Online Warriors: Top Games of 2023
Founded in 2017, the Online Warriors Podcast was created as a way for its three founders to keep in touch while discussing all of their nerdy hobbies. The passion project quickly developed into a full-blown show. Every week, we discuss the latest nerd news, go hands on with our latest adventures, and play a high-stakes quiz show. We even feature occasional interviews from industry guests! The Online Warriors community is a welcoming and positive group where we can all embrace our nerdy side. We’re glad you’re here and hope we’ve gained your ear. Welcome to the round table!
Nerdbomber's Top 3 Games
1. Starfield
When Todd Howard first pitched the idea of Starfield to the gaming public – basically, a Skyrim or Fallout-level RPG set in the endless bounds of space – I was immediately sold. Anyone who knows me is aware of my deep seated love of the Mass Effect franchise, and there has yet to be a game since to scratch that space-opera-RPG itch for me. I was hoping beyond hope that Starfield would fill that void… and it more or less did. With a fun cast of companion characters, dubious moral choices, a robust ship builder, and a swath of varied planets to explore, I had no problem exploring, shooting, and building my way through over 80 hours of playtime. Sure, I had some issues – let’s not get into how I feel about the underpinning tropes of the main storyline, and inventory weight limits can straight up bite me – but even as I griped about them, I found myself getting sucked into the expansive universe of Starfield. In a year of many blockbusters, I can see how this game might fall down people’s lists. But for me, this combination of a sweeping space epic and a Bethesda RPG formula simply felt like coming home.
2. God of War Ragnarok
Look, I know this technically came out in November of last year. But I personally didn’t get to play it until January, so this definitely counts for my 2023 list. As someone who came late to the God of War franchise, only stepping in at the 2018 installment (and getting absolutely blown away by it), this was a sequel I had been anxiously awaiting for years. And boy (go ahead, read that in Kratos’ voice), it didn’t disappoint. Santa Monica Studio continues to set the game storytelling bar sky-high, with engaging combat and puzzle-solving intricately woven together to propel the incredible story forward. With a phenomenal cast of characters, both new and old, and a plethora of Norse lore to boot, the world of God of War is one of my favorites in which to get lost. If you haven’t touched this franchise in all it’s rebooted glory yet, this is the flashing neon sign that you needed to convince you to take the leap.
3. Hi-Fi Rush
If you asked me last year whether a game by Tango Gameworks would land on my GOTY list, I would have looked at you like you had two heads because (A) no one knew Hi-Fi Rush even existed until it stealth dropped back in January, and (B) up til now, Tango had only dabbled in horror games (which I, quite frankly, hate). This was a huge departure from Tango’s norm and it wholeheartedly worked. The fusion of rhythm and action game elements was both refreshing and unique, and while some rhythm games pride themselves on difficulty, Tango made sure that the gameplay was accessible no matter your musical prowess. Pair all that with a gorgeous animation style and smarmy, tongue-in-cheek dialogue and you get a rollicking good time that set itself firmly apart from the slew of awesome games to release this year. Here’s hoping there’s a follow-up or offshoot of Hi-Fi Rush in the works, because it was genuinely delightful and I’m ready for more!
illEagle86's Top 3 Games
1. Dead Space
The Dead Space remake that dropped in January of this past year tops my list, if only because it’s my only entry that, well, actually dropped in the past year. I use the term remake rather than remaster very specifically, because (as the developers at EA stated a few times during its rollout) Dead Space was essentially rebuilt from the ground up, certainly using and retaining all of the original’s best qualities while enhancing many others. It goes without saying that graphical leaps and bounds were made, with the Ishimura being realized in all its glory via excellent utilization of my PS5’s textural abilities, but of specific note to me are the improvements in the gameplay itself (side quests!) and the sound design, with the latter leading me to emphatically state that headphones (and ideally a dark room) are an absolute must for a playthrough of this game. Even having played and replayed the original, the outright scariness of the Necromorph infection remains potent for me!
2. Inscryption
This game came out way back in 2021, but after being made aware of its existence (and its suitability for me) by my co-host Nerdbomber, I put this game on my watchlist and picked up for a sweet discount in the Nintendo eShop. While not its original release platform (it actually wasn’t released on the Switch until late last year), this roguelike deckbuilder plays fantastically on the Switch, in particular in handheld mode, and I devoured it in a matter of days. Inscryption certainly scratched a lot of itches that may be specific to what I was looking for at the time – I’m a board and card game fan, and am also a fan of lighter and lower-impact games, so the gameplay and the ease of picking up and putting down this game were perfect for me – but it’s also a shoe-in for my GOTY list based on the uniqueness of the experience alone. With a story that blends in-game dialogue and fact-finding with a periodic live-action found-footage element, it’s unlikely that you’ve played a game like it before.
3. Returnal
Another 2021 roguelike release spells a bit of a trend for my video gaming habits in 2023, but as roguelikes go, Returnal is quite a bit more punishing, with a typical run lasting on the order of hours. As one may expect – and as many of the early reviews for this game warned – this can make the experience of Returnal occasionally frustrating for sure, but it’s more than redeemed by the tightness of the gun combat, with the adrenaline system encouraging the player to actually seek out dangerous combat to improve the rewards they get from each kill. What results is a borderline hypnotic play experience that places a high premium on getting into a groove, establishing what can only be called “flow,” and fighting the good fight (within the context of a parseled-out, but nevertheless satisfying, sci-fi story, of course) until you can fight no more. This may be the title on my list on which I burned the most hours in 2023, which is far from coincidence.
Techtic's Top 3 Games
1. Metroid Fusion
2023 was the year of the time machine. Early in the year I came across an old GameBoy Advance, set out to mod it, and replay my childhood. For some games, nostalgia seems to override how good a game actually is and for Metroid Fusion, this was not the case. Within the Metroid Saga, Fusion stands above the rest with its original story line surrounding an evil clone you have to defeat (this was copied in later games) and its fast paced combat. This side scrolling adventure provides you with challenging boss fights, puzzles, and a rewarding mystery that you have to solve along the way. It’s no surprise that this game was included in Nintendo Switch Online. Overall, this game’s quality held true over the years and will always have a place in my heart.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Let me start by saying this was the best Spider Man game released thus far. The story arc took inspiration from many different sources and kept me guessing the whole way. If my jaw was not firmly connected to the rest of my face, I would have had to pick it up off the floor. Spider Man 2 unapologetically diverts from the “friendly neighborhood” to bring you a gritty dark story, while still maintaining the core values of its characters. Beyond the story, the gameplay is flawless. The game provided a multitude of options in how to progress skill trees, level up gadgets, decide between various finishing abilities, and do all this while working through two playable characters (Peter and Miles). Spider Man 2 is a, “must play” for anyone who owns a PlayStation.
3. Sonic Frontiers
For some time now, it has felt like the Sonic franchise forgot how to make the gameplay in their 3D platformers work. It seemed as if Sonic Adventure 2 was going to be the last good one. Sonic Frontiers pulled out the old playbook and got it right. The normal game play had you searching for collectibles, beating challenges, and attempting to get perfect scores on all the mini stages. As you progress, you unlock enough chaos emeralds to go Super Sonic and take on each ultimate boss fight. THE BOSS FIGHTS! This is where the game really shined. Each boss had a unique technique or pattern you needed to solve to overcome and defeat them, leaving you sweaty and rewarded at the same time. While all this is going on the game is surrounding you in the HARDEST soundtrack. The speed at which I added it to my Spotify Playlist was unfathomable.