The best video games of 2023 so far

A scene from ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.’ (Nintendo)
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Updated 30 June 2023
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The best video games of 2023 so far

  • From remade classics to brand-new brilliance, here are the standout titles from the past six months

DUBAI: From remade classics to brand-new brilliance, here are the standout titles from the past six months.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’

Developer: Nintendo

The “Zelda” games have entertained generations of gamers now, going back to the original “Legend of Zelda” in 1986. This latest sprawling, magical open-world adventure game — a sequel to 2017’s excellent “Breath of the Wild” — has clearly been created by a team who love the franchise; the care and thought they have put into crafting the enormous and engrossing world of Hyrule (and its shady underworld) are apparent throughout. As usual, you play as Link, the elven hero with the magic arm. If you decide to follow the main quest then you’ll be helping Princess Zelda prevent the evil Ganondorf from trashing Hyrule, but you probably won’t be following the main quest for long — the great joy here is wandering off to explore the staggering amount of “background” in the game and the hugely satisfying ability to improvise by combining found objects. “Tears of the Kingdom” can be tricky and frustrating at times, but the payoff is always worth it. This is a masterpiece.

‘Street Fighter 6’

Developer: Capcom

The latest addition to one of the all-time great franchises was a triumph, selling 1 million copies within five days of its release and garnering critical acclaim too. All well-deserved for its engrossing mix of accessible gameplay (if you pick the right level for yourself), customizable characters, almost-faultless online competition, and the ability to focus on particular areas of combat that best suit your style — all of that on top of the iconic retro visuals that have entertained millions since the late-Eighties.

‘System Shock’

Developer: Nightdive Studios

The 1994 original wasn’t a huge success commercially, but is now seen as a seminal game in the history of first-person adventures. This remake might achieve similar status. The developers have stayed loyal to the source, but made full use of the technological advancements of the last 30 years to deliver a visual experience to match the excellent — and very difficult — gameplay. Set in a steampunk-style near future, you play a hacker responsible for reining in a malevolent and frighteningly powerful AI called SHODAN.

‘Meet Your Maker’

Developer: Behaviour Interactive

Relatively simple to pick up and very hard to put down, this enjoyable and unique first-person action shooter sees you play as a killer robot, raiding bases created by other players. How hard that proves to be depends on how devious and cruel the bases’ creators are. You’ll find yourself ‘dying’ in some remarkably original ways. But you can always get your own back via your own base designs.

‘Dredge’

Developer: Black Salt Games

No. Fishing simulators don’t usually end up in ‘Best Games of the Year’ lists, even in July. But then again, fishing simulators don’t usually have a sinister undertone like “Dredge” does. You play a struggling trawler captain leading his crew around a group of remote islands. You can trade your catches with the locals, and gradually improve your boat, skills and knowledge. But the more you find out about those locals, the more you’ll realize you’ll need all the help you can get to survive these waters.

‘Hi-Fi Rush’

Developer: Tango Gameworks

It probably won’t enjoy the longevity of a truly great game, but for a quick blast of unadulterated excitement, this over-the-top, cartoonish mayhem is hard to match. You play as wannabe rock star Chai, whose music player is accidentally embedded in his chest during experimental surgery. Now you have to defeat the evil execs of the company that did this to you, with fighting skills that require you to try and match the rhythms of the game’s killer soundtrack. Loud, dumb and lots of fun.


Princess Reema bint Bandar wears Honayda design to welcome President Trump to Saudi Arabia

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Princess Reema bint Bandar wears Honayda design to welcome President Trump to Saudi Arabia

DUBAI: Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, wore a bespoke creation by Saudi designer Honayda Serafi during President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh.

The ensemble consisted of a royal blue floor-length abaya with detailed gold embroidery. The symmetrical patterns extended across the bodice and sleeves, while smaller gold motifs were scattered throughout the lower part of the garment. The dignitary’s look was completed with a matching blue headscarf.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by HONAYDA (@honaydaofficial)

Honayda Serafi, founder of Honayda, shared a statement on Princess Reema’s appearance on Instagram, saying: “I am so pleased and deeply proud to see HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar, our remarkable Saudi Ambassador to the United States, standing as a symbol of strength, progress and leadership, as one of the first women to break barriers and champion women’s empowerment. 

“It is a special moment to see her shine as she welcomes President Trump on his historic visit to Riyadh, wearing a bespoke piece by Honayda for this significant occasion. I look forward to sharing more about the inspiration behind this design,” she added. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Reema B Al-Saud (@rbsalsaud)

Serafi is known for dressing prominent figures across the Middle East and the rest of the world. Celebrities who have worn her designs include Priyanka Chopra, Lupita Nyong’o and Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein of Jordan.  

She is a favorite of Saudi-born Princess Rajwa and dressed the royal for her henna night festivities in in 2023 and for Jordanian King Abdullah II’s silver jubilee celebrations in Amman in 2024.

