Outer Wilds + DLC. Not just one of the best games I've played this year, but one of the best games I have ever played.
Honorable mentions:
Cruelty Squad
Life is Strange: True Colors (really wish it were longer)
Budget Cuts 1 and 2 (VR only)
Outer Wilds and its DLC is my absolute favorite game of all time and the best I might have ever played. Full stop. There is just so much to it that one doesn't expect from the surface. It was an experience I still think back to every now and then.
Currently playing Cruelty Squad and enjoying it quite, too.
Outer wilds is definitely one of my favorites too. I went in blind which was awesome. Completely caught me off guard right after the tutorial. I didn't expect such intricate mechanics
LOVED Cruelty Squad
Hate LiS Colours—loved the first game.
Need to try budget cuts.
Out of curiosity, why did you dislike True Colors? I really loved 1/BtS, but really disliked 2. True Colors felt like a proper spiritual successor to 1
It was soooooooooooo cheesy. So much more than the first. The second was terrible, definitely worse than True Colors. But True Colors was just cheese after cheese.
Based Cruelty Squad Enjoyer.
BG3 for me. It's been a while since a game has captured me so much.
Yeah I need to start this at some point, have only been hearing good things. I’m just not a huge fan of turn based but this might switch my mind.
I’m just not a huge fan of turn based
Me neither but honestly it fits really well into the game and it's really enjoyable. The story, characters and gameplay really shine in this game.
Found out my cousin bought it and we both game share our Xbox’s so looks like I have no excuse now!
I did not enjoy the combat in the D:OS Larian games because I was so used to real-time with pause combat from the old Infinity Engine games. Will grab BG3 when it goes on sale in a year or so.
Well the best overall for me has to be Disco Elysium. Game is just astounding. Tears at my heart. Pentiment is a close second. But my god was that one a bit more miserable. Recommend for anyone that enjoys a good story.
From purely a fun standpoint, Rollerdrome and Hi-Fi Rush were absolutely killer. Incredibly tight gameplay. Super satisfying to "get good" at. Rollerdrome was the first game I was motivated enough to 100%, it was that fun.
It's kind of crazy looking back at how many games I got through in a year. Could've sworn I had played these years ago. What is time, even? 🫠
I also played disco elysium for the first time this year, and it would be my answer too.
mr evrart helped me find my gun
RDR2. Yeah I'm late to the party. Still great IMHO.
Yeah I started it a while back and just returned to it. The tutorial levels are such a slog it’s hard to keep my attention.
Just wait to be free to go roaming around alone, this is where the game shines. Totallly worthy.
same for me started it three days ago, it's good so far
Same. I played the fuck out of RDR2 this year. I’m, like…actuall replaying it again. Best campaign ever.
Finally decided to play Outer Wilds.
Wonderful game! Changed my view of the world and outlook on the purpose of life for the better
Fantastic game. So we'll written, designed, and artistically styled. I was blown away.
It really does have the strength to do that to so many people that play it. It's stuck with me for years and not a week goes by that I don't think about it.
Cyberpunk has gotten so good I can't put it down. This might be the only game I rarely even think about modding.
I think next year I’ll finally get to this. Was hearing so much about the issues I decided to be in the wait and see until people started really recommending it.
Tunic, such a great combination of classic Zelda with puzzles and mechanics that keep evolving in crazy ways, felt similar to FEZ by the end for the true ending. The manual mechanic is one of my favorite ones in a long time.
Star Wars: Racer
It was a return to nostalgia for me. My wife bought this for me for Christmas. I was worried that I would lug into a very dated game, however:
The gameplay is so exquisite and the track design so carefully thought out that it’s really an exhilarating game. The tracks never get boring because they sprinkle in just enough variation and style to keep them engaging. The tricks you can pull in a podracer do not break suspension of disbelief the way normal car games do when pulling amazing stunts. The flow is smooth and fluid even now.
Between the minimap, rearview, braking, air breaking to sustain airtime and cushion landings, self-determined boosting (rather than relying on external powerups or boost zones), and repair management you’re never not adjusting to something. The game keeps you busy while you’re flying along the track.
To boot, the obstacles and shortcuts are carefully distributed and used, playing into the themes of the tracks. Most are small influences, but useful or interesting. One track will force you to reconsider your playstyle for it, however. Despite that it’s not so jarring that you want to stop playing.
You also get a bevy of racers to choose from and the ability to buy and juggle upgrades and pit droids keeps your gameplay evolving. You can even be rewarded for being a skilled player by adjusting the finish placement payouts.
Unfortunately due to careful planning and purchasing, as well as a better sense of how to play as an adult, the game has some shortcomings. Instead of being neck and neck, I was regularly 7-12 seconds ahead of the second place racer, regularly unable to see them in my rearview. A complete lack of a story mode and a low difficulty bar meant I was done in three days even with limited play time and inconsistent access. While this could have been saved with an Online mode added, I still had fun completing Tournament mode and would gladly give this to anyone who wants high-velocity adrenaline with more complex mechanics than your average racing game.
