The Best Game of 2023 goes to Baldur's Gate 3!　A look back at The Game Awards 2023, which was filled with award-winning titles and new releases.

The best game of 2023 went to Baldur's Gate 3!

The Game of The Year ("GOTY") award, given to the best game released that year, went to "Baldur's Gate 3". This RPG developed by Larian Studios of Belgium is based on the world popular table talk RPG "Dungeons & Dragons" and faithfully reproduces its world view and game system.

Baldur's Gate 3

There are a great many patterns of action that players can take in this game. When mediating a discussion, do they keep it simple or do they use force? There are 17,000 possible endings in this title due to the vast number of different branches, both large and small, including relationships that change between characters depending on the responses to their conversations. Depending on how you play the game, you can be a chivalrous man with a strong sense of justice, or a brutal bandit.

Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 features turn-based battles. In addition to a variety of attacks of varying power and range, such as swords and magic, there are also environmental tactics, such as pushing down enemies from high places or setting fire to burn down enemies by spreading oil on the ground.

In addition, the game offers character creation that allows players to set up a wide variety of items, such as race, class, and background. Combined with the profound storyline and the many tactics available, "Baldur's Gate 3" provides players with an overwhelming sense of immersion. It is truly a role-playing game that allows players to enjoy their own personal adventures.

In addition to the Grand Prize, "Baldur's Gate 3" also won awards for "Best Performance," "Best Community Support," "Best RPG," "Best Multiplayer Presented by Discord" and "Player's Voice. In total, the game was selected in six categories. The game is currently available for PC, and a PS5 version with Japanese language support will be released on December 21, 2023.

Baldur's Gate 3

Looking at the nominees for this year's awards, they are all very impressive. First, "Alan Wake 2," the first sequel in 13 years since "Alan Wake," with its impressive contrasts between light and dark, reality and fiction, and "Marvel 's Spider-Man 2.

Resident Evil RE:4," which recreates the story and stages as closely as possible, but with a knife and other elaborate arrangements that make the game look good enough to be played today. Super Mario Bros. Wonder," which is a traditional 2D scrolling game with a wide variety of tricks based on the element of "wonder," was also a contender.

Resident Evil RE:4

And based on the previous title, which won the 2017 GOTY award, new air and underground fields were added. Another such title is "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which offered players a tremendous amount of strategies with new abilities to combine various objects. The lineup of titles was so impressive and deserving of nominations that it was no surprise that any of them could have won GOTY.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It is also impressive that three of the six nominees are Japanese titles. Last year, "Elden Ring" (From Software) was named GOTY in 2022, and before that, "Resident Evil Village" (Capcom) and "Metroid Dread" (Nintendo) were nominated in 2021. Although the Grand Prize was not awarded this time, it confirms the fact that Japanese games are widely accepted and popular both at home and abroad.

The latest in the "Monster Hunter" series and a new horror game directed by Hideo Kojima were also nominated.

OD

Along with the awards ceremony, TGA2023 also featured announcements of a variety of new games. Especially exciting to the audience was "OD," a new game by Hideo Kojima, the director of the much talked-about "Death Stranding," in which a short clip of two men and a woman talking about creepy things such as "hungry purple dinosaurs" and "eating and peddling crazy whales" was shown. Director Kojima himself then took the stage with director Jordan Peele, known for "NOPE," and revealed that he is developing this film in cooperation with him.

Also announced was "Monster Hunter Wilds," the latest entry in the "Monster Hunter" series, which will be released in 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The video shows animals moving across a vast desert area. A scene in which a character who appears to be the player on horseback escapes from an oncoming sandstorm and another herd of animals can also be seen. Like the previously released "Monster Hunter: World," the game looks like it will allow players to enjoy a powerful hunting experience that takes full advantage of the performance of the current consoles.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Sega announced a series of new titles based on its own former masterpieces. Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, and Bare Knuckle can all be seen in the new trailer. Fans of yesteryear may want to keep an eye on Sega's future.

The GOTY award ceremony, as well as a number of new releases, made TGA2023 even more exciting than usual, and the official TGA account on YouTube has posted an archive of the TGA2023 feed, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out.