Our selection of the best video games of 2023 to give at Christmas, for all ages, tastes and budgets

It’s a year that all video game fans will remember. From Baldur’s Gate 3 to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Resident Evil 4, 2023 has been extremely rich in quality titles. So much so that it is not easy to find your way around. To help you see things more clearly, and not make the wrong choice for Christmas, Le Figaro has drawn up its list of safe values ​​to offer to loved ones, according to several categories concocted by us.

We no longer present the mustachioed plumber. The most famous video game hero has given himself yet another iteration on Nintendo Switch, reaffirming his status as master of the platform. Super Mario Bros. Wonder returns to the character's first love, 2D, and delivers an adventure as original as it is psychedelic, thanks to its "prodigy seeds" which modify the vast majority of its 129 levels. Transformed into an elephant or a screw, Mario stretches, sinks, crushes, runs, explores and jumps, again and again, in what is undoubtedly one of his best adventures - playable by up to four players simultaneously .

Available on Nintendo Switch, physically or digitally, for 59.99 euros.

Pikmin 4 is one of those games forgotten by the general public. Wrongly. A real UFO, the Nintendo title is an adventure-management game that will make you play as a tiny alien who has crashed on another planet, populated by mysterious colorful creatures. You will have to guide and manage the population of these small living beings, each of which has a power depending on their color, in gigantic environments. Less accessible than Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pikmin 4 is particularly intended for young children who can play with one of their parents, since the title can be played by two players simultaneously. A great adventure that is already unforgettable.

Available on Nintendo Switch, physically or digitally, for 59.99 euros.

As nervous as it is beautiful, Street Fighter 6 has established itself since its release in summer as the undisputed master of fighting games. Correcting the flaws of its predecessor, which was starved for content and which had shunned Xbox consoles, the latest from Japanese publisher Capcom stands out for its accessibility, offering several control modes including one intended for beginners. And when we know the technicality required by the saga, we can only welcome this proposal.

With its unique artistic direction and its open-world single-player mode, called World Tour, Street Fighter 6 has already made a place for itself among the best opuses of the series, initiated in 1987. However, we will regret a few missing iconic characters, and especially a propensity for microtransactions - the other side of the coin for a title that wishes to persist over time.

Available on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC, physically or digitally, between 29.99 and 69.99 euros depending on the reseller.

The other fighting game of the year. Mortal Kombat 1, unlike Street Fighter 6, is not for everyone. Its heavy gameplay and bloody combat – peppered with extremely violent fatalities – are the symbols of a franchise that is as revered as it is maligned. But behind its extravagance lies a beautiful, technical and content-rich fighting game, supported by a surprising although repetitive Invasion mode, allowing you to unlock customization elements for the twenty or so playable characters.

The big novelty of this twelfth opus is the possibility of calling on a second character in combat, to extend combos. The title is not free from downsides (microtransactions, loaded menus, etc.), especially on Nintendo Switch. We strongly advise you to avoid this version.

Available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PC, physically or digitally, between 39.99 and 79.99 euros depending on the resellers.

The good surprise of the year. Very little expected, Robocop: Rogue City has done well since its release on November 2. Its publisher, Nacon, also praised its sales: 435,000 copies sold in just two weeks. The shooter, which puts you in the role of half-man, half-robot police officer Alex Murphy, is intended to be a sequel to the second Robocop film. We find there line for line the actors of the trilogy, such as Nancy Allen (Agent Anne Lewis) or Robert DoQui (Sergeant Reed).

But far from being a stupid adaptation, Rogue City manages not only to transcribe the sordid atmosphere of the city of Detroit, but also to pepper its adventure with finely written side and main quests. A quality that is far too rare - even among bigger budget productions - coupled with convincing shooting sensations and a technique powered by the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine. A good vintage, as long as you are not allergic to the universe Robocop kitsch.

Available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series and PC, physically or digitally, between 39.99 and 59.99 euros depending on the reseller.

