My 2023 Video Game journey
Sean Clark expresses how wonderful 2023 was for video gaming!
In December of 2022, I was blessed and thankful to receive a PlayStation 5 for Christmas, allowing me to play the upcoming video game releases for the upcoming year. Little did I know, this was the perfect time to get a PS5, as 2023 was an incredible year for video gaming for both PlayStation and Nintendo Switch owners.
Since I never got the chance to review most of these games when I played them, I will provide mini-reviews for each new game I played in 2023. These will appear in chronological order.
Hogwarts Legacy (February 10, 2023)
I am a massive Harry Potter fan, however, I was hesitant to pick up Hogwarts Legacy due to Portkey Games being an unknown developer for me. While many boycotted the game due to J.K. Rowling’s anti-transgender comments, I decided to watch my brother play the opening sequence to see if it was worth checking out.
The opening of the game was a grand watch and that night, I immediately downloaded the game myself.
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world game where you are a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the Harry Potter universe. You go through your first year as you work up to staving off a powerful threat looming from outside the castle. While it is in the same universe, it does not interfere with the canon of the Harry Potter books at all, allowing for the developers to tell a fresh story.
It is a fantastic game with a nameless hero aspect that I love in video games, memorable world and fulfilling relationships.
In the Gothic trilogy, three of my favorite games of all-time, you are a nameless hero (voiced by Sebastian Croft for male characters and Amelia Gething for female characters) that works your way up to be the hero of the story. Hogwarts Legacy is similar where you customize your character while creating a new name for him/her. I chose Xardas Lee, named after the most powerful mage in Gothic. This is an aspect that allowed me to feel like a new student at Hogwarts and immerse myself into the story.
What further helped was the vast world. There was so much to see and explore in and around Hogwarts, allowing me to spend so much time taking in the scenery. The story is usually my main focus, but I loved seeing the coasts, small villages and especially the different stores of Hogsmeade. It opened up the Harry Potter world even more and I loved getting the broomstick and hippogriff to easily explore.
Also, minor spoiler incoming, but there is a section in the game where you have to use the three Deathly Hallows to complete a mission and as a fan of the series, it is one of the most memorable missions of any video games I’ve ever played. I cannot describe the satisfaction I had blasting away enemies with the Elder Wand. Overall, it worked for the story and provided immaculate fan service.
My favorite part of the game are the friendships you develop with Sebastian Sallow, Poppy Sweeting and Natsai Onai. Throughout the story, you go on separate adventures that are honestly better than the overall story due to the personal stakes of the involved characters. Sallow’s story especially stands out as he goes on a dark path while trying to save his sister from a curse and the only one that is willing to help Sallow before he is too far gone is his friend, Ominus Gaunt. The path includes the option to learn the Three Unforgivable Curses from the series, Crucio, Imperio and Avada Kedavra. These sections were intense, making me feel yucky about how dark the world is upon beating the game.
Overall, Hogwarts Legacy was a very satisfying RPG and Harry Potter game with the fleshed out friendships, immersive world and character customizability. It is available on all three major consoles
Rating: 9.5/10
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (March 25, 2022)
While technically this game came out in 2022, I needed a game to bridge the gap between Hogwarts Legacy and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in late March and April. My brother got me Kirby and the Forgotten Land as a graduation present in 2022 and I finally got the opportunity to play it. It was a wholesome and fun journey that I thoroughly enjoyed playing.
The Forgotten Land, developed by HAL Laboratory, follows Kirby as he and the Waddle Dees are sucked into a mysterious vortex and transported to a world that has been abandoned and overrun with beasts. After an anime-esque opening where Kirby swallows and copies a car, Kirby with his new friend Elflin, set out to rescue the various Waddle Dees scattered across the different areas in this new and unknown world.
Similar to Super Mario Odyssey with finding power moons across the map, The Forgotten Land is a platformer that forces you to journey across the various levels with strong attention to detail. This way, you can rescue as many Waddle Dees as possible to open new features and shops in town while looking for blueprints to upgrade your copy abilities.
Other than that, it is a fun and relaxing game that I enjoyed every time I turned on my Switch. The music matches the levels’ atmospheres well, while giving a calm and adventurous feel when playing. In the game, the worlds have your standard underwater levels, ice regions, fiery infernos and underground sections, all serving their purpose in the adventure well.
What truly stands out are the abilities. Being a swordsman in almost any RPG is a blast so using the different level of swordsmanship throughout the adventure never got old. Most copy abilities were fun to experience throughout the levels, but several other standouts included the fire and time bomb abilities, allowing your way to literally blazing through hordes of enemies.