Super Mario Wonder is the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World. There is so much attention to detail and the polish on every aspect from the gameplay to the way enemies act and react.
Super Mario RPG is the ultimate remake. It kept absolutely everything about the original while adding a few minor gameplay enhancements. Best of all, the graphics look like the original CG readers from the 90s but with perfect modern sharpness.
Deathbulge Battle of the Bands was an unexpected favourite. It's a light-hearted turned based RPG with Earthbound and Undertale vibes, an amazing soundtrack and interesting and humorous characters.
Deathbulge Battle of the Bands
Ah, I see you're a person of culture as well
Tears of the Kingdom
It's not perfect, but still excellent
I enjoyed the hell out of it but quit playing at the final boss fight. I fucking hate that corrupted Lionel that’s in the way of the last boss and I can’t get around it without getting murdered. I know I just need to go darn a bazillion sunflowers for the anti gloom potions but I can’t be bothered
If you got stuck on a lynel on the way to the final boss, that tells me you were going for the final boss too early. Did you 100% the side quests? Upgrade your armor a bunch?
There's a colosseum in the depths full of lynels; that was harder for me.
You could always place a warp point as far as you can get into the final boss area, so you don't have to go through it all again.
I actually just beat the waves and waves of silver lynels so I’m low on everything. You’re right though I just need to restock
Inscryption!
PLEASE play Pony Island and then The Hex. I didn’t think I’d like a Mullins game more than Inscryption but I rate The Hex a point higher. Don’t look into anything and don’t let the graphics fool you. It makes sense an hour or less in.
Talos Principle 1 + Gehenna (Had it for years in my library collecting dust), finished it to 100% and am currently playing Talos Principle 2. These games are absolute gems and not even expensive for what you get, too. The people at Croteam are genuine masters of their craft.
I'm surprised I don't see Alan Wake 2 as its own entry in the list so far.
I don't like horror games, and I didn't care that much for the first game, or even necessarily Control, but Alan Wake 2 was really impressive. Showcased the power of the format of video games for cinematic narrative in a way that raised the bar even higher than it'd been before, similar to how BG3 and TotK raised the bar in player choice and open ended game design.
And just such a visually striking game too.
I’m honestly just waiting for it to go on sale (<$25 cause I’m stingy and my backlog is huuuge) for Xbox. Looking at sales numbers it’ll probably be soon Z
I'm waiting for it to be on steam.
Dead space. The remake was just as good as the original but with updated graphics and mechanics.
Final Fantasy XVI. I'm just happy that the quality was up to par after the train wreck of XV.
I really enjoyed XVI. It is not without its problems but overall is a good addition to the series IMHO. I replayed XV as well after not caring for it on my first playthrough. I ended up really liking it the second time around. The story isn’t the best but the game shines in the personal interactions between the characters while you are wandering around and stuff. A lot of the story is really told indirectly through that and I came to appreciate it. Just my thoughts.
I have a real fondness for XV despite everything (maybe I just love the fishing minigame), but man does the game have flaws.
Not only are there pacing issues in the story, but a huge problem was trying to go too big and spreading the story too thin, which really diminishes the strength of XV itself as a standalone product. The story really needs all the supplementary products (some of which never got made, like the Lunafreya DLC), and even then the official DLCs aren't even seamlessly integrated into the base game! You have to take breaks from the main story to play the DLCs at the appropriate time, and that's not even getting into the tie-in movie and graphic novel and I forget what else. It's a bit of a mess.
Still, I agree with you, there are some lovely personal interactions between the gang, and I did end up really just enjoying travelling around with them (even despite the open world quests themselves being mostly dull as dirt).
XV on its own isn't even my least favorite from the series. The game is a lot of fun. It just has so much lost potential. If they could have fixed the pacing, given actual time with Lunafreya, given some setup or fallout for Prompto, etc the game could have been amazing. So much of the plot beats are great on paper and the game just kinda skims past most of it.
Man, when FFXVI is good it’s so damn good, it’s just a shame the side content felt so low budget in comparison. Really enjoyed my time regardless and curious how it shapes up once the major DLC expansion releases.
I liked a lot of the storylines that came from the side content. The fetch quests never seemed too bad because ultimately it's another excuse to kill more enemies.
My most played game this year is definitely my favorite, loved it from start to end.
This but with Cyberpunk for me.
I've tried W3 so many times but I just can't get into it.
Try again and stick with it. I had to do it three or four times and now I’m hooked. Just about to finally beat the game which is rare for me. And it took a year, but it’s one I always want to come back to
I know, I know. It's not a knock against the game or anyone who likes it. Maybe I'll come back to it in the far future. There are almost too many games available at the moment so I'll be ramming my flaccid dong against another wall until I love it.
