2023 has been a turning point, where I decided to play less video games for both personal and health reasons. I can't sit in front of a TV for hours anymore and it doesn't help that my job involves staring in front of a computer screen. As a result, I find myself abandoning games more often and only completing games that I think are worthwhile.
Without further ado... the below games are one's that I have completed and stuck with me in 2023.
Vastly better than BotW to the point where I don't think I can go back to playing that game. A story that actually has some meat and bones. Zelda is not just a princess waiting to be rescued but actually takes some initiative.
I know people were panicking because this is Nintendo's first $70 game, but it is absolutely worth the price of admission compared to its open world competitors.
An exceptional coop puzzle platformer. A perfect game to play with your friend, spouse or loved one. There is an incredible amount of variety, one moment you are playing a dual stick shooter and in another moment you're playing a dungeon crawler. Outside Dr. Hakim, an over-the-top Latino Lover character, I found the story heartwarming. It does a great job at portraying what makes and breaks relationships.
Easily one of the best Sci-Fi video game stories I have ever played. Don't judge this game solely on the first few hours. This is not just a mix of Mecha Anime and time travel, but much much more. The story goes places and it is immensely rewarding once you've reached the end.
A 16-bit platformer throwback with ambitious world building and puzzle design. Despite the graphics and animations, this game is made for adults and contains a lot of dark overtones. The major downside is the Tweak system isn't well thought out. Most of the Tweaks are too situational or gimmicky, so there is no incentive to explore and collect materials to build them.
Vanquish is a perfect game where you can turn your brain off and have some dumb fun. It's short, sweet and to the point.
Wingspan is all about birds and chill vibes. It's strategically interesting and educational too. Scored by a very soothing soundtrack, Wingspan is a game that you can lose and still feel great playing it somehow!
I actually played StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm close to their release dates but suddenly lost interest when in came to Legacy of the Void. My interest was reinvigorated after watching Frost Giant's upcoming game: StormGate which reminded me I have actually never finished the Protoss campaign.
The campaign itself is... fine? It's fun, but not particularly inventive. Outside of a handful of missions, the missions resort to the typical RTS mission of build an army and destroy X mac-guffins.
The [supposedly] last act for the Dragon of Dojima. In this game, the legend is in his 50s but still has the body of an elite MMA fighter. Not the best Yakuza game in the series due to the simplified combat engine and overly serious nature of the main plot. Still a fun experience with tons of celebrity cameos including Beat Takeshi (of Battle Royale and Takeshi's Castle fame).
The "feel-good" arc of the SciAdv Universe. It's neither as gripping as Steins;Gate nor as batshit crazy as Chaos;Head. Robotics;Notes will probably be a hit if you are a mechanical engineer or have a fondness for robots. The game doesn't rank that high due to the 4th act being poorly paced and requiring a walkthrough to get to the true ending.
A simple puzzle game of moving various knickknacks from point A to point B. The game doesn't have any real consequences. It's a fun laid back game with goofy dumb humor that's perfect to play with non-gaming friends and family.
