Without doubt, 2023 was a standout year for the biggest games. It was packed with AAA games (generally considered to be those with the best graphics and biggest worlds – made with the biggest budgets). Here are three reasons why last year had more to offer than 2024.
Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a sequel to the beloved Breath of the Wild, arrived in May 2023. In classic Zelda fashion, you play as Link who searches for Princess Zelda and tries to stop Ganondorf from destroying the land of Hyrule.
By now, Nintendo is well accustomed to scoring big with the critics. Tears of the Kingdom, like its prequel, was another smash. It scored a 96 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating “Universal Acclaim”, which was just a point below Breath of the Wild.
Tears was noted for its possibilities for exploration and “outstanding, outrageously big” world (PC Games). The New Yorker even called the game “genius”.
Gfinity gave the game a rare lukewarm review, warning that, “if you didn’t gel with the 2017 release, the story alone might not be worth the second attempt.” (2017 refers to Breath of the Wild.) But otherwise, the game was adored by fans and critics alike.
Star Wars
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was one of the best action-adventure games of 2023. Another sequel, this game followed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), and continues the story of Cal Kestis, a young Jedi, as he and his friends try to survive during the Galactic Empire.
While Survivor didn’t score quite as well with the critics as Zelda, it did receive a lot of praise – not least for its graphics. The Guardian called the game “visually spectacular, mechanically sophisticated and riotously entertaining” and gave it a 5-star review. You can check out these list where Jedi: Survivor got top billing thanks (in part) to a wider range of saber styles and more challenging combat.
Generally, the game was so well received that it holds an 85/100 on Metacritic, although the gaming public were slightly less keen.
Street Fighter
On a different note, Street Fighter 6 was one of the most loved fighting games of recent years. It scored a 92/100 and some reviewers could barely contain their enthusiasm: God is a Geek said, “Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played” and Edge said:
…“this is not only a kinetic, exciting and gloriously refined interpretation of the most storied fighting game series, but also the most generous and expansive offering yet”…
Reviewers noted that the game was true to its much-loved roots while offering new features and characters. IGN praised the game’s new Drive System mechanic, saying that “it’s the best the series has ever seen” and said that the Battle Hub “puts all other online fighting game lobby systems to shame”.
IGN praised the “cerebral fighting”, which fits the general response that Street Fighter 6 was a pleasingly deep – and thoroughly enjoyable – fighting game.
Are any games in 2024 going to match 2023’s best?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is among the best reviewed games of the year so far, and IGN gave it a 10, which they say indicates a “Masterpiece”. They claim, “it’s hard to imagine a better DLC than this – as long as you’re not hoping for it to do anything radically outside the box.”
Tekken 8 and the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door are among the other best games of the year so far.
But generally, 2024’s got a lot of work to do to match 2023. Time will tell whether anything matches the bar set by Tears of the Kingdom.
