David's 25 Favorite Things of 2023 - The Punished Backlog

Tears of the Kingdom and lots of great indies
Attack on Titan and games from ol’ Nindy
Jedi Survivor and TV galore
Two thousand twenty-three, hardly a bore

Squid Game: The Challenge and Resident Evil
The Boston Celtics and Jalen Hurts’ Eagles
So much good anime, none of them chores
Two thousand twenty-three, hardly a bore

When the game’s long
When the show’s bad
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember the bangers this year
And then I don’t feel no fear

…Okay I’ll stop. Don’t leave?

The Sound of the Disk Drive

It’s become a time-honored tradition: Each holiday season, our wonderful writers here at The Punished Backlog share their greatest bops and flops of the past 12 months.

Our Best of the Year coverage has evolved quite a bit over the years:

In 2017, we prepared, then promptly retired, a set of group genre awards.
In 2018, we opted for individual favorites lists. My inaugural contribution: a convoluted tier list (a tradition fellow writer Sam Martinelli would later hone and make his own).
For our Best of 2019 coverage, I had just two games to celebrate. (It was a quiet year.)
In the wake of the George Floyd murder, our Best of 2020 coverage saw me forgo a traditional “favorites” list to celebrate the most inclusive video games.
The Best of 2021? That’s when I started channeling my inner Julie Andrews.
I kept the fun going for our Best of 2022 coverage, dishing out shout-outs left and right.

And now, we arrive at 2023.

Looking Back on One Hell of a Year

If you thought my previous two lists were long… strap in. This year had some particularly great content, and I’m not one to shy away from gushing about my favorites.

That said, some caveats to keep things in check:

This year had a lot of stuff.
It was impossible to cover every single thing.
Even when I did consume something, I probably didn’t have time to finish it.

In other words, this list is incomplete. It is inherently flawed. Though, I’d argue that’s what makes this end-of-year exercise so compelling.

Our Best of 2023 campaign is underway, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s our best coverage yet. Each Punished Backlogger’s list is diverse, celebrating big games and small games, both new and old. From horror to cozy, poignant to awe-inspiring, our tastes run the gamut. Our only criterion is that there is no criteria—just a love for great experiences.

I hope to live up to that measure with my list. But enough musing—let’s get to it.

David’s Top 25 “Things” This Year

2023 had so much to offer, and I couldn’t bring myself to omit anything that sparked joy (or grief—we’ll get to that in a second). So, in place of a traditional “Top X Games” list, I decided to cover… well, everything.

Unlike my 2022 and 2021 lists, which broke up my favorites into distinct categories (games, movies, anime, etc.), I’m rolling it all into one hulk of a list. Hopefully, you’ll join me on this grand, hopelessly imperfect adventure.

If you want to cut to the chase, though, I get it. Here are some quick jump-to links:

Song of the Year
Movie of the Year
Team of the Year
Show of the Year
Game of the Year

Honorable Mentions

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

It showed up in the poem, so I’ve got to include a nod. I may not have played much of the Resident Evil 4 remake—thus, why it’s an HM—but what I played certainly impressed.

I’ll be real: I don’t think any Resident Evil, new or remade, will ever rival my favorite—and that’s the original Resident Evil 4, specifically for Wii. The IR-based aiming reinvented the gunplay, so much so that I can never quite go back to a traditional twin-stick layout. 2023’s version also loses points for abandoning the OG’s iconic laser sight.

And yet, despite all that, the RE4 remake comes close to recapturing the original’s magic—and that alone deserves a tip of the cap.

The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron received rave reviews, so I was excited to give it a watch in theaters. Yet, my partner and I both came away feeling mixed about the experience.

Does the movie captivate and entice? It does. Does Studio Ghibli deliver the goods with the animation? There’s no question: Yes. But director Hayao Miyazaki’s supposed swan song is also a rather convoluted sequence of events with far more questions than answers.

As a Lost diehard, I enjoyed The Boy and the Heron for what it was, and may well watch it again to unearth its finer details. But I also know the studio is capable of far more cohesive payoffs.

Oppenheimer

Oh, Oppie. At the time, I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s three-hour, 39-second juggernaut of a film. Looking back, though, I can’t help but feel cheated out of a more interesting story.

