Digital Foundry's Best Games of 2023: The John Linneman Collection
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It's been another fantastic year for game quality and as is the Digital Foundry tradition, staff members step forward to deliver their own picks for their favourite titles of the year. For 2023, we're kicking off with John Linneman's personal selection and - spoilers! - you should expect to see a number of games here we didn't cover across the year.
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00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - Game #11
03:16 - Game #10
06:08 - Game #9
11:43 - Game #8
15:30 - Game #7
18:44 - Game #6
21:49 - Game #5
26:04 - Game #4
30:53 - Game #3
34:15 - Game #2
37:26 - VR Game of the Year
39:11 - DF Retro Game of the Year
40:33 - Game #1
@Somewhere_sometime_somehow 6 ай бұрын
John is my favourite voice in all of the gaming press. This list was awesome, you can just feel the genuine effort and love for the medium in it.
@digclo 6 ай бұрын
I really appreciate that DF keeps it's official year-end ranking strictly objective about technology, while each team member gets to share their own personal list evaluating games as a whole. Having a branded collective giving an official ranking to something that is highly subjective never sat well with me. This is another bullet point in why I appreciate the content you all create. Congrats on another year of quality content wrapped! And looking forward to 2024!
@marciamakesmusic 6 ай бұрын
If it was objective there would be no need for a ranking lol
@420247paul 6 ай бұрын
no lol the ranking is just a a lazy attempt to give credence to the list. @@marciamakesmusic
@Volker_A4 6 ай бұрын
DF appreciates that science is art.
@cantgameright 6 ай бұрын
Big D energy from DF
@anteshell 6 ай бұрын
@@marciamakesmusic What? Are you serious? How in the ninth level of hell would objectiveness make ranking irrelevant? That statement doesn't make any sense. Every ranking system is a set of parameters that which measured items should adhere to at some level. Yes, even subjective ranking lists too. The only difference between subjective and objective lists are that those parameters are malleable on subjective lists and the items on the same list may not even be even measured by the same parameters. Also, objective does not mean universal. It is absolutely useful to measure for example which game make objectively the best use of newest graphics technology. That would probably be CP77 and Alan Wake 2 for the close second. However, that in no way would mean that Cyberpunk would be objectively the best looking game. No, objective ranking of things is not useless.
@hsvfanjan17 6 ай бұрын
John it's always a proof of how well your storytelling within your videos is that keeps me watching every single of your videos right up until the end. I didn't play any of the games you put into your top 11 (+2) list and yet I never thought about skipping any part. Love how you do your videos and I wish you a wonderful 2024!
@Scytherman 6 ай бұрын
I always love John's lists. He throws some neat curveballs, like Ys X: Nordics in this one.
@kevinsteelflex7371 6 ай бұрын
That was a pleasant surprise
@Crashed131963 6 ай бұрын
I was disappointed this YT video was only in 1080p not 4k? So these games look better in real world play .
@saelesbonsazse9919 6 ай бұрын
Ranking high a game because it's fun is the reason I trust John more than most gaming reviewers these days!
@N7-ElusiveOne 6 ай бұрын
I was let down to find out the game isn't on PC yet. Oh well, I'll have to keep a look out.
@VenomSnakeMGS 6 ай бұрын
Agreed. I always like how he has some of his own unique tastes, and doesn’t just list the same games as everyone else.
@jonathanneel4266 6 ай бұрын
John's so good at sincerely articulating why he likes something. I always look forward to seeing what he has to say about a game.
@makojuicer 6 ай бұрын
This is usually the only year-end list that makes me wanna try new games out
@samson7294 6 ай бұрын
he got me to buy cyberfunk and system shock. These games were on my mental wishlist but i totally forgot about them. Guess that happens when 2023 had so many bangers
@fellahuman 6 ай бұрын
One thing I can relate to so strongly is John’s apparent affinity for kinetic games. Bomb Rush, Hi-Fi, Armored Core, Mario, all emphasize movement and quick traversal. When a game simply brings joy in its basic movement there is a visceral, almost primal feeling I get from it.
@Medsas 6 ай бұрын
why no spider-man 2 then?
@bigbadslimee 6 ай бұрын
@@Medsasbecause it's too popular
@kyledodson2992 6 ай бұрын
I’ve been saying this for years. Movement and control are so important. If a meh game simply feels good to move about and play, with little to no friction, it’s already a better game because of it. Well stated
@GlazeonthewickeR 6 ай бұрын
@@bigbadslimeenah because it’s mid
@schumachersbatman5094 6 ай бұрын
@@Medsas it probably lost some points due to Johns' open-world aversion, which I also come down with from time to time
@SoFishtry 6 ай бұрын
AC6 is the peak of the genre, and it is exceptionally rare we get new genre-defining games in niche genres like Mech Action. Deserved placement.
