3 Up, 3 Down – June 2023
June 2023 was a first. It was a month that had three high profile Game of the Year contenders, and after the results were in, they all arguably exceeded expectations. Those three highly anticipated games make-up the entirely of The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2023. The games in The Bad section weren’t high profile releases, but only two games scored under a 70 all month. June 2023 ended up being an amazing month for video game releases. The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2023 are:
The Good
Diablo IV
***click here for our review***
One of the themes in The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from June 2023 is that major sequels massively improve upon the botched releases of their predecessors. Diablo IV is a high production game that features everything fans of the series love at its best. It doesn’t innovate much, but does everything well. Our reviewer concluded “Diablo IV is the true successor to the second game, returning the franchise to its dark, gothic roots with a wild, operatic narrative and bold characters.” Aside from a few bugs, it’s a near perfection of the series’ formula.
Final Fantasy XVI
***click here for our review***
COGconnected rarely gives perfect scores, and 2023 has featured 2 games that received them. The first was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and the second was Final Fantasy XVI. Final Fantasy XVI features fast-paced action combat, and a long, compelling, character-focused narrative. Sometimes it feels like a bit of a departure from the feel of the Final Fantasy series. But all aspects have been well-developed, and the new combat is incredibly fun. Our reviewer concluded “Despite my initial misgivings, I’ve come to love this game completely”.
Street Fighter 6
***click here for our review***
Street Fighter 6 has perfect gameplay. Street Fighter V also launched with perfect gameplay. While there are some changes to the combat system, the major change about Street Fighter 6 is that it has tons of features upon launch. World Tour Mode is basically Street Fighter RPG, that includes a player avatar character creation. There’s a full arcade mode, online avatar battles, and tons of content to unlock. Our reviewer called Street Fighter 6 “an incredible celebration of previous releases and a confident stride into the future”.