Case in point: This is a biopic rooted in well-trodden history, yet I can barely remember what the heck happened during any of it. Sure, Oppenheimer’s crew succeeded at developing the A-bomb “in time” to end World War II. But everything up until that moment is an absolute blur.

That’s Nolan in a nutshell—all bloom and flurry; little actual definition. I enjoyed his work, but have already forgotten it.

Dishonorable Mentions

Final Fantasy XVI

Holy hell, where do we start?

Three and a half years after its initial announcement trailer, Final Fantasy XVI was released on PlayStation 5. For many, the game was a welcome return to form, offering deeper combat and sharper storytelling than its clumsy predecessor. As reviews rained in and praise accumulated, it appeared as if producer Naoki Yoshida—and Final Fantasy as a whole—had struck gold.

Then, I played it for myself. And while some people might love it, I can’t stand it. The characters are bland, the cutscenes are stiff, and the game world is far more linear than Final Fantasy XIII ever was. (Seriously, what’s the point in having a Chocobo if you can’t even glide around the game’s so-called “open zones”?)

As someone who thought Final Fantasy XV was too ambitious for its own good, I can confidently say I’d rather have that mess of a game than what I got with Final Fantasy XVI. For all its flaws, Noctis’s journey had heart. Cut past XVI’s flashy combat and soothing tunes, and all that’s left is a Game of Thrones ripoff with about 2% of the nuance.

Final Fantasy is about fantasy—it’s literally in the title. By contrast, XVI feels hollow.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

I know, I know. Save your groans. I can’t hear them and, frankly, I don’t care to hear ’em.

Some background: I wasn’t a big fan of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse either. As much as I wanted to love that movie, I found myself whelmed—there simply wasn’t enough beyond the (gorgeous) animation to keep me hooked.

Across the Spider-Verse is the exact same story. It’s pretty, and I like a lot of its bones. Ultimately, though, the story lasts far too long, and I found myself counting down the minutes until it was over.

I can appreciate art, and the Spider-Verse films are, in fact, art. But they’re just not my thing.

Okay, Okay… the Actual List Now

25. Connections

Wordle was all the rage in 2021, despite (or perhaps thanks to) being an extraordinarily simple game. Six guesses per word. One word per day. Open a web browser, type in the URL, and play. Simple.

But simple doesn’t always make for a satisfying tail. Wordle may have won over everyone from grandma to little Timmy, but the staying power took a hit once everyone learned “Adieu” was the best starting word. In the months since, the New York Times’s crown jewel has become more of a fun distraction than a must-play experience.

Enter Connections. A fellow member of the NYT’s game collection, Connections was developed as part of a game jam and then released in June 2023. The premise, like Wordle, is simple: You have a grid of 16 words and must identify four distinct groupings (e.g., NBA teams, parts of the body). Find all four, and you win; make four mistakes, and you lose. Like Wordle, the game resets each day.

It’s an awesome concept—one that pairs perfectly with the “once per day” gimmick popularized by Wordle. I’ve played religiously since September and regularly share my results with friends over Discord. A flight attendant even noticed me playing on my phone and told me he too was hooked.

Yet, as with seemingly everything in this world, there’s a catch. Turns out, Connections isn’t a novel concept—it seemingly originates from the UK game show Only Connect. When asked to comment, The New York Times offered Eurogamer a paltry, if expected, response: “The content of Connections is unique, handcrafted, and has a distinctive style synonymous with New York Times Games.”

Bummer. Connections originally placed far higher on my list (#6), but the questions around its development gave me pause. Still, it warrants inclusion, if only because I can’t live without it now.

24. Barbie

Greta Gerwig’s colorful take on Barbie nabs a spot on my list—and for good reason. Not only is Margot Robbie terrific as the iconic Mattel doll, but the story she and Gerwig tell is, sadly, all too topical for girls and women around the world.

Barbie’s relationship with Ryan Gosling’s Ken can be defined only as callous and demeaning. He, like all men in Barbie Land, has no real agency—no voting power, no professional clout… nothing except pride and a desire to be with his dream wife.