That’s… you… okay. Ram that dong.
🤣
Dyson Sphere Program
Cities Skylines 2
Both because I like systems and I like to build.
Team Fortress 2. It's partially because of the amazing gameplay and partially because of the community.
I had so much fun playing it back in the day, maybe I should pick it up again..
How is noone screaming about Lethal Company? I have never had more fun that playing that game last few weeks.
True its "short" even with mods but sooo worth it.
Metro Exodus (PC Enhanced Edition).
LOVE that it works with the Dualsense triggers and haptics.
Finally beat BOTW, so I'll say that
BG3 was for me (in 2023). I did 3 full runs. There's never been a game where I completed it and immediately started another campaign. There's been games I've considered it and pondered it but never did it.
Quake I, now remastered. I reinstall it frequently and it was one of the first games I tried on Linux, and it works flawlessly even though it came from a Microsoft-owned Bethesda-published Id. There's something hypnotyzing in how responsive it feels so I don't get bored nor with originar, nor with pretty new levels. Even boomer shooters don't scratch it just like this game does.
Dwarf fortress with DFhack. Now with graphics!
Days Gone, since it just released on gog and I wanted to give a triple a title another shot. It turned out to be pretty good, fun driving and gameplay, and the hordes were terrifying.
Also I was amazed how well this game was running, 4k 144hz butter smooth on a 4070. Kudos to the developers!
Phoenix Wright.
I recently bought a ds lite in a second hand store and found that game to be one of the most fun ones. Scribblenauts is also quite fun.
Sekiro. It ruined other souls like for me. Even DS.
Combat felt like dancing, QoL are very good, even better than Lies of P that people kept praising about QoL.
Final Fantasy 5 and 6 are fantastic 16 bit JRPGs.
FF6 (Final Fantasy 3 in the US) gets a ton of acclaim, but I highly recommend finding a translated ROM of FF5.
I usually get bored when RPGs require too much level grinding, but they are paced nicely.
Throughout the year I played:
-Secret of Mana (haven't played in 15 years or so. Game still holds up)
-Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (and the Torna DLC). The main story is fantastic. A bit quantity of quality with all the Blades.
-The Legend of Zelda: TOTK. This game is great. Ultra hand blows this game wide open
-Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Finish this one up now and about to start the DLC. Story IMO is the poorest of the 3 games. But they took the best of the first two game's battle mechanics and improved that system.
Probably XC2. It was a lot of fun.
Gartic phone has been the most consistently entertaining game i played this year, but that is probably because i only ever played it 3 times(3 gamemodes) yesterday.
I also played Celeste this year, which was really fun
Chants of Sennaar. Thought it would fun, turned out to be probably my favourite thing I played this year.
BG3, TOTK, and Vampire Survivors are all very up there as well. Really great year for games.
I finally picked up Exanima after years of being put off by the early access, but damn what a unique and engaging experience. Reminds me of the first time I played Oblivion or Demon's/Dark Souls.
It's a game where your own experience as a player is your greatest asset. I highly recommend it for anyone into slow dungeon crawling and looking for a challenge unlike anything else.
The Forest and Sons of the forest. Haven't been happier playing this - unique as hell and gave me similar vibes as Subnautica. :)
V rising
Hard to pick. I would say my favorite new game is Slay the Princess. My favorite game I've returned to, and I returned to a lot this year, is Deep Rock Galactic. Rock and stone, brother.
I put about 300 hours into No Man's Sky this year.
I finally finished Zelda II this year and really enjoyed it.
That game gets shit on a lot, but I've always enjoyed it. People don't like it because it's different.
Pretty easily Hunt Showdown with honorable mention to Remnant II, Northgard, and Age of Wonders 4
Roadwarden
I love Roadwarden! My only issue is that I've taken a break for a while mid-playthrough, and now I don't remember what I was doing. I may just have to start fresh. I also just picked up Vagrus: The Riven Realms, which is similarly awesome.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales got its Steam release in November of last year, but I didn’t get to it until after New Years. The Steam Deck handled it really well, which just makes me pissed that Insomniac signed a PlayStation exclusivity agreement for Spider-Man 2.
Baulders gate 3 for sure. I mean in a few months it's already more than half the hours of my most played game. I love the characters and the way I can effect the outcome of different events, and I love exploring it all again with different character combos.
It's hard to pick. None really stand out that much from the rest but probably Ghost of Tsushima or Chivalry II.
Replying to agree with your position on GoT. Kept trying it after it first released but some other game would always come up and take over. While I loved tears of the kingdom, Spiderman 2, and a slew of other releases this year, GoT strands out for me. I'm terms of gameplay, story, and definitely visuals. While not perfect in everything, it was amazingly good in so many ways. Glad I finally got around to it. Now to keep hitting that back pile of unplayed gems.
