FINAL FANTASY XVI

FOLLOW ME FOR MORE AWESOME ARTICLES! **Introduction** In the pantheon of video game franchises, few have etched as indelible a mark on the landscape of the medium as Final Fantasy. Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed by Square Enix (formerly Square), this series has transcended its origins as a last-ditch effort to save a failing company, blossoming into a cultural phenomenon that has influenced countless other games and media. From its first installment in 1987 to the latest entries and remakes, Final Fantasy has continually evolved, embracing new technology and storytelling techniques while staying true to its core themes of adventure, conflict, and camaraderie.

A lot of bad things have happened in 2023, but you know what's been good? Video games! While the games industry has seen a frustrating amount of instability for developers, the actual games they've put out have been incredible. In fact, we'd argue this has been one of the best years for new games in the past decade—maybe ever! With all that in mind, narrowing down our favorites wasn't easy. Last week, TapTap's editors and other staff members put our heads together and voted on the games we absolutely couldn't forget and felt deserved special honors, even in a year full of amazing releases.