Game of the Year 2023: WE DECIDE

2023's almost over, so it's time for the Outside Xbox and Outside Xtra crew’s individual picks for game of the year! Sit back as Jane, Mike, Andy, Luke and Ellen tell you what game they loved most this year, and let us know your pick for GOTY in the comments!
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[@kittybutton]

I feel like at this point Andy is only bringing up Alan Wake 2 to make sure he didn’t dream the whole thing 😂

[@octochan]

It's weird how much of Alan Wake 2's style is easily recognizable to me, that I was able to guess the NPC name and the song from yesterday's quiz despite not having played the game or watched content with those elements in it

[@penyuwan]

Alan wrote Andy into existence. Just to gush about the game. 😆😂

[@craaig9118]

We should all play along and pretend it's real. For Andy's sake. 🙂

[@johannord4778]

Isn’t it a musical though?

[@CrazeeAdam]

Sam Lake is for sure one of those video game guys where his world's are wholey unique. Maybe he's not quite to his level, but he's almost like Hideo Kojima in a lot of ways. Like in the opening credits pretty sure I saw his name 5 times

[@ZackC]

Can’t believe all five picked Crime Boss: Rockay City.

[@williamw2529]

We clearly didn't see the same video. Ellen picked Kingdoms of Amalur 3: Electric Bugaloo -- How Güthbar got her groove back.

[@brynellsidney3983]

😂😂😂😂

[@TheActualJae]

Top tier trolling. YT had this as the top comment, love it.

[@e.l.952]

Jesus…

[@stefanstenke4594]

Spoilers man!

[@NightofOrion]

Mike's scandalized "wHAT?!" at Luke's reveal that his pick WASN'T Tears of the Kingdom was everything I needed today XD

[@michaelpirrone]

Followed by Andy's outrage that he couldn't heckle Luke over totk.

[@ethanliddle9008]

I can believe you've done this.

[@madalice5134]

Lies of P is absolutely fantastic. I'm still fairly early in it, but it's one of the best Soulslike games I've played so far.

[@KaraDennison]

Prayers up for Jane to get a BG3 romance locked down in the new year so we can hear all about it on streams.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

Idl how she somehow hasnt gotta a single romance. I cant get karlach to like me but every other companion keep trying to sleep with me.

[@orsolyafekete7485]

@@Kris-wo4pj When Jane said that I was so confused, since probably my one problem with the game is that everyone is hitting on me to the point that it is irritating me :D

[@cathie6846]

Maybe if she's playing like she does Prudence, she probably plays pretty evilly with reluctance to do good things sometimes lol

[@dee...]

Thoughts and prayers 🙏

[@BeaBea-54]

@@orsolyafekete7485I am also having this problem, its too much its overwhelming!

[@karlo.with.a.k281]

We need an updated annual blooper reels

[@Lordpooz09]

Bloopers, Bloopers, Bloopers!!!!! ❤

[@lowkeysykes309]

Agreed

[@thepurplemarauder]

Yes!!!

[@andybrown4284]

Was waiting for Luke or Ellen to say "well since Jane took BG3 as her choice I pick the kraken wakes!"

[@YenneferOfDragonstone]

I would love to see Jane stream a bit of BG3

[@shadowcat1606]

They should do a co-op stream where all of them play their Oxventure-characters.

[@YenneferOfDragonstone]

@@shadowcat1606 They've already done one stream with Andy and Mike and that was excellent, it really surprised me that there was so little coverage given it's GOTY and they all play D&D!

[@dallydaydream]

The fact that Resi 4 Remake and Spider-Man 2 didn't make it the cut just emphasises how many good games got released this year!

[@Toadcola]

Everyone brace yourselves.. games are back 👾🔙

[@RvkKJ]

RE 4 yeaah. Spiderman 2 was a very safe sequel, very Ubisoft boring side quests. Isn't worth the nomination. Feels nothing new, but just a reskin and combo of the first and Miles Morales game.

[@TrickerAndy]

As much as I loved SM2 it wasn't even ALMOST GOTY worthy. It was too "safe", didn't have any end game content and was pretty buggy (still is for some).

[@richardclark1127]

Remnant 2, Armored Core 6, Final Fantasy 16, Dredge, Dave the Diver, Pizza Tower, Hi-Fi Rush, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Jedi Survivor (post patches), Dead Space remake, Sea of Stars....man 2023 was loaded with great games.

