Editorials
Best of 2023: The 10 Best Genre Video Games of the Year
2023 was one hell of a year for games. The sky was the limit when it came to diverse releases. It was also a year of innovation. Whether it be revisiting a classic and updating it for modern audiences, fixing broken promises with grand reworkings, or delivering unique experiences.
This year is honestly one I’ll never forget and I was honored to bring you constant reviews of the latest releases. The time has come now to recognize the ones that stood out most to me; the best of the best. The cream of the crop. These are the top 10 best games of the year.
10) RoboCop: Rogue City
Robocop: Rogue City is by no means a perfect game. A lot of the mechanics are shallow. The gameplay gets repetitive. The small open hubs aren’t too explorable. Some of the writing is shoddy. So why is it on this list? Well, RoboCop: Rogue City captures the feeling of the films so well that it left me impressed. Rogue City is simply a labor of love from a team that clearly loves and respects the source material. Plus, what other game is gonna let me shoot a guy in the dick and actively reward me for it?
9) Amnesia: The Bunker
Amnesia: The Bunker was one of the biggest surprises I played this year. The fourth entry in the Amnesia series, a series that never quite gelled with me given its brand of horror that’s often at the cost of leaving the player helpless and defenseless. I get the appeal but to me that takes the “survival” out of Survival Horror. So imagine my surprise when I booted up The Bunker and was greeted with a brutal fight for survival that allowed me to defend myself. Though this entry adds combat and a way of fighting back, the WWI-set sequel still delivers on the signature fright that the series is known for. A classic feeling Survival Horror experience through and through.
8) Mortal Kombat 1
The latest entry in the Mortal Kombat series delivers all the content you could want from a Mortal Kombat game while getting rid of the bloat. Mortal Kombat 1 smartly ditches the gear system of 11 instead focusing on killer kosmetics and single player options such as Netherrealm’s signature campaign and a new RPG style board game that’s a celebration of the whole series. Oh yeah, the story was pretty killer too with a smart reimagining of the PS2 entries while pushing into new territory. For my money, this is the best Mortal Kombat game in a very long time.
7) Stay Out of the House
Developer Puppet Combo has a unique brand of horror. One that often relies on VHS aesthetics married to PS1-style visuals. While I can see how this can be a turn off for some, Stay Out of the House in many ways feels like the game they’ve always been trying to make. A terrifying escape room from hell inspired by the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Puppet Combo is able to deliver on the most intense experiences I had the pleasure of playing in 2023. I suggest you put on a pair of good headphones, turn off the lights, and immerse yourself in the greatest ’80s horror film that never existed.
6) Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Respawn Entertainment are perhaps most known for their first person shooters. Games like Apex Legends and Titanfall that deliver on fast-paced combat and an ungodly amount of player traversal freedom. So it was a nice surprise when they released Jedi: Fallen Order, a Dark Souls-inspired Star Wars game that told the story of one of the last remaining Jedi in the aftermath of Episode III. Jedi: Survivor sands off the rough edges of that game to deliver a bigger and better experience. One that tells a more personal story while tying smartly into the overall Star Wars epic. Featuring expanded traversal options, a brutal combat system, and tons of player customization including everything from Jedi robes to your lightsaber itself. Jedi: Survivor is one of the few games I found myself going back to again and again in 2023.
5) Dead Space
A remake of the 2008 horror classic, Dead Space expands in all the right ways. Gone is the segmented nature of the original and instead players were treated to a fully explorable USG Ishimura that evokes memories of the RPD from Resident Evil 2. The remake also brings the original game closer in nature to the sequels by bringing back Isaac Clarke voice actor Gunner Wright to replace the originally silent character. Dead Space is a remake done right, one that delivers an improved experience across the board while still being one of the most terrifying experiences out there. Also, who doesn’t love using a next-gen plasma cutter to dismember your enemies in horrifyingly gory ways?
