Last December I did an end-of-year recap thing that got a lot of fun comments. Thought I’d do it again this year! What games did you complete (or just play a lot of)? What did you think about them? Highlights? Lowlights? Might be a good chance to find some hidden gems while the Steam sale is on too.
I finished a surprisingly large number of games this year. Sorted by date completed, oldest first…
A Short Hike | 8/10
Cute, short, and fun. Perfect game to start the year.
Inside | 8/10
Limbo was the very last game I completed in '23, and I definitely preferred Inside overall. I liked the atmosphere, visuals, and puzzles more here.
Hook 2 | 7/10
NABOKI | 6/10
Up Left Out | 6/10
I bought these three as part of a bundle. Short and fun puzzle games, nothing super memorable.
Firewatch | 7/10
Definitely an enjoyable time, great voice acting, but the ending was kind of underwhelming.
Cyber Hook | 7/10
I really like this style of 3D platformer, but there aren’t a lot of them. The only other one I can think of is Grapple, which was hugely underrated.
Lunistice | 6/10
Cute art style, but I remember the controls feeling a little bit janky.
Slay the Princess | 8/10
Fuckin’ weird, I love it.
Unpacking | 6/10
I was disappointed that I didn’t vibe with this one very much. Telling the story through the items you own is a super cool idea, but I just couldn’t get myself to really care about where to place the items which is the entire gameplay loop.
Hades | 10/10 (Top 3 of the Year)
I don’t like roguelikes, so I skipped Hades for a long time, but I finally gave in. I LOVED my time with this. The meta progression was done well enough that I felt like I was still making progress overall so the roguelike-ness never bothered me, and every other aspect of this game is perfection. My highest rated game of the year because I cannot find a reason to take a point away.
Trail Out | 7/10
Something something imitation, something something flattery. This is a Flatout game, but it’s honestly a pretty good one. I had a fun time with it, but I’d never take this over Flatout 2.
art of rally | 7/10
I’m not a huge fan of top-down racers but with some tweaks in the camera settings it’s bearable. What really hurts this game is the penalty/recovery system, it’s so eager to reset your car the moment you go off the track, even if only by a hair, it destroys the flow. Graphics are beautiful though.
Hot Wheels Unleashed | 6/10
It’s fine. Super repetitive, lootbox-esque progression is stupid, but it’s mechanically sound. I would only recommend if you’re desperate for arcade racers like I am.
Loddlenaut | 7/10
I love how cleaning games have become a genre. This is a short and sweet game about cleaning the ocean, I had a good time with this one on the Steam Deck.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 | (the PS2 one) | 9/10
There’s a decent chance this was the first video game I ever played. If not the first, it’s at least among the first couple. I’ve started so many saves but never actually finished the career mode until now. Aside from the career structure being a bit boring, it’s still a highlight of the franchise for me. Beautiful tracks, beautiful cars, top tier early '00s soundtrack, great handling, I love this game.
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 | 6/10
Look, I’m really desperate for arcade racers, okay? This one isn’t a live service, isn’t always online, no lootboxes, no battle passes, I’ll take it.
Toem | 7/10
Cute, but there were several times throughout my playthrough where it felt like what should’ve been the solution wasn’t, and the actual solution made less sense than what I was trying to do, which was a bit frustrating.
Hi-Fi Rush | 9/10
The score went up an entire point when The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die started playing. I really hope this gets a sequel.
Burnout Revenge | 9/10
Another game I’ve started many times and never finished. NFS:HP2 may have been a nostalgia-driven 9/10, but this is a genuine 9/10. Absolutely puts everything from the past 10 years of this genre to shame.
DiRT 4 | 6/10
Painfully dull. DiRT Rally is a way better sim, DiRT 2/3/5 are way better arcade racers, there is no reason to ever touch this. I finished it because I am desperate for racing games.
Ghostrunner II | 7/10
This one didn’t vibe with me as much as the first, and I’m not really sure why. The bike levels were a bit janky but were still fun for variety, and I still liked the game overall, but I’m more likely to replay the first than this.