Overall, The Forgotten Land is a phenomenal and pleasant game to experience While I wish there was more variety on mini-bosses, I enjoyed my first full Kirby story-based game (the only other Kirby game I had previously played was Kirby Air Ride).It is available on the Nintendo Switch and I recommend it for anyone that loves single-player or co-op platformer adventure games.
Rating: 9/10
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (April 28, 2023)
Back in 2019/2020, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gave me a euphoric experience, playing an action-adventure game as a Jedi Knight in canon for the first time in my life. I will never forget engaging in epic lightsaber battles with the platforming of the beloved Uncharted series. To say I was highly excited for its sequel was an understatement. Alas, I was let down by the lackluster story, forced twist and broken side missions despite the strong gameplay and character development of Cal Kestis.
Before Survivor, developed by Respawn Entertainment, was released, I read the book Battle Scars, written by Sam Maggs. It bridged the gap between Fallen Order and Survivor with excellent romantic writing for Cal and Merrin and a great adventure with the Mantis crew, while showcasing the threat the Empire posed to them (Greez lost his arm).
Survivor takes place five years after Fallen Order, and to my frustration, the crew is separated and Cal is now working for Saw Gerrera, Greez is running a tavern while Cere and Merrin are rebuilding a Jedi Temple on Jedha (shoutout Rogue One). I get the reasons why the crew were separated, but it was a complete whiplash from the other two pieces of the franchise’s media, making me less invested in the start of the game. Spoiler warning ahead.
The overall story was lacking in substance. In Fallen Order, you spend most of the game finding a Jedi Holocron, an attainable goal. In Survivor, you spend most of the game trying to reach a planet inaccessible to the empire. Normally, this would work for a story during this Star Wars time period. The issue with this storyline is Survivor will have a sequel to it, meaning that the crew won’t just hide forever on Tanalorr, the end. If it was the final game of the trilogy, I would have been invested hoping that the crew make it to survive the empire once and for all. Since it was the middle game in the trilogy, I felt no urgency with the mission and with most levels being on the same planet, I found myself checking out emotionally.
The twist where Cal’s mercenary friend, Bode, ratted out the crew to the empire as a spy just to beat the crew to Tanalorr, was one of the worst I’ve seen in fiction. I will say, getting a Cere vs. Darth Vader fight was absolutely the highlight of the game, a battle of two masters of the force in full glory. While that resulted from the betrayal, the execution made no sense to me. Bode’s goal was to escape to Tanalorr with his daughter. While I get the deal he made with the empire to be a spy in order to be hidden from Vader, why wouldn’t he just join the crew when they discovered how to get to Tanalorr so the crew, Bode and his daughter could be hidden from the empire permanently. On top of this, Cal offered to show mercy to Bode after defeating him so he could still be with his daughter but suddenly Bode became evil (keep in mind Bode is a Jedi) and Cal had to kill him since he was too far gone. I get what the writers were trying to do (evil version of Cal’s goals), but it was poorly executed.
On a positive note, the game provided many different ways to battle with Cal, which included the traditional single blade, dual-wielding, double-bladed swords, a lightsaber-pistol combo and my personal favorite, crossguard lightsaber (Kylo Ren). This made the gameplay fresh, making up in some ways for the failures of the story.
Cal’s character progression is another strong part of the game. He is the center of this franchise and he continues to be a character I cannot get enough of in canon. Throughout the game, he realizes that no matter what he does, the empire is too strong and he needs to survive and live. It is a tough realization for him but I enjoy seeing his self-preservation while also battling with the temptation of the dark-side, making him more human. Despite the aforementioned flaws, I am still eager for the finale of this trilogy.
If the finale is great, I will be less harsh on Survivor but as of now, this was the biggest disappointment of 2023. Luckily, the best of the year soon followed.
Rating: 6.5/10
Final Fantasy XVI (June 22, 2023)
Of all the new releases in 2023 that made it an incredible year of video gaming, Final Fantasy XVI takes the cake as my Game of the Year. Everything about it was sensational, and while it took me 2.5 months to beat the game, I enjoyed every minute of it as the story took me on one of the most thrilling gaming adventures I have ever been on.
Final Fantasy XVI takes place on Valisthea, a world full of crystals that allow people to use magic. Scattered throughout the world are Mothercrystals that provide energy and commercial gain. Clive Rosfield, a prince of Rosaria, has the blessing of the Phoenix (one of the eight Eikons) and after losing his father in his teenage years, he is imprisoned to be a soldier in Sanbreque’s army. Eventually, he breaks free with the help of Cid, and together, they work to destroy the Mothercrystals that are causing the land to become uninhabitable, defeating all who stand in his way.
