July 27th 2023.
Game of the Year?
2023 is turning out to be a great year for video games. Nintendo and Capcom have both released some remarkable titles that have set a high benchmark for the rest of the year. Titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Mortal Kombat 1, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Alan Wake 2, and Spider-Man 2 have all been highly anticipated, but the game that stands out is Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom.
The readers of Thursday letters page were discussing why Sony never bought Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, and it was suggested that Sony might be hesitant to buy due to the lawsuits surrounding the character. It would be great to see Sony make a move and finally have an official mascot.
The other big news is the Activision Blizzard buyout, which means Xbox will now own both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon. Crash was the unofficial PlayStation mascot, and it's surprising Sony didn't make an effort to buy the character when it came up for sale.
Star Wars Outlaws won't count as a part-time job, thankfully. It's great to have something of a more reasonable length that still tells a compelling story. Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is an incredible game, but it is so massive that finishing it is a challenge.
The game has received a lot of criticism, with people claiming that Zelda is a wimp in the game. However, she is the embodiment of the Triforce of Wisdom and makes a huge sacrifice to help Link in his quest. People often forget that it takes more than just a sword to win a battle.
It's interesting to think about what Nintendo will do next. A seafaring adventure like The Wind Waker or a more intricate world like Majora’s Mask would both be incredible.
Finally, the readers were also discussing which NES games have stood the test of time. Apart from the Super Mario Bros. trilogy, Double Dragon 2 is a prime example of a game that has not aged well. Its attack buttons change depending on the direction you're facing, making it difficult to play.
Game of the Year?
The Thursday letters page recently had a discussion on Sony not buying Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, as one reader worries that the NES is aging badly. It got me thinking about the games of 2023, and which one could be crowned game of the year.
The leading contenders are Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom and Starfield. Zelda is an absolute classic, still being played and re-released today more than a decade later. Starfield has me feeling more optimistic than I did with Fallout 4 and it could really beat Zelda if it all works out.
The dialogue in the trailers was pretty cringe, but Zelda is even worse in that area. So, I think the fight for the best game of the year is a lot closer than some people let on.
The Last Mascot
When I think of the original PlayStation, two games come to mind as mascots: Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon. I was surprised Sony didn’t try to buy Lara Croft when it was up for sale recently, and I think it would be great if they did and finally had an official mascot.
Second Job
I'm glad Star Wars Outlaws won't count as a part-time job to play through. I'd rather have something of a more reasonable length that tells a coherent story. Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is great and all, but it's so massive, I have no idea when I'll ever finish it.
Only Five Years To Go
I think it's fair to say Link would be nothing without Zelda. She makes a huge sacrifice in Tears Of The Kingdom, and yet she gets no credit. I'd like to see her take a more active role in a future title. I'm curious to see what Nintendo will do next in terms of setting; maybe a seafaring adventure or something like Majora's Mask.
The Cruel Mistress
It's hard to find games that have stood the test of time on the NES apart from the Super Mario Bros. trilogy. Double Dragon 2 was my favourite back in the day, but it's horrible to play now - the attack buttons change depending on which direction you're facing.
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