TFP's Top 10 Games of 2023
2023 has been a weird year. As evidenced by the fact that I don't think I got my 2022 GOTY list out until like March of this year, I've had some pretty serious health problems throughout. It's something I got into a bit on my cohost, but "My body is actively turning against itself" is a super weird thought to have to live with. But, that's not why you're here, and it's certainly not what I'm interested in writing about when I'm talking about games of the year. This is a celebration, so let's celebrate the good stuff.
- There have been a lot of not-Pokémon games, but I don't think any of them have come as close as Cassette Beasts at figuring out the formula. While even still I prefer regular ol' Pokemon for my monster catching needs, I did spend quite a bit of time in Cassette Beasts, which is more than I can say for a lot of other not-Pokemons.
- I actually put in the request to create the page for Sunshine Shuffle, expecting for it to kind of slide in as my number 10 game and needing a page to exist to put it on my list. Then I played a couple of other things late and it got bumped. Which is not to say Sunshine Shuffle is bad, because it's a delightful little poker game with a genuinely compelling heist story in the background. Plus: a very fun ska soundtrack.
- I think The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom tried to split the difference between Breath of the Wild and more traditional Zelda games to its detriment, but it was still a very worthwhile game to play. Exploring that version of Hyrule, even with the dungeons I wasn't personally a fan of, is still a delight.
- I'm so glad Like a Dragon: Ishin! finally made it out in English. The historical Japanese take on the series has always been interesting from afar, and it turns out playing it doesn't diminish that one bit. Do I wish it was less grindy? Absolutely. Does it detract from a great main storyline and fun sidestories? Not at all.
- Did Resident Evil 4 need a remake? No, not really. Did I enjoy the remake? Yes. Would I recommend it over classic Resident Evil 4? ...Prooooooobably not? Is it still worth playing? Also yes. Especially with the new take on Separate Ways, that makes Ada a very fun and dynamic character to play as.
- I've started and deleted this bit on Spider-Man 2 like 5 times. There's a lot in there that I think is very good. Pretty much every side mission knocks it out of the park. The world feels alive and fun to swing around in. The story has some major pacing issues but does actually really well in terms of characterization and juggling a decently large cast of characters. There's just something... slightly off about it that keeps it out of the top 10. I don't quite know what it is.
- As has been the case (in my GOTY lists) since 2020, games that were good remain good, such as: Metroid Prime (Remastered), Super Mario RPG, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, Dokapon Kingdom Connect, We Love Katamari (Reroll+ Royal Reverie), Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, and Tetris The Absolute: The Grand Master 2.
- Also as has been the case: Games I enjoyed but either didn't play quite enough of or just can't think of anything in depth to say but I did enjoy what I played of 'em include: Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayers, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, WarioWare: Move It!, and Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged.