Monday, January 15, 2024

The Games I Beat in 2023: Q4

October

Game 50: Pikmin 2

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 9 hours 34 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: While the core gameplay is still excellent, the lack of urgency and caves that stress difficulty over creativity hold down this sequel.

Game 51: Returnal

Developer: Housemarque
Played on: PS5
Release: 2021

Playtime: 26 hours 41 minutes
Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Returnal is a near-perfect mix of third-person shooter, bullet hell, and roguelike that will keep you returning for more.

Game 52: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2009

Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: Despite how good both the gameplay and level design can be, New Super Mario Bros. Wii's single-player doesn't stand out compared to its predecessor and successors.


Game 53: Pikmin 3 Deluxe

Developer: Nintendo and Eighting
Played on: Switch
Release: 2020

Playtime: 9 hours 17 minutes
Rating: 8
Thoughts: Pikmin 3 is a solid sequel, though the side content exclusive to Deluxe is lacking.

Game 54: Pikmin 4

Developer: Nintendo and Eighting
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 17 hours 31 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Pikmin 4 wonderfully fleshes out and improves on concepts from its predecessors to create the strongest entry in the series.

Game 55: Poinpy

Developer: Moppin
Played on: Pixel 6 via Netflix Games
Release: 2022

Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: A great platformer perfectly suited for smartphones. However, it could do with a high-score leaderboard or an endless mode to entice replayability after completion.

November

Game 56: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Rating: 9
Thoughts: Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a great platformer that brings many new ideas to 2D Mario. However, repetition sets in when the game sticks too close to the formula.

Game 57: Super Mario RPG

Developer: ArtePiazza
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 11 hours 35 minutes
Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Despite what people may say of its length, difficulty, and minor performance issues, Super Mario RPG is a stunning remake of a bonafide classic.

Game 58: The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 18 hours 6 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: A solid action-RPG with a strong story and compelling level design, but it is held back by repetitive combat and weak side content.

December

DLC 1: Sonic Frontiers — The Final Horizon

Developer: Sonic Team
Played on: PS5
Release: 2023

Playtime: 8 hours 27 minutes
Rating: 4
Thoughts: The Final Horizon has the potential to be better, but it falters under poor design, frustrating challenges, and a rushed development.

Game 59: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Tears of the Kingdom is a superbly crafted game that takes Breath of the Wild's concepts to their natural conclusion. But, some decisions lead to a frustrating opening few hours.

Game 60: Jusant

Developer: Don't Nod
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2023

Playtime: 4 hours
Rating: 8
Thoughts: Jusant is a beautiful game best played in short sessions.

Game 61: Deathloop

Developer: Arkane Studios
Played on: PS5
Release: 2021

Playtime: 22 hours 1 minute
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: When it plays fast and loose with its mechanics, Deathloop is wonderful. However, it falters when the objectives are too rigid.

Game 62: Ghostwire: Tokyo – Prelude: The Corrupted Casefile

Developer: Tango Gameworks
Played on: PC
Release: 2022

Playtime: 45 minutes
Rating: 5
Thoughts: Despite a few spelling errors, this prelude visual novel is competent — and nothing more.


Game 63: Ghostwire: Tokyo

Developer: Tango Gameworks
Played on: PS5
Release: 2022

Playtime: 15 hours 41 minutes
Rating: 8
Thoughts: Ghostwire's recreation of Tokyo is a fun playground for this charming first-person open-world adventure.

The Games I Beat in 2023: Q3

July

Game 34: Final Fantasy XVI

Developer: Square Enix
Played on: PS5
Release: 2023

Playtime: 59 hours 33 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: XVI masterfully transitions Final Fantasy to the action genre.

Game 35: River City Girls 2

Developer: WayForward
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022

Rating: 8
Thoughts: An improvement over its predecessor in every way — except for the performance. Slowdown can hamper gameplay when the screen fills up with too many things.

