The best online games of 2023

The end of the year is approaching, and developers are in a hurry to finish all their projects so that they can rest in December looking at the Christmas tree decorated for Christmas. Unfortunately, 2023 was not as generous with interesting releases as 2022. Nevertheless, we have selected the best games in different multiplayer genres and formats. The selection includes both hits and MMO surprises, which are definitely worthy of attention and will surely become popular in the next few months. If you've found an unfamiliar title here, it's time to show interest and catch up.

Let's start, of course, with the most discussed action movie of 2023. CS2 was released suddenly, but even more unexpected was the fact that the developers put an end to the long history of Global Offensive. The classic gave way to the novelty so quickly that it caused grumbling among loyal fans. But the people calmed down, having appreciated the merits of the second part. Gamers liked the fresher graphics and technical solutions, including the effects of grenades and incendiary mixture. In addition, the rules have not undergone significant changes - you must still choose the side of bandits or special forces, and then lay or defuse a bomb or fight with enemies for hostages.

Since Counter-Strike is a cybersport discipline, even small changes in it have tactical significance. Whether it's the ability to shoot through "windows" in the smoke screen, burning a Molotov cocktail according to the laws of physics or experiments with surround sound - every little thing revealed familiar locations from a new side. And the designers didn't have to reinvent the wheel: they simply added some classic maps to the game - like Mirage, Inferno, Dust II, Office and Italy. Gone is the famous "wheel" with the choice of weapons and equipment. Instead of it the menu, as in Valorant, - with sorting of items by five columns. But in general, the shooter remained as demanding to the personal skills of the user.

The year 2023 has brought and addition to the battle royal genre. Farlight 84 is an action game for those who are tired of PUBG, Fortnite and Apex Legends. It's free, bright and dynamic, and also designed in the style of cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic. As in other similar games, gamers fight on a shrinking map until only the winner remains. But even before the match, each participant must choose a hero, not repeating the choice of a friend to use the unique skills of his character during the battle. One, for example, puts turrets, another flies on a jetpack - any of the abilities will help in a difficult moment not only you, but also your partners. After all, the developers emphasized teamwork.

Another trump card of Farlight 84 is military transportation. You can, for example, drive to your desired point on an armored vehicle protected from attacks or on a self-propelled gun. Newcomers get a number of perks in the form of automatic installation of modules on guns, a long knockout, during which you can crawl back to cover and heal, as well as a quick revival once per match. In general, the conditions are milder than in most "battle royale". True, there is an element of collecting, when you need to open heroes for virtual or real currency, but the game doesn't give any significant reinforcements for money. It can be recommended to everyone who respects the genre and wants to discover something new in it.

And here is the next game from the authors of Genshin Impact. For most gamers this description is enough not to go into the arguments "for" and "against" - instead it is better to install the conditionally free MMO on your computer, tablet or smartphone at once. But if the story about the advantages of HoYoverse's project is still important to you, we'll explain briefly why you shouldn't pass it by. Firstly, Honkai is distinguished by its bright style, which combines anime drawings and very technological graphics with plenty of effects. Secondly, the game has an interesting plot with the development of characters - here you have to not just click on the pictures, but also get into the story about the adventures of the Star Express crew in space.

The heroes oppose the evil force called Stellaron, which consumes worlds one by one, so the crew wanders between different locations. Some are decorated in the style of Europe of the XIX century, others sparkle with cyberpunk neon, but all territories are equally in need of getting rid of enemies. Along the way, the user opens new characters, because the game uses the mechanics of "gacha", that is, unlocking fighters and creating a collection of them. Individual favorites are allowed to pump, testing their skills in battles with opponents under the control of AI. An important feature of Honkai: Star Rail is that here you can have fun alone, and call other people's heroes at will - if you can't cope by yourself.

An online shooter created by a small team of enthusiasts unexpectedly became a bestseller. At the same time, the developers did not revolutionize the genre. They took the voxel engine, which provided destructibility of scenery and simple graphics, and added the rules from the famous Battlefield series. Teams fight each other on location, using infantry weapons, armored vehicles, helicopters, and even motorboats. Familiar classes are represented, including medic, scout, engineer, and stormtrooper, and finding friends for your squad is made easier by joining a clan.

One of the main features of the amateur project was the massiveness of battles - up to 254 characters can fight on the map at once. So the matches here look both spectacular and dynamic. In Steam store for the game ask for money, though small, - the price is in any case less than that of the new Call of Duty. What's more important, it's easier for ordinary gamers to communicate with the developers of such a game than with the employees of a huge corporation. BattleBit authors constantly collect feedback from users on their Discord channel and respond to it when preparing updates.

If we started talking about the work of small independent studios, it's time to remember the cooperative horror Lethal Company. The game was made by one person and released recently - in late October, but in a short time it gained tens of thousands of positive reviews. Successful indie horror games for the passage in a friendly company are not new to us - it's enough to remember the hit Phasmophobia. However, Kinetic Games had never dreamed of such a quick rise. And the recipe of pleasure turned out to be simple: it was enough to combine the mechanics of outings, as in Escape from Tarkov, and creepy adventures in the fantastic universe.

You and your comrades act as workers of a certain company, which sends you to the abandoned moons to take out everything that is not screwed to the walls. The more items you manage to steal, the higher your fee. And the higher the reward, the better equipped you are for the next mission. But not everyone is destined to survive on the mission, because even the most ordinary devices and creatures pose a danger. To survive, you need to use various gadgets like radars, and also to act together. The rule familiar from horror movies is relevant here: if the heroes decide to split up, nothing good will come out of it.