@samson7294 6 ай бұрын
Came out at the right time too. FromSoft was riding on that post Elden Ring hype and I'm sure it increased AC6 sales. I know its the first mech game i ever bought
@M.W.H. 6 ай бұрын
I like your passion man. Emotions like this keeps the fire kindled in the hearts of elder gamers.
@kwedl 6 ай бұрын
Always nice to see someone mention Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. It's just pure fun and has one of the best OSTs of the year.
@EBCHILL2 6 ай бұрын
Hi Fi Rush and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk seem like games from a modern Sega console if they hadn't dropped out of the hardware market
@corey2232 6 ай бұрын
Hi-Fi Rush is amazing. Makes me happy anytime the DF crew gives it love!
@russellcarey3568 6 ай бұрын
Bet you didn't even finish it lol. Crank.
@DaCashRap 6 ай бұрын
I can't believe you kept calling Murphy Murray
@rd-um4sp 6 ай бұрын
awesome and unique. It is always nice to see a different perspective of what consists "best of" instead of a reshuffling of whatever any major publication puts out.
@dark1x 6 ай бұрын
Despite writing Murphy in the script, I said Murray somehow. Whelp, I guess all I can do is hand in my official RoboCop Fan Club membership and repent by being forced to watch RoboCop 3 exclusively. For shame.
@SENATORPAIN1 16 күн бұрын
Axel Murray.For shame!
@piranhaplant7539 6 ай бұрын
Always love John's goty list. His picks always surprise me and put new games on my radar.
@AndreThompson925 6 ай бұрын
These are truly some of my favorite videos of the year. John always includes games I would normally never pick on my own, but thanks to him I discover amazing games I would otherwise miss. I feel like John and the others would be great gaming buddies, so watching these videos is like watching a close friend, except this friend is incredibly knowledgeable about games, and weirdly nerdy about pixel counts :) Thanks for another great year of content! 💙💜
@mandarinamala6513 6 ай бұрын
Man this really is a personal list! I was getting kind of tired to see the same copy/paste list all across KZfaq. You have a gourmet taste on video games and for placing bomb rush cyberfunk and Armored Core that high on your decision, I take off my hat to you sir!
@Amanojaku8 6 ай бұрын
I know right? I literally bought BG3 today - but I'm gonna go play first HI-FI Rush as it's on Jon's list lol!
@Michael-jr3gz 6 ай бұрын
@@Amanojaku8 Don't bother. It's complete garbage
@TheCaliforniaHP 6 ай бұрын
it's a good time to a point@@Amanojaku8
@TheCaliforniaHP 6 ай бұрын
Made me reboot up and play NG+ of Armored Core
@kram4130 6 ай бұрын
Great to see you putting out so many videos over the holidays
@patrickjustdelapaisieres4521 6 ай бұрын
My God, DF is unstoppable! I am desperately trying to keep up with the avalanche of new videos but it is hard these days, even with the holidays 😂
@ogto 6 ай бұрын
awesome list by john once again. happy new year DF
@SimonDickerman 6 ай бұрын
This is an excellent John video. Videos like this are part of what make digital foundry so unique: an unabashed appreciation for gameplay, visual craftsmanship, and bespoke experiences. I imagine it can be intimidating to exclude "celebrated" fanboy games like Spiderman 2 and Starfield, but that's why this video feels so genuine. We appreciate you John and DF team! Hope you had a merry Christmas and have a great 2024.
@nicl4388 6 ай бұрын
Love all your videos, John. Thanks for an amazing year!
@Remix916 6 ай бұрын
Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you for mentioning BRC!! Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is definitely my game of the year. Hell, it's my game of the decade so far. Everything about the game is perfection
@etienneunai 6 ай бұрын
same here, it's so fun! I've never even played JSR but I'm planning to next year. Hopefully the remake is great as well.
@MAO7891 6 ай бұрын
Always appreciate the variety of games in John's end of year vids. Came away with a bunch of other games to check out
@Ruko 6 ай бұрын
Excellent list John, i knew i could expect something different from much other GOTY lists ive been seeing and wasnt disappointed.
@FearItself187 6 ай бұрын
"Nice shootin', son. What's your name?" "Murray"
@Choom89 6 ай бұрын
Great to see Gravity Circuit and System Shock getting some love, I didn't even know about Bomb Rush Cyberpunk--what a list!
