The Best Reviewed Games of 2023 (So Far)

The 53 highest-rated games at IGN this year.

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by Jordan Sirani
Posted Sept. 12, 2023, 8:30 p.m.

The snowball of games delayed out of 2021 and 2022 has settled in 2023, coalescing into the
most exciting games lineup of the decade so far. This year, arguably, marks the proper start
of the PS5 and Xbox Series X generation with Unreal Engine 5 support building and an
increasing number of developers dropping support for last-gen hardware.

Each of the three console manufacturers has at least one blockbuster release scheduled this
year — Starfield for Xbox, Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of
the Kingdom for Nintendo — complemented by a generation-best third-party lineup that
includes Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Street Fighter 6,
Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 16, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Hades 2, and Mortal Kombat 1.

Nine months into 2023, the year has lived up to its lofty expectations: 53 games have
received a review score of 8 or higher from IGN, including four 10s. Click through the
gallery below or continue scrolling for our list of the best-reviewed games of 2023 so far.

This list only includes standalone software; despite qualifying scores, expansions/DLC (e.g.,
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania) and hardware (e.g., PSVR2) are not included. This list
will be updated weekly as new releases receive qualifying review scores.

Review Score: 8 (“Great)

These games leave us with something outstanding to remember them by, usually novel
gameplay ideas for single-player or multiplayer, clever characters and writing, noteworthy
graphics and sound, or some combination thereof. If we have major complaints, there are
more than enough excellent qualities to cancel them out.

Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp

From our review: With nicely redone graphics and excellent music bringing the classic turn-
based tactical action up to modern standards, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a great
return for this long-neglected series and gives me hope for a follow-up that includes the DS
games. While there isn’t much variety in the game modes, Advance Wars’ depth comes from
the number of variables you can adjust to make every match feel unique. The biggest miss is
the lack of multiplayer matchmaking, which makes it harder to get into a game than it ought
to be in 2023, but at least you can play online. Playing against the AI will keep me interested
in the short term, but I predict the inability to play against random opponents online will limit
my spontaneous play sessions. However, the sheer number of maps, playable COs, and
options for each match means that when I do, it's sure to be a unique experience. – Jada
Griffin

Developer: WayForward | Platform: Switch | IGN’s Advance Wars 1 + 2 Video Review

Age of Wonders 4
From our review: As much as I enjoy building a legacy in a 4X game before starting over to
do it all again, the fact that my legacy follows me in Age of Wonders 4 feels much more
rewarding. And the faster pace of its very strong campaign mechanics and pretty good
tactical battles make it feel like I can write a new chapter of this saga in a reasonable amount
of time and still have time to do something else on my day off – especially with the very
well-done story realms. Cranking all the dials up to maximum weirdness can lead to some
edge cases that ruined my fun a bit, but it's not that big of a price to pay for the vast map and
empire customization we get to play with. It really is wonderful. – Leana Hafer

Developer: Triumph Studios | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | IGN’s Age of
Wonders 4 Video Review

Amnesia: The Bunker

From our review: I can't say Amnesia is still a groundbreaking horror franchise like it was at
the beginning. The larger story it was building has already been played out with Rebirth. But
Amnesia: The Bunker proves that smaller, anthology-style episodes within its universe can
still bring the tension and the scares. And Frictional's bag of tricks is far from exhausted
when it comes to getting our hearts pounding and making us carefully consider how to use
the limited tools available to us. It's not an unmissable experience, but as an Amnesia fan, it
definitely sated my appetite for some gut-churning horror and moody, bleak storytelling. –
Leana Hafer

Developer: Frictional Games | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC |
IGN’s Amesia: The Bunker Video Review

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

From our review: Armored Core 6 doesn’t look to reinvent the bipedal legs of the mech
action genre, but it does update, refine, and polish them to an aggressive shine. Every sortie is
a satisfying combat puzzle to solve thanks to fantastic mission design, intense boss
encounters, an extremely wide assortment of weapons and parts that can dramatically affect
how your mech plays, and excellent, explosive combat that manages to take very complex
systems and mechanics and make them easy to understand and execute. Its interesting
premise is stifled by bland storytelling told through mission briefings and radio chatter, but
this is still nonetheless a welcome return of a classic mecha series. – Mitchell Saltzman

Developer: FromSoftware | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s
Armored Core 6 Video Review