Expertly, Gerwig uses the power imbalance between the two to illustrate a cold, harsh truth: What Ken experiences in Barbie Land is what Barbie and all women experience in the real world. For women watching in theaters, Barbie’s affirmations were met with nods and cheers. For men, these moments were sobering realizations.

My partner and I watched it together, yet we laughed, cried, and applauded during completely separate beats. Our experiences were different—just like our experiences in real life—and yet, we both left with the same desire for equality. That Gerwig was able to educate half the audience, empower the other half, and unify us all by the end is a testament to her abilities.

23. Squid Game: The Challenge

I’m as surprised as anyone that I watched Squid Game: The Challenge. I’m even more surprised that I enjoyed it.

Why the surprise? For one, Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality show spin-off of the hit Korean drama from Hwang Dong-hyuk. It has none of the stakes of Squid Game, nor does it share any continuity with the OG show. Instead of kidnapping 456 people and slowly killing them off, The Challenge creates an artificial sense of tension by dangling a prize of $4.56 million—the largest of any game show to date.

In other words, Squid Game: The Challenge is a rather shameless cash grab. It’s a capitalistic take on a fervently anti-capitalistic show. Throw in claims of absolutely terrible conditions by the actual contestants, and you might wonder what entertainment or ethical value this show could have.

The answer: More value than I expected. I’m not about to say The Challenge is must-see television. It’s not, and I feel for those who had to sit (or stand) through a grueling game of Red Light, Green Light for a reported nine hours. But, I did enjoy the subtle differences between the scripted and unscripted dramas.

Like the cast of 2021’s Squid Game, many of these contestants were ruthless, double-crossing allies to add money to the prize pool. But many more were surprisingly humane. Often, contestants would band together to find an equitable solution to a game like Glass Bridge. Meanwhile, surprise games like Battleships threw unexpected curveballs for contestants and viewers alike.

It wasn’t life-changing, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy The Challenge. I binged the season in two days and found myself rooting for its most decent characters. Now, if only I could get a chance at that moolah for season two…

22. One Piece (Netflix)

Eric, Kei, and I raved about Netflix’s One Piece a few months back, and my thoughts haven’t changed one bit. For years, adapting any anime to live action seemed an impossible feat (just ask the folks behind the maligned Cowboy Bebop or Death Note). So, adapting arguably the greatest anime of all time? Surely, it couldn’t be done.

Well, this time, Netflix succeeded. Not only does One Piece capture what made the original manga so great (stellar worldbuilding, warm characters, satisfying arcs), but it does so while condensing the material into something far more accessible. Whether you’ve watched 1000 episodes of the anime or you haven’t seen a lick, there’s something to enjoy here.

No, it isn’t perfect. The acting can be hokey, and the costumes and sets look straight out of Disneyworld. But the core is there, thanks in large part to the excellent Straw Hat pirates. Iñaki Godoy steals the show with his infectious joy, both on and off set. Seriously, I’ve never found myself enjoying marketing materials more for a show than I have for this one.

Though the live action might never surpass the original (or, heck, even be greenlit beyond its second season), this is an excellent counterpart to one of the greatest works of our time.

21. Ghostrunner 2

Ghostrunner 2 might just be my biggest surprise of 2023. In my Ghostrunner 2 review, I described the game as a “lean, mean sequel” that “achieves the satisfying flow I craved from its predecessor.” By comparison, in my review of the original Ghostrunner, I deemed it “a game of exciting highs and extreme lows” with frustrating combat and piss-poor game balance.

Character growth: We love to see it.

Indeed, Ghostrunner 2 truly is an effective follow-up. The level design is sharper, the combat is cleaner, and the overall experience is far more forgiving than what I experienced in the original. Heck, I enjoyed it so much that I even went back to replay the first. I can’t say that about many video games.

Is it for everyone? Heck, no. The game may be more forgiving than the first, but it’s still frustrating as hell at times. But, even at my most tilted, I still found new reasons to love Ghostrunner 2. Case in point: The devs give Jack a motorcycle around the middle of the game, and the game never looks back. There are high-speed chases, open-world exploration, and zombies. The whole sequence freaking rules.