@peteparker22 6 ай бұрын
Robocop was so good and such a surprise. I definitely hope they do some kind of sequel with a bigger budget
@mrluvvaluvva2671 6 ай бұрын
Cant believe John, of all people, got Robocop’s name wrong constantly! It’s Murphy not Murray!
@sean8102 6 ай бұрын
Yeah I loved it. I'll admit Robocop is genuinely my fav movie, but I think it was quite a good game in general as well. But yeah for fans of the IP it's a huge treat.
@chrissyboy7047 6 ай бұрын
@@mrluvvaluvva2671I thought I had misheard him saying Murray but then he said it again. Lol
@sunyavadin 6 ай бұрын
You know, Robocop, Alan Murray! My favourite bit was when Murray fought Jeff-209.
@ricepony33 6 ай бұрын
While I’d love a sequel they wrapped it up so well I almost don’t. Predator 1/2 is my hope they tackle next.
@Puppet_masterUK 6 ай бұрын
Robocop is called "Murphy" not "Murray". Excellent content otherwise... As usual 😁👍
@simplymincy 6 ай бұрын
John is my favorite gaming content creator right now. I really appreciate his take on games
@DarkReturns1 6 ай бұрын
Bomb Rush, Gravity Circuit, Hi-Fi Rush and System Shock....4 games I've never played but are now instantly on my wish list.
@Michael-jr3gz 6 ай бұрын
Mid-Fi Rush is terrible. Don't bother with it
@jcdenton868 6 ай бұрын
Armored core 6 is so good. Everyone should try it. Getting platinum trophy for the game was one of the most rewarding feeling in gaming this year.
@balaam_7087 6 ай бұрын
Am I mishearing, or did John refer to Robocop (Officer Murphy) as “Murray” multiple times? I have yet to play the game, so if they changed his name for some reason i was not aware.
@abombfletcher 6 ай бұрын
I heard it also... He was just plain wrong.... Not a true Robo Fan...lol
@marcelosenna3943 6 ай бұрын
Your list is a joy as always! You should do more videos about games that often fall under the radar, would be a pleasure to watch!
@oviekpolugbo4227 6 ай бұрын
I was so glad to see this in my feed, I was worried you guys weren't doing these this year.
@aryudsoh 6 ай бұрын
16:36 "Part of this stems from Murray himself." The name's Murphy. Literally the last word in the original movie!
@amnril 6 ай бұрын
Some great games in there, the Doom .wad was a nice surprise. I hope System Shock makes it to console and I’m glad a hard core game made the number one spot.
@flojd574 6 ай бұрын
I always find these helpful because I feel like John has good taste in games.
@michael.almond 6 ай бұрын
“Some mild successes” with Robocop?! Ocean’s ZXSpectrum game wants a word with you John.
@grillmeisterkush6396 6 ай бұрын
Thanks for all the great content this year John!!
@naderzein2435 6 ай бұрын
Drove me nuts he kept calling Robocop "Murray". His name is MURPHY!
@troyevanthompson 6 ай бұрын
thanks JL! Been contemplating gravity circuit for a bit. saw it made your list..play-asia cart added. gotta get that physical! happy new year!
@WalrusFPGA 6 ай бұрын
great selection! wasn't expecting the retro pick but thats a welcome surprise on this list also! truly an addictive one once you get into the flow of things as you obviously did this year! nice one
@TylerHNothing 6 ай бұрын
thank you John for making this and taking some time to educate/shout out some lesser known titles that were deserving of praise
@mateusbarao1761 6 ай бұрын
Seeing System Shock being so high up makes me happy :D
@chriswhite7636 6 ай бұрын
Nice shooting son, what's your name? Murray
@Cwomack07 6 ай бұрын
Thanks once again for great content! 100% love that John chose AC6:FoR as his #1 pic since it was one of only 2 games I bought this year and vastly enjoyed more than anything else.
@JD.78 6 ай бұрын
Interesting list of games, nice explanation of your picks and a great video too. All the best for New Year, have a good one.
@stealfromwork 6 ай бұрын
Always interesting to see what you all are playing outside of the stuff for videos/work.
@Houldey 6 ай бұрын
Nice to see the Sys Shock remake on here, easily in my top3 of the year.
@environm3ntalist549 6 ай бұрын
Plays superbly on the Steam Deck too
@tlunknowntheme 6 ай бұрын
Jon dropping GRRL - Trinitron at 30:36 is just incredible
@Donald_Allan 6 ай бұрын
My favorite games this year have been the Dead Space Remake, Forza Motorsport, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Horizon Zero Dawn, RE 4 VR, RE Village VR and Jurrasic World Aftermath.
