Games I've Played in 2023
says it on the tin
55 Games
I wanna go more in-depth with my thoughts on this game at some point but it's just the best at doing what it does. The sense of adventure, of loss and of hope and of the community and family these people find in each other is so palpable. Out of all the games that explore the theme of "uncaring universe VS the indomitable human spirit" Ys VIII feels like it's the most earned.
Also Dana is one of the girls of all time and I do not say this lightly.
Also Dana is one of the girls of all time and I do not say this lightly.
1
There’s something about wearing your heart on your sleeve. I’ve struggled and failed to put my own thoughts to words many times, not out of a lack of ability but because of the fear of being put down. Making something that is so much of yourself is a frightening venture, one that requires a lot of vulnerability, and if anyone dislikes it, it feels like they dislike you too. Maybe they even hate you. But if someone isn’t there to take that risk, so much personal and meaningful art simply wouldn’t exist. Heisei Pistol Show wouldn’t exist.
2
Just 1CC'd this game on Novice and had the same sensation I would beating a FromSoft game. So so fucking good. I can't wait to play more with my training done
3
cant believe dark souls was a rondo of blood-like all along
4
The best fighting game I've ever played and yet, I can't give it a full 5 stars. Like it's predecessor, Capcom couldn't help but try to get it's greedy little hands on the players cash even after they finished the game. Battle passes, fighter coins, and making it impossible to buy individual DLC characters unless you use said ingame currency is ridiculous. It's such a shame.
5
What this game lacks in presentation it more than makes up for in incredible gameplay, snappy combat and animation work that makes this feel like one of the greats of the 90's fighting game boom made for the modern day. I can't stop thinking about ways to get better and I'm itching to play more of and improve, truly the mark of an incredible fighting game. SNK has still got it!! KOF is still king!!
6
Hit the cars!
Let's start!
I like to go fast!
Are you gonna give up?
Let's start!
I like to go fast!
Are you gonna give up?
9
This shit is ridiculous. My eyes were as wide as dinner plates looking at the final boss' patterns. I'm afraid I don't think there's a chance in hell that I'm gonna end up 1CC'ing this one.
The bullet-time mechanic that ends up being this games main hook is great on the surface and makes it lot more approachable, but learning the full extent of the mechanic ends up requiring taking a bit too much attention away from the action to think "how much time do I have left?" "can I tank this bullet?"
The bullet-time mechanic that ends up being this games main hook is great on the surface and makes it lot more approachable, but learning the full extent of the mechanic ends up requiring taking a bit too much attention away from the action to think "how much time do I have left?" "can I tank this bullet?"
10
One of the best feeling anime fighters out there. The expanded defensive options, ruthlessly fast pace and endlessly satisfying visuals make this a treat to play every single match of. I wasn't too hot on the way MB:AACC played and didn't expect this to be much different, but ended up loving it a lot more than I thought I would. Sucks that Eltnam isn't in the game though.
11
the schmoooovement
12
14
I expected to never really get into shmups and was content with enjoying them from the sidelines, but Graze Counter makes the best argument for how fun the genre can be to play. A wholly approachable little game with an endlessly satisfying gameplay loop thatll make subsequent replays on harder and harder difficulties always feel good.
I gasped when Bullet Angel showed up
I gasped when Bullet Angel showed up
15
fuck yeah
17
Perhaps I treated SFIV too harshly... I played SSFIV when I was literally like, 10 or 11 years old and my biggest stand-outs were "this is hard to play" and "this looks ugly". This game certainly shows a rough transition from 2D to 3D on the visual front, but it controls great! USFIV is an incredible pure fighting game experience, with an insanely massive roster and incredibly tight control after years of updating this one game. It's like, 4 bucks on Steam, too.
18
can they PLEASE make an R-Type like this again
19
a fun new 2D mario that kinda has too many ideas for it's own good. i found myself pleasantly charmed by a lot it did but once i started reaching the games latter half that charm started turning into frustration at "wow, i gotta do this gimmick AGAIN?"
also the talking flowers fucking suck and i dont know how people are pretending theyre not the worst thing they could put in this game
also the talking flowers fucking suck and i dont know how people are pretending theyre not the worst thing they could put in this game
20
Taokaka is just like me fr
21
bring back the 1-up witches
23
A lot of fun ideas and incredible presentation packed into a very short package. The aim and movement being conjoined takes a bit to get used to but that specific limitation is used in very interesting ways and makes for challenges I haven't had to think about with any other on-rails shooter. Excited to see what the series has in store...