20. Dredge

I first learned of Dredge from a co-worker turned friend (wassup, Gabby!) during a group wedding trip. She’s far more in the know than I when it comes to interesting indies, so when she name-dropped the game during a round of evening drinks, I knew I had to give it a shot.

Dredge is a Lovecraftian exploration game all about fishing. You start with a dinky little boat and must scour the surrounding waters for good catches. The better your haul, the more money you make at a nearby town. By accruing money, you can purchase better parts for your boat—granting you the ability to sail farther and longer.

It’s a fun loop, buoyed by sharp writing, strong progression, and haunting music. The minute-to-minute steering can be a bit finicky, and the game does turn into a bit of a resource grind, but the overall journey is one worth embarking on.

Dredge isn’t my favorite nautical game of the year—that distinction will be awarded later in this list—but it’s still a damn good time.

19. Cocoon

Cocoon got snubbed this year. For one, it’s an arthouse game from an arthouse publisher (Annapurna) that came out the same month as Starfield, Baldur’s Gate 3 (PS5), and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Second, and arguably more critical, the game’s name is exceptionally generic.

As terrible as the circumstances were, the game still managed to shine bright for me and many others. (According to SteamSpy, developer Geometric Interactive sold more than 100,000 copies on Steam. Not exactly a smash hit, but not a dud, either.)

I loved this little adventure game, as did Sam, who showered glowing praise in his Cocoon game review. The puzzles are clever, the boss fights are inventive and thrilling, and the whole experience can be completed in just a sitting or two. If you haven’t spun this one up on Game Pass, you owe it to yourself to give it a look.

18. Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters

After more than a decade of mysteries, twists, and sweet sakuga action, Attack on Titan came to a close in 2023. Whether you read the manga finale back in 2021 or you diligently avoided spoilers online, The Final Chapters serves as a fitting end to Eren, Armin, and Mikasa’s saga.

I wrote at length about the finale several weeks ago, drawing parallels between Hajime Isayama’s grim fiction and our current reality. Eren’s story is one of pain, radicalization, and vengeance. Whether you agree with his actions or not, there’s no denying his impact on anime culture—and the bigger societal questions he leaves in his wake.

But I won’t spoil the specifics. If you haven’t seen Attack on Titan yet, there’s no better time to give it a watch. (Even comedian Kev on Stage is getting in on the action.) No more waiting; no more theories. Go in with as little context as possible, and let this rollercoaster whisk you away.

17. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

It’s hard to believe Star Wars Jedi: Survivor released this year. Between Zelda and Baldur’s Gate, Mario and Spider-Man, so many great games arrived in the summer and fall that I barely remember what came before.

Thankfully, Respawn’s latest Star Wars adventure had plenty of staying power. In such a crowded year, I still look back fondly on Cal’s sophomore quest. The world design was tighter, the side quests were stronger, and the music absolutely slayed. Sure, the Souls-inspired combat felt dated compared to the real McCoy, but everything else was top-notch.

And let’s not forget that story—if you know, you know. Although Disney’s Andor remains my favorite piece of Star Wars storytelling since… well, perhaps ever, Jedi: Survivor isn’t far behind. Surely, that speaks volumes about Respawn’s greatness.

16. Sea of Stars

I liked Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger, but I didn’t love it. The Ninja Gaiden meets Metroid title had a lot to offer—fun combat, dope music, cheeky writing, a trollish shopkeeper—but the overall experience felt less than the sum of its parts. I’d simply played better games before.

Sabotage’s second title, Sea of Stars, doesn’t suffer from the same problem. It pays homage to games that came before—Chrono Trigger, principally—but it also stands on its own merits. The characters are charming, the combat is slick, and the music is sublime. (It helps that Yasunori Mitsuda, the composer of Chrono Trigger, hopped on a few tracks.)

Sam detailed much of why the game rocks in his Sea of Stars review. And though, full disclosure, I haven’t finished the title yet, I’m itching to pick my Switch back up and see Valere, Zale, and Garl’s journey through to the very end.

15. SEASON: A Letter to the Future

What a game, man. SEASON: A Letter to the Future didn’t get a ton of coverage from the major outlets, but those who played it know what’s up.

