Something went wrong. Try again later

Mento

Check out Mentonomicon dot Blogspot dot com for a ginormous inventory of all my Giant Bomb blogz.

4970 551638 219 909
Forum Posts Wiki Points Following Followers

List of Shame 2023: Twenty-Woe-Is-Me

Now that I've finally put Elden Ring and 2022 alike to rest, it's time to look forward to another year of gaming. Going to be a slow start to this list since I'm still taking advantage of some free Game Pass for another couple months, but then I'm going to be right back into the highlights of the past few years as I struggle to fit in everything I've been meaning to play. 2023's shaping up to be a stronger year for releases than most—certainly more than the rest of this decade, which began by being hamstrung by Covid-related delays—so here's hoping I'll be filling subsequent Lists of Shame with some 2023 nonpareils in due time. For now, though, I'm optimistic that I'm going to have zero issue finding something to play for the foreseeable future if perhaps less optimistic about, well, everything else going on.

I've yet to find anything better than the B-W-C system, so here it is again:

  • [B]acklog games are those I've bought, either before the year began or some time during same, that I fully intend to start playing before the year is through. Best-laid plans of mice and men being such as they are, however...
  • [W]ishlist games are those from the previous year(s) that I've yet to buy. Should I find them at a reasonable price during the year, there's a good chance they'll be "promoted" to the [B] group. I've once again separated them into games released the prior year (in this case 2022) and those from earlier still, fifteen each.
  • [C]ompleted games are those I finally beat in 2023. Not much more to add; I've yet to make one of these lists where everything ended up a [C]. Going to make a bold prediction and say it won't happen this year either.

Here is last year's List of Shame. Knocked out a third of what was on there, looks like, so that'll be the high score to beat this year.

List items

  • [B] Priority Alpha.

    I've been waiting for this localization for a great while now and though I couldn't squeeze it in last year it's my number one purchase priority for this one, ideally before the March release of its follow-up Trails to Azure. I wouldn't be against the idea of buying both in some kind of convenient bundle though.

  • [B] Priority Alpha.

    I've yet to miss a Xenoblade, as it's Nintendo's premier RPG franchise (now that Paper Mario barely counts). Not sure when my batteries will be sufficiently charged from 2022's Elden Ring to take on another game with a predicted run-time well into the triple-digits, but I imagine it'll be sooner rather than later.

  • [B] Priority Alpha.

    I had a great time with Angry Dad Simulator 2018 Edition and I'd like to see what happens to the rest of the Norse pantheon (I'm only guessing Kratos kills most of them) with this follow-up adventure. The exploration and combat in the last one was top-notch, so if this is just more of that I'm set. Maybe fewer valkyries this time, please.

  • [B] Priority Alpha.

    Apparently this game is pretty good? Who knew. Combining the Job system with a Soulsborne sounds like the best idea since combining the Job system with a strategy RPG, and I'm sure the goofy edgelord antics of you and your bros will only serve to enhance the game further.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    Zero issues running this now, and I've been eager to check out its semi-sequel Wrath of the Righteous for long enough too (it's further down the list). Just finding the time for these massive timesink RPGs is the struggle currently.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    An impulse purchase last year, Sakura Wars is one of those franchises that has been perma-locked behind a language barrier due its uncommon setting of a 1930s Paris. Since it finally saw a localization I've been eager to see what it's like, but I've got plenty of RPGs to be getting on with already.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    An anime Soulslike I still haven't busted out of its wrapping. Elden Ring has killed any interest in this particular sub-genre for a while, so if I do get around to this or anything of its ilk it'll probably be well into the summer of 2023.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    I have the F.I.S.T. slot prepared for the explormers I own, so this is for all the many I don't. Instead of removing this should I ever get my hands on the Salt and Sanctuary sequel, I'll keep a running list of the explormers I've picked up. The F.I.S.T. entry will include all the explormers I actually beat. Probably wouldn't hurt to be face-to-face with this little addiction problem of mine.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    Generally don't care for musous, but the DQ one was appealing enough due to its RPG hooks and many cameos. I also owe it to a little project from two years ago called Dredge of Seventeen to see out the last, big 2017 games I wanted to rank for that ridiculous Top 100.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    The full sequel to this little prologue aperitif is due out sometime next year, and as a lapsed Suikoden fan ready to start recruiting dudes and building armies I've been meaning to get out ahead of its launch by playing this first. If I can fit it into this GOTY thing for January, I'm going to try to do so.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    I think I still have access to the Steam copy of this I had. A gift from ArbitraryWater, I've been unable to run it properly until my recent PC purchase. One of several games I had to sideline over the years that I'll finally be able to check out now.

  • [B] Priority Beta.

    Wasn't sure whether to go with this or Triangle Strategy for this Square Enix Presents Tiles The Game spot, but folks seem a little warmer on DioField's story. I'm not the biggest strategy fan but it does feel like the universe is telling me to get back into it by releasing like twelve of these SRPGs last year.

  • [B] Priority Gamma.

    Folks are talking up the new A Plague Tale and while I doubt I have it in me to play both this first game (which was given away on EGS at some point) and then the new one on Game Pass, I might as well get in on the ground floor of everyone's favorite rat simulator at least.

  • [B] Priority Gamma.

    A rare shooty Soulslike, and another game given away by EGS last year. See above about being temporarily burned out on the genre but I've heard enough good things about this one that I'm willing to give it a shot even without a group to help.

  • [B] Priority Epsilon.

    I always put this on these lists of shame knowing damn well it's still a ways off given I'm being a good boy and playing all the Trails games in order. However! There's only two more between this and where I'm at. Let's see if I can knock out the whole Crossbell arc this year and still have room for more (going to say it's still pretty unlikely, but stranger things have happened).