Interesting survival games with multiplayer do not come out so often. But we remember that new is well forgotten old. And in the case of Survival Ascended we didn't even have to forget anything. ARK was simply ported to Unreal Engine 5 and released in 2023 with heavily tweaked graphics and a slightly changed name. Meanwhile, it's almost the same game: you as a primitive savage appear in the open world, where exactly the same heroes roam, as well as dinosaurs, mammoths and other prehistoric animals. It would seem, having got into such a situation, it's time to give up. But Wildcard studio's project is about something else: heroes must join forces and conquer nature to survive.

Up to 70 players can interact on one island. Don't like dealing with strangers? Nothing prevents you from creating a private server for eight - and survive only with friends. Heroes need to extract resources, hunt and tame lizards, as well as organize the base of the tribe. Development is built on the principle of "from a stick digger to a railroad". So guys with machine guns riding tyrannosaurs are a common sight. There is support for custom modifications, cross-platform features - in short, any whim for your money. The latter is important, because Survival Ascended is probably the most expensive game in our selection.

Specialists from Samar studio have come up with a very unusual concept. It is based on the tower defense mechanics, i.e. "tower defense". This is when enemies attack your base in waves, and you need to build fortifications to repel the attack. After repelling one, you get a reward and prepare for the next act, placing more perfect traps and obstacles. And so - until the finale, when you get the grand prize. But The Front offers all this in open world, first-person view, survival elements, and multiplayer. One of the latest patches added squad customization - you can build a fortress and fight monsters even in a team of up to twenty people.

The game gives free rein to your imagination, because you can build anything you want, even an American-style farm to play out the zombie apocalypse from the movies, or a medieval castle or a base from science fiction. The same goes for guns. If you want - set traps and traps like pits with spikes at the bottom, and if not - place turrets, mines or some electric cannons. There are also armored vehicles, including tanks with helicopters. And while the monsters are being killed by your structures, nothing prevents you from connecting to the action personally - take a machine gun and shoot the enemies, running inside the maze or along its walls. In short, it's a great option for fighting in a fun and friendly company.

And here is an entertainment for those who prefer close combat in the knightly style - without any assault rifles and turrets. There are not even archers here, only swords, spears, sticks and a bit of magic. At the same time, the game's setting is interesting: where else will you see medieval warriors in armor, who ride on wooden trucks and wear capes with modern camouflage? Nexon's online action game has a choice of classes, from ordinary swordsman to bard with guitar and adepts of magic, as well as different conditions of matches - you can fight in a classic mortal combat or fight with a team of rivals for control points. There are also two options for the number of participants - "6 on 6" or "12 on 12".

Warhaven is soundly reminiscent of other medieval-style action games like For Honor and Mordhau. But it offers a few important differences. First of all, it is newer - it was released at the end of September 2023. Secondly, the combat system here is simpler - you don't need to imitate weapon swings with your mouse, choose attack angles and use other fencing techniques. It's enough to press the strike buttons, dodge enemy lunges and occasionally hit with special skills. Finally, the game is available for free. In it, of course, there are purchased costumes and jewelry, but they do not significantly affect the balance. So download the client to your computer - and bravely go into battle.

In the MMORPG genre it is fashionable now to chase the beauty of graphics - all high-profile releases are accompanied by the inscription "made on Unreal Engine 5". But what about people with outdated PCs or mobile devices? On their street in 2023 also came the holiday, because the conditionally free God of Night was released. It will take a little space, will run on any hardware, but will give the same experience as other multiplayer role-playing games. Those who are familiar with Fox Legends understand what we are talking about. For the rest of you, we'll explain it in more detail. At the start, you have a choice of nine characters from Chinese folklore, including the king of the apes. Each of them has his own fighting style and skills, which are unlocked as you progress.

You complete story missions on foot or on a riding animal, develop pet assistants, fight for rewards against different opponents, and challenge world and personal bosses. If you want to test your strength in a duel with another player, you can always use the Arena. The choice of opponents is based on the parameter of combat power - the greater the number, the stronger your hero. And when there is no desire to fight with someone, take a friend with you on a mission. In general, making correction for not the most modern graphics, you get a real MMORPG in Asian style for free.

Even among free-to-play MMORPGs there are completely different works. For the new Dragonheir the publishers organized a loud advertising campaign, emphasizing several interesting features of the game. It is created according to Dungeons & Dragons rules - with a full-fledged variant plot, monsters from D&D universe and dice rolling in controversial situations, which is especially relevant, given the hype around Baldur's Gate 3. In addition, there's a gloomy design reminiscent of the Disciples series of role-playing strategy games. And the battles are organized in the manner of "Heroes of Sword and Magic", if you choose there only autobattle. You place the members of your squad on a "chess" field, and then the AI animates the battle and determines the winner.

The game features an open world, which can be explored in any direction, although the locations are divided by levels - in most places the monsters are beyond the novice's strength. There are various adventures waiting for you - from predictable fights with enemies to competitions in the style of "who can out-drink whom". It is allowed to recruit called heroes, and there are more than two hundred of them here. Yes, you can't do without gacha mechanics, but it is well combined with the battles from "Heroes", only instead of building a castle you improve creatures for experience bubbles. And it's all on the same server as other users. It's been a long time since the genre has seen such an exotic mix of mechanics and rules, and it's also available for free.