The best video games of 2023, from 'Baldur’s Gate' to 'Alan Wake 2'

Final Fantasy XVI has a wild blend of modern gameplay mechanics and breathtaking action sequences. — Square Enix/TNS

To say 2023 was a staccato year for the video game industry would be... generous. From the games themselves to the state of the industry, 2023 oscillated between soaring highs and humiliating lows.

The industry produced some truly phenomenal originals, sequels and remakes – we’ll get into those in a minute – but also dumped some true dreck on us: The Walking Dead: Destinies, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and, earlier this month, The Day Before, which is charging US$40 (RM185) for one of the lowest-reviewed titles on Steam, the PC game storefront.