SPRAWL | 9/10 (Top 3 of the Year)
If SPRAWL didn’t have a soundtrack, it would be an 8/10, good time, recommend. However, I have had this goddamn soundtrack on repeat since playing it. This is my favorite video game OST and it’s not even remotely close. This is a neurofunk album with a video game tie-in.
Blur 8/10
The fact that when I first played this I instantly got a message from a friend I hadn’t talked to in years asking “HOW DID YOU GET A STEAM KEY” says so much about the legacy of this game. It existed for such as short period of time and was horribly underrated. (I wish I owned this game on Steam, but it was a non-Steam copy.)
Webbed | 7/10
Cute platformer, don’t really much about it at the moment besides skateboarding spiders.
Bastion | 8/10
Played after putting many more hours into Hades to see where Supergiant came from. I was impressed by how well it holds up, fun to see earlier concepts that Hades would perfect.
Old School Rally | ?/10
Technically an early access game, but I finished all the available career events. Very promising PS1-style rally game.
Stories: The Path Of Destinies | 8/10
You ever have one (or hundreds) of those games you got in a Humble Bundle 5 years ago and just never touched? This was one of those, I randomly decided to play it, and it was great! Fantastic voice acting, fun story, fun combat, I wish I played it sooner.
Exo One | ?/10
I don’t know what’s going on and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. I think I launched a marble at Jupiter?
Hardspace: Shipbreaker | 8/10
This was my podcast game for a while. Not very deep, but it’s fun to gradually tear ships apart. Definitely recommend playing on the lower difficulty, having to worry about O2 and stuff kills the vibe.
To the Moon | 5/10
Explaining why I don’t like this game involves major spoilers. To keep it vague, I really don’t like how they handled one of the characters in the story. If you’ve played the game, you either understand or think I’m insane because apparently this is a masterpiece.
ExoCross | 6/10
Very basic offroad racer. Used to be named “DRAG” but then the developers were bought by iRacing. The game seems like it was frantically rushed out of early access after that. The native Linux port is excellent though.
RUINER | 7/10
10/10 vibes, 5/10 gameplay.
Furi | 8/10
“That final boss sure was easy… oh? oh! OH FUCK!” followed by many deaths until I finally won.
Pseudoregalia | 8/10
10/10 movement/controls, but the environments felt a little bland. There’s an accessibility option to put pants on your character.
Guacamelee!: Super Turbo Championship Edition | 6/10
It’s fine, but nothing especially noteworthy compared to other metroidvanias I’ve played.
Redout II | 9/10 (Top 3 of the Year)
(I played with the assists off because I am a stubborn bastard, I have no idea how the assists change the gameplay.)
Redout II will repeatedly punch you in the face until your brain wraps itself around controlling these 2700km/h deathtraps. But trust me, once you get good, it’s euphoric. One of my favorite gaming experiences this year was missing out on a gold medal in a time trial by several seconds and thinking “how the fuck is this possible”? And then I tried again. And again. Going faster, and faster, until I had beaten the gold time by several seconds. Every time you think you can’t go any faster, you’re wrong, just be better.
Crayon Physics Deluxe | 5/10
Great idea for a puzzle game, but the janky physics made it more frustrating than fun.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | 7/10
It’s fine, but doesn’t really feel like it lives up to the hype surrounding it.
Mini Motor Racing X | 6/10
Painfully dull career mode, but I’m desperate for arcade racers.
Parking Garage Rally Circuit | 7/10
Short but fun.
Minecraft | ?/10
I haven’t beaten Minecraft in probably 10 years, so I started and new save and beat the game again for the hell of it. I’m not sure how to rate Minecraft out of 10 at this point.
Jusant | 9/10
Super beautiful and chill, I recommend avoiding spoilers and just playing it.
Dome Keeper | 7/10
Trying to keep the Hades “maybe I don’t hate roguelikes” thing going, so I got Dome Keeper. I feel like it’s too easy and there’s not enough variety in runs, but I still had some fun with it.
Dead Cells | 8/10
And finally, one more roguelike. I’ve “beaten” the game, as in I’ve reached the credits, but only 0BC. Still playing it, but won’t be chasing 5BC or anything like that. I do wish there was more meta progression with this one, a lot of runs feel like a complete waste of time which is my main problem with roguelikes, but the core gameplay is excellent.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard | 9/10 I loved this game so much. It literally made me cry at one point. The story and characters were phenomenal.
