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legion1227 · 4 months

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Games Played/Beaten in 2023: Ranked!

28. Dynasty Warriors 9- 2/5,

As a big fan of Musou games and the Dynasty Warriors franchise, I'm deeply upset at how disappointing and underwhelming the last major entry in the DW franchise was. With a boring open world, dull gameplay, and a monotonous story, there is little to no reason to divulge as much time in the game as they want you to do.

27. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Mode.- 2.5/5.

As someone who does not play COD Warzone whatsoever, the levels playing Warzone-esque are no bother to me and are welcome. Other levels garner minimal intrigue and I wish there were more intriguing stakes in a story that ends way too soon and abruptly.

26. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order- 3/5

I wanted to like this game more than I did, and while it's in no way bad, I realized after 8 hours that this game wasn't for me. With level traversing as confusing and nerve-wracking as it is, coupled with gameplay that's not as stimulating as I'd like, I feel better off watching someone play through the story instead of playing myself.

25. Prey- 3.5/5

Gifted to me as a present years ago, it took time before I finally gave Prey the good ol college try. Trapped on a space station with shape-shifting aliens, you are tasked with self-destructing the station before the aliens can reach Earth. The stakes are there, and exploring the station is engaging, but the combat falls a bit short to my liking.

24. Granblue Fantasy Versus. 3.5/5

As a fighting game casual fan, I could stand to have more single-player content in my fighting games. Before Granblue dropped its sequel last month, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, I dived into the previous game back in the early Fall. The character designs are quite anime-esque, and the RPG mode is quite fun, especially with a companion, but the fighting game itself lacked weight that other fighting games I played this past year harbored. Other games simply felt better to play than Granblue.

23. Final Fantasy XV- 3.5/5.

While Final Fantasy XVI was on the cusp of dropping this year, I thought it appropriate to replay the previous entry for the first time in years. The main character, Noctis, and his group of royal guards are mostly enjoyable. The rest of the cast, the gameplay, and the open world itself all fell into the same territory of being decent but could've been even stronger if more time was dedicated to each facet. To be fair, both playthroughs I've done have lacked the DLC so I'm unsure how much of a difference it makes on my overall enjoyment of the game. Next time I play, we'll have to see if it does, and maybe I'll rank it higher then.

22. Lego Harry Potter- 3.5/5.

As Playstation Plus made Lego HP one of the free monthly games, it was only a matter of time before I gave it a try as I have a moderate enjoyment of the HP series and a stronger attachment to Lego games in general. Bringing the magical wizard world of HP into Lego opened up many possibilities for endearing storytelling in its usual Lego charm upon replaying all eight movies across the game. Blowing the more recent HP game, Hogwarts Legacy, out of the water, it doesn't hold up as much as another Lego game I played this year that we'll get to later.

21. Attack on Titan- 3.5/5.

Released in August 2016, the Attack on Titan game was developed and produced by Omega Force and Koei Tecmo respectively, the same companies behind the Dynasty Warrior games and numerous other Musou games, AOT covers the first season of the show in game form. It does a good job at capturing the feeling of exhaustively slaughtering titan after titan as a human fighting for humanity, but as a Musou fan, I prefer their other titles immensely.

20. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2- 3.5/5

I am unbelievably hyped for the next entry in this franchise. As someone who's played BT3 to death for years, I never got too much time with its predecessor for complex reasons. After snagging a copy for the Wii years ago and completing the story mode just this year, I can say that BT2 is fun and captures the feel of a DBZ fight you see in the show, but it's a much lesser version of BT3 that I can't help but feel after playing that one for years. BT2 has plenty of characters but still lacks against BT3, and many of the fighters have the same rush moves and lack distinction, again, unlike in BT3. The only aspect I enjoy much more in BT2 over BT3 is the execution of the story mode and the What If scenarios at our disposal. And even then, there was room for improvement in some aspects.

19. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4- 3.5/5

My second favorite anime after Dragon Ball Z has two of my favorite Musou games in Pirate Warriors 2 and 3. Pirate Warriors 4 skips plenty of arcs, but still tells the major story beats in the One Piece story with flashy gameplay as you mow down hundreds of enemy fodder with the unique cast at your disposal. Too many characters that were playable in the last Pirate Warriors were axed for newer characters, of only a few feel really fun to play. After a while, Pirate Warriors 4 can become a bit monotonous with its objectives or story beats with the characters accompanied by its gameplay, which is fair to say with almost any Musou game, but it feels more apparent with Pirate Warriors 4 than others.

18. Doki Doki Literature Club- 4/5

Visual novels are not my cup of tea and neither are horror games, but this one was too great. Of course, it's been out for years and I've known some of what happened in the events of the game, but as you have the option to go through different story routes at this high school, the twists and turns and creepy imagery were intriguing enough to make me want to continue. Doki Doki Literature Club deserved the praise it got at the time and still deserves praise for its writing and creativity.

17. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate- 4/5

This is the last Musou game listed here I swear. Warriors Orochi is peak when it comes to the Musou format. Between hundreds of characters to choose from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, Samurai Warriors, and many original characters and guest characters, the variety at your hand while getting to pick any team of three and mow down enemies is a treat. Character interactions are endearing to any Dynasty or Samurai Warriors fan, the combat is more flashy than other games in its genres, and combined with a more traditional fighting game mode and a mode where you traverse a dungeon with a team of five, WO3U is one of the best games in its genre for certain.

16. South Park: The Stick of Truth- 4/5

The raunchy RPG based on the classic TV show really started picking up steam for me in the last few hours. Playing as a new kid who's moved into South Park, getting to create your combat class, pick up gear, and travel around the town of South Park to interact with the iconic cast or indulge in references and easter eggs as a fan of the series was hilarity incarnate. Performance issues plagued my run that stem mostly from playing on a PS3 for this. I wished the game utilized having more than one companion accompany you in combat, but Stick of Truth is a must-have, or maybe must-replay since its ten years old at this point, for RPG fans or South Park fans.

15. Dokapon Kingdom- 4/5

An underrated PS2 game that combines RPG elements to a classic Mario Party style. In the story of Dokapon, the fictional land is attacked by an army of monsters. The king offers his daughter, Princess Penny, to marry whichever player can finish the game with the most amount of money. It can induce the same amount of rage you would get playing Mario Party with friends, but it's also just as fun. The combat is simple yet thought-provoking, the random encounter events are entertaining with amusing characters, and the art style is cute to look at. It can be hard to obtain the original game these days, but I know a remake titled Dokapon Kingdom: Connect on the Switch exists that is almost exactly like the original, so I would recommend trying it out there if you can and play with friends.

14. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate- 4/5.

In anticipation of Mortal Kombat 1 releasing, I bought a physical copy of MK11 to play for a time. The ultimate edition of MK11 separated itself by adding all DLC content such as characters like The Terminator, Spawn, Shang Tsung, etc., and the story mode "The Aftermath." Mortal Kombat 11 continues to be one of the prime examples of what I would like in my fighting games as a casual. The story mode is a stellar cinematic romp to play through, with an amusing option of picking one of two characters at some points when I can. Coupled with an arcade mode worth plowing through with characters having epilogue after completion, the Krypt being a fully explorable place, and a constantly changing tower of fighters to compete against, the single-player aspect is the basis of something I would like to see in future fighting games for people like myself who don't really want to hop online and fight others.

13. Spider-Man: Miles Morales. 4/5

A perfect appetizer that served while waiting in anticipation for Spider-Man 2. Taking the role of Miles Morales as Spider-Man instead of Peter Parker, Miles' story laid a solid foundation following his idle beginning in the first game and before exploring him somewhat further in the sequel. His dynamic with friend turned-enemy Phin is a decent precursor for a more explored friendship in Spider-Man 2 with Peter and Harry, but Miles' arc and assuming his great power AND responsibility is interesting. Miles Morales is short but great from a gameplay perspective more than the story, but it's also hard to go back to this game after playing Spider-Man 2.

12. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. 4/5

Released back in October 2020, Crash Bandicoot 4 was the first original entry in the Bandicoot franchise in over ten years. Combining the gameplay from the classic games and remakes, but updating it with a futuristic gloss, has helped concoct a supreme platformer. The option to turn either on or off lives helps supply gamers with whether or not they want a challenge, which I appreciate. It's About Time is not only clever with its double entendre name, being literally about time, and also being a well-overdue sequel, but clever in its boss fights, and presentation, adding up to a platformer that was more than worth the time.

11. Doom Eternal- 4/5

Gameplay-wise Doom Eternal is an improvement upon its predecessor, Doom 2016, in almost every way. Between the vast array of weapons and power-ups, there are almost too many ways to rip and tear through the armies of Hell. Traversing level through level with boosters and platforming combined with fast-paced action makes Doom Eternal a triumph in its genre. Story-wise, I prefer the simplicity of Doom 2016 over this, but Eternal is still stunning.

10. Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2- 4/5.

Guilty Gear may not have the amount of single-player content that Mortal Kombat 11 does that I like, but there are some things Arcsys' anime fighter does that I have to give them respect. The character designs are much more unique and stand out more and the gameplay harbors a quicker place that lends to more frantic, fun fights. Its story is confusing and a tad convoluted, but luckily, its characters, in terms of personality /and/ how they play, more than make up the nonsensical anime bullshit that shows up on the screen. Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 is a balanced, hard-hitting affair that absolutely is entertaining in is own right.

9. Kingdom Hearts- 4/5

For years, I have tried completing this game, but thanks to the help of a friend, I finally managed to do so. Square Enix and Disney coming together to make its first collaborative effort will forever be iconic. Playing as a young child named Sora and traveling to different Disney worlds like Agrabah from Aladdin, the Coliseum from Hercules, and Wonderland to fight dastardly enemies like the Heartless is sensational. Not every world is made equal, (the jungle world from Tarzan is an awful, confusing mess), but the vibe is immaculate. Working together with Donald Duck and Goofy and enjoying the least confusing KH games is sometimes hard, with boss fights like Sephiroth or definitely the final boss, but it's an easy classic.

