Hey fellas. Thought this would be a fun idea to close out the year - I'm giving my brief thoughts on some games I played during 2023, in (I think) the order I played them in. This isn't EVERY game I played this year but I kinda wanted to shed some light on a few titles I really think deserve a lot more love~
Gonna be staying mostly positive here because it's honestly more fun to write about things I like. Also, not every game here came out this year. My backlog's kinda terrifying.
i'm leaving out the four shantae games i played this year cause there's four of them and i'm lazy. maybe another time
Skeleton Boomerang
Cool-ass game you should check out if you haven't already! It's really simplistic but that's really not a bad thing - I honestly think the boomerang mechanics work really well and are a ton of fun to mess around with. The bosses were really fun as well, the final boss in particular (no spoilies) was really creative and just loads of fun. And of course you've probably heard the soundtrack already. If you somehow haven't, fuckin, go do that. You're doing yourself a disservice. Literally every song in this game is awesome
Just, uh... maaaybe skip hard mode. Trust me. As a professional gamer myself, I had a LOT of trouble and couldn't actually finish it lol. But if you're really up for the challenge, don't say I didn't warn you...
I haven't finished the Vampire Hunter DLC yet but so far it's been pretty fun. What's next again? Oh, uh
FUCKING ULTRAKILL
I have only played like two FPS "shooters" in my life and one of them was Fortnite. So, technically, this is the best FPS I've played in my life.
I obviously don't like picking favourites, but holy goddamn shitting hell this game is cool as fuck!!!!! And it even accounted for my dumb ass who'd never played a game like it before. The game gives you such a wide variety of weapons to go nuts with that make every level an absolute JOY to play through. And as I've been getting better at the game these past nine months it's only gotten even more fun to cook up new strategies for enemies, finding new interactions.. it's awesome
The style system really encourages you to experiment with your different weapons and P-ranking levels was super satisfying once I was confident enough with the game's mechanics. And the levels themselves are really well-made! Each world has its own slice of lore and aesthetics that make it super memorable!! In particular I wanna point out the Violence layer (that released, like, a week ago) having some of the most fun and immersive levels yet.
(you can see my first reactions to that here, if you wanna..)
The soundtrack would probably kill a victorian child but I think it's awesome. Even if breakcore isn't your thing there's actually quite a variety across the whole game. Oh, and the game isn't even done yet. So expect even MORE peak in the coming years.
That's my piece. Go play game. It's good.
Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion
This game is very Silly. I love it a lot. Technically I didn't "discover" it this year but I only got around to playing it in like March and it's my review and I'll do what I fuckin want.
I'll confess: I love horror games, but I'm a massive wuss when it comes to actually playing them. But this game is actually pretty manageable while still being scary. Getting through all 1,000 rooms isn't too hard but it'll know when to throw an extra spanner in the works just when you're starting to get comfy with it. In general the game's just really charming and knows when to have a sense of humour with all the horror genres it's parodying.
Also the little cardboard guys that jump out at you is one of my favourite mechanics in a video game ever
Tears of the Kingdom
well this is awkward.. I already wrote about this one
Now you might be thinking.. is she just gonna cheat and send people to the review she wrote like four months ago. And you'd be correct
Be warned, I'm a little harsh in this one... but only cause I love breath of the wild so much... I don't wanna bring this post down with too much negative stuff anyway so... read it if you're interested
Haiku, the Robot
Here it is, took long enough to get to a metroidvania. This game's REALLY slept on and I totally think way more people should check it out. You play as a little robot and you talk to other robots and it's like super adorable. There's loads to explore but I never found it to be overwhelming... I'd consider checking it out if you're a bit intimidated by massive games in the genre like Hollow Knight or Metroid Dread. (god, I really need to write up about Dread someday)
The game has some cool bosses and each area was really fun to explore. I also think the game looks super pretty.. each area has a unique palette and the spritework is really good. The lore is also pretty cool but I'm not spoiling it
I don't have much else to say honestly.. it's a really fun game that might be a good pick for people still getting used to metroidvanias or if you're just lookin for a more chill one. If it looks like it might be your thing I'd really recommend giving it a shot.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Officially winning my "I Never Thought This Would Be Something I'd Get Into, But Holy Shit" award of the year. I'm mainly talking about the first one here but I did start the second as well as Ritual of the Night. Honestly it's really cool! Probably my favourite part of this game is its replayability - there's a lot you can do differently on a repeat playthrough despite the levels being in a linear order. They often have different paths you can take depending on which characters you bring with you and what abilities you have at your disposal.