  • [W] Priority Alpha.

    The best new Kirby game in years is one that finally puts the little guy in a proper 3D game (not some single-plane garbage like Kirby 64). As a 3D platformer fan and a Kirby fan both, I'm sticking this on a wishlist and then forgetting about it because Nintendo never drops its prices ever.

  • [W] Priority Alpha.

    It may be oversaturated and overly simplified but there was much to like about the previous Horizon and, like God of War, I'm a sucker for these open-world games every now and again. It's not like I can stand any of the ones Ubisoft puts out any more, so playing two or three a year is about the right pace for me.

  • [W] Priority Alpha.

    Another case of "loved the first, might as well check out the second since no-one's saying it's way worse or anything". Mario + Rabbids was both very accessible with its free movement while also having a moderate degree of challenge, and I'm hoping this one goes a little harder with the cameos and variety to make up for last time.

  • [W] Priority Beta.

    Plenty I liked and didn't like about the first AI: The Somnium Files, so I'm willing to give Uchikoshi-san the benefit of the doubt that this one will be a little less random and beholden to dream logic with its somnium puzzles. I liked the experimentation, just not the part where I ran out of "dream points" and had to start the whole sequence over from the beginning. Great character work and setting though, and that's mostly what I want to come back for.

  • [W] Priority Beta.

    Instantly fell in love with Supraland when I played it a few months ago, so I'll be checking out its sequel in due time as well. Semi-sequel? Halfway-sequel? Supraland's actual sequel Supraworld is out in 2023 as well supposedly, so that's all the more reason to stay caught up with its first-person explorming/collectathon antics.

  • [W] Priority Gamma.

    Meh, cute cat game, why not. It's been popping up on enough GOTY lists of people whose opinions I respect that there's probably more to it than adorable kitty antics.

  • [W] Priority Gamma.

    We saw a number of farming/life-sim games last year, including also the Disney thing and My Time at Sandrock entering early access, but I'm most curious about the Square Enix one. Well, mildly curious at least. If there isn't some other farming sim to take over the year like Stardew did, I might try Harvestella when its price dips to something reasonable.

  • [W] Priority Beta.

    Very stylish and I'm no stranger to Tony Hawk skateboarding business. Didn't get a lot of buzz last year but maybe it just got buried by other stuff. It was on Bakalar's GOTY list at least, so that's promising.

  • [W] Priority Delta.

    Piranha Bytes, you jerks, let's see what your regularly scheduled remake of Gothic looked like in 2022. Hope it's better than the previous six. I'm hoping the trailer music isn't on loop throughout.

  • [W] Priority Delta.

    Yeah, I heard this one kinda wasn't so hot, but I'm still a big fan of the Valkyrie Profile franchise and maybe a so-so action-RPG isn't going to be the thing that kills it. Then again, Tri-Ace is practically reeling at this point so who can say where its franchises will end up?

  • (2021)

    [W] Priority Alpha.

    A painting dog. One of 2021's big success stories. Still haven't gotten around to buying it.

  • (2021)

    [W] Priority Alpha.

    Sequel to one of the most impressive subversions of the Metroid formula. Probably the biggest explormer gap in my playing history after Metroid Dread.

  • (2021)

    [W] Priority Beta.

    Not holding out hope this ever drops to something reasonable but it's one of the few Switch exclusives I'd like to have before the end of the system's lifespan.

  • (2019)

    [W] Priority Beta.

    Talky RPGs are usually my forte, but I've been putting this off forever. Might be time I found out what it's all about.

  • (2020)

    [W] Priority Beta.

    I hear it's a better and more concise expansion to one of the better open-world action games released in recent years. Maybe getting the PC version makes more sense?

  • (2021)

    [W] Priority Beta.

    Wadjet's latest, though it probably won't be for long. Can never have enough classic graphic adventure games.

  • (2020)

    [W] Priority Gamma.

    Retro RPG about emotions and empathy. One of many influences on Undertale. Been meaning to slake my curiosity about it for well over five years now.

  • (2020)

    [W] Priority Gamma.

    I've been wanting to play some form of Trials of Mana, either this remake or the SFC original, for many years. I'll keep an eye out.

  • (2020)

    [W] Priority Gamma.

    The Science Adventure series has been consistently good so far, even if Chaos;Child was a bit too edgelord at times, so this feels like it'll scratch the VN itch if I have it in 2023.

  • (2021)

    [W] Priority Delta.

    Contingent on finally buying a PS5, of course. Since I just forked out majorly for a decent PC, I suspect this'll be hovering around next year's List of Shame too. Hopefully it'll have at least one other PS5 exclusive to join it by then; my motivation for getting one is still pretty low.

  • (2017)

    [W] Priority Delta.

    This may well be the last 2017 game I ever end up adding to my master GOTY list for the year. Just keeps eluding me.

  • [C] 07/01.

  • [C] 10/01.

  • [C] 14/01.

  • [C] 21/01.

  • [C] 11/03.

  • [C] 28/03.

  • [C] 18/04.

  • [C] 28/04.

  • [C] 20/06.

  • [C] 18/07.

  • [C] 25/07.

  • [C] 30/11.

  • [C] 24/08. (The Great Ace Attorney)

    [C] 30/12. (The Great Ace Attorney 2)

    This is the last (currently translated) Ace Attorney thing I've yet to play, so I'm a little apprehensive about getting it and running out of stupid weird anime people to cross-examine. On the other hand, I should probably get to it already; it's been too long since the last one.

  • [C] 31/12.
Load Comments