Geometry Dash. It's the only game I played this year. So far, at least.
Well Tears of the Kingdom ate up about 4 months of the year for me. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk was a game I had been waiting 20 years to play. So that was really nice. I just wish there was more of it to be honest haha.
Resident evil 4 remake and Bloodborne were my next favorites.
Perfect Tides.
Really enjoyed valheim. Not sure it was my fave but really enjoyable. A game I can just keep going back to.
Absolutely Hi-Fi Rush. I loved many games this year, but Hi-Fi Rush was so fun, so wholesome, so loveable that the music it used carried me through some insanely hard times. It is very obviously a passion project made by incredible creators, and I legitimately cannot find a single issue with it (which I can't say of any other game this year).
I still feel swells of emotion listening to the music from that game. Absolutely incredible.
A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Ah, fellow masochist.
Vampire Survivors completely drew me in this year.
A couple of years ago, I was having dreams of designing train lines in Cities Skylines. A couple of days ago I was having a dream of weapon combos in Vampire Survivors. That's how you spot a good and influential game.
Kerbal Space Program! Sunk 20 hours into that one over the last two days alone!
Probably Remnant 2 although Hi-Fi Rush is close behind.
Just started this one but Afterimage is becoming a big favorite of mine. A really great Metroidvania game.
Older, but also played Frostpunk. It's a really great twist on a city building game. Highly recommended.
One odd ball I'll throw out is Last Case of Benedict Fox. It's a complete mess of a game, but the exploration and puzzles are a lot of fun. I never realized how much I want a metroidvania where you go around just solving puzzles. If LCBF just dropped all combat and focused on puzzle-solving it would have been a lot better.
Y'all gotta play The Finals. It's so much fuckin fun. I'd honestly been pretty bored with games until recently when it was released
The environmental destruction is what makes this game so amazing. There are so many ways to approach the enemy. The bank it mode is super fast paced and exciting to run in, grab the coins, and run away. Im enjoying creating different builds/classes and finding their effectiveness on the team. My friend group never plays FPS games but we are addicted to this one!
Counterpoint: that game was so boring, it briefly made me play OW2 again just for contrast.
Uh ok. You don't have to like it, dude 😅
Let me know what game you're currently enjoying, so I can shit all over it, if that's your thing
Haha, sorry. That'd be Avatar Frontiers of Pandora so no need, Ubisoft did all the shitting over it already.
I don't know Finals was just weird for me. Granted I played the demo they ran a few months ago, that was way before release, so I don't know what changed since then. But back then it had cool feel with the destruction but everything else felt very weightless and floaty and as a result the core gunplay felt discouraging. If hat makes sense.
But eh, different games for different people.
From this year: BG3
From before this year: Dwarf Fortress
It's close between Baldurs Gate 3 and Nioh 2.
BG3 is just that good, but Nioh 2 is one of my all time favorites, and I finally cleared everything in the game, early 2023.
Crusader Kings III. I‘m scared to turn it on by now cause it always makes days disappear for me.
Lingo. It tickles my brain in wonderful ways. I'm currently working through the custom level Liduongo, sequel to an earlier map named Duolingo, and I continue to be surprised, delighted, and utterly perplexed.
It's a rules-based puzzler that doesn't tell you the rules buried in a confusing labyrinth. The only downside is that it requires a strong grasp of English, limiting its audience.
Guild Wars 2
BLACKTAIL
It really sucked me in their world
I really liked Kingdom Two Crowns even though it was a bit short for a base builder.
SANABI
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Replayed RDR2 on the PS5, most fun I've had with a game in a while.
How did you feel it was different from the first time around ? Ive been meaning to pay it a second time but haven't quite took the leap yet.
The first time I felt like I spent most of my time in cutscenes and figuring out what to do. The second time I just plowed through the main story and enjoyed the ride.
Probably a toss up between Hi-Fi Rush, Doom Eternal, and Guilty Gear Strive. I suck at fighting games, but I love learning all the unique mechanics of the characters.
For me it still has to be grim dawn. I play so many games and I get bored with all of them but grim Dawn has been very consistent. And the idea of a DLC coming out is phenomenal. The latest update also added a shit ton of quality of life changes that just make it even more fun to play.
Guild wars 2. I’ve loved the new expansion though it is short.
The one I've sunk the most hours in gotta be Overwatch. The one that sucked me in the quickest is Valheim
Stacklands.
Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed
I'm a huge fan of the series and this is one of the best entries, even though it's a DLC campaign.
Sludge Life. Was such a fun little world with a killer art style. Has some really funny moments in it. I saw there were achievements for different endings so I may go back to it at some point to and try for those. Oh and a cool OST to go along with it
Outer Wilds + DLC. Not just one of the best games I've played this year, but one of the best games I have ever played.
