The first quarter of 2023 has wrapped up, with 13 games earning particularly high raise from critics.Brand-new video games are released on a weekly basis, but there are certainly some games that stand out among the pack.
Review aggregate sitescompile professional reviews for games and come up with their average score. When it comes to review aggregate site OpenCritic, games are then organized into different categories to better underscore how they’ve been received. Games that earn an 84 or above rating are categorized as “Mighty,” denoting the best of the best when it comes to new video game releases.
RELATED:Metroid Prime Remastered Gets New Physical Reward in My Nintendo Store
So far, 13 games in 2023 have been released that have earned the Mighty rating. Three of these games have even managed to crack the elusive 90 or above, withMetroid Prime Remasteredsitting at a 94 overall,theResident Evil 4remakehaving a 92 overall, and8-Bit Adventures 2earning an impressive 90 overall rating. Four games just barely missed the 90 or above mark, withPath of the Midnight Sun,Hi-Fi Rush, theDead Spaceremake, andVernal Edgeall having 89 overalls.
Best Games of 2023
WhileDead Cells: Return to Castlevaniais technically DLC and not a full-fledged game release, it has still earned widespread acclaim, enough to get it an 87 rating. Following behind it are two Square Enix-published titles inTheatrhythm Final Bar LineandOctopath Traveler 2, which both earned 86 ratings. The final three games on the list areA Space for the Unbound,The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure, andHogwarts Legacy, all of which have 84 ratings.
It’s clear from the list that 2023 has been a fairly strong one when it comes to video game releases, though some may be turned off by how many remasters and remakes are topping the list.Metroid Prime Remasteredmade a number of improvementsover the original GameCube release that are worth celebrating, but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s not truly a new game experience.
There is still plenty of time for brand-new 2023 releases to toppleMetroid Prime Remastered, but it remains to be seen if that will ever happen. Fans will have to wait and see how the otherbig new video game releases of 2023stack up as they are launched throughout the year.
MORE:2 Recent 2023 Game Releases Prove the GameCube Had One of the Best Libraries Ever
