Ignore the critiques that snidely name it spinoff. Sea of Stars is aware of exactly what it’s doing with its nostalgia. It’s meant for the kid in you, not the drained grownup. Even the music is on level, together with virtually a dozen tracks by the legendary Chrono composer, Yasunori Mitsuda. It’s 2023’s inaugural winner of the Heat Blankie award. – MD
11. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Generally, extra is extra. Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a shining instance of a studio believing within the core ideas of their unique sport and leveraging extra highly effective expertise to amplify them and supply an all-around higher expertise for this second go-round the galaxy. Gameplay-wise, the platforming is drastically improved within the sequel, as is the fight, with enhancements like extra stances and much more brutal execution animations. The extent design is tighter, too, which makes exploration really feel extra rhythmic and fascinating.
In its broad strokes, the second chapter of Cal Kestis’ story typically stays throughout the established tropes and themes of the bigger franchise. However the characters are so properly realized, and the sport’s cinematic parts are so efficient that the sport stands tall as one of the vital memorable, rock-solid Star Wars tales in current reminiscence. – Bernard Boo
![Dead Space Remake](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dead-Space-remake-1.jpg?w=1024)
10. Useless Area
The Useless Area franchise is one in every of EA’s most well-known and beloved collection. The unique crafted a horrifying and claustrophobic survival horror expertise, so when EA introduced it might remake the sport with out the unique builders, many players had been skeptical. Fortunately, we had been scared for no motive.
Very like the Resident Evil remakes, the Useless Area remake brings the unique sport into the present console era. Whereas the 2008 model nonetheless stands the take a look at of time due to its ambiance and controls, the 2023 remake improves on it in just about each method. The graphics and controls are an enormous step up, however the remake additionally modifications how some weapons work with out messing with the issue and steadiness. Most significantly, Useless Area appears like a complete new expertise due to its extra story beats and semi-open fashion of exploration. Nevertheless, these additions don’t have an effect on the sport’s ambiance of horrifying isolation and foreboding. Right here’s hoping the Useless Area remake ends in subsequent remakes that keep this degree of polish. – AG
![Dave the Diver](https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Dave-the-Diver.jpg?resize=1024,572)
9. Dave the Diver
Very like my beloved Stardew Valley, Dave the Diver is a testomony to the facility of slowly unwrapping an epic expertise somewhat than being thrust right into a world of infinite potentialities. What begins as a easy, but satisfying, sport about underwater navigation and restaurant administration quickly grows to incorporate a surprisingly deep mythology, a big forged of characters, and quite a few gameplay ideas.