The Finals is the biggest surprise of 2023 for me. It entered the online shooters market out of the blue and with a bang, announcing its intention to elbow its way through the competition. There’s a long and difficult road ahead of it, as right now it lacks some basic features we’ve come to expect, the characters are poorly balanced and AI-generated voice-overs sound pretty awful, but it’s been ages since any game sucked me in for so many hours. I believe The Finals has a bright future and a chance to become a significant player in its genre.

Probably the most surprising DLC of 2023. Unexpected and engaging, Valhalla digs into Kratos’ past more boldly than Ragnarok and God of War from 2018. It’s an absolute must-play for fans of the series, especially since it’s free.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not terrible and I’d be lying if I told you I suffered through it, but I expect more from a AAA title than a semi-polished gameplay, a run-of-the-mill story and environments that oscillate between breathtaking and mediocre. Ubisoft Massive’s game has moments showing it could have been great, but overall turned out uninspired.

Against the Storm boasts fast, intense, perfectly balanced and immensely satisfying gameplay that blends multiple genres. Hugely varied elements the game is built of miraculously work together great and make erecting new settlements a fascinating challenge.

For Rent is the antithesis of a fresh and interesting expansion pack. Everything about it seems overly simplified and ill-considered, vast majority of its contents recycles known features to various degrees and places them in a world that feels like a cardboard cutout, while the only major addition is supported by gameplay mechanics that are just not satisfying enough.

Were the gameplay limited to survival elements and managing the titular mobile base, Last Train Home would have been great. Sadly, missions focused on combat are really disappointing and ultimately all the advantages of the game come from its atmosphere and skillful use of historical and geographical setting.

I admit I was fooled by the marketing campaign and hoped for an indie survival horror gem. Stray Souls turned out to be a nightmare but for completely different reasons than I expected. It’s an extremely poor game that should have never seen the light of day and I’m flabbergasted that no one – neither the developers nor the publisher nor the investors – said THAT’S ENOUGH at some point.

In terms of improvements and the overall quality of the remaster, Nightdive Studios did some really solid work. The problem lies in the game itself – Acclaim was overly fixated on Valve’s success and as a result published something that was neither a good Half-Life nor a particularly satisfying Turok.

House Flipper 2 is a very good sequel that fixes most of its predecessor’s flaws by offering more elaborate gameplay, an excellent sandbox mode, and better graphics. I’d be completely over the moon if it weren’t for some technical issues, annoying new painting mechanics, and the fact that assembly was relegated to a separate minigame.

SteamWorld Build will not push you up against the wall and leave you shaken like Frostpunk or grip you for hundreds of hours like Anno. Its ambitions are smaller, but it’s a beautiful, easy-to-digest and highly polished little simulation that will keep you captivated from the beginning to the slightly hollow end.

Super Mario RPG is a creative and very accessible take on the RPG formula. You’ll traverse many lands and fight tons of battles to save the kingdom, while enjoying a hefty dose of light humor. If you’re looking for unwavering positive vibes, you will definitely find them here.

Despite the cumbersome interface and some weariness that creeps in later on, World of Horror is worth checking out thanks to its art style and well-written, weird, spine-chilling stories. Even though I know how the game ends, for some masochistic reason I want to relive this nightmare over and over again.

Stronghold is one of the best real-time strategies of the turn of the century. The Definitive Edition may be a nice way to revisit this beloved classic, but it can also be disappointing if you expect a polished game that’s free of bugs and imperfections of the original.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III lost the chance to be great when Activision Blizzard decided to turn a DLC for the previous installment into a stand-alone title. As a result, Sledgehammer didn’t have enough time to properly polish the game, and that took a heavy toll across the board, from the absolutely deplorable story campaign to the disappointing Zombie mode to the multiplayer.

Warcraft Rumble has solid gameplay mechanics and very nice audiovisual side, as expected from Blizzard. However, its economy is rather unfriendly. While it’s not a pay-to-win situation, the game forces you to grind heavily and turns fun into a chore.

