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[harry mason 1989]

Nope
1998
2001
2004
2009
These are the golden years imo

 

[bender]

1347

 

[Games of Today]

Not even close man. It's a lot of games that I'm sure people will enjoy but there are barely any actual major releases outside of Spiderman 2, Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3. Everything else is lower tier or a semi glitchy mess.

 

[Fbh]

It's definitely there as one of the best.
If no one released a single game next year I could probably spend it all just catching up with the releases from this one.

With that said I think the only thin it's lacking compared to other GOAT years is more new IP's and more new ideas. Most of the games this year are samey sequels and remakes, we are also 3 years into a new gen and basically nothing feels next gen

 

[zeldaring]

Look up 2001.

Yea 2001 wins, and thinking about it, it's not even close. Totk Is a great game with a lot of flaws it basically BOTW 1.5, and not revolutionary at all . I'm not into turn based RPGS so i might try BG3 when it's on sale for 20$.

GTA 3 set the bar for open world games
Halo changed shooters on consoles for ever
DMC the first true action hack and slasher the father of the genre
MGS 2 Took the cinematic gaming experience to another level
GT3 Defined the racing simulation experience
Super smash melee
Bulders gate 2
Onimusha
Dead or alive 3
sonic adventure 2
Silent hill 2

The list goes on.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Going off of some of the responses in this thread, the appropriate response to this image would be:

"7 sequels, a button masher, an artsy fartsy game, and a kids game. Awful year."

this is the most idiotic thing i readed today.

just cause a game is "numbered" it dosnt make it a sequel.

 

[analog_future]

this is the most idiotic thing i readed today.

just cause a game is "numbered" it dosnt make it a sequel.

I mean, that's my point. There's a lot of idiotic replies in this thread, like calling TotK "DLC".

 

[Zathalus]

Too soon to tell, if most of those upcoming games turn out to be great then sure, you can make a case for it.

 

[xpresstuning]

You're joking, right?

2004:

Half Life 2
Doom 3
Far cry
Unreal Tournament 2004
GTA: San Andreas
Halo 2
Metal Gear Solid 3
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
The Sims 2
Burnout 3: Takedown
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Pikmin 2
Jak 3
Fable
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic
World of Warcraft

(... holy shiiiiiiit, AND THERE'S MORE!)

Rome: Total War
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Counter Strike: Source
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Star Wars: Battlefront
Viewtiful Joe 2
Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines
Painkiller
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Gran Turismo 4

Then there's 1998, you dont wanna see that list. Anyway, don't get me wrong, 2023 is a great year, so were other years. 2007 is another strong highlight. But calling it the greatest? Nah.

1. 1998
2. 2004
3. 2007
4. Every single year since. Good years, bad years, they're all completely irrelevant compared to 2004, let alone 1998. Maybe some can arguably compare to 2007, dunno.

 

[FunkMiller]

Yea 2001 wins, and thinking about it, it's not even close. Totk Is a great game with a lot of flaws it basically BOTW 1.5, and not revolutionary at all . I'm not into turn based RPGS so i might try BG3 when it's on sale for 20$.

GTA 3 set the bar for open world games
Halo changed shooters on consoles for ever
DMC the first true action hack and slasher the father of the genre
MGS 2 Took the cinematic gaming experience to another level
GT3 Defined the racing simulation experience
Super smash melee
Bulders gate 2
Onimusha
Dead or alive 3
sonic adventure 2
Silent hill 2

The list goes on.

2001 is by a country mile the best year in video gaming ever. When you list it all out it's quite incredible.

To add to your list:

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 & 3
Final Fantasy 10
Jak and Daxter
Civ 3
Max Payne
Pikmin
Baldur's Gate 2
Animal Crossing

it goes on and on and on...

1998 is second place and everything else is way below those two.

 

[geary]

Why stop at 2001 and 1998, when you can go back to 80's at Tetris. And while there be careful to do not fall of your high horse.

 

[analog_future]

to all the naysayers in this thread, i say

 

[xpresstuning]

2001 is by a country mile the best year in video gaming ever. When you list it all out it's quite incredible.

To add to your list:

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 & 3
Final Fantasy 10
Jak and Daxter
Civ 3
Max Payne
Pikmin
Baldur's Gate 2
Animal Crossing

it goes on and on and on...

1998 is second place and everything else is way below those two.

Shit, forgot about 2001 .. hmm

1. 1998
2. 2004
3. 2001
4. 2007

And that's about it for me.

 

[saintjules]

Will 2023 Be the Greatest Year Ever in Gaming so far you mean? Maybe. Ever? No. The end of the World hasn't come yet.

 

[MacReady13]

Great year but I thought 1993 was a stand out year as well...

 

[Evil Calvin]

Looking at AAA there is literally only 1 new and fresh (hopefully) IP - Starfield. Lies of P is much smaller budget and just another souls clone that's an ok game at best judging by the demo. Hogwart's Legacy plays like any other open-world game, just well made and in different setting.

I guess Baldur's Gate 3 could be also counted as something new and fresh. So let's make that 2.