Atomic Heart
From our review: Atomic Heart is a deeply ambitious, highly imaginative, and consistently
impressive atompunk-inspired attempt at picking up where the likes of BioShock left off –
something it’s done with a lot of success. It certainly makes missteps, chiefly with an
irritating leading man and a self-indulgent habit of using the same tired tropes it tries to make
fun of, but this stern, superpowered, and stringently solo shooter has worked its way under
my skin despite these flaws. Atomic Heart didn’t always blow me away, but it definitely has
the ticker to punch well above its weight. – Luke Reilly

Developer: Mundfish | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s
Atomic Heart Video Review

Blasphemous 2
From our review: Blasphemous 2 is an excellent Metroidvania and a marked improvement
over the original, even if it did occasionally make me cancel my lunch plans with its
grotesqueries. What it lacks in originality with its design it more than makes up for with its
bizarre world, appalling story, and inspired look and sound. The new weapons and focus on
platforming definitely helped sustain my enjoyment for the campaign’s sizable duration, even
when underwhelming enemy variety and unchallenging bosses leave something to be desired.
Its stomach-churning religious torture porn might be as far as you can get from the adorable
world of Hollow Knight, but you’d be hard-pressed to find something better to play while
you continue your interminable wait for Silksong. – Travis Northup

Developer: The Game Kitchen | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC | IGN’s
Blasphemous 2 Video Review

Company of Heroes 3 Multiplayer

From our review: It doesn't have the bells and whistles that you might consider standard in a
competitive RTS in 2023, but the core experience of Company of Heroes 3 is what really
matters. What I'm saying here is that CoH3 has heart – it has that special something where
moving your units to outplay opponents doesn't just look pretty or mean you've played more
hours and memorized the metagame, but genuinely out-thought the other player. A
combination of interesting army design, good maps, and RTS fundamentals means I'm
confident that playing Company of Heroes 3 multiplayer is going to be a fixture of my time
off for years to come. – Jon Bolding

Developer: Relic Entertainment | Platform: PC | IGN’s Company of Heroes 3 Single-Player

Video Review

Darkest Dungeon 2
From our review: Interesting turn-based RPG combat keeps Darkest Dungeon 2’s roguelite
progression fresh for hours – if you can push past the early, intentionally punishing humps
and like it for what it is, rather than the close retread of Darkest Dungeon that it isn't. Its
structure may be frustratingly random at times, even so much as to feel meaningless or
pointless, but a gambler's spirit can see you through those weird patches of bad luck or
directionlessness. Besides, this game would have to be really bad to drag down the vibes of
the moody lines and grumbling narration that live at the heart of Darkest Dungeon 2. – Jon
Bolding

Developer: Red Hook Studios | Platform: PC | IGN’s Darkest Dungeon 2 Video Review
Dredge
From our review: Dredge erupted out of the left field as 2023’s most unforgettably creepy
fishing simulator. Without spoiling anything, its slow dive into Lovecraftian horror
intermingles with subtle elements of seabound thrillers like Jaws and Moby Dick, and yet
despite its twists, its fishing and sailing mechanics are simple enough to be relaxing – just as
long as you don’t stay out past dark. Its colorful graphics, intelligent story, and seafaring
sound design are alluring, but calling it a management sim betrays how simple and
approachable it is. Though it still may not excite anyone in search of abyssal depths, its world
map, upgrade tree, and story offer more than enough interesting decisions of their own to
make a 12-hour fishing expedition feel concise. At the same time, a lack of combat and
meaningful customization give little weight to its excessive grinding, and these are clear
opportunities for improvement on the next voyage. – Gabriel Moss

Developer: Black Salt Games | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch,
PC | IGN’s Dredge Video Review

Exoprimal
From our review: As a familiar-looking hero shooter with dinosaurs added in, Exoprimal is
much bolder than it may initially seem. This is a game that I envision many people will play
and enjoy for a few hours, feel like they’ve gotten their fill of it, and then move on to
something else. But that will be an incredible shame because they’ll never experience
Exoprimal’s best content, which is hidden in the back half of its bonkers sci-fi story, and
features some of the most surprising and innovative gameplay moments I’ve experienced in a
team-based multiplayer game in a long time. I wish it took a little less time to get to those
moments, as repetition starts to creep in before they hit, but Exoprimal’s unique PvPvE
formula is impeccably designed, features fun and distinct exosuits regardless of what role you
play, and is a breath of fresh air in the multiplayer hero shooter genre. – Mitchell Saltzman