[@kytamura]

Jane clearly played BG3 post-patch. The entire party was basically throwing themselves at me the first time I entered camp.

[@gamersinger5118]

@kytamura It's still such a mess even after all the patches. I don't like the idea of giving GOTY to a game that feels so unpolished and not finished. But this bunch does GOTY picks right. The true GOTY is what you want it to be. Doesn't matter what the masses think.

[@heldenfan2354]

what how is it a mess? it wasnt even a mess before the patches?@@gamersinger5118

[@brilobox2]

⁠@@gamersinger5118 by all metrics the general audience didn’t care about the bugs, considering the scores across all platforms from audience and critics are still sky high. Xbox scores might have taken a small hit from the save bugs but they’re still incredibly high.

[@gamersinger5118]

@@brilobox2 They didn't seem to care about all the problems that The Witcher 3 had either. I don't know why so many people are willing to let stuff like that slide. We should expect finished products especially when they got a lot of money behind them.

[@xBINARYGODx]

@@brilobox2 the problem with that is people being REALLY choosey with ignore massive bugs or then with another game getting REAL toxic about things that affected their gameplay less. Most of the now-overwhelmingly toxic fanbase of BG3 wont even let you talk about bugs or lingering design issues - that is, if they can tear themselves away from the SF sub or steam forums, of course.

[@TestSubjectNerd]

Andy please play the Alan Wake 2 NG+ on the channel. Would kill to hear any and all theories about the plot. I haven't stopped thinking about this goddamn game for two months I love it so much.

[@horatio118]

It’s not exactly new, but this was the year I discovered your channel, so for me: definitely channel of the year 2023! You guys bring me so much joy and comfort. Hope next year will be even more awesome for you!

[@tino9718]

"Lies of P" was excellent and I love Luke's enthusiasm for it! The channel's video on the demo made me buy it on day one, and I played it twice (after only knowing "Elden Ring" from the soulslike pantheon). Can't wait for the sequel/DLC!

[@Crootcovitz]

I was very happy it had a demo, I could play it and confirm that these games are indeed not for me. Saved me some money. :)

[@jaymulls5426]

​@@Crootcovitztotally understand that feeling, but if you ever feel like giving it another shot feed that urge. The first time I played DS3 the tutorial boss wiped me 20 some times and I gave up on ever playing a soulsborne, but years later I really wanted to play elden ring and after some experience went back and now the souls and soulslike games are some of my favorites of all time. Totally get not wanting to play after a bad experience, but if you ever get that itch, I believe in ya!

[@Crootcovitz]

@@jaymulls5426 I did publicly vow to play Bloodborne if it ever comes to PC, I guess I'll let fate decide it for me. :D

[@jaymulls5426]

@@Crootcovitz definitely very fun game, one of my favorites in the genre

[@SimuLord]

@@Crootcovitz I'm with you on this. There are a lot of games that just aren't my jam but I'm delighted that gaming is a big enough tent as a medium to have something for everyone.

[@StraightOuttaJarhois]

I didn't know about the modern controls or the adventure mode in Street Fighter 6. This actually makes me want to play it, and I haven't been interested in a fighter in decades.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

I'm an old school arcade player that fell out of fighting games. I picked up SF6 and dove into modern control set. Modern was designed with console controllers in mind. Simplified button setup with a way to complicate it if you want full 6 button utility. Classic control is what you expect of SF6. World Tour is the adventure mode. You make your own character, you can learn different move sets, special and super moves from various "Masters." AKA all the fighters currently in the game. You get a whole lot of freedom to make your own character. You even take that character into The Hub where you can see what other players have created. It is even possible to have custom characters battle it out (but just for fun, no ranking). SF5 was a bare bones SF experience. It was missing most of the extras that fighting game players expect. SF6 gives the players everything the could expect and a bit more. The sheer amount of effort and love that went into SF6 is amazing and you can feel that in all the little details.

[@mmobofficial]

I never really cared about fighting games but I'm having so much fun with SF6, so deffo recommended

[@CappyCorning]

Do I ever hear this. Had my love for the non-wrestling 1 v 1 fighting game beaten out of me 20some years ago by a nephew who always just murked me in them. But based on Mike's description I could totally see me playing Street Fighter 6 solo and having a lot of fun with it. I'd just have to remember to never PvP said nephew or the great nephew on that side of the family.