The game stars Estelle, a woman who’s taken it upon herself to catalog the world, its politics, and its beauty before the seasons change. Why do we care about the seasons? Unlike in our reality, the seasons in her world can stretch entire lifetimes, and usually mark sweeping changes to society and its people.

So, when rumblings come that the seasons are about to shift, Estelle anticipates a cataclysmic event that will end the world as she knows it. So, she grabs her trusty camera and journal, hops on her bike, and leaves the only home she knows in search of knowledge and closure.

That’s only scratching the surface. SEASON: A Letter to the Future may be a short adventure, lasting six to eight hours, but the game is so much more than its runtime. This is an experience that plays out almost entirely based on your decisions. Want to check out that abandoned farm? Curious what history those mysterious landmarks hold? Where you go and what you document is largely up to you.

As you explore, you’ll fill up your journal with pictures, audio recordings, and little musings. And though I wish SEASON had just a bit more time to develop its ending, the game left an impression on me I doubt I’ll ever forget. It truly is that unique, and I implore you to play it.

14. Smushi Come Home

Oh, do I love Smushi Come Home. The debut game from developer SomeHumbleOnion, Smushi tells the story of a mushroom far from home. Over a three- to four-hour adventure, the titular Smushi must navigate an unfamiliar forest, befriending bugs and completing errands for them in exchange for tools and trinkets that’ll aid him in his adventure.

Yes, it’s short, but that’s about the only “complaint” one could levy against this little gem. Plus, to me, the brevity is actually a positive. Too many games today are mammoth open-world adventures; next to the likes of Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3, Smushi Come Home feels refreshingly accessible.

I gushed about the game in my Smushi Come Home review, and also nominated it for our best cozy video games feature. There’s not much else I can say without spoiling some of its finer moments, but those looking for a chill adventure with a bit of everything—charming characters, tight platforming, fun mini-games—will find a lot to love here.

13. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

I’m gonna get some heat for this take, but… TMNT: Mutant Mayhem was the superior “Spider-Verse” film this year. And it’s not even close.

Across The Spider-Verse is gorgeous, no doubt, but I found myself struggling to care about its litany of characters and grandiose plot. Mutant Mayhem, on the other hand, is a smaller, tighter film that focuses on four brothers, their relationship with their dad, and a simple desire everyone, human or mutant, feels—and that’s to belong.

No, it’s not a multidimensional epic, or even a world-trotting affair for that matter. Instead, Mutant Mayhem opts to tell a story within the (already large, mind you) boundaries of New York City. Frankly, I respect director Jeff Rowe’s choice not to compete with Spider-Verse, but rather to do something more personal and intimate.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem doesn’t have the scope and scale of its spidey contemporaries, but it wins the day with heart and charm.

12. “Pretty Girl” – Ice Spice feat. Rema (Winner: Song of the Year)

I originally planned to include Afrobeat artist Rema’s megahit “Calm Down” (accurately described by one YouTube commenter as “soul food music”) on this list. But, alas, that banger of a tune released at the tail-end of 2022.

So, I’m instead going with my second favorite song of his—a feature on the track “Pretty Girl” by Ice Spice. His chorus, which describes his lover as his “real flex,” is pure, unadulterated candy pop. As Rema sings about relationship goals like respect and loyalty (king!), an Afrobeat undercurrent gives the song plenty of bounce.

Of course, I recognize I’m burying the lede here. This is Ice Spice’s song, first and foremost, and her lyrics nicely complement Rema’s soft timbre and smooth vocals. “Lookin’ at you got my eyes wide, damn / Lookin’ at you got my eyes wide, damn, so outta this world like sci-fi” is such a fun, wholesome line (queen!).

This was an unexpected team-up, but one I’m glad we got to see.

11. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

What a pleasant surprise Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was. The third entry in Insomniac’s web-slinging open-world series, Spidey 2 does just enough to differentiate itself from the first two games.

The new “web wings” tool adds a new dimension to traversal, letting Pete and Miles glide and soar around New York in style. Mary Jane, meanwhile, benefits from overhauled stealth missions that play like levels out of The Last of Us. Then, there’s Harry, whose struggle with Venom makes for some seriously captivating storytelling. And let’s not forget Kraven—my vote for the most badass villain since Thanos. (If you played the game, you understand why.)