4) Cyberpunk 2077 – 2.0/Phantom Liberty
I know this is a controversial pick. Though technically not a new release, Cyberpunk 2077’s “2.0” update and Phantom Liberty drastically rebuild the game, turning a broken pile of promises into a product that aligns with the original vision that CD Projekt Red had nearly a decade ago. From the new skill trees that allow players to laser focus into a specific playstyle, to the reworked police system that rivals something you would see in a Grand Theft Auto game, to all new ways to interact with the world; 2.0 feels like an entirely new game. Phantom Liberty on the other hand is a massive expansion that adds a whole new district and an emotional story that features one of the best Idris Elba performances ever. If you’ve been waiting to experience Cyberpunk 2077, there’s absolutely no better time than now to jump in.
3) Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is far and away the best remake Capcom has done. While on the surface remaking such a classic might seem like a fool’s errand, Capcom was able to amplify everything that worked about the original and deliver the ultimate Resident Evil game. Horrifying visuals and story? Check. A brutal combat system that never feels too overpowering? Check. A smartly written retelling that ties more into the rest of the series than ever before? Check. Resident Evil 4 is the series at its best and most content rich. I urge anyone even remotely interested in the series to play this entry and see what RE is all about. It’s also got a great DLC that focuses on Ada Wong.
2) Baldur’s Gate III
I didn’t review Baldur’s Gate III this year. Truth be told it was too massive of an RPG to try and cram into a review period. So it’s been a backlog project, something for me to chip away at in-between releases. Well reader, I need to be honest with you that Baldur’s Gate III is a deeply rewarding experience that pushes RPGs forward in ways I never thought possible. In fact in many ways it feels like an “impossible” game that somehow translates the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition into playable video game form with an unprecedented amount of player freedom and expression. For horror fans though, the game doesn’t shy away from D&D’s brand of horror involving mind flayers, vampires, demons, hell dimensions, possession, witchcraft and other things that go bump in the night. Baldur’s Gate III is a massive game but I promise the journey is worth it.
1) Alan Wake II
It would have been one thing to deliver a decent sequel to Alan Wake after a 13 year wait. It’s another thing to drop one of the greatest Survival Horror games of all time. That’s exactly what developer Remedy did. Alan Wake II is a game that not only is a fantastic standalone entry into the pantheon of Survival Horror games, but also one that transcends the art form to deliver one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had holding a controller. While most games aim to replicate film, Alan Wake II feels like watching a prestige TV series such as The X-Files or True Detective. Its gameplay mechanics that involve actual investigation and creative writing feel like mechanics of dreams and it’s all brought to life using impressive next-gen tech. We waited a long time to see the end of Alan Wake’s story. I’m so happy that it was worth the wait.
Expectations can run high whenever a buzzworthy filmmaker makes the leap from indie to mainstream. And Radio Silence — Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella and former member Justin Martinez — certainly had a lot to live up to after V/H/S. This production collective’s rousing contribution to the 2012 anthology film not only impressed audiences and critics, the same segment also caught the attention of 20th Century. This led to the studio recruiting the rising talent for a hush-hush found-footage project later titled Devil’s Due.
However, as soon as Radio Silence’s anticipated first film was released into the wild, the reactions were mostly negative. Devil’s Due was dismissed as a Rosemary’s Baby rehash but dressed in different clothes; almost all initial reviews were sure to make — as well as dwell on — that comparison. Of course, significant changes were made to Lindsay Devlin’s pre-existing script; directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett offered up more energy and action than what was originally found in the source material, which they called a “creepy mood piece.” Nevertheless, too many folks focused on the surface similarities to the 1968 pregnancy-horror classic and ignored much of everything else.
Almost exactly two years before Devil’s Due hit theaters in January of 2014, The Devil Inside came out. The divisive POV technique was already in the early stages of disappearing from the big screen and William Brent Bell’s film essentially sped up the process. And although The Devil Inside was a massive hit at the box office, it ended up doing more harm than good for the entire found-footage genre. Perhaps worse for Radio Silence’s debut was the strange timing of Devil’s Due; the better-received Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was released earlier that same month. Despite only a superficial resemblance, the newer film might have come across as redundant and negligible to wary audiences.
