In closing out 2023, that momentous phrase we’ve all heard a thousand times has almost become a cliche. “It’s been an incredible year for gaming.” I don’t know how many times I’ve uttered it in reverence to the jam-packed year filled to the gills with 9s and 10s.
This year has truly felt like the phoenix rising from the ashes of the COVID years, and let me tell you, gaming is back.
From top to bottom, 2023 has been overindulgent. Delectable indies have taken us to the bottom of the ocean, flown us to strange planets with dark hallways filled with lethal monsters, and sprung us between worlds within worlds. Scrumptious action adventures have given us high-octane mecha fights, magical broom rides through wisping trees, and worlds among the stars explored with blasters and blade. All this, and I’ve not even hinted at PC Invasion’s 2023 Game of the Year, runner-ups, and honorable mentions.
PC Invasion’s 2023 Game of the Year winner: Baldur’s Gate 3
What a surpriseBaldur’s Gate 3was! I expected Tears of the Kingdom or Starfield to sweep the competition when it came to 2023 game awards, but, like the best Rogue build, Baldur’s Gate 3 snuck up and stole our hearts.
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What can be said about Baldur’s Gate 3 that hasn’t been said already? The characters, the in-and-out-of-combat mechanics, the choices, the main and side quests, the race and build customization, the multiplayer, the lore, the bosses — everything about Baldur’s Gate 3 is phenomenal.
My favorite part about Baldur’s Gate 3 is the player-lead narratives and silly shenanigans you can get up to with a group of friends. Just the other day, my little Bard Halfing was snuggling up to my friend’s Owlbear-form Druid Elf on a stone bed when my Rogue Elf friend decided to turn off the candles to set the mood while my Paladin Tiefling friend warned him that the candles were outlined in red. Well, Balthazar didn’t like that; he started a fight, one which we won. As a group, we decided not to save scum that back because the narrative we created was too brilliant. Moments like these continuously flood the internet and likely will for years to come — the communal longevity of Baldur’s Gate 3 speaks volumes about its excellence.
PC Invasion’s GOTY 2023 runner-ups
Though Baldur’s Gate 3 won PC Invasion’s Game of the Year 2023, there were a few notable runner-ups worth shouting out. In second place is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, in third place is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and in a tie for fourth place is Alan Wake 2 and Super Mario Wonder.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is deserving of second place and in a less competitive year, it would’ve taken first place. The same can be said for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, and Super Mario Wonder. Honestly, I’m just happy to have so many great games to have played and to look forward to playing during the slower weeks of 2024.
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PC Invasion’s 2023 honorable mentions
Before we roll credits on 2023, a handful of PC Invaders want to give a special shout-out to a few games they hold near and dear. 2023 was such a fantastic year that the runner-up and honorable mentions lists don’t encapsulate all the games we loved, but these are ones that you shouldn’t miss.
There are so many games that we all loved in 2023. While I think it will be one of the best years for gaming in this decade, there’s still a lot to look forward to in 2024. It’s my job to stay ahead of the curve and play the newest releases, I’ll most definitely be filling my time in 2024 with playing the long list of 2023 games I missed starting withAlan Wake 2.
Noah Nelson
From his early days of blog-style music, movie, and game reviews to working as the Esports Writer at Coastline Community College, Noah Nelson now works fulltime as a Staff Writer for Attack of the Fanboy and PC Invasion. He has been helping gamers everywhere with Destiny 2 god rolls, Warzone 2 DMZ missions, and collectibles in any indie game for over a year and a half. His Bachelor’s Degree in English Rhetoric and Composition with a minor in Journalism from CSULB has shaped him to be a strong writer and editor. His fondest gaming memory is playing Sly Cooper 2 after begging his mom (for hours) to play it before his birthday and he still cries myself to sleep remembering the time he accidentally saved over his 99% completion save file in Kingdom Hearts 2.