Honorable mentions:
Outer Wilds and its DLC is my absolute favorite game of all time and the best I might have ever played. Full stop. There is just so much to it that one doesn't expect from the surface. It was an experience I still think back to every now and then.
Currently playing Cruelty Squad and enjoying it quite, too.
Outer wilds is definitely one of my favorites too. I went in blind which was awesome. Completely caught me off guard right after the tutorial. I didn't expect such intricate mechanics
LOVED Cruelty Squad
Hate LiS Colours—loved the first game.
Need to try budget cuts.
Out of curiosity, why did you dislike True Colors? I really loved 1/BtS, but really disliked 2. True Colors felt like a proper spiritual successor to 1
It was soooooooooooo cheesy. So much more than the first. The second was terrible, definitely worse than True Colors. But True Colors was just cheese after cheese.
Based Cruelty Squad Enjoyer.
BG3 for me. It's been a while since a game has captured me so much.
Yeah I need to start this at some point, have only been hearing good things. I’m just not a huge fan of turn based but this might switch my mind.
Me neither but honestly it fits really well into the game and it's really enjoyable. The story, characters and gameplay really shine in this game.
Found out my cousin bought it and we both game share our Xbox’s so looks like I have no excuse now!
I did not enjoy the combat in the D:OS Larian games because I was so used to real-time with pause combat from the old Infinity Engine games. Will grab BG3 when it goes on sale in a year or so.
Well the best overall for me has to be Disco Elysium. Game is just astounding. Tears at my heart. Pentiment is a close second. But my god was that one a bit more miserable. Recommend for anyone that enjoys a good story.
From purely a fun standpoint, Rollerdrome and Hi-Fi Rush were absolutely killer. Incredibly tight gameplay. Super satisfying to "get good" at. Rollerdrome was the first game I was motivated enough to 100%, it was that fun.
It's kind of crazy looking back at how many games I got through in a year. Could've sworn I had played these years ago. What is time, even? 🫠
I also played disco elysium for the first time this year, and it would be my answer too.
mr evrart helped me find my gun
RDR2. Yeah I'm late to the party. Still great IMHO.
Yeah I started it a while back and just returned to it. The tutorial levels are such a slog it’s hard to keep my attention.
Just wait to be free to go roaming around alone, this is where the game shines. Totallly worthy.
same for me started it three days ago, it's good so far
Same. I played the fuck out of RDR2 this year. I’m, like…actuall replaying it again. Best campaign ever.
Finally decided to play Outer Wilds.
Wonderful game! Changed my view of the world and outlook on the purpose of life for the better
Fantastic game. So we'll written, designed, and artistically styled. I was blown away.
It really does have the strength to do that to so many people that play it. It's stuck with me for years and not a week goes by that I don't think about it.
Cyberpunk has gotten so good I can't put it down. This might be the only game I rarely even think about modding.
I think next year I’ll finally get to this. Was hearing so much about the issues I decided to be in the wait and see until people started really recommending it.
Tunic, such a great combination of classic Zelda with puzzles and mechanics that keep evolving in crazy ways, felt similar to FEZ by the end for the true ending. The manual mechanic is one of my favorite ones in a long time.
Star Wars: Racer
It was a return to nostalgia for me. My wife bought this for me for Christmas. I was worried that I would lug into a very dated game, however:
The gameplay is so exquisite and the track design so carefully thought out that it’s really an exhilarating game. The tracks never get boring because they sprinkle in just enough variation and style to keep them engaging. The tricks you can pull in a podracer do not break suspension of disbelief the way normal car games do when pulling amazing stunts. The flow is smooth and fluid even now.
Between the minimap, rearview, braking, air breaking to sustain airtime and cushion landings, self-determined boosting (rather than relying on external powerups or boost zones), and repair management you’re never not adjusting to something. The game keeps you busy while you’re flying along the track.
To boot, the obstacles and shortcuts are carefully distributed and used, playing into the themes of the tracks. Most are small influences, but useful or interesting. One track will force you to reconsider your playstyle for it, however. Despite that it’s not so jarring that you want to stop playing.
You also get a bevy of racers to choose from and the ability to buy and juggle upgrades and pit droids keeps your gameplay evolving. You can even be rewarded for being a skilled player by adjusting the finish placement payouts.
Unfortunately due to careful planning and purchasing, as well as a better sense of how to play as an adult, the game has some shortcomings. Instead of being neck and neck, I was regularly 7-12 seconds ahead of the second place racer, regularly unable to see them in my rearview. A complete lack of a story mode and a low difficulty bar meant I was done in three days even with limited play time and inconsistent access. While this could have been saved with an Online mode added, I still had fun completing Tournament mode and would gladly give this to anyone who wants high-velocity adrenaline with more complex mechanics than your average racing game.