Game 36: The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 63 hours 40 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Uneven pacing and consistent slowdown on Switch hold Trails to Azure back from being the best in the series.

Game 37: LittleBigPlanet 3

Developer: Sumo Digital
Played on: PS5
Release: 2014

Playtime: 5 hours 31 minutes
Rating: 6
Thoughts: LittleBigPlanet 3 has some interesting ideas. However, none of them are fleshed out enough to keep you engaged for long.

Game 38: Tunic

Developer: TUNIC Team
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022

Playtime: 15 hours 7 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Despite its difficulty and obtuse nature, Tunic is a charming and expertly crafted homage to the 2D Zelda adventures of old.

August

Game 39: Prey

Developer: Arkane Studios
Played on: PS5
Release: 2017

Playtime: 20 hours 41 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: The amount of experimentation Prey offers the player in any situation is awe-inspiring. However, frequent load times and a confusing map bog it down.

Game 40: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Developer: Capcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Even 12 years later, Ghost Trick has not lost a step. Easily one of the finest puzzle-adventure games to grace this medium.

September

Game 41: Ratchet & Clank

Developer: Insomniac Games
Played on: PS2
Release: 2002

Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Despite some rough edges, Ratchet & Clank is still as fun and ambitious as when it was first released.

Game 42: WarioWare: Smooth Moves

Developer: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems
Played on: Wii
Release: 2007

Playtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Rating: 7
Thoughts: A silly collection of microgames that will keep you smiling. However, the motion controls can be unreliable at times.

Game 43: The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: PS5
Release: 2023

Playtime: 85 hours 24 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Trails into Reverie is an exhilarating epilogue to the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs.

Game 44: Mario Kart 7

Developer: Nintendo and Retro Studios
Played on: 3DS
Release: 2011

Playtime: 15 hours 39 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Mario Kart 7 walked so that Mario Kart 8 could run.

Game 45: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Developer: MachineGames
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2017

Playtime: 15 hours 4 minutes
Rating: 6.5
Thoughts: For all of Wolfenstein II's improvements, its over-reliance on stealth continues to frustrate.

Game 46: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2019

Rating: 8
Thoughts: While New Super Mario Bros. U and Luigi U lose some of their lustre in the transition to Switch, they still hold up in terms of gameplay and level design.

Game 47: Sonic Origins Plus

Developer: Sonic Team
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Rating: 8
Thoughts: A good collection of 5 classic Sonic platformers and 12 Game Gear games of varying quality.

Game 48: Cocoon

Developer: Geometric Interactive
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2023

Playtime: 3 hours 54 minutes
Rating: 10
Thoughts: A short yet phenomenal puzzle-adventure, Cocoon does more with its mechanics than games 10 times its length.

Game 49: Pikmin 1

Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: While some aspects have dulled with age, Pikmin 1's gameplay loop is timeless.

The Games I Beat in 2023: Q2

April

Game 14: Fire Emblem Engage

Developer: Intelligent Systems
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023  

Playtime: 85 hours 1 minute
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Engage serves as a nice back-to-basics Fire Emblem after the branching stories of the past two games. However, it doesn't go far enough.

Game 15: Super Meat Boy Forever

Developer: Team Meat
Played on: Steam Deck
Release: 2020  

Playtime: 3 hours 48 minutes
Rating: 6.5  
Thoughts: When in a groove, Super Meat Boy Forever is loads of fun. However, those moments are overshadowed by frustrating level design and a lack of control.

Game 16: Ryse: Son of Rome

Developer: Crytek
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2013

Rating: 5
Thoughts: Ryse is the definition of style over substance. The visuals look stunning and the executions are brutal, but the rest is average at best and frustrating at worst.

Game 17: Blaster Master Zero 3

Developer: Inti Creates
Played on: Switch
Release: 2021

Playtime: 10 hours 39 minutes
Rating: 8   
Thoughts: A good ending to Inti Creates' take on Blaster Master. However, the gameplay regularly gets interrupted by the melodramatic story.

