Game of the Year 2023 – Best Gameplay

thesixthaxis.com:

I think almost every gamer would agree that how a game feels to play is absolutely the most important factor in whether it’s fun or not. Given how many fan-created ‘demakes’ there are of contemporary blockbusters, the proliferation of pixel art (which while it can be pretty is hardly pushing graphical limits), and hilariously shonky nonsense of a game like Vampire Survivors, it’s pretty clear that gameplay is king.

So… which games felt the best and most fun for us in 2023?

Given how much time many of us spend with earbuds shoved down ear canals these days, I’m sure many people can relate and appreciate how and why Chai taps, clicks and bops along to the music that fills his world.

Music is everything to Hi-Fi Rush, bleeding into the Devil May Cry or Bayonetta style hack-and-slash action by making all of Chai’s attacks now stick rigidly to the beat. You can dish out extra damage by timing your button taps to hit the beat as well in rhythm game style, and there’s a musical twist to the timing of certain combo attack patterns and mini-games dotted throughout the game world.

Most importantly, people without a rhythmic bone in their body (or with TVs that don’t have a decent low latency game mode) can still happily play along. There’s still all of the fun Saturday morning cartoon visuals, with the world bopping along to the beat around you, and various on screen assists to try and help you with your timing, but if you don’t get things perfectly on the beat, all you’re missing out on is some bonus damage and a lower rating at the end of a fight. It’s way more satisfying to lean into the music, but there’s a fun beat ’em up here with tons of style regardless.

– Stefan L

Street Fighter 6 brings the classic series up to date with a