Super Mario Wonder is the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World. There is so much attention to detail and the polish on every aspect from the gameplay to the way enemies act and react.
Super Mario RPG is the ultimate remake. It kept absolutely everything about the original while adding a few minor gameplay enhancements. Best of all, the graphics look like the original CG readers from the 90s but with perfect modern sharpness.
Deathbulge Battle of the Bands was an unexpected favourite. It's a light-hearted turned based RPG with Earthbound and Undertale vibes, an amazing soundtrack and interesting and humorous characters.
Ah, I see you're a person of culture as well
Tears of the Kingdom
It's not perfect, but still excellent
I enjoyed the hell out of it but quit playing at the final boss fight. I fucking hate that corrupted Lionel that’s in the way of the last boss and I can’t get around it without getting murdered. I know I just need to go darn a bazillion sunflowers for the anti gloom potions but I can’t be bothered
If you got stuck on a lynel on the way to the final boss, that tells me you were going for the final boss too early. Did you 100% the side quests? Upgrade your armor a bunch?
There's a colosseum in the depths full of lynels; that was harder for me.
You could always place a warp point as far as you can get into the final boss area, so you don't have to go through it all again.
I actually just beat the waves and waves of silver lynels so I’m low on everything. You’re right though I just need to restock
Inscryption!
PLEASE play Pony Island and then The Hex. I didn’t think I’d like a Mullins game more than Inscryption but I rate The Hex a point higher. Don’t look into anything and don’t let the graphics fool you. It makes sense an hour or less in.
Talos Principle 1 + Gehenna (Had it for years in my library collecting dust), finished it to 100% and am currently playing Talos Principle 2. These games are absolute gems and not even expensive for what you get, too. The people at Croteam are genuine masters of their craft.
I'm surprised I don't see Alan Wake 2 as its own entry in the list so far.
I don't like horror games, and I didn't care that much for the first game, or even necessarily Control, but Alan Wake 2 was really impressive. Showcased the power of the format of video games for cinematic narrative in a way that raised the bar even higher than it'd been before, similar to how BG3 and TotK raised the bar in player choice and open ended game design.
And just such a visually striking game too.
I’m honestly just waiting for it to go on sale (<$25 cause I’m stingy and my backlog is huuuge) for Xbox. Looking at sales numbers it’ll probably be soon Z
I'm waiting for it to be on steam.
Dead space. The remake was just as good as the original but with updated graphics and mechanics.
Final Fantasy XVI. I'm just happy that the quality was up to par after the train wreck of XV.
I really enjoyed XVI. It is not without its problems but overall is a good addition to the series IMHO. I replayed XV as well after not caring for it on my first playthrough. I ended up really liking it the second time around. The story isn’t the best but the game shines in the personal interactions between the characters while you are wandering around and stuff. A lot of the story is really told indirectly through that and I came to appreciate it. Just my thoughts.
I have a real fondness for XV despite everything (maybe I just love the fishing minigame), but man does the game have flaws.
Not only are there pacing issues in the story, but a huge problem was trying to go too big and spreading the story too thin, which really diminishes the strength of XV itself as a standalone product. The story really needs all the supplementary products (some of which never got made, like the Lunafreya DLC), and even then the official DLCs aren't even seamlessly integrated into the base game! You have to take breaks from the main story to play the DLCs at the appropriate time, and that's not even getting into the tie-in movie and graphic novel and I forget what else. It's a bit of a mess.
Still, I agree with you, there are some lovely personal interactions between the gang, and I did end up really just enjoying travelling around with them (even despite the open world quests themselves being mostly dull as dirt).
XV on its own isn't even my least favorite from the series. The game is a lot of fun. It just has so much lost potential. If they could have fixed the pacing, given actual time with Lunafreya, given some setup or fallout for Prompto, etc the game could have been amazing. So much of the plot beats are great on paper and the game just kinda skims past most of it.
Man, when FFXVI is good it’s so damn good, it’s just a shame the side content felt so low budget in comparison. Really enjoyed my time regardless and curious how it shapes up once the major DLC expansion releases.
I liked a lot of the storylines that came from the side content. The fetch quests never seemed too bad because ultimately it's another excuse to kill more enemies.
My most played game this year is definitely my favorite, loved it from start to end.
This but with Cyberpunk for me.
I've tried W3 so many times but I just can't get into it.
Try again and stick with it. I had to do it three or four times and now I’m hooked. Just about to finally beat the game which is rare for me. And it took a year, but it’s one I always want to come back to
I know, I know. It's not a knock against the game or anyone who likes it. Maybe I'll come back to it in the far future. There are almost too many games available at the moment so I'll be ramming my flaccid dong against another wall until I love it.
That’s… you… okay. Ram that dong.