A remake that sets an example to follow. Star Ocean The Second Story R, ​​a great classic of Japanese role-playing games (RPG) released in 1998, has just returned in an updated version. What hits first? Its artistic direction, which mixes pixel art and 3D decorations. Between tradition and modernity, the second - and best - opus of the Square Enix saga has lost none of its splendor, and still offers this unique universe, halfway between medieval and science fiction.

But RPG obliges, Star Ocean The Second Story R takes time. Once you get past its slow introduction, the game offers a rich and customizable real-time combat system thanks to the multiple skills to unlock. A great epic, which will delight even more adults who played the original version as teenagers.

Available on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC, physically or digitally, between 50 and 60 euros depending on the resellers.

A masterpiece that has lost none of its splendor. Resident Evil 4, a video game monument released in 2005, has been re-released by Capcom in a brand new version having already exceeded five million sales. The action-horror title puts you in the role of Leon S. Kennedy, who arrives in a small Spanish village in search of the daughter of the President of the United States. The special agent, already confronted with the zombies of Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2 (also released in 2019), will quickly become the target of the locals, who have become mysteriously ultra-violent.

Boosted by a deliciously excessive staging and an assumed “body-horror” style, the Japanese title benefits from generous action scenes, cleverly coupled with heavy handling to keep the pressure on the player. However, we will deplore a few rare scenes cut from the original game, such as that of the legendary lasers.

Available on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC, physically or digitally, between 40 and 60 euros depending on the resellers.

It was never released in France, despite its status as a cult title. The first turn-based role-playing game named Mario, which arrived in Japan and North America in 1996, was finally published in Europe by Nintendo in November. Beyond its revised technical aspect, Super Mario RPG innovates compared to the basic work, and takes up certain codes from its successors (the Mario

Available on Nintendo Switch, physically or digitally, at 59.99 euros.

“Already one million sales in France. » Nintendo France can be proud: the latest installment of the Legend of Zelda is a commercial and critical hit, in France as in the rest of the world. And for good reason: the sequel to Breath of the Wild (BOTW), released in 2017, is a little gem that will undoubtedly be a landmark in the history of video games. More than an adventure game, Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK) is a long traveling journey to the heart of the fallen Kingdom of Hyrule.

What the game loses in originality - the world of TOTK takes up that of BOTW in almost all its aspects - it gains in opulence, with a mess of quests and puzzles and, above all, an almost seamless "assembly" system. limit. In this opus, Link has the ability to link any object to another: a tree branch coupled with a log will transform into a spear, a rock on a pot lid will become a sturdy shield, and a fan topped with 'a handlebar will result... in a helicopter! An extraordinary freedom which more than compensates for the graphic aspect of the game, limited by the Nintendo Switch.

Available on Nintendo Switch, physically or digitally, at 69.99 euros.

A video game in the Harry Potter universe, in an open world like Assassin’s Creed? Ambitious, the project was as feared as expected, given the relative quality of previous adaptations of the adventures of the famous sorcerer. Hogwarts Legacy is ultimately a successful bet.

This action-adventure game set in Hogwarts and its surroundings in the 1800s accurately transcribes the world of J.K Rowling, making you embody a student of the famous magical establishment, following his classes during the day, and fighting trolls, goblins and black magicians at night. And for that alone, we will forgive its narrative wanderings, its repetitiveness and its combat system without fantasy.

Available on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PC, physically or digitally, between 30 and 60 euros depending on the resellers.

The legendary role-playing saga has given birth... to an intense action game that denies almost everything about its predecessors. With this sixteenth main episode, Final Fantasy 16 is actually more Devil May Cry than Dragon Quest - and it is no coincidence that “XVI” is the first part of the series not recommended for under 18s. With its artistic direction and its scenario inspired by Game of Thrones, Final Fantasy XVI multiplies throughout its adventure the brilliant shots of staging, with Dantesque boss fights and a prodigious soundtrack composed by Masayoshi Soken. An unmissable, despite its excessive ease.