The ensemble consisted of a royal blue floor-length abaya with detailed gold embroidery. (Instagram)

Meanwhile, Princess Reema’s participation in Trump’s visit highlighted the long-standing partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US. Writing in The Washington Times this week, she described the visit as “a moment pivotal for global peace, security and prosperity.

“Today, as the world navigates new challenges and conflicts, that partnership is more critical than ever,” she said.

Princess Reema, who presented her credentials to Trump in 2019 when assuming her role as ambassador, said the two nations’ alliance was “not just history; it is a reimagined future.”


The inside scoop on President Trump’s hearty lunch in Riyadh

Updated 7 min 24 sec ago
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The inside scoop on President Trump’s hearty lunch in Riyadh

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump, along with top US delegates and business executives, were extended a warm welcome in Riyadh at Al-Yamamah Palace, where dignitaries were treated to a hearty lunch on Tuesday.

The US president, who touched down in Saudi Arabia to kickstart the first major international trip of his second term, enjoyed lunch in the presence of senior Saudi royals, members of the cabinet, leading business executives, and editors-in-chief.

US business magnate Elon Musk was also in attendance.

The lunch menu included a health conscious three-course meal, with international flair. (Supplied)

The lunch menu included a health conscious three-course meal, with international flair.

For the delicate starters, miso beef was plated up along with fermented vegetables and bacon crumble.

For the delicate starters, miso beef was plated up along with fermented vegetables and bacon crumble. (Supplied)

For the main course, visiting dignitaries were served grilled black Angus steak alongside “silky potatoes” and a fresh herb salad.

The meal ended on a sweet note with an extra virgin olive oil parfait and a sweet and tart strawberry salad.

Prior to the lunch, President Trump departed Air Force One and was promptly treated to Saudi hospitality in the form of Saudi coffee served by attendants wearing ceremonial gun-belts.


Hollywood stars condemn Gaza ‘genocide’ as Cannes Festival opens

Updated 13 May 2025
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Hollywood stars condemn Gaza ‘genocide’ as Cannes Festival opens

CANNES: More than 380 figures from the cinema world including "Schindler's List" actor Ralph Fiennes condemned "genocide" in Gaza in an open letter published on Tuesday ahead of the Cannes Festival opening.
"We cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza," read the letter initiated by several pro-Palestinian activist groups and published in French newspaper Liberation and US magazine Variety.
The signatories -- which include Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, as well as acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and former Cannes winner Ruben Ostlund -- decried the death of Gazan photojournalist Fatima Hassouna.
Hassouna, 25, is the subject of a documentary which will premiere in Cannes on Thursday by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi, titled "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk".
Hassouna was killed along with 10 relatives in an Israeli air strike on her family home in northern Gaza last month, the day after the documentary was announced as part of the ACID Cannes selection.
Farsi welcomed the impact of her film but called on Cannes Festival organisers to denounce Israel's ongoing bombardment of the devastated Palestinian territory.
"There needs to be a real statement," she told AFP. "Saying 'the festival isn't political' makes no sense."
This year's Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche was initially said by organisers to have signed the petition, but her spokeswoman told AFP that she had not endorsed it and her name was not published by Liberation.
Other signatories include Jonathan Glazer, the British director of Jewish origin who won an Oscar for his 2023 Auschwitz drama "The Zone of Interest", as well as US star Mark Ruffalo and Spanish actor Javier Bardem.


The Cannes Festival kicks off on Tuesday on the French Riviera, with an opening ceremony headlined by Robert De Niro and three films showing the devastation of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Two documentaries featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a third film shot on the brutal frontlines of Europe's biggest war in 80 years are to be screened on a "Ukraine Day" of programming.
It is "a reminder of the commitment of artists, authors and journalists to tell the story of this conflict in the heart of Europe", the festival said.
Nothing similar has been planned for the war in Gaza, but the film on Hassouna is set to "honour" her memory, organisers said previously.
Gazan filmmakers Arab and Tarzan Nasser are also set to showcase their fiction feature set in 2007 in the Palestinian territory in one of the secondary sections of the festival.
The opening film on Tuesday evening is "Leave One Day" by French director Amelie Bonnin, a newcomer, before Hollywood heavyweight De Niro receives an honorary Palme d'Or.


De Niro is one of the most outspoken critics of US President Donald Trump in the American cinema world, with the "Taxi Driver" star often struggling to find words harsh enough for the US president.
Trump has made himself one of the main talking points in Cannes after announcing on May 5 that he wanted 100-percent tariffs on movies "produced in foreign lands".
The idea sent shockwaves through the film world, although few insiders or experts understand how such a policy could be implemented.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux talked up the festival's "rich" American film programme on Monday, with movies from Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster and Kelly Reichardt in the main competition.
"American cinema remains great cinema. The United States remains a great country of cinema," he said.
Off-screen news in France is also likely to overshadow the red-carpet action in Cannes on Tuesday, with French film icon Gerard Depardieu facing a verdict in a sexual harassment case in Paris.
Depardieu, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement against sexual violence.


