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If there’s anything I love, it’s RPGs. So it’s time to talk about GOTY contenders for 2023. We’ve covered all the games below to some degree at Sportskeeda, and after discussing it, this is the current list of best role-playing games that have come out this year. Of course, it could change as more titles release in November and December.
Unfortunately, we aren’t counting remakes and remasters, so the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection can’t make the RPG GOTY contenders list. The year 2023 was excellent for role-playing games, though, and the entries that made this list all stand out in some way or another as excellent options.
What are 2023’s GOTY contenders in the RPG genre?
1) Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 has truly taken the world by storm. It’s a game that was technically out—it had early access for quite some time. The full retail release was another matter entirely. More than a few of my friends have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours playing through the game. Each time a little different from the last; whether multiplayer or solo, it transfixed so many players.
It’s easily one of the GOTY contenders for role-playing games in 2023, that’s for sure. From multiple endings, quality gameplay, a compelling Dungeons & Dragons story, and plenty of mods to shake things up, Baldur’s Gate 3 is proof that the CRPG genre is far from dead.
2) Final Fantasy 16
As far as personal opinion goes, Final Fantasy 16 is the RPG GOTY. A few flaws in the story could stand some addressing, but the gameplay, the overall challenge, and the flow of the main story itself really gripped me. It was an emotional tale with a satisfying ending, memorable characters, and so much more.
I could talk about how great I think Final Fantasy 16 is all day. It had to be if I spent about 120 hours playing it through twice back to back: from the review period to an NG+ run on Final Fantasy difficulty afterward. Do not skip this game.
3) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It was always going to be hard to top The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The folks at Nintendo for sure built upon that foundation and still made something new, something exciting in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The game had so many new, fun aspects to tackle in a familiar Hyrule. People have crafted some of the most ingenious and terrifying weapons of destruction thanks to the various new abilities Link has access to. It’s a vast, open world that’s open to whatever you want to do as a player, and when it comes to RPGs, this may be the GOTY for the Nintendo Switch, if not the genre.
I still have so much to do in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and that’s okay. It’s a game I enjoy coming back to every so often and finding something that I didn’t know about before.
4) Diablo 4
Despite the issues season 1 had, I still think the base launch of Diablo 4 is one of the best Blizzard’s had in a while. The classes are enjoyable, and there are so many different builds you can try. Sure, there are issues, but I think when it comes to online action RPGs, Diablo 4 takes the cake as one of the GOTY contenders for RPGs.
The story still has me thinking about what’s next, and the game launched in June! It’s just fun to log on and slaughter demons and the undead for a couple of hours, and the team is constantly working on new content. While sure, season 1 was a bit of a dud, season 2 has started off much better.
5) Octopath Traveler 2
Octopath Traveler was one of my favorite Square Enix RPGs, other than one glaring flaw. Octopath Traveler 2 fixed that and made leveling up significantly easier. The characters were just as memorable, and the stories were as dark and depressing as expected. What can I say? I like tragedy in my RPGs. I think Octopath Traveler 2 might be a bit underrated, but it’s definitely a GOTY contender.
I think perhaps one of my favorite things is how the story can get serious and oftentimes heavy, but you combine it with truly spectacular pixel graphics. The visual style of Octopath Traveler 2 isn’t for everyone, but I’m not the only one who loves it.
There’s still time left for this list to shift, however. Until December 2023 arrives, we’ll keep an eye on the RPGs that could be GOTY contenders and give them their due consideration. If you want to see more amazing games, we did a similar list for indie titles.
