Game of the Year Awards 2023

While the RPG genre has always enjoyed success, it has adapted a more streamlined and action-focused approach in recent decades. Simplification of the core mechanics always leads to bigger audiences, but it also loses a bit of the breadth and level of detail that the older games were known for. cRPGs have been making a comeback in recent times though, with franchises such as Wasteland, Dragon Age, and Divinity: Original Sin finding success. In 2023, arguably one of the best known classic turn-based RPG series has made its return.

In Baldur's Gate 3, players will have to decide on classes, various perks and special abilities, of which there are too many to mention. While the extensive possibilities to come up with an adventurer that best suits your style of play may seem quite overwhelming, the game does allow for re-speccing during the campaign, so you are not locked-in if you later change your mind. The story kicks off with an engaging opening, and sends players on an adventure of finding out what can be done to remove the tadpole from your head before it's too late. Trying to find a cure for your new brain friend is the central plot point, but it's of course only the beginning of the many adventures and narratives that players will get to experience. From the main story to the optional side quests, every adventure big and small leads to interesting discoveries and unexpected lore. Almost every encounter and conversation feels interesting, and you really want to see where each narrative thread goes next and how it may end, which very few games these days are able to achieve. And even further to that, the game uses a narrator voiceover to describe scenes, characters, and situations, which adds an unexpectedly great angle to the storytelling.

All members of your party have interesting backgrounds, and the more time you spend together the more you may care about their fate. They also offer some unique dialogue as you meet story characters along the way that they may have history with. Strong player choice mechanics also play a huge role in how engaging the story is, with so many dialogue options and action selections resulting in tons of possible outcomes. It's truly impressive to think of how you would handle a situation in reality, and the game actually having this option. You'll want to explore and chat with most NPCs you meet across the three main acts of the campaign from the typical isometric third person camera, though one that can be adjusted with zoom and rotation, as well as relatively free movement around the level. This lets you enjoy a better view on some of the fantastical locations you'll explore, from dark caverns, lush forests, and sunny riversides, to industrial factories and grotesque flesh covered ships. The art style is very good and fitting for a fantasy RPG, with nice character designs and wondrous temples and groves. Atypical of cRPGs, the dialogue scenes are fully animated, adding to the immersion. UI is well designed and clean, with an expandable toolbar that provides a few different views on the available items and skills. The audio effects in combat are meaty, and the background sounds of the idle world are soothing; the soundtrack is a great fit for when it kicks up.

Baldur's Gate 3 has been a long time coming. You need not have played the originals back in the 90s to know the cult status that they hold in the RPG gaming community. And to that end, Larian Studios has created a more than worthy successor. It's simply a great cRPG – it may not break any new ground, but it delivers on a fantastic story, with deep mechanics, interesting characters, challenging combat, and enormous replay value thanks to extensive player choices. Its die-based systems feel fresh for the video game space, and despite the steep learning curve, this is a great cRPG that manages to meet the lofty expectations of the franchise name. With excellent writing, engaging story, flexible player choice and compelling mechanics, it's a title worthy of our 2023 Game of the Year Award.

Runners-up: Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Hi-Fi Rush, The Talos Principle 2, Street Fighter 6, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Thank you for reading through our 2023 GOTY feature! It was a great year, and hopefully 2024 will be just as exciting - we'll see you back here in just 12 short months!