Super Mario Wonder | 7/10 fun with the family.
Solasta | 9/10 Finished yet another playthrough with my wife. It’s the best D&D video game.
deleted by creator
Ketsui Deathtiny 1CC in Deathtiny mode.
Danmaku Unlimited 3 (sadly on two credits)
Titanfall 2
Trails in the Sky: SC 10/10
I actually started playing this in 2023 but finished it early 2024. I was hesitant to start this series because it’s massive and I really wanted to try to play them all. I’m glad I finally got around to it. I loved this game. It’s not for everyone but if you enjoy games with good world building, twists, tons of characters, and of course an amazing soundtrack, give it a go.
Trails in the Sky: The Third 8/10
I almost skipped this one. I’d heard a lot of mixed opinions about it. It’s a very different kind of game from FC and SC. It’s more of an homage or send off kind of for the cast of FC and SC. The story here is good but it’s not a grand scale story with conspiracy, plotting, and intrigue like FC and FC. Other than returning characters it doesn’t tie into the first two much at all.
The whole game also takes place in a dungeon with multiple layers which makes it feel smaller and more confined than the first two games.
The final dungeon almost ruined it for me though. It’s one of those types where you’re forced to use all characters. Fortunately I had enough leveled characters to carry the weaker ones but I still didn’t like it. The balance of the game overall is also just off. Most of it is incredibly easy until the final dungeon, partly because you’re forced to use all characters.
As usual though the soundtrack is great. Overall a good game. If you enjoyed FC and SC definitely give it a chance.
Fire Emblem: Three Hopes 8/10
Took me awhile to get to this one but I’m glad I got to it. It’s a great game. I hadn’t played a Warriors game in years but after playing lengthy RPGs back-to-back, and BG3 not long before, I was looking for a change. The story was kind of hard to wrap my head around and it feels like there’s a lot I missed out on by only playing one route in Three Houses as well as Three Hopes but the gameplay is a lot of fun and it was cool to see characters from Three Houses again. A voiced protagonist was also a nice change and I hope they keep this going after Engage and Three Hopes.
Trails from Zero 10/10
This game is just so good. If there is only one game in the Trails series you play, make it this one. Amazing soundtrack like usual, great world building here too. It’s a bit smaller in scope than FC and SC but manages to find a good balance. I actually liked that the main party cast is much smaller than the previous three, much much smaller than Sky the Third especially.
It’s connected to the first three but is the start of its own arc. It was cool to see some characters return.
I almost took a point off for no Olivier though.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed 9/10
This is DLC done right. It wraps up a lot of loose ends from XC3. It was really great to see old favourites return again. The combat is a lot of fun still and the soundtrack is great. It’s missing some of the depth from XC3 but the collectopedia I think is done better here.
Persona 4 Golden 10/10
I actually played this way back on the PS Vita but never finished it. I decided to finally give it another go and it sucked me in. The story and characters are great, the music is great, and the gameplay is good. The dungeons can get a little repetitive and the balance is kind of off. I found the first two dungeons to be pretty hard but then by about the fourth dungeon things just kept getting easier and easier.
Persona 5 Royal 10/10
P4G but better. I liked the story and characters a lot more in this one. It’s easier than P4G but had a smoother difficulty curve I found. The music is fantastic! It’s loooong though. I was not prepared. I have no idea how people are finishing it in less than 100 hours. Tycoon is easily the best minigame in any game ever.
Echoes of Wisdom 8/10
I was looking for something different after playing a lot of heavy RPGs. I really liked this game! I thought it would a be gimmicky, but it really stands on its own. I loved looking through my list of Echoes and trying to figure out which would help solve the puzzle. Combat kind of sucks when your sword energy is empty though because you’re stuck waiting for the Echoes to hopefully do what you need them to.
The Legend of Dragoon - in progress
Just started playing this recently. Really enjoying it. I had played it when I was a kid but just had an urge to play it again.
