I just recently hopped on the Game Pass train and it has opened up so many new games I thought I wouldn’t have access to until those Steam sale deep discounts game around. With that in mind, I figured it would be interesting to compile a list of all the games I’ve completed this year to compare at the end of 2023.
Next year’s list should include more information that I’ll make note of as I complete each game–this year’s chart is in no particular order and just the closest approximation of rating and total gameplay hours I can remember. Additionally, I only included games I actually completed, and left out multiplayer games like Halo Infinite and Overwatch 2.
At 25 games completed this year, I wanted to give some quick thoughts on five of my favorites. I would likely recommend any game on this list with a rating of 7+, but these five in particular were the most enjoyable to me.
God of War/God of War: Ragnarok
Let’s go ahead and get these two out of the way–both games have won numerous awards and received unparalleled praise. I realize my review adds nothing new to the conversation, but I will say both games were an incredible experience and truly raised the bar and expectations for further AAA releases.
Both games deserve a 10/10, but my hot take is that God of War serves as just the set-up to Ragnarok, and Ragnarok could have been about 5 hours shorter and still told the same story. Those *very* minor concerns aside, both additions to the series have easily cemented themselves in video game history.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Sunbreak is the DLC to 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise (although the PC version was released in January of 2022) and provides a greatly improved experience over the base game. As of writing, I have a bit over 400 hours in the game total, but about half of that has been since the Sunbreak release.
Like other Monster Hunter games, the premise is simple: pick your favorite comically-large anime-inspired weapon and smack some dinosaurs and dragons with it. Although base Rise had some interesting gameplay changes from previous entries, Sunbreak added so much content and re-balanced so many things that it is almost a different game.
I think the best way to describe Sunbreak is “git gud lite”. While not nearly as difficult as most Souls-likes, Monster Hunter has always weighed player skill more heavily than equipment stats. Early on, monster fights can be brutal and last half an hour or more, but each fight slowly teaches you how to be a better hunter and you start to chip away at those completion times until you find yourself able to solo endgame monsters in under 8 minutes. The frustration of learning the game is always washed away by the elation of finally overcoming a particularly difficult monster and unlocking the next creature.
The Witness
I realize I’m a bit behind playing 2016’s ode to Myst, but when parody game The Looker came out earlier this year, I knew I had to play both. I’m very glad I did.
(The Looker is free and should be played after The Witness for the jokes to hit just right.)
The Witness is one of the most devious puzzle games I think I’ve ever encountered. The game says it contains over 500 puzzles, but thankfully you only need to solve about 300 of them to complete the main story. The Witness doesn’t hold your hand, but does give you all the information you need to solve each puzzle–although finding that information is almost always a puzzle in itself.
There isn’t much story to give away, but I will say that if you are a fan of puzzle games, you owe it to yourself to at least give this one a try.
Prey
Speaking of games I’m playing a bit late, Prey is a fantastic sci-fi FPS from 2017.
Prey got a lot right–tight controls, fun gameplay, interesting story, excellent voice acting, and solid graphics. It’s only downfall is that it isn’t particularly memorable, which is a shame for how well it did all the things a video game should do. Most reviewers seem to agree this is because the enemies are these forgettable, amorphous, alien creatures and the final boss fight just isn’t very good.
That aside, it’s a great game, particularly if you’re looking for something to scratch that “Bioshock-in-space” itch.
Scorn
I mean this in the most positive way–Scorn is a truly unique game.
Scorn is an H.R. Giger-inspired visceral experience where you play as a seemingly-lost alien creature wandering a derelict planet without much explanation of who you are or where you are going.
I firmly believe that video games–as an art form–should not always try to reach the broadest audience. There is certainly a time and place, even a need, for such games, but we also need games like Scorn that explore unconventional avenues of what a game can be.
Scorn is a good game, although it isn’t for everyone and that’s ok. It’s weird, unsettling, and the ending leaves you with more questions than answers, but you get the sense that it accomplishes exactly what the developer wanted. The whole game is uncomfortable, there’s no HUD or text, and I’m not convinced the entire combat system isn’t just a red herring when nearly all combat can be avoided. But all of these things are what make it so interesting. These design choices are what make Scorn special.
There are definitely some parts toward the end that feel a bit rushed, or that an area may have been left out, but the overall game is solid and worth playing if you’re even slightly interested in what it offers.
With all that said, 2023 has some fantastic games in the works that I am excited to play. I’m looking forward to everything the new year brings and I hope to share another one of these wrap-ups next December.
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