HHW Gaming Presents The 2023 Video Game Wrap-Up

2023 was an embarrassment of riches for gamers, thanks to an endless supply of video games dropping monthly. Like we always do this time, HHW Gaming breaks down the year in gaming while sharing our favorite games we picked up the sticks for this year.

2022 was a strong year for video games thanks to titles like God of War: Ragnarok, Sifu, and Elden Ring, so you would think it would be hard to top a year full of heat.

Welp, 2023, said hold my beer, as it seemed like we got banger after banger, leaving gamers’ backlogs looking ridiculously full.

But there was other news in the gaming space this year, so let’s quickly recap what went down.

Xbox Finally Had A Solid Year

Xbox Series S | X owners finally had a reason to turn on their consoles consistently thanks to titles like Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Hi-Fi Rush, and other games landing on Xbox Game Pass.

Phil Spencer and his crew also finally bolstered its lineup by closing the Activision Blizzard King acquisition, bringing the gaming giant’s catalog of games into the Xbox library.

We have yet to see the fruits of the deal, with Call of Duty still being available on other platforms, an assurance it had to make to get the deal approved.

While Call of Duty is still a cross-platform title, Xbox exclusivity in the future is still on the table.

There was also the big Xbox Showcase that HHW Gaming had the pleasure of attending, and based on what was shown, the future seems bright for Xbox stans.

It’s only up from here. We hope.

With new Xbox hardware on the way and games like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II possibly coming in 2024, the future is bright for Team Green.

PlayStation Continued Its Dominance

It was another solid year for PlayStation and the PS5 console. Thanks to its robust library of exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and more leading to the next-gen console topping 50 million sales.

PlayStation also launched a slimmer model of the PS5 console right on time for the holiday season, the companion accessory, the PlayStation Portal, and other accessories.

As far as continuing that energy in the new year, we’re not sure 2024 will be as dominant, but maybe games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth can help keep the momentum going.

Layoffs & Leaks

While we can celebrate all the great games that came, it was not a great year for those who made them. Throughout the year, studios shuttered, and developers saw their jobs disappear.

There was also the issue of those pesky leaks. Rockstar Games and Insomniac Studios were the biggest victims. Both studios are pretty good at keeping their upcoming slate of video games close to the chest, but hackers got their hands on GTA 6 and the forthcoming game in Wolverine data and leaked it on the web.

What a bummer.

We hope that 2024 the leaks and layoffs will cease to a minimum.

HHW Gaming’s Game of The Year

Now that we have the year in games recapped, let’s focus on the games. Before we hop into the list, we will do something we have not done before and pick our favorite game of the year.

It’s pretty obvious where our choice is going, and it’s none other than Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Insomniac Games has again shown how to make a next-gen video game.

With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the studio utilized one of the world’s most popular comic book characters to showcase the power of the PS5.

We got a glimpse of what Insomniac could do with the arrival of Spider-Man: Miles Morales when the PS5 first arrived, but little did we know what exactly they were cooking up with Spider-Man 2.

Expounding on the first two games, Insomniac delivered a fantastic story, featuring not one but two friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as they each deal with their private issues.

We can’t forget that this game gives us the definitive Venom experience and a moment with the anti-hero that will leave you yearning for more.

So, we tip our hats to Insomniac Studios. They understood the assignment, and we can’t wait to play Wolverine.

The rest of the games we enjoyed this year, hit the gallery below.

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Photo: Getty / Insomniac Studios