24
Incredibly interesting idea for a schmup. The dichotomy between above and below water makes for a lot more to focus on, but makes a clear distinction for where to be and where to shoot. It's hard as hell, but it's a really good time. Thank god for infinite continues
26
Tears of the Kingdom made me appreciate more how bold Breath of the Wild was. Despite seemingly striving to just be more of BOTW, it loses the pure vision that game had for its open world to deliver a game much less confident in it's players ability to discover for themselves. Everything becomes a task, another thing to mark off a checklist rather than simply enjoying for the sake of enjoying it, and they revel in twisting the player's arm, giving them freedom but always being around the corner to say "well, you really should be doing THIS." TOTK already walks back on a lot of smaller things that contributed to making BOTW such a groundbreaking game, and I worry about what the future of Zelda will end up looking like.
27
Incredibly fun and filling for a side mode! The process of making each "island" a designed level you traverse one way only then to make into a miniature playground is a clever merging of the two different kinds of 3D Mario, although it only feels like it's executed on really well just a few times throughout the game. Fury Bowser is a fun gimmick, but just having a constant timer to either have to wait out or wait for gets really annoying. If this was expanded on and refined it would certainly have the potential to be 3D Mario's best showing, but it's not there quite yet with this.
30
An audiovisual treat and merging of genres that pays off big time if the satisfying combat and spectacle throughout, ESPECIALLY the bosses. I could eat up how this game looks all day, taking the fashion of those 2000's anime-like cartoons and pumping so much into it that I can't ever look anywhere without being impressed. Short, sweet, and a great surprise that gets pretty hampered by the levels starting to drag and a downright insufferable main character. Chai has an "Alex Yiik" effect wherein anybody he interacts with gets soured as a character by being in the contact of how awful he is.
31
I still don't really get how this plays and it's not very fun but geez it sure is charming
33
34
holy shit
35
36
I really wanted to stick around with this one, and very much enjoyed what I got to play, but the mix of poor AI translation and general lack of resources for worldwide players (obviously) ended up pushing me away. It's really, really sad. For an MMO Dragon Quest game, this one does the best it can to fit the mold and still feel so distinctly like the rest of the series with it's piecemeal story structure and excellent combat mechanics, and if I could interact with the online aspects more I would've stuck with it so much longer... playing DQX as I did just makes me more sad that this will never be officially localized.
37
It's perfect if you want to dress up cute people in cute clothes, but awful if you wanted anything else. The clothing and character customization is incredible (even though gender locking clothes fucking blows) and the online functionality of getting to dress up others characters and have them dress you up in turn is really fun.
38
Ultimately a bit too slow and plodding for my liking, but it by far has some of my favourite ways of making a fighting game more accessible. Directional input specials that have more of a drawback, autocombos that just perform short target combos, and a generally lax but still efficiently satisfying neutral game make this a good "baby's first fighting game".
39
Honestly didn't really enjoy this one that much. It's fun for a while after the slow start, but the loop of finding materials/monsters/treasure and running back to be told to get even more stuff to upgrade your base so you can get even more stuff ended up going from being mindless fun to a boring chore. The Dragon Quest fanservice is cute, though.
41
42
Read my review here
fuck Chrom. all my homies hate Chrom
fuck Chrom. all my homies hate Chrom
43
44
i just wanted to make a big hole
46
Excellent something-to-mindlessly-do-with-your-hands-type game.
47
Has all the trademark mechanics of a predatory mobile game sinkhole but... without the predatory part. So it's chill. It just an auto-clicker game with slightly more interaction
48
I love hot women, and even hotter cars. God bless
50
they spent so long putting in as much fanservice as they could that they never once considered making a good fighting game
51
52
Standing in for the whole series.
it horrifies me to imagine that this is a vital part of someone's childhood. It has no heart, but it certainly has enough intrigue and is filled with enough fun colours and characters to engage 6 year olds and want them to buy the games and buy the merch. At least the shows that constituted laws to regulate advertising to children had some effort put in
it horrifies me to imagine that this is a vital part of someone's childhood. It has no heart, but it certainly has enough intrigue and is filled with enough fun colours and characters to engage 6 year olds and want them to buy the games and buy the merch. At least the shows that constituted laws to regulate advertising to children had some effort put in
54