[@runbaa9285]

@@CappyCorning Honestly, SF6's World Tour teaches a lot of fighting game basics and that's great. It pretty much prepares you for the online environment. According to the devs, World Tour is designed to ease in newcomers and prepare them for the endgame content, which is the online PvP. Once you get some basics in, you're pretty much set for conquering your family get-togethers, lol.

[@AchtungBeccaC]

I’m both Jane and Andy. BG3 is probably my game of the year. I can’t wait to do a second play through, it is so rich and deep and fun. I never thought I could get into a turn based game, but the combat was a blast. Alan Wake 2…I played because I loved Control, even though I am not a horror gamer (I only watch when OX plays them)…but, gosh, was it worth it. I hated it, I hated being scared. But it so also so much fun and so insanely innovative. Just a bonkers original game. Remedy is unmatched when it comes to following its own plan.

[@Dark3y3]

Luke, you aren't alone. I am so excited at the idea of the Dark Souls treatment of Dorothy!

[@marhawkman303]

I look at it and think "DS2, but as a mage"

[@ka-mai]

There's gonna be so much stomping!

[@jaymulls5426]

I'd like to see a soulslike of Alice in wonderland (I know the Alice in wonderland games already exist, but they're not quite the same)

[@marhawkman303]

@@jaymulls5426 Yeah, Alice Madness Returns is kinda souls-like, but doesn't really have the flexibility of building a character.

[@sniperhawk2]

Luke picked Lies of P because we all giggled at the P organ

[@grankmisguided]

Wait until the sequel is called something "Of D" 😏

[@Sasuke83]

I love the very subtle way Jane mentions that they filmed a D&d episode for oxventure. I’m so excited for a new season.

[@danmurgy9125]

"A death dealing Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz" So just Dorothy then

[@whoneedstosleep]

So, Alan Wake II feels like Deadly Premonition if Deadly Premonition was a well-made game, if that makes sense? It scratches that same weird horror niche in my brain, and I love it so much for that. But genuinely, every game on this list captured me, so I'm glad I got to hear all of your thoughts on it!

[@tmmw1975]

I feel the same as Andy about Alan Wake 2. Remedy is killing it lately with interesting games that I can't stop thinking about.

[@Ovetupp]

Regarding Alan Wakes qualities as a writer: Dan Brown is one of the most sold writers ever. He wrote the same book at least three times.

[@hawkins347]

The fact that Alan has a huge imposter syndrome and doesn't think he's deserving of his success says it all.

[@batboy-xf3ki]

Andy, killing it with the "I have no idea where, why, what, who or how. Yet, I want more" Mike "I love Chessmaster vidgea games"

[@DanSubak]

My actual GOTY probably has to be BG3 based on game time alone but the one that surprised me most was probably Hi-Fi Rush. It's an extremely tight, surprisingly deep experience built around a tiny handful of mechanics, a story that essentially never strays from the Saturday morning cartoon tropes it borrows and a fairly brief runtime that means it doesn't overstay its welcome. In a year that ended up having so many excellent, sprawling AAA titles, it was cool to have something so light and fun that carried as much quality into its production as it did!

[@jaymulls5426]

Seriously- this year was fantastic for triple A and indie studios alike. Truly an all around amazing year

[@dawsonrpowell]

Hi-Fi Rush is such a great game, I was so glad to finally play a new game that's a worthy successor to Ninja Gaiden 1 & 2 after such a long time.

[@HazeEmry]

I've only ever watched Shenpai play Hi-Fi Rush and I'm as flabbergasted as she was with the whole game. Absolutely perfect game

[@reishiki]

Really love Mike's energy in this.

[@LadyBlackmoor]

Did Andy play Control? Because the musical very much seemed like a combination of the Ashtray Mace and Darling's rendition of Dynamite

[@outsidexbox]

i did, ashtray maze was good, but i don’t think it tied into the story as well as this scene in AW2

[@chriss.336]

The musical scene is meant to be a recap of the key elements from the first game and Alan Wake's backstory for people who didn't play the first game. Also, my take on Alan Wake is that he's a popular airport fiction writer who feels as though he's capable of more but is along the lines of a Tom Clancy or Dan Brown. A lot of what tortures him in the dark place are his struggles to break out of the constraints of genre fiction (and his general destructive behavior). Sam Lake even said in an interview that he considers Alan's insistence that the story has to conform to the rules of a horror story to be a major character flaw.

