February 3rd 2024.
Last year, I had the pleasure of playing some amazing games - although none of them were actually released in 2023. I must admit, I'm not one to jump on the latest releases as soon as they come out. I prefer to wait for the games to be fully patched and for the price to drop. That's just my style.
I could have given Starfield a try on PC, but I already played one Bethesda role-playing game this year and I wanted a little break. So, without further ado, here are my top three games that I actually played in 2023.
First up, Assassin's Creed: Origins. It snuck into 2023 for me, as I started playing it in 2022 and finished it in late January last year. Let me tell you, I was hooked from start to finish. I spent a whopping 66 hours exploring the late Ptolemaic Egypt and I never once got bored. The world they created was simply stunning, with historical references that intrigued me at every turn. And the characters, especially Bayek and Aya, were so well-crafted. This was without a doubt the best Assassin's Creed game since Black Flag. I'm definitely planning on picking up Odyssey and Valhalla at some point in the future.
Next on my list is Fallout: New Vegas. I usually stick to The Elder Scrolls series when it comes to Bethesda games, but this one was a freebie on the Epic Games Store so I decided to give it a go. And boy, am I glad I did. Despite its age, this game was a true gem. The story was hands down the best I've experienced in any Bethesda game, with so many possible outcomes. I might even go as far as to say that it's my favorite Bethesda role-playing game. The only downside was that I didn't end up playing any of the DLC because I was ready to move on once I finished the main map. (Although, I must interject that New Vegas was actually developed by Obsidian Entertainment, not Bethesda Game Studios. - GC)
Last but not least, we have Forza Horizon 5. As someone who enjoys both arcade and sim racing, this game was a perfect blend for me. There's just something about putting a big V8 engine in an off-road truck and racing around Mexico that brings me joy. I loved Forza Horizon 4 and since I had enough Microsoft Points to get PC Game Pass for free, this was the first game I downloaded. I've since spent over 100 hours playing it and it's safe to say that it's even better than its predecessor. The graphics are stunning and there's a ton of customization options to make the difficulty just right - not too easy, but not too challenging either.
Now, to put things into context, here are some other games that I played in 2023.
First up, Death Stranding. It's a no from me. I started playing it at the beginning of the year and at first, it was quite enjoyable. The Iceland-inspired scenery was breathtaking. But it didn't take long for me to get bored. Kojima's penchant for cut scenes and the repetitive gameplay soon turned me off.
I also tried Asseto Corsa Competizione, a proper hardcore racing sim. I even joined a league, but I found myself either racing or practicing racing all the time. So, I decided to take a little break from racing sims for now. It's a great game though!
I also gave Microsoft Flight Simulator a try. It's visually stunning and I enjoyed flying over famous landmarks. However, I realized that I prefer either racing games or games with a strong narrative. Plus, it takes up so much space on my SSD once you download all the localization packs.
I also tried Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. It started off fun and funny, but the Americanized locations didn't really make sense to me. And let's be honest, it's just a bit... long. I'm yet to finish it and I'm currently taking a break from it.
Moving on to more trending games, I played A Plague Tale: Requiem. I loved the first one, so when I saw that it was on Game Pass, I jumped at the opportunity. Just like its predecessor, it looks absolutely gorgeous with its beautiful representation of Medieval France. The characters, especially Amecia and Hugo, are lovable as ever. The last third of the game had some surprising twists and turns, but overall, I found it a bit too frustrating at times. I even had to turn down the difficulty to easy. And while it was a short game, it still slightly overstayed its welcome. So, it didn't make it to my top three list.
And there you have it, my top three games of 2023. As you can see, they're not eligible for a 2023 list, but they were definitely my top picks of the year. Now, time to get back to gaming. Have fun, everyone!
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