The bosses mostly follow pretty rigid patterns but I weirdly kinda like that..? It was pretty satisfying to learn some of the later bosses' patterns and being able to beat them with few mistakes - it's honestly why I'm a fan of this game's boss rush.
I suppose I'll briefly touch on the other games even though I haven't finished them yet. CotM2 hasn't really been hitting the same highs as the original for me but I appreciate the new stuff it introduces. (it's also, like, way harder.) RotN however is shaping up to be a fuckin baller game so far, I've been having a lot of fun with it. Shame the switch port is fucking dreadful, but I'll take what I can get. Overall a pretty good series worth checking out!
Gravity Circuit (my beloved)
So I surprisingly don't talk about it very much on my socials but I'm a pretty big fan of the original Megaman games. And technically I'm cheating a little here since I first played the demo for this last year, but c'mon let me have this. Gravity Circuit is an absolutely baller game that more people need to be talking about!!! It genuinely has some of the most fun stages and boss fights I've ever seen in a platformer and it's criminally overlooked.
Something I really love about videogames is when you can clearly tell they've taken inspiration from another series, but they take those ideas and shape it into something that feels totally unique and special. Take Bug Fables for example - I don't like the game because "wow, it's just like TTYD!" but because I like Bug Fables for being Bug Fables and presenting its own spin on those original ideas and shaping its own identity. It's like that with Gravity Circuit for me - obviously the structure and setting take inspiration from Megaman but it wears its inspirations on its sleeve, tells its own story, has plenty of its own mechanics and as a result shines far brighter than a lot of those original titles ever could. And I massively respect that
As for the game itself, it just fuckin rocks from start to finish. I love all the Circuits you face off against (especially how they each have their own colour palette to make them even more distinct) and the levels are really well-designed. Since its release, the game has honestly served as a pretty big inspiration for my own projects, and like, isn't that cool? It's games like this that give me lots of hope for the indie gaming scene and what's to come. Megaman fan or not, just do yourself a favour and check this one out already. You won't regret it.
Oh and the soundtrack is fire. Trust me.
Pizza Tower
funy
Yeah okay so this game released in like January but I didn't actually get around to it until August. I don't think Pizza Tower needs much introduction but honestly though it's a pretty fun time! I liked most of the levels and they were overall pretty fun to replay for secrets and such. The most fun I had with this game though was getting those sweet, sweet P-ranks. I dunno what it is, but there's something just super fun about keeping your combo going through the whole level as a way to sort of demonstrate your mastery of the level.
I also thought Lap 2s were a fun feature and a pretty genius way of giving the escape sections some more difficulty and intensity for more seasoned players while still keeping things accessible for casual playthroughs. The bosses were pretty fun too. I don't have much else to say since this game's been talked about to death, but if you're looking for a Silly Fun time it might be up your alley.
Eversion
well this is a weird one.. this game released in 2008
Technically the second horror game on this list?? I just kinda decided on a whim to play this one day since I hadn't touched it before and it was like four quid on Steam. Took like an hour or so to get the true ending and it's honestly pretty cool. I like how each level builds on top of the last by making you go deeper through the creepy and unsettling layers which just go completely nuts during the last few levels. It's also used for some pretty clever puzzles - in particular I wanna point out the penultimate level which has you flipping between all the layers and remembering all their different properties in one long (if slightly tedious, getting hit means redoing everything) puzzle level.
Imma be honest I have no clue if this game has any sort of deeper meaning but I just like what it's going for and think it's cool. Sometimes that's all you need
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart
This game's so fuckin cute omg. I don't play a lot of shmups but I found this game to be very accessible given my lack of experience due to the levelling system the bosses use that ramps up their attacks the higher their level. Plus the game has loads of interesting mechanics that are rolled out to the player gradually as to not overwhelm them. It's a pretty fun gameplay loop and I've sunk around 80 hours into it since I started playing in September.
The game looks really friggin good too - the backgrounds are really detailed and quite pretty to look at, and the sprites are really well made and animated. The soundtrack's pretty good too and generally this game just has a really comfy vibe to it. The characters are all adorable and I love them.