[@TinKnight]

​@outsidexbox That's exactly it... in Control, the ashtray maze was just about being fun & trippy, but you had to play it at a certain pace in order for the music to be coordinated, & it never really matters to the plot. AW2's moment is about relating the events of the story in a silly way, so it feels more impactful.

[@Sheldon1985]

I thought for so long that nothing would top the experience of the Ashtray Maze in Control and then Alan Wake 2 came along and blew it entirely out of the water. It was definitely the next step on from those moments, and honestly it's so obvious now that I'm wondering how I never considered that they'd attempt, and pull off, a full blown musical number in one of their games.

[@lozzimusprime]

Luke throwing us for a loop there! Glad I didn't put any bets down lol. And 100% agree with Jane and Andy with BG3 and AW2. They were well worth the wait.

[@Ceece20]

Honestly, Armored Core 6 was my favorite game this year. I still play it now. The sounds, story, settings, and challenging gameplay just draw me back again and again. I even started playing PVP, and I hate PVP in general. Now I log on to have fun playing PVP.

[@jackiecane91]

2023 truly spoiled us with so many amazing games. It will be quite a while before we’ll have a year like this again, I think. My goty has got to be BG3. Looked forward to it for such a long time, and it definitely delivered. Also, Jane, which version of BG3 have you been playing ?! My issue was having to turn down advances from companions without hurting their feelings 😅. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone mention that the BG3 companions played hard to get…

[@TheRawrnstuff]

It depends on what you do/say with which companions in your team. The approvals are never going to get super high if you always happen to have the companions who would dislike that what you would do in that situation. I don't know how far Jane is in the game, but if she's still somewhere in ACT 2 and has had a decently bad luck with picking the path/companion synergy (ie, "gained fewer approval-ups"), it's not that unlikely at all.

[@jaymulls5426]

Right? I found it a lot easier to keep my allies happy than the original baldurs gate games, for sure

[@atomic3691]

My favourite game of the year was Octopath Traveler 2. I loved the characters and their stories.

[@Kibriana]

Same here. I absolutely adore that game.

[@doeheart9023]

YES, me too! I was so sorry to see it didn't show up at the game awards...

[@theguitarman5311]

I got to agree with Jane. BG 3 was amazing and I really loved it. There were a lot of amazing games this year too. Alan Wake 2 was great as well as that's my second favorite.

[@thajocoth]

Pikmin 4 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are both up there for me and it's hard to pick between them. I put a lot more hours into TotK and I've completed it 100%, but I've completed Pikmin 4 100% 8 times.

[@jaymulls5426]

That was me with RE4, but I agree with Andy- I couldn't see it as GOTY because as good as it was it didn't feel like a "new" game.

[@cassandra1418]

Agree with Jane, BG3 was a once in a lifetime game for me. The story, characters, settings, DnD mechanics, basically everything in this game had me pouring easily hundreds of hours into it both before the full release and after. It's proudly one of the only 2 games I've ever cried after the credits rolled because it was so amazing I couldn't wait to replay it (the other was RDR2 btw, thanks for the recommendation Andy).

[@CatChaos369]

Loved dredge it was so oddly addictive fishing then getting slammed literally by eldritch horror!

[@jaymulls5426]

Dredge was another masterpiece for sure! Such a good year

[@frankpennachio2901]

Very glad somebody picked Lies of P. It was soooooooo damn good. And the Wizard of Oz tease at the end was AMAZING. I cannot wait for it.

[@deanmcdougall5331]

So glad Lies of P got a pick, game of the year for me, it’s just so bloody good.

[@annijaklamer]

In my DnD group of 7, I'm the only one who hasn't played BG3. It was really funny and super interesting to see how their playstyle changed when they started playing, they all suddenly discovered different new mechanics

[@Artificer1911]

I've been playing the first 2 Baldur's Gate games before getting the third. My friend who HAS played it tells me they added a lot of mechanics that aren't in normal 5th ed, too.

[@jordansimpson9099]

Knowing the name of the Wizard of Oz Dorothy game will most likely be Life of D is hilarious unto itself.

[@Jianichie]

Mine is Armored Core 6 which has become my all time favorite game. If you want a lesser known pick though -- the Star Ocean 2 remake. Seriously. That game has stood the test of time and the qol and graphic tweaks makes it that much better.

[@jmgriffee]

I may never get over the fact that thanks to Twin Peaks, and persisting through things like Alan Wake, we've got this persistent cultural idea that the ultimate vibe for creepy, mysterious, supernatural small-town horror just sort of looks like...my backyard. I mean, it WORKS. But it'll always be a little bit funny.