Reflecting on the series to date, I firmly rank Spider-Man 2 over the original based on narrative prowess alone. Heck, even the side quests in this one are stellar. That said, Spider-Man: Miles Morales remains top dog for me. The winter backdrop was gorgeous, the combat felt just right, and the story, though smaller stakes, hit equally hard.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t reinvent the series, but it doesn’t need to. Sometimes, a great story is all that matters.

10. Super Mario Wonder

Super Mario Wonder released the same day as Spider-Man 2, and though I enjoyed both, Nintendo’s newest adventure gets the slight edge. Sure, Wonder doesn’t have the storytelling chops of Insomniac’s epic. But Wonder constantly innovates—something Spidey sorely lacks—and it does so in the 2D space, no less.

There are so many little moments of delight in Super Mario Wonder. One second, you’re zipping through pipes from foreground to background; the next, you’re part of an adorable Pirahna Plant musical number. And that’s just the second level!

Sure, not every level in Wonder is a winner. I couldn’t stand the puzzle rooms, and some might be turned off by the up-and-down difficulty of the various levels. (To Nintendo’s credit, each level has a difficulty rating from one to five. Each world is also fairly open-ended, letting players tackle levels in whichever order they choose.) But there’s far more good than bad here, and even saying the word “bad” feels like a stretch.

Whether you’ve played Mario since the days of Super Mario Bros. 3 or you’ve never touched a 2D platformer in your life, Super Mario Wonder strikes just the right balance of innovation and accessibility. Plus, the music slaps.

9. John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick is like LeBron James. You could argue he’s past his prime, yet he always comes back, just as strong as his last showing. He caters to what the people want—and that’s heart-pounding, pearl-clutching action. He’s confident, consistent, box office material. Love him or fear him, there’s no disrespecting the king.

But John Wick didn’t always have his crown. To the contrary: I was convinced John Wick: Chapter 4 would be the first time I left the theater disappointed. Chapter 3 had shown some cracks in the armor—the action felt samey, and the whole desert subplot dragged—and I feared this old dog (sorry, John) wouldn’t learn new tricks.

Turns out, Chapter 4 doesn’t care what I think. The movie is uncompromisingly “John Wick,” from the ludicrously over-engineered fight scenes to the stilted, borderline horrific dialogue. The movie rejects everything I expect from a good story—and it’s honestly better for it. Sure, it ain’t winning any Oscars for the narrative, and the ending made me want to hurl my popcorn, but only John Wick can make a single-shot shootout around the Champs-Élysées look effortless.

Appreciate greatness while you have it, folks. It’s never guaranteed to last.

8. The Last of Us (HBO)

If you’re reading this site, I don’t need to explain why Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is goated. Regardless of your feelings about the sequel (sorry; it slaps), there’s no denying the ambition and appeal of Joel and Ellie’s initial adventure.

I was skeptical about HBO’s The Last of Us from the moment I started watching. How could the studio possibly improve upon perfection? The answer was surprisingly simple: You don’t. (You also bring on Craig Mazin, the showrunner behind the incredible—and horrifying—limited series Chernobyl.)

In an interview with Nerdist, Mazin and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann explained the importance of the “value of adaptation”—i.e., knowing when to keep the story as is and when to iterate based on the intended medium. For many showrunners, this has proven to be a tall order, especially when adapting video games. (Paramount’s Halo, anyone?)

Well, Mazin and Druckmann avoided the typical pitfalls, and the result is easily the best video-game-to-TV adaptation I’ve seen short of Netflix’s Castlevania. In a review of episode three, “Long, Long Time,” I lauded the duo’s efforts, saying, “The Last of Us isn’t just adapting the games. It’s adapting to them—and it’s better off for it.” I still stand by that sentiment 100%. Sure, it doesn’t outdo the 2013 video game, but it enhances it and has value all its own.