I agree about Baldur's Gate 3 will fare on GOTY. Personally I like it MUCH better than TOTK (as that IS like DLC). But the arguments between the Nintendo fans who eat up Zelda (and most never played a CRPG like Baldur's Gate) vs the PC and PS5 players who played BG3. Should be fun.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

No.

This has been a good year, yes. A lot of really great games, but they're just better iterations of things we've already had for 20 years.

If 2025 rolls around and a studio releases a game with a revolutionary NPC and environmental AI system that changes everything, no one's going to mention 2023 ever again. However, people will still talk about 90's-00's, etc. when discussing greatest years of all-time for the industry.

Until that next watershed moment, 2023 is just a bright spot we're currently enjoying.

 

[Jigsaah]

Already released:

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Street Fighter 6
• Resident Evil 4
• Diablo IV
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Metroid Prime Remastered
• Pikmin 4
• Quake II
• Dave the Diver
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Dead Space

Still to come:

• Forza Motorsport
• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
• Alan Wake II
• Lies of P
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Cities:Skylines 2
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Sea of Stars
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• Cocoon
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Starfield
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Super Mario RPG

what the fuck

Jesus, not another thread like this. And no, it's not even close. 2007. Check the releases that year. A quick google search puts this year to shame

 

[GrayFoxPL]

 

[TexMex]

Great year.

Not the best of all time and plenty (most) of the games on your list we won’t be talking about 12 months from now, let alone 10-20 years.

 

[Melchiah]

Hell no. Far too much open world.

1999 is still the king.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Remakes and remasters shouldn't even be on that list.

 

[VideoGameEnjoyer]

It's gotta be up there.

I wasn't conscious of the gaming landscape in 01 and 04. Even in 07 all I had was a 360. And while I loved Halo 3, Bioshock, AC, only a few games for one console were available to me any given year.

Since I've been in the position to own all consoles, and play whatever game I want when it comes out, and I follow the industry closely? Yea, it's probably the best. But I haven't been as excited for any game this year as I was for Elden Ring and Ragnarok last year, and Elden Ring is quite possibly my GOAT and I loved Ragnarok. And it was fun being as excited as I was for those games. Even if I can say BG3 is a better game than Ragnarok, GoW:R was still a bigger deal to me, if that makes sense. In 10 years that probably won't matter, but it is still recent enough right now.

The volume and quality of games this year is insane, but most people will probably have a very personal answer to this. 2023 is definitely better than last year for me, but if ER and Ragnarok would be at the top of the list for games released between the two years, then which year is better?

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

It's definitely up there, dunno about best.

 

[analog_future]

 

[Raven117]

Top tier, yes. Best, absolutely not.

 

[RiccochetJ]

I'd say it's going to be up there for sure. There's been a ton of great games so far and hopefully even better ones this fall.

 

[KimDongHwan]

It's funny that you add "unquestionable" to your title but then a lot of the post are questioning your claim.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Little premature to say that when none of the big fall releases have hit yet. That’s sort of what the game of the year discussion in Nov/Dec is for

 

[Sub_Level]

1. 1998
2. 2001
3. 2007
4. 2004
5. 2017
6. 2023

Damn good year!

 

[kiphalfton]

Already released:

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Street Fighter 6
• Resident Evil 4
• Diablo IV
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Metroid Prime Remastered
• Pikmin 4
• Quake II
• Dave the Diver
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Dead Space

Still to come:

• Forza Motorsport
• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
• Alan Wake II
• Lies of P
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Cities:Skylines 2
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Sea of Stars
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• Cocoon
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Starfield
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Super Mario RPG

what the fuck

If that's the most notable stuff coming out this year, then big "oof"; no way is this year even close to the best year in gaming (or even close).

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Not enough big great new IPs. 1998 beats it easily.

New IPs have been lacking for a very long time.

Although I suppose in 1998 the industry itself was so new that you were always pioneering.

 

[AV]

Ehh, no. Much as I think BG3's an all-timer. Historical context is a thing. There's not so many good games out this year that I can't keep track of them with a 9-5 job, I'm just choosing what not to play.

Bleak enough that 4 of your "already released" list are remakes even if those remakes are all good.

 

[rofif]

It is finally a good year but 2006, 2007, 2004, 2003, 1997 all beat it.
It might be the best gaming year in last DECADE though. ... maybe 2015 was good too. But nothing is 2011

My personal fav is 2011 - crazy year. my wallet hurts
MASS EFFECT 2 (best game ever made mind you)
portal 2
gears 3
Killzone 3
Resistance 3 (many sony games in one year!)
Uncharted 3
cod mw 3
saints row 3 (my goty of 2011 lol, I played dark souls early 2012)
dead space 2
Infamous 2
Arkham city
Binding of isaac!!!
Skyrim
dark souls
Rage
Deus Ex HR
Witcher 2
Red Faction Armageddon (I liked it more than Guerilla)
Battlefield 3
L.A Noire
Skyward sword
motorstorm Apocalypse
Minecraft
Crysis2
Bulletstorm
Dead Island
Homefront
Littlebigplanet 2
Rayman origins
bastion
mario 3d land
Mortal Kombat
forza 4
mario kart 7
warhammer space marine
Dragon Age 2
Xenoblade Chronicles
AND OF COURSE - DUKE NUKEM FOREVER lol.