@Thebossstage1 6 ай бұрын
No Saints and Sinners Chapter 2?
@Donald_Allan 6 ай бұрын
@@Thebossstage1 I haven't played that game so I can't comment on it.
@Crashed131963 6 ай бұрын
Horizon Zero Dawn is a old game. It had a Res/fps patch but was is not remade like RE4 was.
@Thebossstage1 6 ай бұрын
@@Crashed131963 He's talking about the VR Horizon game
@Crashed131963 6 ай бұрын
@@Thebossstage1 Oops sorry . I can't wear headphones for hours let alone those things .
@millrrs 6 ай бұрын
Superb list John. I agree with your first 100%. Happy new year to you and all the DF staff.
@jarde1989 6 ай бұрын
I’m genuinely surprised how low on the list Alan Wake 2 is Obviously, it’s still in the top 10… But given its groundbreaking graphics, incredible storytelling, and innovative puzzle design I would’ve thought it would’ve been a little higher.
@pensologohesito 6 ай бұрын
Even though Hi-fi Rush is only number 11, it’s one of the rare games I ever played that I can’t think of having any flaws. Good story, amazing gameplay, fun and colorful, and runs perfectly with a great image quality. I might be biased as I love rhythm games, but man, that game is something else. Best rhythm game ever made.
@ThePreciseClimber 6 ай бұрын
Maybe the lack of a Zanzo boss fight? The devs apparently legit ran out of budget. It takes quite a while to get from Rekka to Mimosa, which is the next proper boss fight.
@pensologohesito 6 ай бұрын
@@ThePreciseClimber I’m sure a proper sequel, which I hope there will be one, will have even bigger scope. It’s just a shame this game comes under the radar of so many people. The inclusion on gamepass with no proper sales might be a disservice to it, but it’s an absolute delight having it there and a gamepass seller imo.
@Michael-jr3gz 6 ай бұрын
Obvious xbot. The game is trash
@cronodoug4501 6 ай бұрын
I think it's amazing to see how Jhon brings games of all types and isn't tied to the TGA list. The desire he has to explain the atmosphere of each experience he played this year. Mainly showing games with Ys, Bomb Rush, Gravity Circuit which are incredible and ignored titles. 🤓
@Matt80407 6 ай бұрын
I see John Linneman continues to be a man of exceptional taste.
@generalarl 6 ай бұрын
Cool to hear your favorites John and how passionate you are while talking about them😁
@P1kk3 6 ай бұрын
I love John’s eclectic taste in games, far more interesting to watch than most generic game of the year lists.
@v1kt0u5 6 ай бұрын
Grrreeaaat!! From the start I knew AC6:FoR would be in your Top3, and at the middle of the video I knew it had to be #1 🖖🤖
@theveryrealbarto 6 ай бұрын
That is a nice list with a personal touch and a lot of games that I have yet to play. Shows the diversity of the medium and the superb quality of the games released in 2023
@Asobitech 6 ай бұрын
An excellent look at some excellent games. Love, and appreciate, all the clearly explained reasons for your choices. Thanks for the video John.
@wackydavo 6 ай бұрын
John's videos are so great. Always sincere, earnest, and real. I feel like he makes an effort to make sure the video and audio clips are top quality. Not to mention his excellent editing. Plus I love his eccentric taste in games. At a time where it seems that youtube pressures creators to go algorithm chasing, it is a breath of fresh air.
@mhjmstultiens 6 ай бұрын
Such a great list of wonderful *games* ! And some I didn't know even existed (Ys X & Bomb Rush cyberfunk). Best wishes and happy gaming for 2024, John. :)
@mmo5366 6 ай бұрын
A WAD?! At No.9??!! Burp- That can’t be right. But oh- that’s that’s that’s… that’s no wad. Well played John. Champion of Gamers.
@Areinu 6 ай бұрын
Kudos for making your list yours. I haven't played most of those games, but I've picked up couple to try.
@tyo101 6 ай бұрын
The Linneman Collection - instant Like for this video! 👍🏻
@KROMO50 6 ай бұрын
Great list so far!!
@Xpert74 6 ай бұрын
Really interesting list; I'd never even heard of Gravity Circuit before this video, but it's definitely on my radar now :3 Thank you for this video!
@MrBenjibean 6 ай бұрын
Always look forward to this!
@GastonTheStallion 6 ай бұрын
I enjoyed your list a lot John. Added 3 titles to my short list \o/
@SgtCrispy 6 ай бұрын
Glad to see Alien Syndrome get some love. Visiting my brother this year for Turkey Day, we played coop through AS on his MiSTer hooked up to a nice large Trinitron tv.
