The G&C Podcast Network: Bill's Top 10 Games of 2023
So 2023 may have been one of my most, all over the place kinda of years in terms of gaming. After buying a house and starting up additional podcasts alongside general life things, gaming kind of took a back seat this year. Regardless though I did manage to play a fair amount of new releases this year, so here are ten of my personal favorites.
10. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
So one of the bigger surprises for me this year was probably Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. The original 3DS games were some of my favorite time wasters back in the early 2010’s, and when I heard that a new one was coming out for Switch I knew it would be a day one purchase. It was delightful to experience that same gameplay now with music representation from franchises outside of Final Fantasy!
9. Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
So this was probably the most obscure title I played this year, Labyrinth of Galleria was a game I picked up at the recommendation of a fellow podcaster and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with what I played. Now while not the most original or groundbreaking game, Labyrinth of Galleria is definitely a fun dungeon crawler styled RPG that has that charm that just screams Nippon Ichi Software in the best way possible.
8. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Another pleasant surprise from the year, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a lovely remake of the classic GameCube game Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life released back in 2004 now with a modern coat of paint. With this version featuring updated graphics and gameplay that bring the game up to date while also retaining that iconic feel that made the original a classic to begin with.
7. Sea of Stars
So I won’t lie, indie RPG’s have a tendency to be very hit or miss to me. So I will admit I was a bit hesitant to try out Sea Of Stars when it first released. Thankfully I decided to give it a shot and was happy to find it was a fun experience that really helped scratch that itch for an old school styled turn based RPG. Nothing groundbreaking but a fun and engaging experience throughout.
6. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Now while this year new Fire Emblem didn’t quite hit that Tactical RPG spot I was hoping for, I’m happy to say that Intelligent Systems other series definitely made up for it with this wonderful remake of the classic Advance Wars games for GBA. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp would be rebuilt from the ground up by WayForward and would bring the classic Turn Based Strategy gameplay to the Switch with a ton of content to keep players busy for a long time.
5. Final Fantasy XVI
Probably one of the most anticipated games of the year for me personally, Final Fantasy XVI was in a lot of way the first real game that got me to truly see the potential of the PlayStation 5… even if it wasn’t exactly perfect. Now while not the classic turn based game that I would honestly prefer, Final Fantasy XVI utilizes an Action based style that was easy enough to pick up and fun enough combined with its interesting story and world to explore. While I can’t say it’s my favorite in the series or even in my top 5, Final Fantasy XVI managed to be the first Final Fantasy that truly meant something to me in over a decade, and honestly that’s what really matters in the end.
4. Octopath Traveler II
So here’s another game that kinda came out of nowhere for me this year. Octopath Traveler II was one of the many RPGs I experienced this year and honestly completely lived up to the expectations I had for it when comparing it to its predecessor, only arguably better in every aspect. From its gameplay to its beautiful HD-2D graphics, Octopath Traveler II is a must play for any fan of SNES era RPGs.
3. Sonic Superstars
So if there’s been a franchise that’s been to every spectrum of quality over the years it’s definitely Sonic, thankfully the series has been on a bit of an upswing as of late. Sonic Superstars the series latest entry harkens back to the franchise’s 2D roots once again, this time in a more modern sense fixing the mistakes of previous games like Sonic 4 for a much better overall experience. While still not perfect, Sonic Superstars is a fun game overall and things are looking up for the long running series.
2. Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Now that I think about it there has been a lot of remakes this year, and one of them was the unexpected Star Ocean: The Second Story R. Taking everything that made the original 1999 PlayStation classic so memorable Star Ocean: The Second Story R rebuilds the game in the beautiful HD-2D game engine perfectly recapturing everything that made the game the cult classic it was back in the day. Even after more than 20 years the game still holds up as one of the greatest RPGs of its time.
1. Super Mario RPG
Now the wrap things up i have to say my favorite game of the year was all one of the biggest unexpected surprises in its own right. A remake of Super Mario RPG was definitely not something I thought I would see in my lifetime, but Nintendo would pleasantly surprise us with one of the most faithful remake I’ve ever played. In all honesty this remake has completely won me over after previously considering the original game to be somewhat overrated. It still holds up and is an absolute must play that should be experienced by fans of RPGs and Mario alike.