Image: Allison Miller in Devil’s Due.
The trailers for Devil’s Due spelled everything out quite clearly: a couple unknowingly conceives a diabolical child, and before that momentous birth, the mother experiences horrifying symptoms. There is an unshakable sense of been-there-done-that to the film’s basic pitch, however, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett knew that from the beginning. To compensate for the lack of novelty, they focused on the execution. There was no point in hiding the obvious — in the original script, the revelation of a demonic pregnancy was delayed — and the film instead gives the game away early on. This proved to be a benefit, seeing as the directors could now play around with the characters’ unholy situation sooner and without being tied down by the act of surprise.
At the time, it made sense for Radio Silence’s first long feature to be shot in the same style that got them noticed in the first place, even if this kind of story does not require it. Still and all, the first-person slant makes Devil’s Due stand out. The urgency and terror of these expectant parents’ ordeal is more considerable now with a dose of verisimilitude in the presentation. The faux realism makes the wilder events of the film — namely those times the evil fetus fears its vessel is in danger — more effective as well. Obviously the set-pieces, such as Samantha pulling a Carrie White on three unlucky teens, are the work of movie magic, but these scenes hit harder after watching tedious but convincing stretches of ordinariness. Radio Silence found a solid balance between the normal and abnormal.
Another facet overlooked upon the film’s initial release was its performances. Booking legitimate actors is not always an option for found-footage auteurs, yet Devil’s Due was a big-studio production with resources. Putting trained actors in the roles of Samantha and Zach McCall, respectively Allison Miller and Zach Gilford, was desirable when needing the audience to care about these first-time parents. The leads managed to make their cursory characters both likable and vulnerable. Miller was particularly able to tap into Samantha’s distress and make it feel real, regardless of the supernatural origin. And with Gilford’s character stuck behind the camera for most of the time, the film often relied on Miller to deliver the story’s emotional element.
Image: Allison Miller in Devil’s Due.
Back then, Radio Silence went from making viral web clips to a full-length theatrical feature in a relatively short amount of time. The outcome very much reflected that tricky transition. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett indeed knew how to create these attention-grabbing scenes — mainly using practical effects — but they were still learning their way around a continuous narrative. The technical limitations of found footage hindered the story from time to time, such as this routine need to keep the camera on the main characters (or see things from their perspective) as opposed to cutting away to a subplot. There is also no explanation of who exactly compiled all this random footage into a film. Then again, that is an example of how the filmmakers strove for entertainment as opposed to maintaining every tradition of found footage. In the end, the directors drew from a place of comfort and familiarity as they, more or less, used 10/31/98 as the blueprint for Devil’s Due’s chaotic conclusion. That is not to say the film’s ending does not supply a satisfying jolt or two, but surely there were hopes for something different and atypical.
Like other big film studios at that time, 20th Century wanted a piece of the found-footage pie. What distinguished their endeavor from those of their peers, though, was the surprising hiring of Radio Silence. Needless to say, the gamble did not totally pay off, yet putting the right guys in charge was a bold decision. Radio Silence’s wings were not completely clipped here, and in spite of how things turned out, there are flashes of creativity in Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s unconventional approach to such a conventional concept.
Radio Silence has since bounced back after a shaky start; they participated in another anthology, Southbound, before making another go at commercial horror. The second time, as everyone knows, was far more fruitful. In hindsight, Devil’s Due is regarded as a hiccup in this collective’s body of work, and it is usually brought up to help emphasize their newfound success. Even so, this early film of theirs is not all bad or deserving of its unmentionable status. With some distance between then and now, plus a forgiving attitude, Devil’s Due can be seen as a fun, if not flawed first exposure to the abilities of Radio Silence. And, hopefully, somewhere down the line they can revisit the found-footage format.
Image: Allison Miller and Zach Gilford in Devil’s Due.
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