[@spastheghost]

I’m really intrigued by Lies Of P now. I did not expect a Pinocchio souls like to ever be words that are said together. Then you dropped the part about the post credit scene with Dorothy and I’m so confused but also intrigued.

[@Ixarus6713]

AC6 I've wanted an AC game since I was a child and had no idea the genre actually existed. So getting a modern game to satiate my urge for mecha combat is perfect. BG3 is a close second, I just tend to prefer Scifi settings to Fantasy. The games are vastly different though, and if I could both would draw for their different perfections. I do love the options you are given in BG3.

[@Sheldon1985]

Andy summarised my thoughts on Alan Wake 2 completely with the whole bit about playing video games for so many years and never experiencing anything quite like it.

[@envymordecai4429]

As someone whose FAVOURITE game is still Alice: Madness Returns I am super excited to finally play Lies of P, and the idea of an equally as dark Wizard of Oz game makes me giddy with excitement 😂

[@VonBlade]

I wonder if there was a fight about who got to pick BG3. Because it's GOT Decade let alone year. (although Cyberpunk is now ludicrously good after Phantom Liberty)

[@Incoherent-excitement]

Baldur's Gate 3 is hands down my GOTY. I've been playing BG3 since early access (patch 4), so I'd been waiting for this game for years, and it didn't disappoint. I'm so happy that it's received all the love and praise it deserves. I do wish you guys would do more videos/livestreams playing as your dnd characters in BG3, though.

[@maries1993]

Jane, knowing how much you love Alistair I think you would enjoy the Gale romance.

[@gaildahlas]

I've had Baldur’s Gate III taking up far too much space in my head since 2020 so it's no surprise that it'd end up being my GOTY, but Larian's environment as a studio (as well as their CEO's) during a year so full of videogame layoffs absolutely cements that. It shouldn't be rare to see a studio being transparent about their decisions or vocally supporting developers, but it is and I respect Larian all the more for it.

[@thequadglaser1983]

Glad you chose Lies of P Luke! I loved it! I played through it 4 times, it was that good! I want this studio to do a Peter Pan game.

[@jasonbaker1887]

The Dance number in Alan Wake II just instantly makes me think of the opening credits for the Peacemaker TV series

[@SimuLord]

It made me think of the sort of silliness you'd expect out of a Yakuza game.

[@tubensalat1453]

Nice vid! I liked how passionate everyone was and the diverse takes. The oxen don't credit the editing but I feel there's been some fresh air in that department? But the audio level could get upped some.

[@leafandryly]

I played so few new games this year, this year everything that could have gone wrong did, and I couldn't spend much time gaming. It's been nice yet tough to watch these wonderful people talk about nice things and be happy while I can't do that

[@crows2808]

Making a very good case for playing all of these games. I may need them on my to-do list. Even SF6 despite not usually being into fighting tournament games. Except for BG3. No slight on Jane, it's just the only one of these I've already given a chance, and I know I don't like it. My GOTY is strangely Armored Core 6. I don't know that it's for everyone, but it hit me in exactly the right place once I got my head around its mechanics. It's an incredibly well made game. Like every FromSoft game so far, it carried me from "don't know if this is the kind of game for me. I'll stop as soon as it's too much." to "this is exactly the kind of game for me. I can go the distance."

[@mobilephonegirl07]

Baldur's Gate 3 is definitely my GOTY! As a new D&D player, it has helped me understand classes that I thought were too complex before and was too intimidated to play

[@zombiepete]

I can't decide what's more shocking: Jane hasn't romanced Astarion? Andy not picking Resident Evil 4? Luke not picking Tears of the Kingdom?

[@MunchKING]

19:15 I thought that was Red Riding Hood. She's got the red cloak, whereas Dorthy had more of a blue and white color scheme in the books. :D Then again, she did do the heal clicking thing.

[@kellymartin2603]

That's what I thought, too. To be fair, I really enjoyed the Little Red Riding Hood character in the Shrek 2 ps2 game where she throws poison apples at everyone, so... I wouldn't be disappointed by that, either. Big bad wolf enemy, anyone?

[@Hero1922]

I love these end of year videos, everyone's thoughts feel so genuine and even though I haven't played as much new/modern I have seen quite a bit and I love hearing everyone so excited about their pick, excellent work as always.