The brief summary does not do the plot justice, as XVI is a pulse-pounding journey from start to finish that left me on the edge of my seat constantly. There are many epic battles, power upgrades and twists that made the experience one to forever savor.
While nearly everything about the game is perfect, the three features that stand out are the character progression system, the cinematic excellence and the amazing world building through side quests.
First, Clive has an unique ability where he can absorb the powers of other Eikons through various methods, mainly by defeating the dominants of the other Eikons. This unlocks new abilities and powers, giving you fresh methods of fighting as the game progresses. You can use up to six abilities and once I locked in my six at the end of the game, I had the time of my life battling its toughest bosses with them along with the two DLCs that allowed my stats to carry over. This is among the best character progression systems I have seen since I had new abilities to explore and test to perfect my fighting style. I enjoyed talking with several others that played the game and learning how my setup was very different from what others used, a testament to the variety Final Fantasy XVI provides.
Also, since it is later revealed Clive is a dominant of the fiery Eikon, Ifrit, you can take part in epic battles as the Eikon in monster form, immersing you in epic Kaiju-style combat that feels larger-than-life and memorable. The mix of fighting bosses in human and monster form made the progression feel even fresher than it already was with the new abilities. Composer Masayoshi Soken (Final Fantasy XIV) did a fantastic job creating epic and choral music to elevate the tension and stakes of the boss battles throughout the story, creating fantastic regular and boss battle music.
While the adventure is fantastic, the side quests in-between the main ones provide some of the best world building I have ever seen in an RPG. In the quests, you help out allies that aided you on your adventure, providing a reason to explore all corners of the map and context to the world and societies that are unfamiliar to Clive since he was enslaved for so long. One example are side quests involving Bearers, who can use magic without crystals, leading to their persecution and enslavement. A family near the capital, Oriflamme, tricks bearers into hunting a rabid dog to “rescue” their son only for the dog to kill the Bearers. After Clive kills the dog, the family gets an even bigger dog, just for it to slaughter the family. I was shook after this seemingly random side quest, showing how much change needs to occur in Valisthea and how dark the entire game is.
Overall, it is nearly impossible to give Final Fantasy XVI the praise it truly deserves. It’s one of the best games I have ever played and if you like RPGs and adventure games, XVI will be a treat worth every minute of your time.
Rating: 10/10
Gothic Classic (September 28, 2023)
In several previous articles, I have discussed in great detail how the original Gothic is my favorite game of all-time, including two articles discussing the upcoming Gothic Remake. While THQ Nordic is currently developing the modern remake of the 2001 classic, they created a port for the original to the Nintendo Switch, making my favorite game of all-time now available on a modern gaming console. I was absolutely thrilled with this and immediately picked up a digital copy.
Much like the original game, the Gothic port had some new annoying bugs that caused frustration I’ve known since I was a kid, but luckily, THQ Nordic made a patch to fix these issues. Some issues unique to the port included trading with merchants not working, Cor Kalom attacking you when you open his chest when he is supposed to be busy working and bows/crossbows being stuck when firing. With this new port, I played through the game a second time and had the time of my life with bugs from both the original game and the first version of the port being fixed.
There are three major changes the port made to the game that made me giddy. First, the biggest complaint every player had with the original game is your ally Gorn attacking you while on a mission together in Chapter 4, making that quest even more annoying than it already was. Luckily, the port fixes this problem, making it the most enjoyable playthrough of that quest I’ve ever done. Secondly, the final battle has more cinematics and distinct camera angles during the fight, making the events much more impactful.
Easily my favorite change, however, are the new NPCs in the world that made me excited to encounter them. They include: blackmailers near the New Camp that force you to pay or else they will attack you, hostile tramps in two previously abandoned campsites in the original game and a guard outside the Old Mine when there was previously no one. It makes the world even more alive and organic than it was in the original game, giving me new content to explore as someone who played every inch of the original.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (October 20, 2023)
October 20 (technically the night before with a 10 PM MST release), was a banner day video game wise with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releasing at the same time. My brother and I pre-ordered Spider-Man 2 digitally while I ran to GameStop to pick up Super Mario Bros. Wonder. I’ve played many different Mario games throughout my life with them being party games, the Paper Mario series and Super Mario 3D games, including Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World, etc.