@kevinac4397 6 ай бұрын
Have a great next year John, you deserve it!
@PalmDesertRock 6 ай бұрын
Aw, man. You called RoboCop "Murray". His name is Murphy 🙁
@speedracer2please 6 ай бұрын
I love the picks that validate some of my less popular opinions, and then games I hadn't even heard of before. The best possible type of game awards list!
@kooijbas 6 ай бұрын
Awesome list, definitely some curveballs in here, but I expected no less. Glad ghe channel is doing well, thoroughly deserved.
@etbadaboum 6 ай бұрын
John's reviewed games should be added to the description!
@LukasRocks001 6 ай бұрын
Absolutely amazing list clearly made by someone with love and knowledge of videogames beneath the AAA surface. Good stuff, John!
@PeteOliva 6 ай бұрын
Amazing list John! I am so glad that you loved AC6 as nuch as i did. And your My House suggestion at #9 was ao intriguing to me. I HAVE to play this. You really caught my attenion with the House of Leaves reference. Amazing work of art, that book.
@HoroJoga 6 ай бұрын
Surprised to see Ys X here, specially when he didn't receive a english release yet. Ys 8 was my last one in the series and I enjoyed it very much.
@PP7Silenced 6 ай бұрын
Thanks John. Great list as always.
@RobVespa 6 ай бұрын
No lie. Having watched the DF best of video, I was surprised by much of your list, but especially your no.1 choice. Nice video!
@Dac_vak 6 ай бұрын
I always look forward to John’s list. His focus on gameplay and music really aligns with my own tastes. I’m definitely surprised a certain game didn’t make it on the list, but that just means there are more game recommendations for me to try. Definitely gonna play some Alien Syndrome on my MiSTer and PVM after the holidays. :) Thanks for another good one, John!
@Chefilipp 6 ай бұрын
Very nice selection, John. Especially nice to see Gravity Circuit and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk on here.
@philbln 6 ай бұрын
I really enjoyed watching this. You're a good guy and have the same passion for gaming as I do, seeing this medium as an art. The way you described every game sounds awesome and you finally made me buying Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.
@regfenster 6 ай бұрын
I don't often buy games these days, 52 years old and pretty much suffering with disillusionment with the industry with its continued remakes and re-imaginings of titles from days gone. But on the strength of John's passion and incredible reviews of his personal favourites from 2023 I just bought AC6....
@morpheus9394 6 ай бұрын
What a great list. John is a old school gamer at heart, much like myself so any game that makes his lists automatically becomes a new must play. First up will be Super Mario Bros Wonder. Just a joyful looking game and perfect for this time of year. Thanks again John and the whole DF crew. Oh yeah, the production standards on this video was particularly high and I appreciate all your hard work.
@sneakyturtle305 6 ай бұрын
super happy to know ys 10 made the list. Super looking forward to that game coming to pc, ys 8 and 9 are fantastic titles.
@JanLe82 6 ай бұрын
YESS, the real GOTY awards are here. I'm waiting for John every year, there's some gems I missed every time.
@ta6t5n 6 ай бұрын
John’s list is always joy to watch, many suprising titles !
@Moonfaster 6 ай бұрын
Wonderful video! Thank you! 😊
@Grief111 6 ай бұрын
Great list! Thanks John!
@HisDivineOrder 6 ай бұрын
FYI: Robocop's name is Alex Murphy, not Murray.
@kreftmaker 6 ай бұрын
I always look forward to your list
@etienneunai 6 ай бұрын
BRC soundtrack is really special. I love hearing it come on in the background of your other videos.
@andreaisonline 6 ай бұрын
So happy for Armored Core VI. Definitely my 2023 game of the year.
@sandrosfc 6 ай бұрын
Robocop Rogue City is the most underrated game of 2023
@sagewaterdragon 6 ай бұрын
I'm always stoked to see John's lists, his taste matches mine pretty well. He plays such a huge breadth of games and his lists always include some non-traditional picks that feel totally deserving. I've just recently gotten into Ys, so Ys X Nordics is something exciting to look forward to, and this list is what finally pushed me to get Armored Core 6.
@MrCaptDomingo 6 ай бұрын
I’m glad your number 1 pick got the spot!! One of my favorite games of the year, and one of my biggest surprises!
@hadenplouffe3976 6 ай бұрын
I did play more BG3 and TotK, but no game this year was as much unadulterated fun as AC6
@dookieshoes3585 6 ай бұрын
I keep forgetting how much I liked Amoured Core. It totally engrossed me when it came out, it was all I played and never got bored. Definitely glad to see it high up on someone else’s list
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