Game Log 2023

With Game Pass available to me from the start this year I had access to a much wider variety of games than in years past. Although a bit rushed at the end, I met my goal of completing 52 games. It was interesting to see that even though the number of games I completed doubled, the total time played is about the same from last year.

I took some time to re-evaluate how I was rating games as I felt a scale of 10 was too specific and made it difficult to compare ratings for games within and across genres. If both a 2D puzzle game and a massive AAA open-world title were given an 8, does that mean they are equally ‘good’ and provide a similar level of enjoyment? Does that mean a game with a rating of 10 is literally perfect and cannot be further improved? Instead I decided to go with a 5 point scale that simply notes how successfully a game presents an experience to the player. I wanted to give a score for how enjoyable a game was, rather than trying to quantify every element of game design across all genres and mediums.

As an example, I gave both of the below games a 3. While both are considered horror, they provide vastly different experiences. Ghostwire on the left is a decent game with interesting combat and movement mechanics, but the scariest part of the game is the framerate drop when turning the graphics up too high. Faith, on the other hand, is absolutely terrifying at some points but the gameplay is sluggish and clunky. Even though each game has different art styles, graphics, mechanics, and other features, I rated them based on the overall gameplay experience and how enjoyable the game was which feels more fair than the older 10 point scale.

Although the list is longer, I just want to talk about three games that stuck with me the most from this year.

Tunic

I’m a bit late playing 2022’s love letter to early Zelda games, but I’m glad I finally had the chance. With tight combat, rewarding puzzles, and countless secrets to discover, Tunic is a wonderful experience from start to finish. Players are thrown into the game without any direction and given only a partially-translated guidebook filled with an unknown language. Exploring the various areas of the game and finding hidden treasures will slowly reveal the missing guidebook pages and the true breadth of the quest that lays before you. While many elements of Tunic harken back to an earlier era of video games, the overall presentation and gameplay feel very fresh and inspired.

Vampire Survivors

The best part about Vampire Survivors is that you can play for 5 minutes or 5 hours and it will feel like the same amount of time has passed. Inspired by retro arcade and early-internet flash games, Vampire Survivors is addictive in the best way. The game relies on simple mechanics and increasingly flashy visual effects to draw you in and entice you with the promise of even bigger, flashier effects. What initially seems like a serious game in the vein of Gauntlet quickly drops all pretense revealing a goofy, seizure-inducing, bullet hell filled with unlockables and powerups that makes you go: “What does that do–OHHHH!”

Cocoon

My favorite puzzle game of the year. I’m always a fan of perspective-warping puzzles, and Cocoon is no slouch. Without spoiling too much, Cocoon involves juggling spheres that contain entire worlds, hopping in and out of each sphere to navigate through the game’s multiversal labyrinth. What I really admired about the game is how it gently walks you through what seems like a fairly confusing concept and builds your confidence to prepare you for the puzzles ahead. Additionally, the atmosphere and soundtrack complement the gameplay wonderfully. I highly recommend Cocoon if you get the chance to play it.

Bonus: Resident Evil 4 Remake is possibly the greatest remake of any game ever (so far). While remaining completely faithful to the original in both tone and story, it elevates the gameplay and graphics to a modern level that exceeds all expectations.