Dave the Diver from Mint Rocket is something to behold. The game features exploration, collection, side quests, an RPG backbone, and a restaurant simulator, all of which are beautifully balanced and connected. This is by far one of the better games of 2023 and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Pixel Ripped 1978 from ARVORE Immersive Experiences and Atari is a good VR experience that is led by a competent narrative and nostalgia. How VR is used within the game is entertaining and engaging, if not outright clever. While not all of the game is gold, it still manages to turn old game schemes and concepts into something new and engaging within a virtual reality environment.
Escape Academy – Escape from the Past from Coin Crew Games does a good job of creating a decent prequel narrative while incorporating a healthy dose of escape room drama. While the balance between story and gameplay seems more story-slanted, the DLC still does a commendable job of delivering a fun, yet short escape room experience.
Fall of Porcupine from Critical Rabbit is a serious story wrapped in cute animation that only Richard Scarry could fully appreciate. The story is driven by branching choices and relaxed from time to time by mini-games. The main crux of this game is the story, which may not be for everyone, especially considering the topics of conversation it presents. They can be powerful at times, but also empty on interactivity.
Crash Team Rumble from Toys For Bob is quite fun. It features a balanced system of gameplay, some fun characters with unique gameplay styles, and a nice set of maps that complement strategy and quick gameplay. The leveling system may work its way to max quickly, but it doesn’t detour how much entertainment you’re going to get from this title. The biggest concern with this game is longevity and variety. It’s nice that Toys For Bob laid out a roadmap to tame some of this worry, something most companies don’t do well nowadays, but only the future seasons will tell the dedication to the title.
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie from DON’T NOD plays like a proper branching narrative visual novel should play. The acting, writing, and general presentation are the icing on the cake to make this type of gameplay work very well. While it won’t be for everyone, it certainly is top tier for those who are looking for a good branching narrative journey.
The Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection from Atlus is so much better than expected, but not without its flaws. The dungeon-crawling and exploration experiences are primo, as is the need to build a map out and put it on the player to keep track of their surroundings. While the beginning of the game may force some players to question if they’re up for the task of traversing the Etrian Odyssey worlds, as well as some of the gameplay design decisions that can be archaic and restrictive, the collection’s payoff seems much greater by the end than the amount of effort it took to get there.
Bleak Sword DX is a gorgeous, nostalgic, and clever game for something built in a simplified structural way. More8Bit did a superb job of creating a fast gameplay environment while also maintaining creativity with its enemies and maps. While it may not seem like much, it has some moxie to it. Be forewarned, though, it also contains a heavy amount of frustration.
Super Mega Baseball 4 from Metalhead Studio is a riot to play, but it is a smaller experience when compared to its bigger MLB The Show brethren. What it lacks in the longevity of a forever MLB season, it makes up with in moxie, personality, and a bevy of ways to play. The customization and chance to play legends and vloggers will be enough reason to give this a go.
Kingdom Rush Origins from Ironhide Game Studio is a step up with creativity, enemy, and hero design/execution, and with how clever the series’ maps can get. Unfortunately, the difficulty has also stepped up and can create a frustrating time that may hurt the positive parts of this latest Kingdom Rush game.
After Us from developer Piccolo is an interesting title. It tries to create a Journey-like inspiring adventure through gigantic worlds and simplistic controls. Most of what it does works well, especially with its narrative, though the mechanics from its gameplay design sometimes fight against story progression and player engagement. The game can create some frustration with the camera and controls but wins more than it loses.
If you come in expecting LEGO 2K Driver to fit firmly with previously released LEGO games, then you’re in for a world of disappointment. This is a game of its own based purely on racing and open-world exploration. While not all of it works completely, it does have enough charm and creativity to push it through as a game worth playing.
To say that Redfall needs major work to fix some balancing issues would be a bit of an understatement. For a game that had so much hype during its development and was supposed to be the first big game of 2023 for the Xbox family that wasn’t called Halo or Forza, it has fallen short in its delivery. There are quite a few issues with Redfall, lots of unbalance in gameplay, and plenty to correct before it can be considered a permanent and worthwhile IP.
Ash of Gods: The Way from developer AurumDust sets a new standard with how deck-building games should be made. It has the core structure that makes the deck-building fun and familiar, while also adding a thoughtful narrative and a variety of gameplay structures to keep the game engaging and entertaining.
Smile for Me from developer LimboLane is an unsettling adventure that puts you to the test with its puzzles. The point-and-click backbone will keep the difficulty coming, but the reward for your patience and perseverance will be worth the cognitive trouble you endure.
Strayed Lights is a challenge with enemies and with controls. Depending on what type of gamer you might be, this could be a positive or a negative. For me, it was small doses of progression and motivation to see the story progress that kept me playing.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a good game, if only for how thick and unnerving the story and world might be. While the gameplay does come up a bit empty, the story helps to pick up the slack and make the adventure worthwhile.
While San Diego Studio doesn’t take a huge leap with MLB The Show 23 compared to last year’s game, it’s still entertaining and the best baseball game on the planet. The addition of The Negro Leagues mode makes for a deeper and more enriching experience.
Road 96: Mile 0 is a smaller, different experience than Road 96. While the game’s story helps fill in some blanks and provide some context for Zoe’s journey in the first game, the gameplay style mash-up between branching narrative and linear/on-rails gameplay leaves the experience lacking just a bit.
Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a good follow-up to the original game. It’s far more creative with enemies and protagonist characters, but also far more difficult. Regardless, the experience is more fun than not.