[@riverswater5688]

My GotY is easily super Mario RPG remake… as a kid, I was too poor to ever get a super Nintendo so I had to go to my local recreational center and try staying for as many hours as I could to try to beat that game and after two summers, I was finally able to accomplish that and I loved that game. The fact that they remade it on the system that I can afford as an adult meant world to me and it’s still so great.

[@zacharysmith4856]

Some good choices! I will say Andy’s was most surprising to me. I was with Mike in thinking he would choose Resi 4. Those Let’s Plays were fantastic.

[@jaymulls5426]

I agree with him on that. I loved RE4 a lot, definitely had more play throughs on it than any other game this year, but in the end it didn't have enough distinction from the original to feel like a really new game

[@landonewts]

I love this, because their takes on the games in this video are so open, personal and nuanced. All these games have been covered a lot this year, but the takes in this GOTY list still feel fun and fresh, and show their genuine love of games. I sure love this channel. And now I will steal “Death Dealing Dorothy” as my next band name.

[@toxictom9029]

Great video, thanks! My personal GOTY is Cyberpunk 2077 2.x with Phantom Liberty, but I haven't played BG3 yet and the System Shock remake could also have been a contender if I had played it, if only for nostalgia reasons. The Phantom Liberty path I chose had the most insane fight I endured in years (along with the most insane music to accompany it, the soundtrack alone should win all the available prizes) and the ending actually had me in tears and short of breath, I had to pause and take a walk. Probably the most intense story-telling I've ever experienced in a game, and I'm an old fart playing games on my own computer since 1988.

[@gundamheavyarms4879]

Andy resonates with my soul. Alan Wake 2 is not only my favorite game of the year, but one of the greatest games of all time imo. 😊

[@merissaj4518]

Not sure if it counts since it is DLC, but HFW Burning Shores consumed my year. The additional story was wonderful and naturally followed from the base game. Love Aloy and her sass! Can't wait for the next game; until then, I will be hunting machines and upgrading my gear.

[@edwardhulse]

I’m completely in the same boat! Burning Shores is my favourite expansion of the year also the ending scene with Aloy and Seyka delivered my favourite gaming moment of 2023! I can’t wait for whatever Guerrilla does next with Horizon! ❤️🏹

[@Jack_Ss]

Lol I guess you people do exist

[@TheDragonOfWhi]

This has been a great year for games. FF16, street fighter 6, zelda, BG3. But i think for me it is From Soft returning to what theyre best at. Giant Mechs. Armored Core 6.

[@HadesElderSage]

Octopath traveller 2 is by far my favorite of the year. Early on in the year and nothing came close to it. It took everything good to amazing about the original and improved on it in every single way.

[@PLAYER_42069]

It may sound hyperbolic, but 2023 was truly a banner year for video games. Hit after hit with the game play, presentation and story to back up those well-earned accolades. It gives Andy's half-joking catch phrase, "Games are Back!" even more credence than before. 2023 will go down as one of the best and possibly most influential years for gaming along with 2007, 2010 and other notable ones that helped define this industry and interactive media. Here's to another great year in 2024!

[@Michael_Lindell]

My Game of the Year is Alan Wake - the only game I finished in 2023. I can't wait to play the sequel!

[@SolaScientia]

Armored Core VI is my GOTY. I adore it. I got all 3 endings in the span of a bit over a month (on and off playing thanks to work) and I'm working on S-ranking all the missions, getting any missions combat logs and parts, and, hopefully, I'll platinum it. If/when I do, it'll be my first FromSoftware platinum. I just started BG3 the other day and I'm having a blast with my Dragonborn. I hadn't realized Lae'zel was also a fighter, so I maybe should have picked a different class. I've been doing okay so far, but I keep forgetting to save frequently given the assorted tpks or near-tpks I've experienced just barely 4 hours into playing. I was ridiculously pleased any time I passed a persuasion or intimidation check considering my charisma is at -1, lol. They were fairly low checks except I did one type of a check that I had a +1 modifier for. I rolled a 14, +1 got me to 15 and it was a 15 check. I think I literally nearly shouted "meets it, beats it!" when I saw the result. I'm not normally one who likes to manage multiple party members like this, but I love how BG3 does it. Mass Effect drove me nuts so I dropped it. I thought Luke was going to with AC6 given how much he talked about how good it feels to play. It really does feel amazing to play. Lies of P is on my wishlist and I'll probably get to it at some point, but I've also been diving back into Elden Ring and I want to finish my first run of that one first. I need to lose the FromSoftware muscle-memory so I don't compare Lies of P to those games too much. I want to appreciate the game on its own merits.