Seriously. I am skipping some high rated games here. Mostly limiting the list to what I remember being huge in the community or that I consider worth while.
That reminds me. I gotta replay Mass Effect 2 (egendary edition) and Rage. That game was fucking amazing. Replayed Saints Row 3 last year. Still good.

This year, for me highlights so far are:
Forspoken
Dead Space Remake
RE4 remake
Hogwarts
FF 16

 

[Sojiro]

This is a great year, don't get me wrong, but when you exclude all the remakes/remasters I feel like it isn't as strong as some year in the past. This would be one of the best in the last 3-4 years I think. For me, after going between 3 different years a good bit, I have to lean toward year 2000 as the best, with 1998/2001 as a close tie for second. Some of the stand out games year 2000 had:

Diablo II
Final Fantasy IX (my personal fave of the series)
Jet Grind Radio
Quake III Arena
Baldur's Gate II
Skies of Arcadia
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
LoZ: Majora's Mask
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
Perfect Dark
The Sims
Deus Ex
Grandia II
Counter Strike
Command and Conquer Red Alert 2
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike (2nd impact was the same year, but most people like 3rd strike more)
Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
Breath of Fire IV
Vagrant Story
Chrono Cross

All the then current consoles (except maybe PS2 at that point, it's really good stuff started hitting in '01) and PC were cranking out a lot of top tier games. PC had game changers like Diablo II (still the fan favorite of the series), Counter Strike and Baldur's Gate 2. PS1 was still churning out fucking amazing JRPGs even though it was winding down, N64 was still pumping some great games out, and Dreamcast was in its (short lived) prime. 98 and 01 were also incredibly strong years as well, and I could have listed them as well, but for me I gotta go with 2k.

 

[existensmaximum]

There are so many years from the 80's, 90's and 2000's and beyond that are so much... infinitely better that there's no use listing them all.

 

[blacktout]

You know, as much as we bitch about gaming, there are quite a few "best year ever" contenders and they're pretty evenly distributed.

 

[Solidus_T]

It's pretty good.
So far I have played:
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Tears of the Kingdom
Street Fighter 6
Final Fantasy XVI
and the holy GOTY Baldur's Gate 3.
Planning on getting Armored Core VI and the Elden Ring DLC.

Despite all of this, I can think of a couple other years in gaming that were better. 2001, just counting the PS2, is eternal. It gets even better with other platforms included.

EDIT: Thinking more about why some may consider this year the best; after so many years of constant MTX battle pass unfinished games releasing at full price, we've been graced with some excellent ones that are so good they have corporate press cycles and other studios knocking them in the fear that gamers will expect complete games without a live service for one price, like FFXVI and especially Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[systemr123]

How are TotK and Baldur's Gate 3 not paradigm shifting games? Not to mention the scope of a game like Starfield.

Because they are not? They’re all sequels of existing games, and Starfields scope is tiny compared to No man’s sky for example. It might be a much better or more fun game than NMS but the scope is not really that special. Also, until you actually get to play it you don’t have a clue if the amount of content is both big, aaaaand fun to play.

 

[worldwithpyramids]

No? Diablo 4 is genuine shit. Hogwarts is a ponderous, generic open world game with a big IP attached to it. You listed four games that are literally decades old remasters/remakes.

It’s possibly the most overrated year ever.

 

[VideoGameEnjoyer]

Because they are not? They’re all sequels of existing games, and Starfields scope is tiny compared to No man’s sky for example. It might be a much better or more fun game than NMS but the scope is not really that special. Also, until you actually get to play it you don’t have a clue if the amount of content is both big, aaaaand fun to play.

So NMS was paradigm shifting? So shifting the paradigm has nothing to do with quality? Where are we landing this plane?

BG2 was over twenty years ago, sure you can call BG3 a sequel, and dock it for that. But that is extremely reductive and pretty pointless in this argument. It is a historically niche genre, and it hit the mainstream in a massive way that no game of that genre had done before. Seems like a paradigm shift to me.

 

[Edgelord79]

Lots of good games for sure, but best year ever is questionable. I’m more partial to 1998.

I would agree it’s been a very good year though.

 

[solidus12]

And Starfield will be the most important game ever released.

 

[Boneless]

Loads of poor and mediocre games on that list, raise your bar.

 

[Naked Lunch]

1998.
This year has been better than recent ones - but its no contest - 1998 will never be topped.

 

[simpatico]

Already released: a list with only 3 original games

This year feels like a rerun.

 

[Small John McCarthy]

Incredible year, no doubt! I just wish I could get excited about any of it!

 

[Vlodril]

It is one of the best for sure. People will cry about it through their nostalgia glasses but it's fact.

 

[Topher]

Redfall and Forspoken ruined it for me

kidding....great year

 

[clarky]

Redfall and Forspoken ruined it for me

kidding....great year

Like painful women, shit games are best avoided.

They'll only ruin shit if you engage with them, regardless if they are on gamepass or not.