Hey! I’m new around here, so allow me a brief introduction: Name’s Gary! I’ve been playing games for most of my life, and writing about them for about as long. I used to host a podcast back in the day, but adult life kicked in. But hey, I’m here now to tell you all about what I’ve been up to (at least in 2023).
Hell of a year for games! Have I played all of them? Heavens, no! But I did play a bunch, and I watched a ton of media and listened to some great shows too. Before we dive into the main event, here are a few quick hitters.
Games That Absolutely Would Be On This List If I Had Infinite Time
- Alan Wake 2
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Chants of Sennaar
The Game That’d Also Be On This List If I Didn’t Decide to Replay 250 Hours of JRPGs Before Diving In
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie
Best Shows I Watched This Year
- The Righteous Gemstones: Season 3
- Mythic Quest Season 3
- Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
- Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off!
Podcasts I Spent Too Much Time In The Car Listening To
- Behind the Bastards
- Shift-F1
- The Dive: A League of Legends Podcast
- The Athletic Football Show
Now, then! On to the games!
10. Powerwash Simulator
I’ve worked a lot of different jobs in my life. College recruiter, TA, editor, podcaster, receptionist. But the ones I have the fondest memories of are the hands-on, blue-collar jobs in the warm spring and hot summers. Fire extinguisher repair guy. Landscaper. Fried dough cook. Work that you dive into as the sun comes up, put all your energy into, and look back on with satisfaction once complete. There’s something to be said about labor that leads directly to results; there is truly no joy like it.
So there I was, being prompted to put a record or podcast on, pour myself a bourbon, and wind down my evenings… digitally powerwashing a house? I didn’t get it at first. How could that be soothing? What joy would digital spray bring?
Boy, was I wrong! Powerwash Simulator hits every serotonin node you can imagine, from the soothing sound of water hitting building, to seeing a task gradually become complete, to giving your whole attention to one specific duty. For an hour a night, weeks on end, I would drift into this place of zen and spray down building after building, house after fire station. If you want a peaceful gaming experience with a well-defined to-do list, I cannot recommend it enough.
Throw in the wild list of free DLC added this year, and the experience only continues to grow and expand. Plus, it’s on Game Pass, so you can give it a try for relatively minimal impact.
9. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros, Wonder shows that Nintendo still has some cleverness up its sleeves when it comes to 2D Mario. Let’s put aside that many of Wonder’s tricks have been implemented by modders and ROMhackers for years, and instead focus on what Wonder pulls off: implementing these neat new wrinkles in Mario and displaying them to a wider audience.
Let’s face it: Not every 10-year-old kid is going to know how to install How To Kaizo on the family computer. But they do know how to ask their parents for that wild new Mario game on the eShop. They can experience the wonder (pun intended) of discovery that the game offers, free from the shackles of the traditional Mario experience. Super Mario Maker showed that audiences enjoy a wilder, more challenging platformer, and Wonder took that banner and moved it forward with aplomb.
The reason Super Mario Bros. Wonder places ninth on my list, however, and not higher is because it has more ideas than it knows what to do with. The implementation of gameplay-altering Badges is an interesting system, but it also feels wholly unnecessary. Every level has its own gimmick or derivation of Mario systems, so nothing sticks around for too long. This is great for small gimmicks, but some I would have loved to see more of (specifically, more Limbo-esque shadow levels!). Everything is cool, but an extra level of focus could have made the game even cooler. Regardless, I am excited by this next step in the evolution of Mario, and I hope future projects expand to even wilder horizons.
8. Hi-Fi Rush
Flash back to January 25, 2023. In the middle of an Xbox Showcase, The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks decided to upend every expectation put on them and stealth-drop a colorful, rhythm-brawler on Game Pass. What a risk! What a surprise! Horror devs making a splash in a wild genre; hopefully, it would deliver.
And boy, did it! I love rhythm games of all kinds. One of my proudest gaming achievements was ranking seventh in the world in Rock Band Blitz for the track “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” by Jet. So, the idea of a classic brawler injected with rhythm elements was right up my alley.
Hi-Fi Rush ended up being one of my favorite brawlers of the past few years, really since Devil May Cry 5. It has all the complexity of the classics, with different button combinations and timings to unleash various combo strings. Add in the rhythm-game beats, a great soundtrack, energetic and goofy characters, and a simple but effective story, and you’ve got a great experience.
7. Cocoon
Jeppe Carlson and I have a very hit-or-miss relationship. The hit? Limbo, a beautifully crafted and dark experience with tight platforming, great puzzles, and a fascinatingly open-ended story. The miss? Inside, a game I wanted to like more than I did in execution. While I enjoyed the artistic color shift and more grounded story-telling approach, the level of… well, honestly, grotesque (especially in the ending) soured the experience. Carlson is undoubtedly an amazing designer, but sometimes his need to lean into the horror unravels what could be.