You‘re a JRPG machine! I also loved Trails in the Sky 1&2, complete surprise to me. I didn‘t think I‘d like it much just going by the completely dated graphics and gameplay alone, but the story had me enthralled. I‘m not sure where exactly it stands on my all time favorite stories list, however, top 10 easily.
Yeah I wasn’t sure about Trails but most everyone I knew who played it loved it. After FC I was hooked. That cliffhanger ending especially! Looking forward to Azure after I finish The Legend of Dragoon.
One game, Factorio. I still wanna play more!
I think the only game I played for the first time during this year was Disco Elysium. And, like many others, I was wowed. I won’t devolve into purple prose or string together a maelstrom of superlatives, so I’ll just say this with possible slight spoilers:
Despite starting and stopping the game after being lambasted by the immediate consequences of my character’s deplorable, ethanol-fueled behavior that hit way too close to home, I finally came back to it with the utmost enthusiasm. Harry’s abject level of rock bottom that hits you over the head as soon as you start the game was so disturbing for me as someone with similar struggles. The helplessness to change your sorry state and to win over your partner’s approval was so affecting. It makes me wonder how many people in the throes of addiction picked this up and put it down immediately from getting too triggered.
There is so much I would love to just go on and on about so I’ll just hit some aspects that really stand out for me. One thing that I loved, so freaking much, was the wondrously imaginative nomenclature. One of the biggest killers for my immersion into a work of fiction is the vapid or lazy naming of the world—which is sadly often. I mean, come on: Revachol, Insulindian isola, Graad… Harry’s rank as “double yefreitor” or all the character paths like “Electrochemistry”… I thought it was all so very inspired. Never mind the incredible inner dialogue of each upgrade character type—Half Light’s biting dialogue is totally savage, Shivers prose of the world, Inland Empire’s unhinged musings… unreal.
I went on much longer than I meant to so I’ll just say the game world is just as inspired. It is enigmatically dystopian to the most agonizing degree. Which honestly felt just as alluring as deeply distressing for all the neat people you come across. And to segue to the last point of the characters/VAs: what a glorious menagerie of souls… I fell in love with some, wrinkled my nose at others, and found myself enraged at a few.
Hard to not write a novel, but what a freaking game.
You guys are finishing games?
Yeah what the fuck? Look at some of these lists lmao.
How did this person find the time and dedication to complete so many god damn games in just a year? They beat more games this year than I have in my entire life! I get bored or run out of time before I get anywhere near finishing a game.
I paid for the whole game I’m gonna play the whole game
That’s why I only buy games on discount. That way I only have to play the inverse percent of what I paid.
Hi-Fi Rush | 9/10
The score went up an entire point when The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die started playing. I really hope this gets a sequel.
I’m so happy I didn’t know that song was in the game. I personally rate it 10/10, a perfect blend of gameplay, story, and soundtrack, with bonus points for managing to toe the line between goofy and sincere. That part at the end (“I am a rockstar”) had me bracing for someone to point out how cheesy it was, and no one does. I love a piece of media that doesn’t make fun of you for getting invested.
I realize I need to finish more games. The only four I beat this year were
Baldur’s Gate 3 | 8/10
I’m gonna be real, the replay value is not really there for me. My wizard and my co-player’s paladin are the big damn heroes, and I have trouble getting into another character. I’m not gonna get a better ending than the one I got with _______ and ____, and it feels weird being as into Karlach as I was, and then just pushing her aside and dating someone else
Outriders | 8/10
The world needs more games like this. I love that everyone recognizes that the Outrider is essentially a god. The Russian roulette scene alone brings this up from a 7, but the rather unsatisfying ending brings it down from a 9. I don’t love that they imply some big war between the altered humans, and then ditch that halfway through. The fact that Moloch is introduced as a BBEG and then you kill him in an optional endgame side mission is disappointing. The DLC though, that kicked ass… Right up until the rather unsatisfying end, again. It’s certainly much better than the main game, which isn’t really that bad to begin with. I just want to know what the Outrider learned in that ancient vault.
Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand | 7/10
Don’t get me wrong when I say 7/10. It’s one of my favorite games I’ve ever played, and I want more games like it. It’s hard to explain why exactly I like it so much, but I think I can sum it up with: many other games are rather exhausting, either mentally, or emotionally. This game doesn’t expect a lot from the player, except for proficiency with the simple combat system. The story is simple—there’s an evil god, you find a magic gauntlet that can maybe kill that god, action ensues. I can count on one hand the number of characters that I feel like the game wanted me to remember or care about.
