Grogheads Game of the Year 2023 discussion

[al_infierno]

This year's been fairly packed with high-quality releases (despite an unusually high amount of layoffs) and since we're right at the tail end of the year, it seems about right to start GOTY discussions.

What was your game of the year?

My personal pick goes for Baldur's Gate 3. The game can be a bit tough if you try to blunt-force it, but really BG3 rewards being creative with your solutions. Make use of all the grease and fire barrels you come across and blow the hell out of tough enemies, or poison their beer so they die without a fight in the first place, or meet their enemies and convince them to join you in the fight.

It's actually ridiculous the amount of options you have to approach each problem, to the point where I get overwhelmed by the wealth of options between my potions, poisons I can apply to my weapons, arrows that cause special effects, scrolls for high-power spells even though I'm a regular ol' human, etc.

And that's not even getting into the character customization, which is just ridiculous. You can make just about any fantasy archetype you want from a filthy rogue assassin to an elderly mage to a muscular barbarian or charming bard. The cosmetic customization is by far the best I've seen from any game this year (take note Starfield devs what an actually stylish character looks like) and I've spent an embarrassing amount of time making dudes in the character creator. For my current campaign, I made Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men which fits in perfectly with a destructive and fully evil playstyle.

Here's a quick video that does a great job explaining all the options available in just one mission (plus the screenshot of my Anton Chigurh character)

https://twitter.com/momo_obrien/status/1733933344277033113

[Jarhead0331]

Not having played BG3, I know, I know, I'd probably have to give it Cyber Punk 2.0/2.1 and Phantom Liberty. Aliens: Dark Descent was also an extremely well done game that deserves mention.

Also, the year is not over yet, and Ready or Not 1.0 hits on Weds. 12/13. I have very high hopes for this one.

[Redwolf]

BG3 for sure.

[Gusington]

BG3 is the best game that I am tv e worst at. Right up there with it is Aliens: Dark Decent, at which I am just a hair better at. Hard to choose.

I still haven't played Cyberpunk :/

[ArizonaTank]

For wargames, my vote would go with "The Great War: Western Front"

If we opened it up to early access...well then I could come up with a pretty long list of second contenders.

[bobarossa]

I guess I'll stay out of this (obviously I didn't).  I've only purchased one game that was released in 2023, Rule the Waves 3 which I would not vote for. 

[al_infierno]

Ready or Not is easily my #2 pick after its 1.0 release.  On release day I've played a solid few hours both in singleplayer campaign and in co-op multiplayer and I can gladly say that this is the successor to SWAT 4 we never got until now.  Incredibly immersive experience with excellent level design and tense, realistic gunplay

Far and away my #1 FPS of the year, though Baldur's Gate 3 still takes GOTY for me.

[Pete Dero]

Another vote for Baldur's Gate 3.

[Geezer]

Guess I'm the only one here who thought BG3 was "meh".  Thought the story in Diablo 4 was much better, although the rest of the game was disappointing.  I also don't have a game of the year.

[Rayfer]

I rarely ever buy new release games so I can't nominate a game for 2023. I did rediscover Fallout 4 this year with its awesome base building game within the game.  It was there from the beginning but I never got into it.  Put your charisma at 6 points and start building and managing bases across the wasteland.  So for me personally, Fallout 4 is the 2023 game of the year.

[glen55]

Guess I'm the only one here who thought BG3 was "meh".  Thought the story in Diablo 4 was much better, although the rest of the game was disappointing.  I also don't have a game of the year.

No, you're not.

But maybe it's because of al infierno referenced positively, using every barrel of grease, etc. I want to hack and slash and throw fireballs, and I don't want to repeatedly lose when I try that. I'm not into puzzle games, and I hate Commandos/Desperados and their ilk, and to me BG3 is too much like that and not enough like BG2. I didn't get very far in it and may never.

If I were looking at a list of 2023 games I might pick something else, but based on what comes to mind right now I'm inclined to go along with Jarhead and vote Cyberpunk. I didn't get it from the start, but only after Phantom Liberty and some big patches came out. The world is engaging and very deep, the combat and loot are highly satisfying, and there's some decent driving action, too.

[Gusington]

^I feel that a bit but I am more willing to go back to BG3 and try it again.

I will be firing up Diablo 4 soon.