I didn’t forget them, I myself am a Cyberpunk fiend, but we’re talking titles that stand on their own. Cyberpunk is not a 2023 title, and I’m saying this despite the massive overhaul they did in the base game and the expansion.

Dead Space is great but is a remake, so it is has a pre-existing foundation that automatically adds to its score and elevates its rating amongst gamers. Same for RE4. So is Metroid Prime. They were incredible but 2023 is not their year. They are existing titles with enhanced in game physics and modern graphics. They may have added features, but 80/20 is the same game.

As for 2022 I could’ve said Last of Us Part I remastered, but I didn’t because it isn’t a 2022 title.

Even though my opinion may be unpopular, this is something that is widely talked about; how AAA studios are scared to take risks and start new IPs because they are scared of failure because of the massive investments made in the industry by people with unrealistic expectations. And this year is proof of that. This year is a success based off of the initial success of existing IPs. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 may be the only outliers, simply that the last BG game was made 23 years and 11 years respectively, so each release had to really blow our socks off and prove why it’s worth playing, and they did.

The likes of Spider-Man 2 and Legend of Zelda come from massive studios, so what would take 10 years to make perfect takes them 1-3 years, which really sets different standards for everyone else for how fast they have to release games. Even FromSoft revives an decade long dormant IP instead of building momentum and risking a new IP, which they could have. So the engagement and sales might look right, but they are definitely running out of ideas