So, in walks Cocoon, the perfect fusion between Carlson’s two previous works. Here was the simplicity and focus of Limbo, with the greater color palette and grounded story of Inside. The puzzles are intricate yet accessible, requiring more brain-power than dexterity. I greatly enjoyed how the game played with timing, having players jump between different worlds at precise but not too precise intervals to crack certain puzzles.
The one-button gameplay took some time to get used to, but once it all clicked, the reward was awesome. My only complaint with Cocoon? Not enough time with all the different tricks it plays with. While it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, I wouldn’t have complained about another puzzle or two.
6. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk could belong on this list simply for the elation I felt upon hearing “Get Enuf” by Hideki Naganuma for the first time. Seriously, listen to this absolute jam.
Ahem, anyway. Team Reptile had already established itself with the absolutely incredible Lethal League games. So, when the studio announced it was taking a crack at a spiritual follow-up to Jet Set Radio, I was pumped. Sure enough, the team delivered!
BRC has all the style and flash of the original Jet Sets: killer soundtrack, snappy movement, engrossing gameplay loops, great art design. Throw in additional navigation options (skateboard, skates, bicycle) and the ability to break down at any moment, and BRC is a joy to pick up and play. I found myself sinking at least an hour into each session, simply because I couldn’t bring myself to stop. It was so easy to get lost in the combo system or become fixated on one secret graffiti spot out of reach.
If you want flash with a lot of substance, as well as a nostalgia trip back to the Dreamcast era, BRC is for you. Get lost in the levels, skate to your heart’s content, and remember: Don’t lose your head.
5. Street Fighter 6
I will, at my core, always be an ‘09er. Though I played fighting games throughout my childhood (especially Tekken and Soul Calibur), it wasn’t until Street Fighter IV that my love for the genre truly took off. Finding a character match in Cody; spending hours practicing combos on borrowed arcade sticks; ramming my head, trial after trial… I was hooked.
Over time, however, newer fighting games have earned my focus. I’ve won tournaments (twice!) in Divekick, gotten 0-2’ed in Guilty Gear XRD, and even made someone angry enough in Soul Calibur VI to get them ejected from a bracket. Yet, I’ve always wanted a Street Fighter to capture my attention again.
Though Street Fighter V became a good game, the rough launch and predatory monetization prevented me from ever digging in too deep. I tried characters like Alex, Urien, Cody, Ed, and Sagat, only to bounce off. I would leave, return, try again, and retreat. SFV just never clicked for one reason or another. Eventually, I stopped trying.
Enter Street Fighter 6, which has absolutely won me over. I’ve spent hours in the Combo Trails with Ken and Dee Jay. Though I have been unable to compete on the tournament side for various reasons, I’ve already climbed higher in online play than I ever did in a previous fighting game. I even look forward to losing! Every loss means a new lesson or tactic I can implement moving forward.
Anxiously, I await the arrival on my boy Ed to see how the team at Capcom has brought him into the new game. But for now, Ken’s fast footwork and flaming fists will carry my climb into Diamond. Expect some tournament updates in the future!
4. Remnant II
I played 2019’s Remnant: From the Ashes on a whim. A friend and I had heard through the grapevine that this odd little third-person shooter was available on Game Pass. So, we installed it, booted it up, and had an absolute blast of a time.
The gameplay was sharp and engaging, the story was an incomprehensible mess but deeply entertaining, and most importantly: The worlds and level designs were awesome. I still remember stepping into the Pan homeworld for the first time and just being in awe of how wild it looked. Oh, the glee I felt when a Root-Created Dragon swooped down from the sky, leading to a deeply annoying (but fun!) boss fight. An absolute gem of a game.
It goes without saying, but Remnant II hits all the same buttons. It’s a fantastic co-op experience, with tons of secrets and hidden spots, along with robust class combinations. One thing I will always remember about my Remnant II experience is stumbling upon an alter that let me build the exact class combination I wanted: a healer/summoner with a large sniper rifle. Suddenly, my sessions were full of rolling idiots with giant shields, flinging themselves into enemies with reckless abandon. It was goofy, silly, and an absolute blast. Some games are just meant to be played with friends cackling in your ear at the various antics on screen before you—and Remnant II gives you plenty of room for antics.
Is the story still completely insane? Yup! Is it a little short if you don’t play through with a different class? Perhaps! Does it unleash a sense of primal joy when you take down a boss three times the size of your character? Absolutely.
3. Puzzmo
There isn’t much to say about Puzzmo, the new puzzle game platform by Zach Gage, creator of Really Bad Chess and Knotwords. It’s a sharp platform, with five games currently launched and more in an “experimental” phase. You can make groups and compete with your friends! Daily scores are tracked! It has all the things you want from a daily puzzle vendor.