This is what a game looks like when a couple of guys without a proper financial support or sufficient experience bite off more than they can chew. Quantum Error is a disastrous display of amateurishness, poor and terribly implemented ideas, and, above all, overblown ambitions. Rubbish of the decade.

Simply put, EA Sports WRC is a great game for both casual players and rally veterans, as it perfectly balances between arcade feel and realism. It would be even better if it weren’t for one of the industry’s biggest headaches – poor optimization that sucks some of the joy out of the experience.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PC) – 80 Although its plot should be understandable to newcomers, the most compact Yakuza game is primarily a gift for loyal fans of the series hungry for more of Kiryu’s adventures. You get to beat up hundreds of thugs, fight for honor, help people and enjoy numerous stories – all that with the usual tons of unique charm that’s worth experiencing.

Wonderful philosophical reflections, a lot to discover, and truly phenomenal brainteasers make The Talos Principle II a dream puzzle game. I’d love more continuity in the dialogues and a stronger impact of my choices on what the androids discuss, but The Talos Principles II is still amazing.

Web of Wyrd is the best Hellboy game, but that doesn’t mean it’s great. It’s an undemanding roguelite that can provide a couple of hours of simple, rather repetitive entertainment. However, it has strong points too, namely the atmosphere and the art style which makes it look like Mike Mignola’s comic book in motion.

The best parts of Under the Waves are the moments when you can peacefully explore the depths of the sea and observe the creatures that inhabit them. The story about an evil corporation and a man who can’t cope with loss is clunky and introduces an unnecessary emotional weight that spoiled the whole experience for me.

Initially, the game is solid, but it quickly starts to lose its identity and alternates extremely difficult moments with childishly easy ones. In addition, an interesting setting and nice-looking environments are dragged down by outdated graphics and poorly designed gameplay mechanics. Achilles: Legends Untold had the potential for greatness, but ended up being a middling game that you can enjoy only if you’re ready to constantly turn a blind eye to its flaws.

RoboCop: Rogue City is an uncompromising shooter that became my guilty pleasure. It might lack high production values or the spark of ingenuity, but you can clearly see heart and soul put into it. The game was obviously made by RoboCop buffs for RoboCop buffs, because the amount of fan service it contains is overwhelming.

You may dislike walking sims, you may have never heard of Stanisław Lem or you don’t care for his books. In all those cases The Invincible extends a hand to you. Firstly, it tries to vary the gameplay as much as possible. Secondly, it doesn’t require knowledge of the novel it draws from. Thirdly, it makes Lem’s hard sci-fi accessible even for people who are not fond of his work. Above all, The Invincible is a neatly told story, suspenseful till the very end and supported by an absolutely brilliant soundtrack.

Alan Wake 2 looks like a true AAA game, but experiments with form and content like an ambitious indie title. Since it sounds like typical Remedy, are there no surprises? On the contrary! In my opinion, despite some annoying bugs and clunky combat, it's the best game the Finns have released since the first Max Payne.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is not a safe addition to the franchise, it’s a new spin on Nintendo’s platformers. The Japanese developer delivered amazing graphics, smooth gameplay, and a multitude of previously unseen features, while the effects caused by wonder flowers are more exciting than riding a roller coaster. A must-have for Switch owners.

Cities: Skylines 2 meets most of the expectations, it is addictive and gives you incentives to keep coming back. It’s an impressive new standard for the genre, essentially an ultimate city builder with a great potential to become even better. However, there’s a fly in the ointment, namely some graphical glitches, poor optimization, and balance issues involving a couple of features.

I see a parallel between Lords of the Fallen and Dark Souls II: there’s something amiss here and there, but the game is trying its best. Everybody knows there are better, more polished titles in this genre, but what LotF lacks in terms of gameplay or technical execution, it makes up for with interesting ideas, solid boss battles or the unique atmosphere of Umbral, the realm of the dead. I recommend giving it a chance, because in most part it is a decent game.