🤣
Dyson Sphere Program Cities Skylines 2
Both because I like systems and I like to build.
Team Fortress 2. It's partially because of the amazing gameplay and partially because of the community.
I had so much fun playing it back in the day, maybe I should pick it up again..
How is noone screaming about Lethal Company? I have never had more fun that playing that game last few weeks. True its "short" even with mods but sooo worth it.
Metro Exodus (PC Enhanced Edition).
LOVE that it works with the Dualsense triggers and haptics.
Finally beat BOTW, so I'll say that
BG3 was for me (in 2023). I did 3 full runs. There's never been a game where I completed it and immediately started another campaign. There's been games I've considered it and pondered it but never did it.
Quake I, now remastered. I reinstall it frequently and it was one of the first games I tried on Linux, and it works flawlessly even though it came from a Microsoft-owned Bethesda-published Id. There's something hypnotyzing in how responsive it feels so I don't get bored nor with originar, nor with pretty new levels. Even boomer shooters don't scratch it just like this game does.
Dwarf fortress with DFhack. Now with graphics!
Days Gone, since it just released on gog and I wanted to give a triple a title another shot. It turned out to be pretty good, fun driving and gameplay, and the hordes were terrifying.
Also I was amazed how well this game was running, 4k 144hz butter smooth on a 4070. Kudos to the developers!
Phoenix Wright.
I recently bought a ds lite in a second hand store and found that game to be one of the most fun ones. Scribblenauts is also quite fun.
Sekiro. It ruined other souls like for me. Even DS. Combat felt like dancing, QoL are very good, even better than Lies of P that people kept praising about QoL.
Final Fantasy 5 and 6 are fantastic 16 bit JRPGs.
FF6 (Final Fantasy 3 in the US) gets a ton of acclaim, but I highly recommend finding a translated ROM of FF5.
I usually get bored when RPGs require too much level grinding, but they are paced nicely.
Throughout the year I played:
-Secret of Mana (haven't played in 15 years or so. Game still holds up)
-Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (and the Torna DLC). The main story is fantastic. A bit quantity of quality with all the Blades.
-The Legend of Zelda: TOTK. This game is great. Ultra hand blows this game wide open
-Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Finish this one up now and about to start the DLC. Story IMO is the poorest of the 3 games. But they took the best of the first two game's battle mechanics and improved that system.
Probably XC2. It was a lot of fun.
Gartic phone has been the most consistently entertaining game i played this year, but that is probably because i only ever played it 3 times(3 gamemodes) yesterday.
I also played Celeste this year, which was really fun
Chants of Sennaar. Thought it would fun, turned out to be probably my favourite thing I played this year.
BG3, TOTK, and Vampire Survivors are all very up there as well. Really great year for games.
I finally picked up Exanima after years of being put off by the early access, but damn what a unique and engaging experience. Reminds me of the first time I played Oblivion or Demon's/Dark Souls.
It's a game where your own experience as a player is your greatest asset. I highly recommend it for anyone into slow dungeon crawling and looking for a challenge unlike anything else.
The Forest and Sons of the forest. Haven't been happier playing this - unique as hell and gave me similar vibes as Subnautica. :)
V rising
Hard to pick. I would say my favorite new game is Slay the Princess. My favorite game I've returned to, and I returned to a lot this year, is Deep Rock Galactic. Rock and stone, brother.
I put about 300 hours into No Man's Sky this year.
I finally finished Zelda II this year and really enjoyed it.
That game gets shit on a lot, but I've always enjoyed it. People don't like it because it's different.
Pretty easily Hunt Showdown with honorable mention to Remnant II, Northgard, and Age of Wonders 4
Roadwarden
I love Roadwarden! My only issue is that I've taken a break for a while mid-playthrough, and now I don't remember what I was doing. I may just have to start fresh. I also just picked up Vagrus: The Riven Realms, which is similarly awesome.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales got its Steam release in November of last year, but I didn’t get to it until after New Years. The Steam Deck handled it really well, which just makes me pissed that Insomniac signed a PlayStation exclusivity agreement for Spider-Man 2.
Baulders gate 3 for sure. I mean in a few months it's already more than half the hours of my most played game. I love the characters and the way I can effect the outcome of different events, and I love exploring it all again with different character combos.
It's hard to pick. None really stand out that much from the rest but probably Ghost of Tsushima or Chivalry II.
Replying to agree with your position on GoT. Kept trying it after it first released but some other game would always come up and take over. While I loved tears of the kingdom, Spiderman 2, and a slew of other releases this year, GoT strands out for me. I'm terms of gameplay, story, and definitely visuals. While not perfect in everything, it was amazingly good in so many ways. Glad I finally got around to it. Now to keep hitting that back pile of unplayed gems.
Geometry Dash. It's the only game I played this year. So far, at least.
