible monsters that want to earth each other. This game’s battle system can be hard. Not Souls levels of ripping your hair out, but damn do you need to be on top of parrying constantly.
This game has relationship building with social links (Persona), fun and cleverly written characters (Persona), an action RPG battle system that will test your skill, and un-lockable and upgradable abilities. Oh, and this game has some horror elements….err….it can be a bit gory too. My only gripe is I wish it had an easy or story mode for difficulty, especially as a new parent. Even still, Eternights is a title I definitely suggest you check out if any of the above appeals to you. There’s a demo on Steam or you can play for an hour via PlayStation’s paywalled game trial.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons nor do I know anything about it whatsoever other than the fact there’s a dungeon master and dice are involved. That didn’t deter me from diving into 2023’s Game of the Year according to most people the day it launched. Like many others, I decided to hoof it with my own character and I love her. She’s an unwavering woman of destruction with an empathetic side who romanced Shadowheart.
Once again, I gotta be straight with you dear reader, I didn’t finish Baldur’s Gate 3. Not even close. Even still, the mere fact I fell in love with it and will absolutely dive back in again and again is proof enough to me that this is my top and personal Game of 2023. I wasn’t expecting it since I don’t follow the franchise or DnD in any capacity. I actually stumbled upon the title when parrozing Steam’s storefront and, BOOM, there it was. This is a game you should play even if you don’t know DnD like me, although I’m sure having that knowledge helps immensely. I still don’t understand all the ins and outs of the game or its mechanics, but I’m getting by and getting lost in the world the incredibly talented team over at Larian Studios created.
Well there you have it. Those are some of my favorite games of 2023. If I’m being honest I fully expected The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and Final Fantasy XVI to be on this list. The issue is I just stopped playing the former cold turkey, possibly due to the higher difficulty compared to Breath of the Wild and the latter simply drove me up a wall with it’s tiring action combat, reskinned enemies, and dated level design that had me repeatedly funneling through linear hallway-like sections into open rooms to battle waves of enemies.
What are you looking forward to next year? For me my top three most anticipated games are hands-down Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.