Game 18: Alwa's Legacy

Developer: Elden Pixels
Played on: Switch
Release: 2020

Playtime: 6 hours 56 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: An engrossing Metroidvania, Alwa's Legacy exchanges the difficulty of its predecessor for smart additions. However, it can still be cheap in places.

Game 19: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: Steam Deck
Release: 2017

Playtime: 55 hours 7 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Despite my qualms with the game being just one long dungeon, Sky the 3rd delivers where it counts.

 

Game 20: Stray

Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
Played on: PS5
Release: 2022

Playtime: 5 hours 1 minute
Rating: 8.5  
Thoughts: Don't be swayed by the length; Stray packs more variety, creativity, and heart than games 10 times its runtime. Better yet, you play as a cat!

May

Game 21: Sonic Frontiers

Developer: Sonic Team
Played on: PS5
Release: 2022

Playtime: 21 hours 19 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: Sonic Frontiers has some huge flaws. Mainly, its performance. However, the core "open zone" gameplay and story are so good that they eclipse the weaknesses.

Game 22: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Developer: MachineGames
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2015

Rating: 7
Thoughts: While it has some of the flaws of New Order — mainly the over-reliance on subpar stealth — Old Blood is a better-paced game overall.

Game 23: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Developer: WayForward
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023

Playtime: 60 hours 53 minutes
Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Re-Boot Camp is an excellent reminder that Advance Wars deserves as much of the spotlight that Fire Emblem receives.

Game 24: Vampire Survivors

Developer: poncle
Played on: Steam Deck
Release: 2022

Playtime: 32 hours 24 minutes
Rating: 10
Thoughts: Vampire Survivors' simplistic yet enthralling gameplay, engaging loop, and endless content make coming back for "one more run" so easy.

June

Game 25: Planet of Lana

Developer: Wishfully
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2023

Playtime: 3 hours 40 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: Visually and audibly, Planet of Lana is stunning. However, the gameplay doesn't do much to differentiate it from other puzzle platformers.

Game 26: Pokemon Scarlet

Developer: Game Freak
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022

Playtime: 36 hours 55 minutes
Rating: 6.5
Thoughts: Pokemon Scarlet has all the ingredients to be the best mainline Pokemon. Unfortunately, severe technical issues and an unwillingness to adapt hold it back.

Game 27: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022

Playtime: 52 hours 1 minute
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Minor technical hiccups aside, Trails from Zero packs a thrilling story, a stunning soundtrack — one of Trails' best — and a lovable cast.

Game 28: Somerville

Developer: Jumpship
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2022

Playtime: 3 hours 6 minutes
Rating: 6
Thoughts: Interesting concepts and inventive puzzles can't redeem Somerville's awful zoomed-out camera.

Game 29: Signalis

Developer: rose-engine
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022

Playtime: 8 hours 9 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: Signalis is old-school survival horror. That may be refreshing nowadays; however, it comes with some problems, especially when playing with a controller.

Game 30: Strider

Developer: Double Helix Games
Played on: Steam Deck
Release: 2014

Playtime: 4 hours 58 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts:
Although it doesn't take full advantage of the shift to search action, Double Helix's Strider is a faithful reboot of Capcom's arcade classic.

Game 31: River City Girls

Developer: WayForward
Played on: Switch
Release: 2019

Rating: 8
Thoughts: A really good first effort for Wayforward's revival of Kunio-kun.

Game 32: Adios

Developer: Mischief
Played on: Series X via Games with Gold
Release: 2021

Playtime: 1 hour 12 minutes
Rating: 7.5
Thoughts: Don't let the crude graphics and lack of interactivity dissuade you. Adios' gripping story is well worth your time.

Game 33: Hoa

Developer: Skrollcat Studio
Played on: Series X via Games with Gold
Release: 2021

Playtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
Rating: 7
Thoughts: Beautiful art and solid controls make Hoa incredibly approachable. Unfortunately, the abstract ending leaves it off on a sour note.