8. Final Fantasy X- 4/5.

Possibly my favorite Final Fantasy game to date, or at least on par with the FF7 remake. The cast of characters you play is likable and interesting in gameplay, with their abilities that separate each person from one another. The sphere grid, the system that centers around how you can build and level your character by maxing out their stats or magic, is a system I prefer over the usual level build-up you see in most RPGs. The depth of the story is engaging but comes secondary to the turn-based gameplay that I'm more fascinated by.

7. Persona 5- 4/5

The only RPG played this year I like slightly more than FFX. Persona's sense of style is mesmerizing and helps enhance the experience of a playthrough. As a group of high schoolers look to change the hearts of criminals in over-the-top setpieces that involve the cast diving deep into lavish worlds, the turn-based combat is more bombastic than any other of its kind. I put over 100 hours into Persona and didn't even accomplish everything I wanted. I cannot wait for a replay, but I need to get Persona 5 Royal some day as it has even more content than its vanilla version.

6. Uncharted 2- 4/5

Nathan Drake's second adventure improved upon the first game in so many ways I can't believe. As Drake is tasked with finding the entrance to the lost city of Shambhala, the stakes were as high as ever at that point. As I steadily make my way through the Uncharted franchise, the 2nd game improved from the first with its shooting, level design, and character work with Drake, Sully, and the introduced Chloe among others. From the opening scene where you control Drake trying to escape a train dangling over a cliff, I understood almost immediately how some consider this the best Uncharted game in the series.

5. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga- 4/5

As someone who played plenty of Lego games growing up with friends and family, one replay after years revealed how this is one of the best Lego games out there. The Complete Saga's name is outdated now, but at the time you had every Star Wars movie from the Prequels and Original Trilogy to go through in Lego form with 160 characters for you to choose from, including overpowered Jedi ghosts and Indiana Jones. Lego Harry Potter is fun but pales in comparison to the weight of swinging a lightsaber around or shooting droids and clones with your blaster. The newest Lego Star War game, The Skywalker Saga, I have not touched, but I know that the original Complete Saga is another classic etched into the echoes of video game history.

4. King Of Fighters 2002- 4/5

This game is not so much for a fighting game casual like myself, but I can't help but be roped into something so special. The KOF series is something I've had a soft spot for since my godparent's son showed me the franchise as a child. It's rough, it's hard, it's unforgiving, it's a classic fighting game in every sense. The characters are special to play and I wanted to learn most of them and see what combination of characters benefit me the most. There really isn't much single-player content to offer and this is a game for the hardcore fighting game fan-based, but there's just a feeling....a sensation to this that's hard to describe or replicate. I never hopped online, but I kept going back to fighting the CPU over and over again with different characters and just playing for several hours. KOF 2002 is an outstanding achievement that captures that feeling of playing fighting games in an arcade in the old days that you can't recapture these days.

3. The Last of Us: Remastered.

After the first season of the Last of Us Show dropped, I dived into the game for the first time in years. The Remastered version, as opposed to "The Last of Us: Part 1" is Naughty Dog's crown jewel. It's quite grounded for a zombie game, it's characters, especially Joel and Ellie, are rich, the ways to take down zombies and fellow survivors alike is gratifying, there's solid reasons why Last of Us is an achievement for Playstation, but these next two games amplify that mindset.

2. Spider-Man 2- 4.5/5

One of the few games I played this year that actually came out in 2023. Everything that made the first Spider-Man game and Spider-Man: Miles Morales so great is improved upon in this in almost every facet. The combat is sublime, being able to switch between both Peter and Miles is excellent, the story may lack in a few areas surrounding Miles, but it's still massive and overwhelming in the best sense. But the definitive aspect of the game has to be traversal. Swinging around the city feels so weighty and impressive- do you know how good it has to be to move around in a world when there is a fast travel option but you don't want to use it because you WANT to swing around the city, or in some cases glide? Spider-Man 2 is a spectacle in so many ways that it will be hard to go back to the previous games. As far as games that came out in 2023, it's my game of the year then. But if we are to take into account every game I played this year, regardless of what year it came out, then there's only 1 game I preferred over Spider-Man 2...

God Of War: Ragnarok

Like many of the other games on this list, GOWR is a sequel that surpasses its predecessors in almost every way. Ragnarok continues the story of Kratos and his son Atreus in a meaningful way as Kratos continues to evolve as a character and an older Atreus grows into his own. What is there to say about the game that hasn't been said already? The voice-acting performances are phenomenal across the board, the combat is righteous and immensely satisfying, and the design of each of the realms are awe-inspiring with top-notch graphics. And with GOWR dropping FREE story DLC in Valhalla, which incorporates a dungeon-like style into the open-world hack-and-slash style only cemented itself as my game of the year. Valhalla not only gives a unique, fun mode for players to lose themselves in for hours but tells a story basically of Kratos going through therapy after the heinous acts he committed in the original three games. The only fault in all of GOWR I had was one section with Atreus, but besides that I adore this game to pieces. And with that, GOWR is absolutely my favorite game I played in 2023.

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