It’s a fun game, solid 30 hours to 100%, 7/10 absolutely recommend.
Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga | 7/10
It wasn’t as good as the first game. Or maybe it’s that it wasn’t as better than the first game as it could have been. A large part of why the first game was so engaging to me was the loneliness. It was just me and the furies, and the puzzles we were solving. Senua’s Saga introduces a few primary characters, and villages full of people, which dampens the furies’ affect on me. The game was also much more confusing. In the first game, it’s entirely nebulous what was real and what was in Senua’s head. You can interpret it as a literal descent into the underworld to attempt to reclaim her lover’s soul, or an entirely figurative descent into her own psyche to overcome the grief of losing him, or somewhere in between. Ironically, this makes it easier for me to parse, because there’s no apparent contradictions. The sequel makes it explicitly clear that Senua is engaging, at least somewhat, in real life. This makes it more confusing, because
Hellblade 2 spoiler
the >!giants are also explicitly a result of people’s negative emotions. So are the giants really giant? Is everything literal? I need to read some analysis.!<
Let me know if the spoiler tags didn’t work in your client. I think combining the ::: and the >!!< should cover all bases
One of them is Handshakes.
I made posts here on some of the games I was patient on this year, so I’ll include links to those in-line here along with the rest of my list, in chronological order:
Control - I ended up grabbing–and devouring–Alan Wake 2 very soon after finishing this, mostly because one of my favorite singers ever resurfaced on the game’s soundtrack, to my complete astonishment. The setting and a few of the dialogues remain fresh in my mind, but the rest of Control ended up buried under AW2, which is saying something considering I don’t like survival horror.
Lost Odyssey - Interesting timing, as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was announced just a few months after I finished Lost Odyssey, a clear source of inspiration. I hear a lot from JRPG fans that wish there were more games with adult cast members and mature narratives, and LO fits the bill. “Letters from a Weakling” is still utterly devastating.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Torna: The Golden Country - Mostly just more Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a new main character and some light changes to the battle system keep things fresh. Come for the soundtrack, stay for the emotional scenes. Despite being forced into hours of side quests, this was worth seeing through to the end.
Atelier Meruru - My favorite of the Arland trilogy, I was engaged by the alchemy and kingdom building throughout the game. Real fun sense of progression with city, world map, and music changes. Surprisingly touching scenes with returning characters.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (plus Future Redeemed) - A solid entry in a fan-favorite series I gave my thoughts on earlier, but what stands out in hindsight is how good the side quests were. A long time weakness of JRPGs, it’d be nice if the genre was spurred to step things up. The base game and Future Redeemed were sprinkled with enough Xenogears references to get my brain churning.
Atelier Ayesha - Ayesha changed the vibe in a dramatic way that I wasn’t entirely prepared for. Enjoyed that, the new cast, the story, and the soundtrack, not so much the gameplay. I’ve been proceeding through this series slightly faster than they get released, so maybe I’ll catch up some day.
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor - Plenty of spectacle and fun with lightsabers, yet all those hours spent running around are already fading from memory. The game’s focus on family and home still resonates with me in a way it wouldn’t have ten years ago.
Citizen Sleeper - Recent events have me turning this story over in my head a few times. I thought this had a strong anti-capitalist message, but I may have even underestimated it. This one’s earned a replay, and soon.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - I wouldn’t have made it through this game without the Ys brand, a series I grew up with. It did get better in the back half, but probably still not worth it. The city exploration did little for me and I never want to see a raid/Nox battle again. With the recent announcement of an “enhanced” version of Ys X, it’s going to be forever before I get to it. Monstrum Nox is going to be stuck in my craw for a while.
What a list! You did all that this year?
I got through Sea of Stars this month. Really happy with it, glad there’s plenty of endgame side-quests since I’m not ready to say goodbye. I’ll be following Sabotage closely in the future.
lol when I was reviewing my HLTB log for this post, I had the same thought. “I did all that this year?!” The benefit of mostly playing shorter games, I suppose.
