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2023 in Gaming

From Baldur’s Gate 3 to Alan Wake 2, 2023 offered a groundbreaking slate of games that have kept us busy the entire year. Follow along as we reflect on what made the year’s best titles so special.

The Xbox Series X and PS5

2023 gaming report card: how did PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo score?

After a long 12 months filled with games and industry shake-ups, we're handing Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo their final grades for 2023.
A zombie crawls toward a player on a boardwalk in Dead Island 2.

We predicted gaming’s 2023 future last December. Here’s what we got right

the overlooked games of 2023 mog23 featured

The overlooked games of 2023: 11 sleeper hits you need to play

With so many excellent games in 2023, some were bound to get lost in the shuffle. Here are 11 games from this year that you shouldn't miss.
Ms. Marvel listening to lo-fi in Marvel Snap.

A busy 2023 wasn’t enough to pull me away from my go-to mobile game

While there were tons of fantastic new games on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch this year, my most-played title was a mobile game from 2022.
Kratos looks solemnly in God of War Ragnarok Valhalla.

Forget live service. Great DLCs kept us playing old games in 2023

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, and more showed that games don't need to go full live service to keep players' attention.
The main male protagonist in Fire Emblem Engage.

2023 was a renaissance for strategy games. Enjoy it while you can

From Fire Emblem Engage to Last Train Home, there was no shortage of fantastic strategy games to play throughout 2023.
A character slashes enemies in Asgard's Wrath 2.

VR gaming lost me in 2023, and then totally won me back

I was almost done with VR gaming in 2023, but an incredible end-of-year comeback has made me more excited about the tech than ever.
The Kinmoku SHark sits on a table in Videoverse.

My favorite game of 2023 is a secret Twitter eulogy

While 2023 was full of huge games, no game was more on the pulse of current events than the oddly prophetic Videoverse.
A screenshot from The Story So Far in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

2023 set an incredibly high bar for video game sequels

Baldur's Gate 3, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Tears of the Kingdom, and other titles raised the bar for game sequels in 2023.
A complex puzzle appears in Viewfinder.

Puzzle games ruled 2023. It’s time we showed them the respect they deserve

Puzzle games ruled 2023, delivering some of the year's most inventive experiences. And it's high time for the genre to get the respect it deserves.
Key art for The Making of Karateka.

How Digital Eclipse redefined the remaster in 2023 with The Making of Karateka

Digital Eclipse redefined the idea of a video game remaster with this year's The Making of Karateka. Here's how it all came together.
A character from Starfield stands in front of text that Best Xbox Games 2023.

Our favorite Xbox Series X games of 2023: Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush, and more

After a rough start to the Series X's life span, Xbox finally came through with a strong game lineup in 2023.
Link stands behind text that says Best Switch Games 2023.

Our favorite Switch games of 2023: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario, and much more

2023 may have been the best year for the Nintendo Switch yet. Here were our favorite Nintendo games from a star-studded year.
Key art for Starfield.

Starfield ends 2023 as a commercial success and a marketing hype disaster

Bethesda's first voyage into space ends 2023 as a big success for Xbox, despite that it let down fans who felt like it underdelivered on its promises.
A PS5 sits on a table with a DualSense standing up next to it.

PlayStation spent 2023 setting up dominoes. But will they fall in 2024?

PlayStation has spent 2023 lining up a set of risky dominoes. Will they fall how it hopes in 2024?
Spider-Man and Miles Morales stand in front of a Best PS5 Games 2023 logo.

Our favorite PlayStation games of 2023: Spider-Man, Final Fantasy, and more

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 wasn't the only great PS5 game this year. Here are 7 PlayStation games we loved in 2023.
Link giving a thumbs-up with a smile.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn’t our Game of the Year, but it’s the strongest No. 2 ever

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might not be our Game of the Year, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about what it does amazingly.
Baldur's Gate 3's Karlach appears on an image that says Game of the Year 2023.

Staff picks: How Baldur’s Gate 3 beat the odds to become our 2023 Game of the Year

With so many incredible games in 2023, our Game of the Year decision was a tough one this year. But there's a good reason Baldur's Gate 3 came out on top.
The main character of El Paso Elsewhere appears in front of a graphic that says Top 10 Indies.

Our favorite indies of 2023: 10 unforgettable games you need to try

While big-budget games dominated the spotlight in 2023, the independent scene delivered just as many unforgettable experiences. Here are 10 of our favorites.
Video game characters appear in front of a Game of the Year 2023 logo.

The 10 best video games of 2023

After a historic year for video games, these 10 releases beat out the competition to make our annual year-end list.
Key art for The Game Awards 2023.

The Game Awards 2023: Here’s the complete list of winners

Here's the full list of winners at The Game Awards 2023, which saw Baldur's Gate 3 take home six trophies.
The Sony PlayStation Access controller was the most innovative gaming tech of 2023.

The most innovative gaming tech of 2023

From groundbreaking accessibility developments to creative retro consoles, these were the most innovative gaming devices of 2023.

Gaming News

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As Digital Trends’ Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran of the industry who first began writing about games professionally as a teenager, Giovanni brings a wealth of knowledge and historical context to Digital Trends’ gaming coverage. He brings that expertise to everything he writes, from interview features to reviews. His specialty is criticism and he’s committed to raising the bar for video game reviews. Just read his ambitious UFO 50 review as proof!

Giovanni majored in Film and Photography at Ithaca College, and that skill set had intersected with his games writing through his career. He previously worked as a Segment Producer on Polygon’s daily gaming show, Speedrun, and has contributed video content for sites like Prima Games and Hard Drive. He’s always willing to experiment with new media, whether that be via podcasts or creating videos for Digital Trends’ YouTube channel. He has previously written for Inverse, Fanbyte, The Inventory, and more. He began working with Digital Trends in 2019 as a Destiny 2 guides contributor before moving into his current role as Senior Editor.

His love of gaming dates back decades. Giovanni grew up in Massachusetts with his mother’s hand-me-down Atari 2600. He was hooked from that point on, spending his childhood obsessively playing Sega Genesis or Super Smash Bros. Melee with his friends. He carried that passion into college, where he hosted and produced Ithaca College’s own studio format video game news show. Since then, he has been committed to giving back to the video game industry that raised him by providing honest criticism, sharp analysis, and thorough coverage.

Giovanni is currently based in Brooklyn, New York where he works alongside his cat, Mirah. On weekends, you can find him birdwatching in local parks or watching professional wrestling, his second love behind gaming.