A Novel Console: Chris' Top 10 Games of 2023
Hello, hello! Welcome to A Novel Console’s entry for the Offshore Gamescast’s Community Games of the year! My name is Chris, and I am the host of A Novel Console – a podcast where my wife and I talk about games, books, food, and stuff that caught our attention during the week! I am the gaming side of A Novel Console, and I have quite a few opinions about the games I played this year.
It was a very heavy year for gaming. We had tons of massive games finally seeing the light of day, like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pikmin 4, as well as older games finally being brought into a playable state, like Cyberpunk 2077. Even if your favorite games are not on this list, I can guarantee that they are absolute bangers and deserve all the praise and love you give them. So, without further ado, here are the 10 games out of the 62 games I beat this year that stuck with me!
10. Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) (9.5/10)
As soon as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, I blaze through the Star Fox 64 campaign as fast as possible, while taking the route that the game takes me – usually the hard route. That usually sets the tone for the rest of the new year, and it is a tradition that I have upheld for the past 7 or 8 years. Star Fox 64 is my favorite game of all time, and if it did not make this list, then you would know that I am not the person writing this list.
Star Fox 64 follows Fox McCloud as he takes on the evil space monkey, Andross, and his army. You dog-fight your way through planets and space, engaging countless enemies and challenging bosses. It is impossible to not like this game or the eclectic cast of characters. If you have not played this classic, you can play the N64 version on NSO on Nintendo Switch. By the way, as of writing this, I have beaten Star Fox 64 3D 34 times this year.
9. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2) (8/10)
Ever since I saw that emulation was a piece of cake on Steam Deck, I decided to right a few wrongs. Shaolin Monks was one of those wrongs. Taking place at the end of MK1 and running parallel to the end of MK2, Shaolin Monks boasts punchy, weighty beat-‘em-up action that is only made better with a friend.
The player has the option to play as Kung Lao or Liu Kang, as well as some unlockable characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, each with their own, unique character moves, abilities, and move sets. On top of all that, you get to perform character specific fatalities to take down your enemies. Playing this game made me yearn for a remake, an official remaster of the game, or a sequel that picks up in the pseudo-cliffhanger ending of the game. If you like third person pseudo-Metroidvania beat-‘em-ups, then this game is absolutely for you.
8. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (SNES) (8/10)
Nothing screams childhood nostalgia like a bowl of cereal, a SNES controller, and the amazing Power Rangers intro blaring from your TV. That was this game, except for the cereal and the SNES controller… also no TV.
Taking on the role of one of the five original rangers, you face Rita Repulsa’s evil forces as you fight your way through a number of stages that end in a fun boss fight, with later stages having you control the iconic Mega Zord. I beat this game numerous times as a kid, and revisiting it as a 33 year old felt just as fun and awe-inspiring as it did when I was a kid. Also, all of you can fight over the red and green rangers – I’ll be the blue one.
7. God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PSP) (9/10)
This year, I planned on running through a few series which included Kingdom Hearts, Metroid, and of course, God of War. I yearn for the days of old when gameplay was as important as the stories and not every game tried to copy The Last of Us. I do not need my characters to force a relationship that is not there for the story to be compelling. A plain, angry dude trying to kill the Greek Pantheon of gods is enough for me.
While I think the first God of War is okay, Ghost of Sparta is incredible. It takes the gameplay from the PS2 game, bite sizes it onto the PSP, and then unleashes you into a story about finding your brother and discovering a multitude of reasons as to why the gods need to die. As a fan of killing deities, this game really resonated with me, and I’m glad I was able to experience it before I accidentally fell off the God of War franchise.
6. Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Final Mix (PS5) (8.5/10)
Speaking of correcting wrongs, I finally beat Kingdom Hearts 1 for the first time this year. The Patrons over in our community voted for this game and I am ever so grateful that they did. It finally gave an incredible, emotional connection to the beginning of Chain of Memories, which I will pick up some time soon.
Bludgeoning shadow monsters to death with a giant galvanized pipe in the shape of a key feels incredibly rewarding, even after 21 years. The plot makes no sense, but for some reason, Goofy and Squall are in the same room a few times, and you get to beat the crap out of Ursula’s fat face. This game plays a lot like a fever dream and I love it all the more for that.
5. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5) (10/10)
I was incredibly excited for this game when it came out, and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. On our most recent episode, I am joined by the boys from Friday Night Gamecast, and I was taken aback by how they did not enjoy it as much as I did. I found this game to be an incredible experience and a worthwhile trip through New York City.
Peter and Miles have an amazing, 35-hour long adventure that makes you feel like you are Spider-Man in the best and worst ways possible. It made me care for characters I know from other iterations in ways I did not think could happen and made me fear for their wellbeing. The ending did not pay off the way I hoped it would, but the journey made it feel more than worth it.
4. Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5) (10/10)
One of my favorite games of all time is Resident Evil 4. The original game came out on Gamecube when I was around 15 years old, and the first time I played it, I fell in love. I consider it one of the best games of all time, so when a Remake was announced, I was upset and worried. To my surprise, Resident Evil 4 Remake fixes a bunch of issues I had with the original and takes a perfect game and makes it “perfecter.”
I was a bit upset with how good the game was. I was borderline rooting for it to be bad. But no, it was fantastic. It modernized the characters in the story and added tons of quality-of-life improvements. I adore going into the opening segment and taking down tons of Ganados and doctor chainsaw (I forget his name) before the bell rings. Hell, if you are good enough, you can end that encounter early and ring the bell yourself. Like that, there are so many improvements and secrets thrown into the game that make it a must-play. How can a remake of a game be as revolutionary and important as the original? Only Capcom cracked that code.
3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5) (10/10)
I have been a massive Star Wars fan ever since I can remember. The movies used to stress me out and give me unparalleled anxiety, but somehow, the games had the contrary effect on me. That being said, since the Force Unleashed, we have not had a Star Wars game that just made you feel like a Jedi in every single way.
Cal Kestis is an amazing protagonist. He is a Jedi, but he is under turmoil due to wanting to defeat the empire but not being able to do so with the Jedi way. He straddles the line between Jedi and Grey Jedi and I think this is the best Star Wars storytelling has ever been. On top of the amazing story, the planets and imperial bases you explore are incredibly detailed and mapped in a way that it makes the most sense to explore them. With tons of Metroidvania elements and souls-like combat and mechanics, this is a game that every single Star Wars fan needs to play.
2. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (10/10)
After being yelled at by Gene Park to play this game, I decided to start it, and wow, does this game not disappoint. Taking place after Yakuza 6 and during part of the events of Like a Dragon (Yakuza 7), you take control of Kazuma Kiryu as he works for a secret government organization. All the classic Yakuza staples are here – arcades, hostess clubs, golf, pool, mahjong, etc, so it feels goddamn good to be back in Kiryu’s shoes once again.
The quality-of-life improvements in the game, like making the abilities affordable, without having to break your back to gain them, and having all the substories easily accessible makes this one of the best, most compact and well put together Yakuza games out there. I can easily say that this might be my favorite in the series due to how well it respects my time as a gamer.
1. Pikmin 4 (10/10)
We are finally at my favorite game of the year. Pikmin 4 has been a rumor ever since Pikmin 3 was released and it took us 10 years to finally get in our hands this amazing game. This game takes everything the first 3 games did and modernizes and polishes it to an impeccable level. I cannot begin to fathom how after 35+ hours, doing all the extra content and completing all the challenges, it still feels like I have not played this game enough. There are caves to explore, each with their own theme and Pikmin preference that it is suggested you use to equip your party before diving into each cave. The challenges against the other captains are hectic and cathartic. Collecting full sets of items, like the entire Nintendo Family of Systems is not only adorable and rewarding, but also made me nostalgic.
Taking a team of 100 Pikmin into an area and destroying the eco-system beyond repair is one of those tasks that reward my smooth lizard brain with tons of dopamine. Taking down creatures 20 times your size with your small army feels incredibly good, so much so that I have never felt that feeling in any game before. On top of all that, this game looks amazing. Nintendo really made this game look incredibly beautiful on the Switch. You know what else Nintendo did? They gave you a space puppy that helps you fight, carry items, and serves as a flotation device for your Pikmin, all while being the best dog in all of gaming. Pikmin 4 is a masterpiece and deserves a lot more love and respect. Also, Nintendo, when is Pikmin 5 coming out? At least give me some DLC for Pikmin 4.