Well Tears of the Kingdom ate up about 4 months of the year for me. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk was a game I had been waiting 20 years to play. So that was really nice. I just wish there was more of it to be honest haha.
Resident evil 4 remake and Bloodborne were my next favorites.
Perfect Tides.
Really enjoyed valheim. Not sure it was my fave but really enjoyable. A game I can just keep going back to.
Absolutely Hi-Fi Rush. I loved many games this year, but Hi-Fi Rush was so fun, so wholesome, so loveable that the music it used carried me through some insanely hard times. It is very obviously a passion project made by incredible creators, and I legitimately cannot find a single issue with it (which I can't say of any other game this year).
I still feel swells of emotion listening to the music from that game. Absolutely incredible.
A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Ah, fellow masochist.
Vampire Survivors completely drew me in this year.
A couple of years ago, I was having dreams of designing train lines in Cities Skylines. A couple of days ago I was having a dream of weapon combos in Vampire Survivors. That's how you spot a good and influential game.
Kerbal Space Program! Sunk 20 hours into that one over the last two days alone!
Probably Remnant 2 although Hi-Fi Rush is close behind.
Just started this one but Afterimage is becoming a big favorite of mine. A really great Metroidvania game.
Older, but also played Frostpunk. It's a really great twist on a city building game. Highly recommended.
One odd ball I'll throw out is Last Case of Benedict Fox. It's a complete mess of a game, but the exploration and puzzles are a lot of fun. I never realized how much I want a metroidvania where you go around just solving puzzles. If LCBF just dropped all combat and focused on puzzle-solving it would have been a lot better.
Y'all gotta play The Finals. It's so much fuckin fun. I'd honestly been pretty bored with games until recently when it was released
The environmental destruction is what makes this game so amazing. There are so many ways to approach the enemy. The bank it mode is super fast paced and exciting to run in, grab the coins, and run away. Im enjoying creating different builds/classes and finding their effectiveness on the team. My friend group never plays FPS games but we are addicted to this one!
Counterpoint: that game was so boring, it briefly made me play OW2 again just for contrast.
Uh ok. You don't have to like it, dude 😅
Let me know what game you're currently enjoying, so I can shit all over it, if that's your thing
Haha, sorry. That'd be Avatar Frontiers of Pandora so no need, Ubisoft did all the shitting over it already.
I don't know Finals was just weird for me. Granted I played the demo they ran a few months ago, that was way before release, so I don't know what changed since then. But back then it had cool feel with the destruction but everything else felt very weightless and floaty and as a result the core gunplay felt discouraging. If hat makes sense.
But eh, different games for different people.
From this year: BG3
From before this year: Dwarf Fortress
It's close between Baldurs Gate 3 and Nioh 2.
BG3 is just that good, but Nioh 2 is one of my all time favorites, and I finally cleared everything in the game, early 2023.
Crusader Kings III. I‘m scared to turn it on by now cause it always makes days disappear for me.
Lingo. It tickles my brain in wonderful ways. I'm currently working through the custom level Liduongo, sequel to an earlier map named Duolingo, and I continue to be surprised, delighted, and utterly perplexed.
It's a rules-based puzzler that doesn't tell you the rules buried in a confusing labyrinth. The only downside is that it requires a strong grasp of English, limiting its audience.
Guild Wars 2
BLACKTAIL
It really sucked me in their world
I really liked Kingdom Two Crowns even though it was a bit short for a base builder.
SANABI
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Replayed RDR2 on the PS5, most fun I've had with a game in a while.
How did you feel it was different from the first time around ? Ive been meaning to pay it a second time but haven't quite took the leap yet.
The first time I felt like I spent most of my time in cutscenes and figuring out what to do. The second time I just plowed through the main story and enjoyed the ride.
Probably a toss up between Hi-Fi Rush, Doom Eternal, and Guilty Gear Strive. I suck at fighting games, but I love learning all the unique mechanics of the characters.
For the indie horror genre: Your Spider
Generation zero
Death Stranding. Art and masterpiece imo
Demon Souls. Gadamn it's good...
For me it still has to be grim dawn. I play so many games and I get bored with all of them but grim Dawn has been very consistent. And the idea of a DLC coming out is phenomenal. The latest update also added a shit ton of quality of life changes that just make it even more fun to play.
Guild wars 2. I’ve loved the new expansion though it is short.
The one I've sunk the most hours in gotta be Overwatch. The one that sucked me in the quickest is Valheim
Stacklands.
Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed
I'm a huge fan of the series and this is one of the best entries, even though it's a DLC campaign.
Sludge Life. Was such a fun little world with a killer art style. Has some really funny moments in it. I saw there were achievements for different endings so I may go back to it at some point to and try for those. Oh and a cool OST to go along with it
Mechabellum
Vampire Survivors and its horde of clones
City Skylines 2