Is Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Still A 2023 GOTY Contender?

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Earlier in the year, successor may have seemed like a potential game of the year, but 2023 has seen many exciting, refined, and innovative games released since then that make the latest title feel lackluster. Compared to ’s marriage of the renowned JRPG series with silky smooth combat, or modernizing the beloved video game series, did far less for. Essentially bolting a clunky item fusion system onto an existing game map, simply cannot stand alongside the true gaming greats of 2023.

The scale and ambition of may have impressed on release, but it became clear that more locations to explore does not equate with enjoyable gameplay. The Depths are ugly and dull, adding a vast and unpleasant underground world largely devoid of interesting content. While the verticality of is an impressive feat, as are its new methods for traversal, often feels like merely an expansion to. Alternatively, from a different perspective, felt unfinished, and was simply the finished product. In a leaner year, that still might have been enough to merit the most coveted GOTY accolade.

Related: Tears Of The Kingdom Shows One Zelda Gameplay Feature Still Needs Work

This year has been anything but lean, however, and the string of more ambitious and well-polished successes shove out of serious consideration for game of the year by most rubrics. The minimalist storytelling of cannot compare to the heartfelt bonds in or the myriad narratives of. Nintendo’s flagship franchise provided a much better entry with, a game that flawlessly captured the timeless charm of the 2D platformer while adding truly creative new mechanics. ’s most recent entry, conversely, presents another awkward amalgamation of other open-world adventure games, still lacking proper