Even if season two proves as divisive as its source material, there’s no questioning the artistry and love on display with this adaptation. My only frustration is needing to wait until 2025 to see more.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Winner: Movie of the Year)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe sure has gone downhill. Sure, No Way Home was entertaining and Wakanda Forever was a fitting tribute, but the hits have started to dry up. (Did we really need a third Ant-Man movie?)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, though, is an absolute winner. Despite arriving as part of “Phase Five,” Vol. 3 doesn’t suffer the same issues as other recent Marvel films. It doesn’t cram tons of easter eggs. It doesn’t have a television show as part of the course prerequisites (I’m looking at you, The Marvels). Instead, James Gunn and his cast offer a funny, heartfelt conclusion to the Guardians of the Galaxy saga (at least as we know it).

This was vintage Marvel, through and through. The one-liners zinged. The plot twists zagged. A two-and-a-half-hour movie went by in a (Thanos-sized) snap. I couldn’t believe it.

There are still plenty of great moments left in the MCU (I joke, but I did in fact enjoy The Marvels). I have my hopes up for Blade and Avengers 5. However, the realization has set in that this may—I said may!—be the last genuinely great Marvel film for a long, long time.

6. Beef

If you didn’t watch Beef this year, you did yourself a disservice. This dramadie, which stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, tells the story of two Asian Americans who get into a (seemingly) one-and-done incident of road rage. However, when both sides continue to escalate the stakes, their worlds come colliding together in a deliciously messy fashion.

If you played the aforementioned The Last of Us Part II, you’re familiar with the theme. Anger creates anger, and violence begets violence. Beef is nowhere near as depressing as Ellie and Abby’s beef, and that plays to the show’s advantage. There are moments of levity, humor, and genuine happiness. Of course, there are also moments that are straight-up panic-inducing. I started watching at 4 pm one afternoon and ended up binging it until 2 am. The plot twists kept coming, and each cliffhanger compelled me to click “Next episode.”

All that said, it’s far from a perfect watch. I had gripes with the final episode, which felt at odds with the themes of the prior nine episodes. I’d also be remiss not to mention the controversial casting of David Choe, who drew ire after joking about rape on a 2014 podcast. (He’s an asshole on the show, too.) I struggle with the latter, as it feels incredibly difficult to support art when said art supports terrible people.

In a vacuum, when judged on the merits of its writing and characters, Beef is a masterclass in entertainment. But art doesn’t live in a vacuum, and whether or not it’s must-watch television is ultimately up to you.

5. The Boston Celtics (Winner: Team of the Year)

This is only partially a joke post. Because, let’s be real: If you’re watching the NBA in any capacity this year, you know the Boston Celtics are a problem.

As of the time of writing (12/24), the Celtics are 22-6—tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the league. Trailing them are the Milwaukee Bucks (22-7), the Denver Nuggets (21-10), and the Philadelphia 76ers (20-8). Everyone else is an afterthought, as far as I’m concerned. (Yes, that includes you, LeBron.)

Who am I scared of—the Timberwolves? They aren’t going anywhere come playoff time. You have to respect the Nuggets as reigning champs, but I just doubt they’ll repeat so easily. As for the Bucks and Sixers, they’re certainly in the mix. I’d be afraid to face them, but I have tickets to see matchups with both, sooooo… bring it on, fellas.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may not have played up to their anime potential in the 2022 NBA Finals, but Banner 18 is still within grasp. Hold steady, C’s nation.

4. Vinland Saga Season 2

It’s a shame people don’t take anime more seriously. That’s a broad generalization, of course: About 50% of Netflix’s 200+ subscribers have watched an episode, and even celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion and Michael B. Jordan love a good shounen show. Still, anime carries a stigma that’s hard to shake in the public eye.

Those critics clearly haven’t seen Vinland Saga. An anime adaptation of the hit manga from Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga tells the story of Thorfinn, an Icelandic villager who becomes a killer to get vengeance for his late father. In the first season, Thorfinn committed a lifetime of sins—despite being just a child. In season two, now an adult, he seeks atonement for his sins.

I’m keeping things intentionally vague. If you haven’t watched Vinland Saga, I implore you to give the show a try. This is a tough watch—complete with murder, pillaging, and assault—but the violence is never gratuitous; there is always a moral check or quandary. Unlike shows like Naruto or One Piece, where characters remain static from episode one to 100, Thorfinn evolves.

Vinland Saga reminds me of Game of Thrones, except if the latter starred the Hound and focused on him living a quiet life planting crops with Arya. It’s a dark, dark show, but one that never fails to show the humanity inside us all.