While independent cinema forms the core of the Cannes festival, organisers also hand over part of the programme to major Hollywood studios to promote their blockbusters.
Tom Cruise is set to return to the Riviera for the premiere of the latest instalment of his "Mission: Impossible" franchise on Thursday, three years after he lit up the festival while promoting "Top Gun: Maverick".
The festival will also see a series of high-profile debut films from actors-turned-directors, including "Eleanor the Great" from Scarlett Johansson and "The Chronology of Water" by Kristen Stewart.
Organisers on Monday denied reports that they had banned provocative near-nude dresses from the red carpet.
However, "full nudity on the red carpet" has been formally outlawed, "in keeping with French law".
 


Saudi producer Faisal Baltyuor appointed new CEO of Red Sea Film Foundation

Updated 13 May 2025
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Saudi producer Faisal Baltyuor appointed new CEO of Red Sea Film Foundation

  • New CEO has helmed several top local and Arab productions
  • ‘Visionary’ leader, says Red Sea foundation’s Jomana Al-Rashid

DUBAI: Saudi Arabian film producer Faisal Baltyuor has been appointed CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, it was announced on Tuesday.

The foundation oversees the Jeddah-based Red Sea Film Festival, the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Labs. Baltyuor will replace acting CEO Mohammed Asseri from June 1.

Baltyuor was previously the first head of Ithra Cinema, and founded the Saudi Arabia distributor CineWaves Films, which has the biggest library of Saudi films.

He was previously CEO at Muvi Studios, the production arm of the Kingdom’s biggest cinema chain. Last year, Baltyuor opened Cinehouse in Riyadh, the first arthouse cinema in the Kingdom.

“We wanted to create a place that feels like home, while showcasing the best of Saudi talent in both cinema and dining,” Baltyuor said in an earlier interview with Arab News.

A producer for almost 20 years, Baltyuor executive-produced Saudi Arabia director Haifaa Al-Mansour’s groundbreaking “The Perfect Candidate,” which was launched in Venice in 2019, and comedy “Sattar,” a local megahit.

He is also a producer on the Saudi Netflix Original “From the Ashes” which ranked among the top-10 most-watched films on the streamer across 40 countries.

Baltyuor also co-produced Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s “Goodbye Julia” which won the Prix de la Liberte at Cannes in 2023.

The Red Sea Film Foundation’s chairwoman Jomana Al-Rashid has praised Baltyuor.

“His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to unlocking the boundless potential of emerging talent will fuel not only artistic excellence but also the sustainable growth of our industry.”

Baltyuor said he was “committed to building on the success” of the foundation.

“Through our diverse programs, we will continue to support a thriving film industry both locally and internationally, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030, which places the creative sector at the heart of national development.”

The next edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival runs from Dec. 4 to 13 in Jeddah.


Jessica Kahawaty launches jewelry label with her father 

Updated 13 May 2025
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Jessica Kahawaty launches jewelry label with her father 

DUBAI: Lebanese Australian model and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty this week launched her own fine jewelry brand, Kahawaty Jewels, alongside her father, master jeweler Ghassan Kahawaty. 

Based in Dubai, the brand is a continuation of their family’s long-standing tradition in jewelry craftsmanship.

Kahawaty Jewels debuted with the Octagon collection, a design inspired by the number eight, which holds deep family significance, Jessica said. (Supplied)

“I grew up watching my father in his jewelry trade. I saw how happy he made people when he created these beautiful pieces,” Jessica told Arab News. “I’ve always wanted to continue my father’s legacy and my grandfather’s trade. I felt like this is the perfect time to launch Kahawaty Jewels in Dubai, which is a city I’ve been in for over 13 years.”

For Jessica, building the brand with her father has been a meaningful journey. “He’s the only man I trust when it comes to diamonds and jewelry. He has an impeccable eye for detail and quality,” she added. “He has the most incredible craftsmanship. So, I learned so much from him, and launching this with my father feels like a true partnership.”

Kahawaty Jewels debuted with the Octagon collection, a design inspired by the number eight, which holds deep family significance, Jessica said. Jessica was born and her father took over the family business in 1988. The eight-sided motif also symbolizes infinity, Jessica added. 

Jessica describes the brand’s aesthetic as “incredibly timeless, yet modern and wearable.” She added: “It is for the woman who loves craftsmanship and loves to feel like she’s wearing jewelry that stands out yet, you know, she can kind of keep it for many years to come.”

Based in Dubai, the brand is a continuation of their family’s long-standing tradition in jewelry craftsmanship. (Supplied)

Beyond the Octagon collection, Kahawaty Jewels features additional lines such as Art Deco, Floral and Classic collections, offering a variety of engagement rings, glitzy necklaces and tennis bracelets. Each piece is crafted with GIA-certified natural diamonds sourced globally and produced in ateliers across Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai.

 The approach focuses on offering detailed consultations and explaining the craftsmanship behind each piece, reflecting the brand’s family-run nature, Jessica said.