10 games released in 2023 that promised nothing but delivered everything

Building anticipation for a game can be a double-edged sword. After all, it will either confirm everything everyone expected, or it will be subjected to a much greater barrage of criticism than is seen in less popular titles. However, when there are not too many expectations, the game does not take too many risks and still has the potential to pleasantly surprise players, as happened with Hi-Fi Rush and Pizza Tower in 2023, for example. Below, see ten games that didn't promise much, but delivered a lot during the year.

🎮 5 rhythm games for those who loved Hi-Fi Rush
🚨Latest promotions of the year: Follow the best offers, discounts and coupons live

👉 What are the top 10 games in your opinion? Comment on the TechTudo forum
🔔 TechTudo WhatsApp Channel: Follow the hottest news, tutorials and reviews

Cocoon is an interactive engineering game released on September 29. It is a puzzle adventure that uses the interesting concept of a world within worlds. Therefore, the player needs to understand how the mechanics of jumping between environments solve the complex puzzles at hand. It's also worth highlighting the fantastic narrative and stunning visuals, which have helped make Cocoon one of the major names of 2023.

Puzzle game fans may have already set their eyes on Cocoon. However, despite having game designer Jeppe Carlsen, from Limbo and Inside, on the project, the game didn't get all the attention it deserved. It was only when it was released that audiences discovered a unique, complex and highly enjoyable experience.

Pikmin 4 was released on July 21 for the Nintendo Switch. The franchise is very popular among fans of the company known as Mario, Zelda, Pokémon and other names, but it still goes unnoticed by the general public. In short, Pikmin is a real-time strategy series in which the player needs to control small creatures, Pikmin, to fight threats and shoot down any obstacles in their path.

The game was highly praised for bringing a new perspective to the series, with simpler, more flexible gameplay and new mechanics that improved the experience. Beautiful visuals and a greater amount of content also made Pikmin 4 considered by players to be a great choice for those who have not had the opportunity to discover the Nintendo franchise before.

3. Hi-Fi Rush

Developed by Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush features instantly stunning and colorful visuals. This first impression is complemented by attractive characters and a wonderful narrative. Her combat is a fusion hack'n italic With rhythm, in addition to a high-quality soundtrack.

The timing of its release was not pleasant at all, as January 25 was just one day after the arrival of the highly anticipated Forspoken, from the giant Square Enix. So, everything indicates that it will be overshadowed by Hi-Fi Rush, even though it looks like it has great potential. But the opposite happened, as Forspoken became one of the biggest disappointments of 2023, and Hi-Fi Rush emerged as one of the year's most positive surprises.

4. Dave the diver

Dave The Diver is a fun role-playing game released on June 28 by MINTROCKET. With a simple appearance and pixelated graphics, users control a diver who needs to explore the depths of the sea and catch fish during the day. During the night, the protagonist needs to manage a sushi restaurant.

The game formula has been properly calculated so that it is not repetitive and entertains the player for hours. Its mechanics, gameplay pace, and fun characters make Dave The Diver an almost mandatory experience for any video game fan, and its “extremely positive” reviews on Steam show it.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was an expansion that seemed to add more to the game world, with new history, areas, mechanics and characters, as well as the participation of actors such as Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves. It is worth noting that CD Projekt's title was heavily criticized at the time of its release in 2020, being considered one of the biggest disappointments in gaming history.

However, the company clearly did not do that and released several updates to please the players. Despite all the fixes released since 2020, Phantom Liberty only arrived on September 25, 2023, with new features that put Cyberpunk 2077 at the level everyone expected in 2020.

Sea of ​​Stars has gone unnoticed by many players since it was first announced in 2020. So, when it was released on August 29, the game from Sabotage Studios was a nice surprise for everyone who loves a good RPG. The game is inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger, which in itself attracts the attention of fans of the genre.

Thanks to its turn-based combat system, Sea of ​​Stars is a true tribute to classic RPGs. Its story takes place in the same universe as The Messenger, but many years earlier, which means you don't have to play a Metroidvania game to enjoy a very engaging plot with great characters.

7. Pizza tower

Pizza Tower was released on January 26, and quickly attracted attention for its art style, which is very reminiscent of anime from the 90s. Its fast-paced platforming scenarios and plenty of exploration are inspired by the popular Wario Land franchise. Therefore, the game captivated fans of the Nintendo series and those who had never played it before.

The whole game is complete madness. Starting with the protagonist Peppino Spaghetti, who needs to destroy the pizza tower to save his restaurant. In addition, all characters have funny animations, worthy of classic cartoons. Not surprisingly, this is another game with “very positive” reviews on Steam.

8. Chia

Developed by Awaceb Studio, Tchia was released on March 21 for PlayStation 5 (PS5), PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PC. The action-adventure game featured New Caledonia, a small archipelago located in Oceania, as inspiration for its locations. The passion the developers have for the area is clear, with all the visual richness, attention to representing the local culture and even putting some songs in the language spoken on the islands.

The user needs to explore the entire archipelago, solving puzzles and facing enemies, all from a third-person perspective and using very interesting mechanics, such as soul jumping. Although the story is not a masterpiece, with small, repetitive and boring moments, Chia manages to be another nice surprise in 2023.

9. Humanity

Humanity is a creative puzzle game developed by Enhance and released on May 15. The user controls a Shiba Inu dog who needs to lead a large group of people to the final goal. Along this path, the player needs to face many puzzles and understand the mechanics to successfully move people from one place to another.

One of the striking details of Humanity is that it's just the right amount of simplicity, with very simple scenarios, but offering what's essential for a puzzle game. In addition, the mechanisms and challenges become complex over time, but their pace makes points that should be negative become positive. It cannot be denied that it is a very strange title at first glance, but this detail becomes a point worth commending as you play.

10. Gossaint

Jusant is an interesting 3D platform game with puzzle elements, released on October 31 by DON'T NOD. The goal of the game is for the hiker to climb a huge tower. However, despite the very simple premise, Gossaint spares no effort in providing the user with different tools to climb the location, as well as ensuring the diversity of the biomes that appear during the journey.

The game has a great rhythm and the ability to develop your skills as you climb to the top of the tower. While concerned with the protagonist's resistance, the player You can explore everything the game has to offer to discover the secrets of the ancient civilization. The title was a huge success, and as with the others on the list, it received “very positive” reviews on Steam.

With information from Metacriticgamingbolt (1, twothat it 3) that it But why tho?

🎥 Light games for weak computers: discover 5 titles