It’s that time again when we go super controversial. This time it’s in regards to Game of the Year from 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3 won the title in a behemoth of a year regarding video games. There were 6 nominees up for the throne, all deserving of the title.
I do want to explain that BG3 did deserve the title as well. I just thought Spider-Man 2 was a better game, in my own opinion of course. I understand it’s not a popular opinion hence the reason why it’s unpopular and I understand that before the comments blast me.
The 6 games nominated were as follows;
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Now, obviously going off my own experience, I’ve played both Spider-Man 2 and BG3. The game in which I had a more immersive experience was Spider-Man 2.
Now, that could be the bias talking and I’m very aware of that fact as well. I’m a huge superhero fan and I loved what Insomniac did with the first 2 Spider-Man games so this naturally appealed to me more than BG3 did.
In terms of the story, I was immediately brought into the experience whereas with BG3 it took me quite some time to get invested, and even then, I don’t think that got to the same level as Spider-Man.
The moment I controlled Venom, I couldn’t even believe what was happening. It’s that reason alone why Spider-Man was the better game for me. Not to mention all of the new customization options, the ability to glide and so much more.
When I first saw the gameplay of BG3, the fact of turn-based combat did appeal to me as I absolutely love those types of games but the combat between the two games was levels apart. I didn’t enjoy the combat as much as I have with other turn-based games like the old Final Fantasy games or even Midnight Suns.
The only thing that was missing for me when it came to Spider-Man 2 was the lack of New Game+ which meant once the game was finished, that was it.
People often talk about; “Spider-Man took 20 hours to platinum”. That’s fine. At least for me, it is anyway. A £70 game isn’t just about how much time I can squeeze out of it, it’s about the experience of playing through the game. I felt like I got a full £70 experience with Spider-Man 2 and I’m happy I paid for it. I’m happy for the same with BG3 as well of course but the point I’m making is, that time spent doesn’t always reflect whether or not a product is worth it – especially if the experience is memorable, which Spider-Man 2 is.
There was a lot to love in 2023, I’m still surprised Jedi: Survivor or Hogwarts didn’t get a look in as both of those games deserved to be mentioned as well. All in all, though I just think Spider-Man 2 was the best of that, not by a long shot but by a small margin.
I’ve been playing games for over 25 years and there’s been a lot that’s captivated me over that time considering how much time and money I do invest into gaming but 2023 was one of the best years I can remember, I don’t think it’ll be topped for a long time and that’s a positive step for the gaming industry.
There’s often times we talk about how much the gaming industry standards have dipped but in 2023 it’s been proven that it can still be great. I’m happy to be able to write an article that differentiates two fantastic games that were fully deserving of the title.