Sea of Stars has been on my radar for a while. I’m not huge on turn-based combat, but it looks so good!
It’s very much standing on the shoulders of Chrono Trigger, but in such an intelligent way that it ends up being the better game. Objectively (gameplay, art, direction, music, and writing are all much more ambitious in scope while remaining firmly rooted in the tradition of retro turn based RPGs) and subjectively (we got pretty emotional at some points and laughed pretty hard a few times, always stayed invested in the story) it’s just a better game than CT, which is something I simply never expected to say about a new game.
I’ve also been playing a lot of Noita, but haven’t beaten it.
I don’t normally care for roguelikes but I think I’ve put more hours into Noita than any other—and I’ve never even made it very far at all. I just panic my way through hoping I chose a good way down and don’t have the dumbest wand in existence.
I’m far too broke and starved for time to really play and finish any games, but I did manage to start God of War and got impressively far (not really) into Baldurs Gate 3. Imma take it as win at this point.
Petition to name A Short Hike the best open world game.
Bastion 👍
If you liked Pseudoregalia, why not try the other N64-style 3D platformer released in 2023 with a goat protagonist trapped in a dream, Corn Kidz 64? Yes, this is a particularly specific coincidence. It features great humour, extremely cartoony animation, and polished movement. It’s very much quality over quantity.
The obvious cameo happens if you get to the right place.
I also “completed” Dead Cells and went “yeah, that’s enough.”
Anyway, my games.
Completed games
- Neon White
- Run fast. Puts you in the speedrunning grindset. Corny anime plot. Unnecessary dating sim elements. The addictive gameplay carries it.
- Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer
- Retro-style FPS with stylistic suck but still with lots of in-universe and IRL soul. Takes the piss out of edgy teen boy fantasies. This is an essential part of the Hypnospace Outlaw canon.
- Gauntlet Slayer Edition
- It’s Gauntlet but modern. Fun dungeon crawling online co-op with friends.
Games that aren’t reasonably completeable
- Shotgun King
- Chess but the only piece you have is a king with a shotgun. It was fun for a bit, but I quickly lost interest.
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
- Kart racing. Cool maps that change over time. Less bullshit than Mario Kart. It has a hint of more “hardcore” racing mechanics, so it felt like I had more agency. It’s a 2013-era PC game with a surprising amount of jank to make work properly.
Corn Kidz 64 looks super fun, I will definitely be picking that up!
- Neon White
Burnout Revenge was an amazing party game back in the day. Simple enough that anyone could immediately start playing without being terrible at it, and chaotic enough to keep everyone hooked.
I only completed 2 games this year. Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok. Played a bunch of others but they were either endless or I lost interest right near the end.
Currently not-quite finished list: Zelda ToTK, Satisfactory, BG3 Endless games: Animal crossing, Cities Skylines, Stardew Valley
I in the last 4-ish months played through yonder, biomutant, ni no kuni 1+2, ff7 remake (#1), balan wonderland, several Lego games, star ocean integrity and faithlessness, tandem, all the cat quest games, several “tales of” games, and a buttload more while I still had the ps+ subscription (which expired in like… August? I won’t count those cuz I had no life at the time. Still don’t but It was worse then.)
My big push at the moment is going through some of the ps3 era titles I’ve never played. I have so many games I buy and just sit on for years… I probably shouldn’t do that, but I buy used so it’s cheaper… But those unplayed games are mostly super long story focused games, so they take a hot minute to get through. I have a few upcoming tales of games, which I now own most of, star ocean, valkeria chronicles, and all the final fantasy games I never slogged through the overwhelming tutorial on and thus haven’t played.
Any games I finish, I enjoy enough to finish. I gave up pushing through bad media long ago because there’s so much more out there. I’ve been really into big story games with minimal or easy combat, but I also really like the short and simple games that you can get through entirely in 10 hours.
Tandem was a really cute one that stuck out. I got it purely because it was inexpensive. It’s a fairly short puzzle game where one character walks through a top-down view and the other is a side scroll view. You have to swap back and forth to use them both to solve puzzles. It’s not super difficult, but it is satisfying in difficulty.