Also readIn the secrets of Final Fantasy 16, the cult video game saga

Available on Playstation 5 between 40 and 80 euros depending on the reseller.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 innovates little, but succeeds in everything it does. Photorealistic graphics, respect for the Marvel universe, dynamic combat... It's difficult to find a fault, except its formula, already seen in previous episodes. We will especially salute the treatment of the character of Venom, too often missed in the Spider-Man films and video games, and the quality of movement in the city of New York: virtually swinging between the skyscrapers of the Big Apple n has never been so sensational.

Crowned video game of the year at the Game Awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 is not a mainstream work. And that’s probably why it’s so popular. Not sacrificing its ambitions on the altar of ease, the Belgian game from Larian Studios embraces its slow turn-based combat, its wordy quests and its nuanced protagonists. All this, in the service of a dense and epic story in which you will be 100% the hero: dozens of choices are in fact possible throughout the game, influencing its main missions, its side quests and the multiple relationships between its characters . A wealth of content that can overwhelm the newbie, but which will forever mark the most experienced players.

Available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series and PC, only digitally for now, at 69.99 euros.

Let's try it for the graphic slap. Then we stay there for its cryptic scenario. Alan Wake 2, produced by Remedy Entertainment, has all the makings of an author's work. Multiplying risk-taking, this action-horror game making us play in turn a Stephen King-style writer and an FBI policewoman trapped in a horror book, reminds players that it is still possible to innovate , even in big-budget productions. Proof of this are these impressive “live-action” cutscenes, which combine in real time with the game sequences. Warning for the faint of heart: in addition to its sordid atmosphere, reminiscent of the best episodes of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake 2 multiplies the “screamers”. A violent way of maintaining pressure on the player.

Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC, only digitally, for 59.99 euros.

The spearhead of “tactical”. Engage, a new episode in the Fire Emblem saga, is a must-see for all players who like to rack their brains. Crazy demanding in maximum difficulty, Nintendo's turn-based game, visually spectacular on Switch, offers its users the chance to embody the "Divine Dragon", an entity in human form, responsible for preventing the return of the "Divine Dragon". Fallen Dragon. To do this, our protagonist will bring together several elite soldiers with various skills and classes, who we will control in tactical battles throughout the game. Moreover, Engage in no way revolutionizes the genre: its Manichaean scenario is enhanced by endearing and colorful characters, whose relationships can be explored in depth outside of combat. A successful management aspect which confirms Fire Emblem: Engage as a safe bet.

Available on Nintendo Switch, physically and digitally, for 59.99 euros.

A game of unsuspected depth. Dave the Diver takes the simple look of a 2D independent game, the objective of which is to dive into an ocean to catch multiple varieties of fish. But the more the title is revealed, the more it is enriched with new mechanics, allowing you to manage a sushi restaurant or explore the remains of an ancient underwater civilization. Sprinkled with convincing boss fights and magnificent pixel art scenes, Dave the Diver is a surprisingly dense game, especially for its low price.

Available on PC and Nintendo Switch, only digitally, for 19.99 euros.

Impossible to conclude this selection without mentioning the little-known nugget that is Decarnation. Developed by the French studios Atelier QDB and Shiro Games, this independent title tells the tragic story of Gloria, 29 years old, including nine years spent running a Parisian cabaret. A succession of bad news will cause him to lose his girlfriend and his job. Sinking into depression, she thinks she will find salvation when a mysterious employer offers her a career offer that is impossible to refuse. But when she arrives at the meeting place, a bench located in a public park, she suddenly loses consciousness... before finding herself sequestered in the home of an illustrious stranger.

A deep introspective story then follows, where Gloria, confronted with her demons, will seek to escape her jailer. Alternating between the spooky and the pathetic, the story of Decarnation is carried by beautiful pixel art and 100% French pop music, which almost makes us forget its sometimes annoying gameplay phases.

Available on PC and Nintendo Switch, only digitally, for 14.99 euros.