So, why is it so high on my list? Because every game is just so damn good! I am absolutely terrible at Really Bad Chess and Spelltower, but I spend an hour every day trying to improve my scores. I consistently place in the Top 500 of Flipart (and most often, top 1% in numbers of moves used) but every time I see my friends beat my score, it drives me to improve. TypeShift floats between joyful and infuriating on the daily. And Cross|Word is one of the most clever implementations of a crossword puzzle I’ve seen. Who knew: Telling people when there’s a multi-word answer really improves the experience!
Simply put, Puzzmo has become the first thing I do every morning. Much like my father before me, I pour myself a cup of coffee and do the crossword puzzle. And I’ll continue doing so, on a sharp and easy-to-use platform.
2. Lies of P
No one does Soulsborne like the folks at FromSoftware. After all, they are the inventors of the genre. With rare exception (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice), the studio has not missed. Last year, Elden Ring set the world on fire. Before that, the Dark Souls series reinvented what players expect “challenge” to mean in games. And yet, to me, the high water mark will always be Bloodborne: moody, sharp, challenging, dynamic, fascinating. Every positive descriptor you can give a game, Bloodborne has it in spades.
While many other companies have tried, before this year, no one has truly hit the highs of a proper FromSoft-created Soulsborne. When Lies of P was first revealed a few years back, it struck me as a curiosity. Here was a studio taking a shot at Bloodborne specifically, it seemed. And the premise, of a dark Gothic retelling of Pinocchio, was interesting but also seemed very… dumb. I figured it would fall into the pile of Nioh and Lords of the Fallen: games that I bounced off of; maybe fun for an hour or two, but nothing special.
I was wrong. I was dead wrong. Lies of P is, in my opinion, the best Soulsborne since Bloodborne. Better than Dark Souls 3. Better than 2020’s Demon Souls remake. And yes, better than Elden Ring. Why do I believe that so fervently?
Because it’s so deeply goofy!
Lies of P is absolutely derivative of the things that came before it. The gameplay loop is a fascinating mix between Bloodborne and Sekiro. Dancing through swings, parrying at proper times, staggering enemies through gauge build-up… it truly is the best of all worlds. With the ability to customize weapons, you’re able to build a play style to fit your exact wants. A friend of mine played through by swinging big swords and blocking defensively. I played through fast and nimble, weaving around enemies while parrying. Both are entirely valid, and both lead to beautiful outcomes.
Listen: I am not going to sit here and tell you that the story in Lies of P is revolutionary. It’s simple, casting characters from the original Pinnochio story within a new set of circumstances. The morality system, however, is an interesting twist on the traditional idea. Telling the truth may be honest, but it’s not always kind. Likewise, if you want to be kind, sometimes, you will have to lie. To lie is to be human, after all. I wasn’t blown away by the twists and turns (save the secret ending) but I also would be lying if I said I didn’t have the goofiest grin while seeing it all unfurl.
Lies of P is just fun. The mechanics? Fun. The story? Just self-serious and campy enough to be fun. I’m not here to say that Elden Ring wasn’t revolutionary, but at some moments it forgot the fun that is supposed to come from challenge. Lies of P never shakes from its core idea: “Let’s have some fun in the space.” And the experience is well worth the challenge.
I can’t wait to see what comes next.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Sometimes, less is more. Sometimes, more is less. And in this case? More is just more.
What happens when a team that makes a masterpiece decides to just… make more? Refine, reinvent, but most importantly, just make more. That feels like the core tenant at the heart of Tears of the Kingdom. And, hey, for someone who poured endless hours into the landscapes and vistas of Breath of the Wild, more was really all I wanted.
I could write about how the vibes are different between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. I could write about how the melancholy and sadness that runs through BotW has been replaced with wonder and creativity in TotK. I could even write about how this world of Hyrule has met its fitting end, and that the next project taken by Aoyama and his team should be a new interpretation.
But all I can find myself thinking about is how TotK recaptured the magic of BotW. How old landscapes became new again. How jettisoning myself into the sky to glide on the wind became joyful again. How hours slipped away as I poked and prodded at the world before me. How I got so frustrated at not finding my glider, only to have a friend point out that I really just needed to do some of the main quest. How I built a rocket bike, angled it toward the sky, and rode so high I could capture the entire panorama of Hyrule on my screen.
All I can think about is how much I craved for more after BotW and how I was given it in spades by TotK. And when you’re given more of one of your favorite experiences, you stop asking “why?” and just start glowing in the sunshine of joy.
Looking Toward the New Year
Agree with my picks? Disagree? Let me know! You can find me @grtnpwrfl on X (Formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. I’ll also be around with some editorials in 2024 on the rise of “sad boy games.” See you there!
