Top Games 2023
Games! What a tumultuous year for games and those that were laid off. It's awful this year had so many highs and lows, and I hope everyone finds jobs doing what they want to do.
I ended up playing a lot of games. More games this year than any before.
Foxis: Nice
I like Steam's end of year summary. Not only did I try 69 games on steam, I completed 11 games. A lot of them were from 2017, so apparently that was just not a good year for finishing games.
I also picked up the OLED version of the Steam Deck. I didn't initially think it would make much of a difference, but I love it even more. Thanks to the Deck, I tried more of the smaller games I have in my backlog. I didn't like all of them, but they are at least no longer neglected in the eternal backlog.
The List #
My top games for 2023!
- Armored Core 6
- Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Hi-Fi Rush
- The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog
- Forza Horizon 5
Armored Core 6 #
Armored Core 6 just barely beat out Tears of the Kingdom for my top game, but I had so much fun playing it.
Foxis: The end of the chapter 1 boss is hard. I spend hours my first night trying to beat it with no success.
The chapter one boss was definitely a tough one. It doesn't help that the first time I tried it, the game crashed on the cut scene right before the boss. Since them, I got gud. I beat all 3 ending is about... 41 hours or so. By the end, the early bosses barely gave me any trouble. What a great game.
My steam taste profile is apparently mechs.
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom #
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was so good. I wasn't sure I was going to be ready for it, but I finished Breath of the Wild right before in April. TOTK is amazing. It takes everything from Breath of the Wild and expands it. The building system to make vehicles is so creative. I'm amazed how you can seamlessly fall from the sky to the underground with no loading screens. The game is a technical marvel.
Baldur's Gate 3 #
Baldur's Gate 3 is one of those top games of the decade. Unfortunately I did not play it as much as I should have, otherwise it will probably be higher on the list. It might be on next years top games list too at the rate I play it.
I am currently playing as a Dragonborn Wizard. I accidentally started a dark urge character because I couldn't figure out what was the custom character button. After a few hours I switched to a regular character, but it was very confusing why my character wanted to randomly kill everyone.
Hi-Fi Rush #
Foxis: I love the soundtrack!
I love how over the top the action is with all the robots. The story is not bad too. The action combat to the beat is a lot of fun.
The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog #
What a great little game, and a surprise!
Forza Horizon 5 #
This is here because my friend group plays this on Tuesday's, and it's a blast to play. We have a buddy that makes custom tracks to race on. Our favorite thing is to race B Class Friendlies.
Honorable Mentions #
These are other games I enjoyed and want to mention.
Jusant #
A friend of mine played Jusant during the Steam Demo Fest, and I was intrigued. It has interesting climbing traversal mechanics and a light story.
Final Fantasy XIV #
I'm still playing it and eagerly waiting for the next expansion, Dawntrail.
Kite in FF14 with his cat parasol.
Roots of Pacha #
Shout out to Roots of Pacha! My friend released their game this last year, and it's great! Play it if you like farming games like Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley.
Mabinogi #
I checked back on my old favorite MMO on a while, and I was hit with so much nostalgia. I don't think I really want to play it for reals again, but it's nice to see it's still active. There was a recent quality of life update, so maybe I'll check it out again next year.
Astro's Playroom #
What a nice little game. I completed it 100% because my son enjoyed watching me play it.
Games I've Finished! #
Jedi: Fallen Order, Railbound, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Armored Core 6, Viewfinder, Jusant, Tacoma, Bluey: The Video Game, Astro's Playroom, Dear Esther.
Other Games I Played and Liked #
Moonlighter, Mabinogi, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, Forza Motorsport 2023, Slay the Spire, Baba is You, Backpack Battles Demo, Palia, Satisfactory.
Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play #
Octopath Traveler 1 & 2, Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts 3, No Man's Sky, Ni no Kuni, Doom Eternal, Dwarf Fortress, Lord of the Rings Online.
Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish #
Pyre, Doom, Dragon Quest XI, Angels with Scaly Wings, Ni no Kuni II, Loop Hero, Backbone, Prey, Red Dead Redemption 2, Disco Elysium, Alan Wake, Control, Nier: Automata, God of War, Psychonauts 2.
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