With this, I hadn’t previously played a traditional 2D Mario platformer game, the style that founded the franchise back in 1985. Super Mario Bros. Wonder was my introduction to this style of Mario gaming with the only game of this style I have previously played being Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
Wonder follows Mario, Luigi and 10 other playable characters as you attempt to reclaim the Wonder Flowers from Bowser and save the captured Poplins of the Flower Kingdom, which can warp reality itself. Throughout the game, you collect different Wonder Flowers that changes the level on you to something crazy and that is where this game EXCELS.
The side-scrolling level design is fine with great music and badges (abilities that make navigating the levels easier), but this game becomes exceptional when the wonder seed changes the levels in ways you would not expect. For example, in World 5, you become a toxic blob where you have to bounce between platforms to save the Poplin in the level and it is as chaotic as it sounds. Wonder created wonder with what insane adventure the developers would take us on next, making me hooked into the adventure.
While the story is nothing special, Wonder is a blast purely from a gameplay perspective, making an exceptional traditional side-scrolling platformer that amazed me every time I played the game. I recommend everyone who enjoys platformers to check this game out and see what fun levels await you with the Wonder Flowers!
Rating: 9/10
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (October 20, 2023)
Back in 2020, I played Marvel’s Spider-Man and thoroughly enjoyed it, making it one of my favorite games of all-time. So naturally, I was very excited for its sequel, especially with Peter Parker and Miles Morales being dual protagonists. There were many aspects of the game I enjoyed but there were several shortcomings that prevented the game from living up to its sky-high expectations. Spoiler warning ahead since the shortcomings involve the third act of the game.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 takes place close to a year after the events of Miles Morales’ spin-off game that launched with the PlayStation 5. After a fantastic opening that saw the duo defeat Sandman, Peter and his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, are visited by their childhood friend Harry Osborn, who recovered from a terminal illness that previously sent him out of the public eye for years. However, there is a massive cost to his recovery as Venom is on the loose, taking a hold of both Peter and Harry throughout the game while being hunted by Kraven the Hunter.
Let’s start with the positives of the game. Venom, voiced by the late Tony Todd, excels as the game’s primary villain. He is intimidating, powerful and menacing. Controlling Venom with his powers at full strength is an absolute blast, a great comparison to controlling the Elder Wand in Hogwarts Legacy. You personally control the threat you eventually have to face, making the stakes and challenge of the quest real.
Peter and Miles work very well together for the most part throughout the story. They have a great sibling-esque dynamic when on screen together. Insomniac Games does a fantastic job of giving both their own arcs. Peter deals with Harry and Venom with Miles stepping in for support while also trying to juggle school, Spider-Man and figuring out his future. I felt strong emotions throughout the story, allowing me to invest in the story.
However, I felt disappointment with the game’s combat system and ending. In the first game as Peter, you unlocked abilities throughout the game, allowing you to have more abilities at your disposal. In Spider-Man 2, you are limited to four main abilities that only charge when executing a perfect dodge or attack. I feel like this change made the character weaker and more limited, making the progression feel unsatisfying and the tougher battles more tedious than challenging.
The ending was disappointing because of the lack of focus. Peter and Harry go way back, having the connection that makes their conflicting heartbreaking but invigorating. Miles has been support through the third act, making it a letdown when the final battle was Miles defeating Harry when there is no connection between them whatsoever. I understand Peter needing to take a step back but this should have happened after he defeated Harry, not having Miles finishing him off. If there were more moments between Harry and Miles, this would be way less of an issue but without them, the finale feels anticlimactic.
Overall, Spider-Man 2 was enjoyable and a solid game overall. However, more tweaks to the combat system and the finale would have taken the game from a solid to masterpiece. I am highly excited for the third game as I am confident Insomniac will learn from their mistakes.
Rating: 8/10
Gothic II Complete Classic (November 29, 2023)
If getting my favorite game of all-time on a modern gaming console was not incredible enough with the original Gothic, imagine my delight when I heard that several months later, we would be getting its sequel on the Switch as well.
Gothic II: Night of the Raven is considered by many to be the best game of the original Gothic trilogy, and it is in my top-five favorite games. Here is my full review of it.
Unlike the Gothic 1 port, there are little significant changes to the game since the original Gothic II: Night of the Raven was the most complete of the trilogy as far as content, minimizing the need for additions to the story. To its credit, there were many small fixes the port made, making some small frustrations I had in the original game non-existent. For example, when you bring Bosper, your furs and crafts master, troll skins for the first time, he asks what the skin is since he has never seen it before. In the original, he asks the same question every time you bring one. In the port, he gets rid of that and only says, “that… that is worth a small fortune.” It isn’t a huge deal but changes like that make the port even more satisfying to play.
It was the perfect game to close 2023 and I am still highly anxious for the Gothic Remake to hopefully release in 2025.