[@ARKumalarkey]

As a massive fan of Larian's previous game Divinity Original Sin 2, I expected Baldur's Gate to be my game of the year. But surprisingly it turned out to be Street Fighter 6, a franchise or genre I have never really experienced. I tried the free demo and the moment to moment gameplay was so damn good that it just reeled me in. So happy to see one of the OX crew give it the love it deserves.

[@brandonsz7937]

I love these more unscripted videos where the Oxbox peeps just talk about the games they love, it gives the video such an intimate feel

[@asbb7054]

Sorry Luke, I think the red shoes at the end of Lies of P is actually a reference to the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Red Shoes" because the ruby slippers that Dorothy wore are exclusive to the MGM film; Dorothy wore silver slippers in the book. Also the dress isn't that characteristic blue gingham typically associated with the description of Dorothy.

[@persephoneunderground845]

Even if you're wrong, that would be a great story for a game like this! Hans Christian Anderson was dark. Iirc in The Red Shoes, the girl who put them on couldn't stop dancing, ever, and couldn't take off the shoes. I think she had to chop her feet off to not die of exhaustion. A dance (I think it's usually assumed to be ballet, because there is a ballet based on the story) themed fighting game could be gloriously unusual. Just imagine the animations.

[@kellymartin2603]

I instantly thought it was Little Red Riding Hood because I thought she was wearing... well, a red riding hood. It wasn't until Luke said she clicked the shoes together (which is pretty exclusively a Wizard of Oz thing, I assume) that I realised it was meant to be Dorothy. You don't think it's Dorothy because she wears silver slippers in the book, and then go on to discount the dress because it isn't the blue gingham, but the dress wasn't gingham in the book either. It was just blue. Which means they definitely could've just changed the dress and kept the more characteristic shoes.

[@TheJakeJackson]

So happy for Mike that he is enjoying *spoiler*. It's such a refreshingly full release for the genre, with something for everyone and not just the best players. Big shoutout to the training mode it incorporates. It actually teaches real essential concepts for all games of this kind, and lets you run concentrated drills to easily hone the appropriate skills and reactions for competitive play. Check out the preset drills inside of training mode everyone, focused anti-air practice is a revelation

[@TheLiamster]

My game of the year is Jedi Survivor. I’m a huge Star Wars and I absolutely loved playing it

[@stone5against1]

Mine is Fallen Order, because I got a decent enough PC to play these games only a month ago, and haven't gotten to play Survivor yet (decided to take a break between the two games and am currently playing Dave the Diver)

[@robonixon83]

Lies of P was my No. 1 with Baldur’s Gate 3 a close second.

[@peterhunter8274]

Lies of P came from nowhere and it was also my GOTY. I’d not believe I’d love a game about playing a cartoon puppet but when you throw him into a souls/sekiro/blood borne esq world it works amazingly.

[@ahrenstarr6273]

Ellen said it almost as a throw in thought. But I think the idea of focusing on creating a Toy Box not a Sandbox is an interesting one. Room to explore is great, but sand can be doing. Having the right toys can be more fun.

[@AngelBeatYunara]

Out of these, I've yet to play Alan Wake 2 and Street Fighter 6, and they're all great picks!

[@jasonhenson7948]

What keypresses are the special moves for SF6 with Modern control type? How do you decide which special move to do? Capcom vs SNK 2 EO on Gamecube had a setting for "the yellow C-stick controls the special attacks. The direction and angle that you push the stick determines which super move is done and the strength of the move".

[@misatokatsu3916]

Horizon Forbidden West + Burning Shores & Final Fantasy 16 both amazing gaming experiences this year!!!!!!!! Hoping to get to play more games next year!

[@Speilbilde]

Mine's Disco Elysium. I know it didn't come out this year, but I played it this year. Maybe in 2028 I will know my 2023 GOTY 😂

[@SimuLord]

Morrowind became my 2002 GOTY in 2006. Never too late to retroactively give awards.

[@ramsay2234]

I love that the Old Gods of Asgard are Poets of the Fall, great Finnish band, amazing live.