And I feel like there was something I wanted to bring up but I just can't put my finger on it.. what was it.. oh yeah
IT'S BEING MADE
BY ONE GUY
ONE. GUY.
ALL OF THIS. ONE GUY. Programming, sprites, music, writing, everything. It's honestly INSANE. I can tell just how much love has been put into this game over its years of development and I have so much respect for Angel Polanco because I can really tell he put his all into this game. This is a game that REALLY needs to be talked about more and you should absolutely give it a shot if you're interested.
Super Mario Bros Wonder
For years I've been sort of advocating with my friends that 2D Mario needed some sort of shake-up like what the 3D games got with Odyssey. And, well, I guess we finally got it. Overall I really enjoyed this game! Funnily enough I don't think I've enjoyed a Mario game this much since Odyssey. jesus christ odyssey is six years old where does the time go
It really feels like a breath of fresh air for the series as there are so many new mechanics and ideas presented that make each level feel completely distinct from the last. The game honestly looks really good as well, I love the all the little details they put in the backgrounds and such that make the world feel so vast and way more interesting than the token level themes reused in the New Soups.
When people say the game needs more boss variety - yeah, they're totally right. They're not bad but some of the worlds just end without any satisfying conclusion and it's a bit of a shame. I did really enjoy the final boss though, and in general the endgame levels were a blast and some of my favourites in the game. I can tell a lot of care was put into this game and I had a fun time. If you're on the fence, I'd say it's worth checking out despite a few of its shortcomings.
Undertale Yellow
Last game of this list, and I'm NOT cheating just cause this is a fangame! This game deserves just as much love as any other game on this list because holy shit is it good. Even though it's a fanmade prequel to Undertale it feels totally unique in so many ways and has so many of its own charming and lovable characters. The gameplay's honestly pretty fun and I had a lot of fun with the boss fights. I'm not gonna give away too much here because I really think it's worth playing for yourself, but each area is really enjoyable and even when they're revisiting locations from Undertale they still give it its own spin to make it feel fresh.
This game has so much detail and care put into it - you can really tell the seven (I think) years of development that went into it. Again, sorry for being vague, but this one's worth experiencing for yourself, trust me. Huge respect to the team for how much love they put into this - it really shows.
And that's all from me. If any of the games I mentioned here seem interesting to you I've linked each of their store pages if you wanna learn more. I like giving a spotlight to smaller indie titles but I didn't end up playing that many triple-A games this year anyway, so that sorta just worked out.
Peace out, see ya in 2024.
wait, 2024? you mean 2023 is over?? HOW DID I NOT REALISE THIS UNTIL NOW
I fucking KNEW something like this would happen at some point and it was just a matter of time until I realised whatever game slipped my mind when compiling the list. This lands somewhere between Wonder and UTY on the "timeline" if you're wondering
I'll make this quick because I'm tired and I don't wanna write that much. Realistically I should just do this in the morning but when I'm bitter and want to prove something, nothing will stand in my way
anyway
Dweller's Empty Path
This game's extremely cute! I grabbed a few friends and just played through the whole thing in a voice call one night and it was a pretty fun time. The characters are all really charming and it's nice to get to know them as you wander around the forest and town. I really appreciate how there isn't really any "goal" to reach to finish the game, you just wander around and call it quits whenever you're satisfied. It's a very comfy title when viewed through that perspective, kinda reminds me of games like Yume Nikki where you can just explore for the sake of exploring - that type of design philosophy honestly deserves a lot more praise.
The game looks really nice too - there's so many little illustrations for every little thing you do and character you meet and they're all really cute and well-made. The limited colour palette also makes the game feel super unique and it really works in its favour honestly. I know I'm very biased towards "cute game with cute art and cute characters and cute music" but c'mon just let me have this. i love yoki and i would lay down my life to protect her, shes too precious for this world
I don't really have much else to say.. I feel bad for keeping some of these reviews kinda brief but that's only because I don't wanna spoil all the good bits for anyone who's interested, so vague recommendations are really all I can do. If this sounds like it might be your thing, just sit down with a nice drink and chill with it for a night, you won't regret it. As usual I've linked the game and temmie's itch.io page cause she makes some really cool stuff that's worth checking out.
That's all from me. Later, guys
and if i forgot anything else i swear to FUCKING GOD I WILL LOSE IT
