Howdy! We're nearly a week into 2024 now, so let's talk about the video games you loved in 2023! What were your favorites on a particular system, what were the best soundtracks, best multiplayer...and so on and so forth! We don't have to just talk about the ones that debuted in 2023, though; what are some older ones you played for the first time in 2023? - It slid in right at the end of the year, but as far as 2023 games go, I've been loving Palia on my Switch! Back when they had free NSO trials, I tried fellow farm sims Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, but neither of them grabbed me like Palia has. I'm not far in the game (it's been out less than a month, and it's been the holidays lol) but everything has been so satisfying. (Except fishing. I can't figure out the fishing.) The world is charming and cozy, the characters are fun and varied, and I really like the mystery at the heart of it. Hodari I WILL make you fall in love with me. Another 2023 debut favorite has been Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and really, it's no surprise. I put so many hours into Curtain Call on the 3DS, and I'm ready to plug even more into this one! It took some adjusting to get used to the button controls after years of playing with the touch screen, but it's simple and natural and intuitive! (I know we're on a Kingdom Hearts forum, but the controls are indisputably better than Melody of Memory's, if you're wondering about the comparison.) If you like Final Fantasy and you like Final Fantasy music, playing this is a no-brainer. But if you need further convincing, the free demo has thirty songs to try! 2023 honorable mentions: Fire Emblem Engage, Pokémon TCG Live As for older games I first started in 2023... I bought Hades after the 2022 Game Awards when they announced the sequel, and it went half-off digitally. I'd been holding off and planning to get a physical copy, but it was time, and half-off is hard to beat. Also hard to beat: Megaera! I turned on God Mode and we're still trucking away! I knew everyone loved this game, and I suspected I would at least like it, but WOW the gameplay loop so much more addicting than I was expecting! The music, of course, slaps, and while I was unsure of some of the voice work at first blush, it's proven to be just as excellent. And it's funny! It's a funny game! You don't think that looking from the outside, but it is! Favorite weapons so far: bow > spear > shield > sword. I'll be real—I mostly started Dragon Age: Inquisition for Iron Bull. I feel perfectly reasonable and justified in that. And in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't yet played much more than the first couple hours of my first sit-down with it. But the world is immediately so interesting! My only previous Dragon Age experience is, like, maybe an hour of Origins? Which was fine, but didn't hook me like Inquisition. You wouldn't think so from my playtime, but I'm fascinated to see where this plot and these characters go. (Also I'm so mad that my round-faced elf is stuck with a tiny twig body and I can't make him Bigger.) (Oh yeah he's also an archer rogue. Groundbreaking I know lol) Pre-2023 honorable mentions: Splatoon 3, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, Arcade Spirits
2023 for me was the year of PS5... finally managed to grab one last spring and have been loving it ever since! My first game on the system was Hogwarts Legacy, which I enjoyed quite a lot, giving me the true Hogwarts video game experience I've been longing for ever since I first got into Harry Potter over two decades ago. For my favorite game of the year, I'm torn between Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Spider-Man 2. I felt both were very compelling games and great additions to the Star Wars and Marvel lore. Favorite soundtrack, gonna go with Assassin's Creed: Mirage, though I'm probably biased due to the soundtrack's Middle Eastern feel (and me bring from the region definitely helped the music resonate with me). Favorite multiplayer... I don't play multiplayer games lol (but I'll get back to you on that after Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link is released)
