What was your game of the year?

There were some high highs in the world of gaming for 2023, just as there were some low lows. A surprisingly decent showing overall for game releases with some absolute stinkers and time-wasters thrown in on top.

Exciting news like the announcement of 'GTA VI', as well as a slew of layoffs from producers and developers big and small. The dust is still settling around Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which could make 2024 a year to remember for the right, or the wrong, reasons – time will tell. 

Until then, we want to reflect on our favourites from the past year. The things that remind us why we fell in love with gaming in the first place.

Best Games

5: 'Horizon: Call of the Mountain'

One of the flagship titles for PS VR2, 'Horizon: Call of the Mountain' is a fantastic example of what VR can be when it has the support of a giant like Sony behind it. More than just a tech demo, but still slightly too short to be considered a full-length game. 

4: 'Hogwarts Legacy'

A relatively inexperienced developer mixed with one of the most beloved IPs ever, mixed in with fresh controversy from the book's original writers, it sounded like a recipe for disaster right from the start. Instead, it was a surprise hit and a love letter to the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts.

3: 'Diablo IV'

While the excitement from the release has certainly dissipated at this stage, Activision Blizzard is still supporting and improving the game as we speak. The levelling experience from 1 to around 70 is a lot of fun, and now with even more activities added to the game, there’s enough to keep people interested all the way to the top.

2: 'Spider-Man 2'

An incredible game, dropping us into the latest chapter of Peter and Miles’ story. Looks great, plays great, fun combat if slightly repetitive towards the end of the game. The only real differentiator between 'Spider-Man 2' and our game of the year is the lack of replayability. The story will essentially play out the same every time with little changing based on player choices.

1: 'Baldur's Gate 3'

The most anticipated, most memed, most naked game this year. Simply put, it’s visually striking, runs great, has an enthralling story, and offers the player an almost unbelievable amount of choice over who they want to be and how they want to interact with the world. And all this coming from a relatively small studio, 'Baldur's Gate 3' was an easy pick for our Game Of The Year

Honourable Mentions

Best Mobile: 'Lego Bricktales' – Pocket-sized fun for your daily commute.

Most Surprising: 'Firewall Ultra' – Multiplayer First Person Shooter in VR that isn’t horrible? Surprised us!

Most Improved: 'Cyberpunk 2077' – finally, after all this time, Cyberpunk 2077 is what we wanted at release. Well worth buying now if you haven’t already, or a re-visit if you have. As well as its expansion Phantom Liberty.

Best Hardware

5: PDP Afterglow Wave

A simple, effective third-party controller for current-gen Xbox, and is also plug-and-play with PC and cheaper than the OEM controller. The RGB might put some people off, but other than that there’s little to not like.

4: Wooting 60HE

If you want a 60% keyboard, this is the one to get. It completely achieves what it set out to do and almost made a believer out of this 100%+ user.

3: PS5 DualSense Edge

Pretty expensive for what it is, but with all the advantages it offers over the base PS5 controller it’ll be worth the price for the right player. The only real downside is the shorter battery life. If you spend a lot of time on your PS5 and can afford it, you probably won’t be disappointed.

2: PlayStation VR2

Easily the best VR setup we’ve ever come across. And we use the term “setup” lightly, as there really is very little to it. Plug in one USB cable, decide if you want to sit or stand, and you’re ready to go. So impressive when paired with 'Gran Turismo 7' that many PC sim racers are abandoning their expensive rigs and multi-screen setups for the deeper immersion offered by the VR2. Take a bow, Sony, this is a game-changer.

1: Corsair HS80 Max

The HS80 Max is so much more than just a headset. The comfort is unlike any other headset we’ve worn. The wireless connectivity is faultless and allows freedom from the jarring interruption of your headphones flying from your head when you stand up with a tangled cable. The hardware and software work together in a way that delivers perfect sound, that sounds perfect for your specific ears. Maybe not the flashiest item on this list, but the HS80 Max is the only one that we use every time we’re gaming.