December 29th 2023.
It's that time of year again when the awards for the best video game visuals, music, and storytelling of 2023 are up for grabs. We've already highlighted 20 of the best games of the year, but we love to applaud all the hard work that goes into making video games, especially those that don't get the recognition they deserve.
Our pick for the Best Visuals award goes to the highly anticipated Spider-Man 2. Even if you don't love the game itself, you can't deny that it is a stunning visual achievement. The incredible detail and complexity of the visuals, along with the cinematic presentation and facial animation, make it a real interactive movie. It was reportedly an expensive game to make, and the results speak for themselves. Dave The Diver also deserves a mention for its charming pixel art.
The Best Innovation award goes to The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. We're still in awe of how Nintendo managed to make such complex physics interactions work on a six-year-old console with less horsepower than the average smartwatch. The full control it gives players to use the physics engine for their own contraptions is a huge achievement. Even Baldur's Gate 3's impressive virtual Dungeon Master had to come second in this category.
The award for Format of the Year goes to the Nintendo Switch for having such an incredible year. Not only did it launch some incredibly good games such as Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Fire Emblem Engage and Metroid Prime Remastered, but it also saw the release of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
The Remake of the Year award goes to Resident Evil 4. We had our doubts that a remake of the 2005 original would work, but Capcom proved us wrong. While it was slightly less goofy than the original, it still had some of the same dialogue and was just as fun to play. It was a great year for remakes and remasters, with Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp and Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection bringing back some of our favourite portable franchises. We also have to mention Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes and Dead Space, which all received brilliant remakes. However, our runner-up for Remake of the Year goes to Metroid Prime Remastered, which felt like an entirely new game.
Finally, the award for Best Music goes to the indie gem Sea Of Stars. Its soundtrack is one of the best of the year, and it's definitely worthy of recognition.
2023 has been a year of amazing video games, with so many of them vying for awards for best visuals, music, and storytelling. We've already revealed what we consider to be the 20 best games of the year, but we always like to give out awards for important categories, especially if they help to highlight games that have otherwise not been talked about yet.
The award for Best Visuals goes to Marvel's Spider-Man 2. While we don't usually give this award to the game with the most high-tech graphics, we can't deny that Spider-Man 2 is a stunning visual achievement. Not only does it feature amazing detail and complexity, but its cinematic presentation and facial animation rivals that of Naughty Dog. It's no wonder that the game reportedly cost $300 million to make. As for the runner-up, Dave The Diver charmed us with its pixel art.
The Best Innovation award is a tricky one, but we had to give it to The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. Nintendo managed to create a complex physics engine that works on the six-year-old Switch console, which has less horsepower than the average smart watch. On top of that, the game gives you full control to use the physics engine in creative ways. Runner-up Baldur's Gate 3 also deserves recognition for its complex virtual Dungeon Master.
The Format of the Year award was a close one, but we ultimately chose the Nintendo Switch. With games like Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Fire Emblem Engage, Metroid Prime Remastered, Pikmin 4, Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp, WarioWare: Move It!, and Super Mario RPG, it's clear that the Switch had a great year. The Meta Quest 3 VR headset also deserves a nod, even if the cost of living crisis isn't the best time for its release.
Moving on to the Remake of the Year award, it was a difficult decision but we had to give it to Resident Evil 4. We were among those who thought that a remake would never work, but Capcom proved us wrong. It's still wonderfully campy, and the remake fully deserves to be spun off into its own game. We also have to mention Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes, and Dead Space. Runner-up Metroid Prime Remastered was so good, it virtually felt like a remake.
Last but not least, Best Music goes to Sea Of Stars. This indie gem charmed us with its amazing soundtrack, and it certainly deserves to be recognized.
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