3. Succession Season 4 (Winner: Show of the Year)

We’ve arrived at the crème de la crème. From the moment I heard that now-iconic theme song for the first time, I knew HBO’s Succession meant business. Quite literally. The visuals of dark, oppressive skyscrapers—paired with the sullen faces of the Roy siblings—will forever be etched into my mind.

It was a slow burn, to be sure. Season one went for a bait-and-switch tactic, having Logan fall ill at the end of the pilot only for him to survive the rest of the season. From then on, Succession fell into a “will they, won’t they” pattern with the patriarch’s health. Seasons two and three went by in a blur, and it became hard to differentiate one episode from another. “Dude. Nothing happened,” I remember complaining to my buddy after a particularly lengthy chapter.

Then, in season four, everything suddenly came to a head. Optics were assessed. Moves were made. Before I knew it, we had reached the finale. And while I didn’t find the ending particularly shocking, I did find it exceptionally well executed. Succession told the story of a bunch of wealthy, incompetent brats, and it did so with refreshing wit and vigor.

To some, an hour-long string of insults and incoherent babbling doesn’t make for compelling television. To me, and so many others, it was mandatory watching from week to week. And so, Succession, I bid you adieu. Your characters were cringe, but you were glorious.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

In 2017, I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and gave it glowing marks. Even then, though, I knew it wasn’t quite “Zelda good.”

What’s Zelda good? It’s booting up the title screen in Ocarina of Time and playing the Bolero of Fire for the first time. It’s exploring Dragon Roost Island in Wind Waker or speaking with the hand in the toilet in Majora’s Mask. It’s slaying Darknuts or basking at Lake Hylia in Twilight Princess. This series has created decades of memories, to the point where I—and I imagine many of us—almost take them for granted.

No longer. For when Breath of the Wild came out, I felt the lack of that presence. Yes, the open world was enticing, and the exploration was second to none, but the game itself lacked that classic Zelda vibe. Where were the dungeons? The quirky NPCs and gratifying collectibles? I wondered if we’d ever see that soul again.

Well, Tears of the Kingdom rekindles the fire in a way I never could have guessed. It doesn’t break from the Breath of the Wild formula—probably to its detriment—but the bones have been overhauled completely. New powers like Ultrahand and Recall blow old ones like Magnesis and Stasis away. The shrines are more inventive, offering everything from Robot Wars battles to Ocean’s Eleven-y heists. The dungeons are back, as are classic enemies and items. I haven’t even mentioned the sky and depths, both of which add literal dimension to the world.

In short, Tears of the Kingdom is a triumph. It’s not my personal game of the year (no, it’s not Baldur’s Gate 3 either), but there’s no denying the greatness of Link’s latest adventure. Even if open-world design really is the future of Zelda, I have full confidence in what comes next.

1. Dave the Diver (Winner: Game of the Year)

If you know me, this pick’s probably no surprise. As much as I loved Tears of the Kingdom (and, make no mistake, I loved it), my award for Game of the Year goes to the title that constantly innovated—the title that surprised me, made me wheeze, surprised me again, and charmed me from sushi bar to ocean depths.

Dave the Diver is that game. It’s a marvel of design, from the constant blending of genres—fishing side-scroller, check; restaurant manager, check; farming sim, check—to the myriad mini-games and side vignettes. The characters are silly, outlandish personas that feel straight out of an RPG, yet also surprisingly relatable. And then, there are the cutscenes.

The cutscenes!

In a year filled with big-budget RPGs and sprawling open worlds, Dave the Diver stands out for its tight scope. No, it’s not “indie,” but it sure feels like one. The emphasis isn’t on visual prowess, but on ingenuity. The story doesn’t take itself too seriously, but I love it even more for the fact. This is a genuine, honest-to-goodness fun game—nothing more, nothing less. It isn’t the sexiest game of the year, but it absolutely is my favorite.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go refill the wasabi.

That’s All, Folks!

Thanks for reading! After writing 6,500+ words, I need a nap (as do you, probably).

If you didn’t make it through and/or want the Sparknotes, I’ve got you, fam:

What Were Your Favorite Things of 2023?

Let me know in the comments!

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