[@foxglove_dreams]

Funny hearing Andy roast Alan Wake 2 for being very Finnish but set in the PNW... while in Tacoma WA, which is a city founded by Norwegians, is sometimes so surprisingly Scandinavian (the king of Norway gave the commencement speech at a local university once)

[@Awkward_platypus]

I LOVE LIES OF P !!! So glad to see someone else enjoyed it as much !

[@issiemerry]

My game of the year is technically one I haven’t played - amid rumours before the remaster was announced I played the original Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective and it very quickly worked its way into my heart to become my favourite game of all time. It might be an old DS-era puzzle game but the world and the story hooked me like nothing else has this year (and I sunk and extra 100+ hours into cyberpunk over an insane week, so that’s saying something). For taking an weird and obscure cult-classic and making it accessible again, the Ghost Trick remake was easily going to be my game of the year from the moment they announced it

[@Darkmoon_Matt]

Lol. I had no idea of the Dorothy scene in lies of p, may have to try again to beat it, but that final boss's 2nd phase is brutal.

[@los2982]

Lies of P is phenomenal, it took me by surprise as well. It's been a while since I've lost myself in a game like that.

[@dugstarr5277]

This is an incredibly hard choice this year. Although not the most complex game, mine would have to be the Res 4 remake. I've found myself having to stop myself from replaying again and again when there are so many other new games to enjoy.

[@davemcguckin8651]

I just want to give a quick shout out to Andy's exceptional Vine reference during Luke's segment.

[@mondogecko3279]

I would seriously be star struck meeting Sam Lake😱

[@AdamusPrime24]

Ahhh so good to see Strongest Boy again ^^ He was quite an illuminating creation! :P

[@chumples.]

this is my favorite review of the year of goty 2023

[@danmoar94]

Having watched this, I might get street fighter. I've wanted to get into fighting games for ages but I have a disability that affects the dexterity in one of my hands and it's been holding me back.

[@rundown132]

Modern controls are made for you my friend, no other FG game is as welcoming as sf6

[@chriswest6988]

Have you ever gotten a chance to try an arcade stick or leverless controller, and if so, were those better for you ergonomics-wise (either for fighting games or just in general)?

[@BrySquatch]

Nice to see Lies Of P get some love! That was a sleeper for sure. I also was masochistically obsessed with that game beginning to end. I’m still playing through Baldur’s Gate and mostly enjoying it, but I think LoP might be my GOTY too.

[@NaughtyFox1331]

Me and Jane played a different BG3. Everyone came on way too strong. I didn’t romance anyone because everyone of my companions after ONE interaction tried to get me alone. Felt really uncomfortable

[@tomassoejakto]

Hello, everyone at OutsideXbox and OutsideXtra. I'd like to say thank you for being here for us gamers, thank you for sticking around. Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you an amazing 2024. May I make a request? See, I've always enjoyed your videos. You're my comfort channel. And being a comfort channel, I often follow up on your content at night, in bed, before I sleep. I'm sure you can imagine as a comfort channel, it's not very comfortable for me watching in the dark and have a flashbang blow up in my face every time the video cuts to one of you sit and talk to us in front of a plain white background. Could you... maybe... change that? Thanks...

[@jucarave]

man, I need to play Alan Wake 2, sounds great!

[@penyuwan]

My GOTY is weirdly beautiful psychologically horror.

[@Eastside97]

It’s fantastic

[@tadsnyder2756]

I’d have to say Jedi Survivor takes it for me on (console) not PC. But just so much fun and the parts you get to play as sere are completely different for instance she’s on a completely different level she her controls are more responsive she fast stronger. I liked how it showed what it was like to be a master. Her fight against Bader was cool too.

[@docette2015]

Interesting to actually see Lies Of P in action here -- not because I've played it, but because there's a small fanbase shipping P with Alice from the American McGee's Alice games. (Which makes me even MORE interested to see what's going to be going on with this game's take on Dorothy, because American was ALSO going to do an Oz game at one point. . .)

[@marieke2294]

Luke wonderfully summarizes everything about why Lies of P is also my personal game of the year. Something about Lies of P just scratched an itch so that I couldn't stop playing

[@tjyukuri5371]

I completely agree with Andy here, and not (just) because I'm Finnish. I have already played Alan Wake II again using The Final Draft (new game +) and so should you.

[@Lexithepoptart]

I really love these unscripted videos, seeing you guys have fun together and be passionate about the games you love. This is why I love these channels. You guys genuinely love what you do, and it’s a joy to see.