The 2023 Backlog Awards, Pt. 2

I’ve already hyped up 2023 and all of the blockbuster hits that released this year. But while you might be expecting to see games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, and Starfield, that’s not the kind of list I write. Between gaming on a budget and always keeping one eye on my (ever-growing) backlog, 2023 is a year like any other: I play a few new games, a few big games from last year, and a whole bunch of indies.

And if you already read part one of the 2023 Backlog Awards, then you’re primed and ready to see which five games I enjoyed most this year.

Backlog Awards' Best of 2023 | #5

At some point in the not-so-distant past, somebody at Tango Gameworks asked, “What if Persona, Devil May Cry, and Guitar Hero had a baby? Despite the weird and improbable combination, the result is a unreasonably fun, clever, and heartfelt game with a killer soundtrack.

Hi-Fi Rush came out of nowhere. It wasn’t marketed in advance — it simply released on Xbox and Game Pass, out of the blue, on January 25, 2023. Nobody knew what to expect, but the gaming world fell in love overnight. And while it’s hard to stay in the “Game of the Year” discussions after releasing so early in the calendar year, Hi-Fi Rush managed to claim a spot on many people’s lists of 2023’s best games.

The game has gotten a lot of praise, and for good reason. It’s funky Persona 5 style is everywhere. It tells a game that is both over-the-top and charming all at once. Oh, and everything in the world (from combat attacks to platforming puzzles to random objects in the world) is perfectly synced to the beat of whatever song is playing at any given time.

In short, Hi-Fi Rush is a game that is overflowing with entertainment value. And even though I’m not much of a hack-n-slash action game person, the quirky ideas and brilliant game design kept me hooked from the very first second until after the curtain fell.

Backlog Awards' Best of 2023 | #4

I had really conflicted feelings about Breath of the Wild, but at the end of the day, I can see why people consider the game a masterpiece. And I can appreciate what it did well. So it’s somewhat surprising (or maybe not so surprising?) that those feelings were replicated and even multiplied with the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.

You might read that paragraph and wonder why I’d rank this game so highly. But the reality is that Tears of the Kingdom checked off everything I wanted in a Breath of the Wild sequel. It delivered a more intricate world, with good ol’ dungeons. It gave me the linear story I cared about. And — most impressively of all — it introduced new mechanics and abilities that allowed me to do anything, anywhere, anytime. That sense of freedom constantly blew me away.

Unfortunately, it felt “samey” for most of my 80+ hours. The same towns and the same people and the same enemies waited around every corner. Sure, there were tweaks to the formula, and these little adjustments created moments of surprise and delight. But the pure and absolute sense of wonder I felt exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild was gone. It’s strange to love a game’s setting but dislike most of the mechanics, only to feel bored with that same setting in the sequel but love most of the mechanics.

So I enjoyed my second visit to this version of Hyrule less than the first, but I’m trying not to let that overshadow just how amazing this game is. It’s hard to follow up a masterpiece, and Tears of the Kingdom did everything right — everything except transport me to a new version of Hyrule. It’s hard to fault the game for that.

Author’s note: I will admit that the geographical changes to the world, as well as adding sky islands and underground caverns, made it feel very new at times. The problem was that it largely felt “familiar” in the worst way, and as a result it failed to keep me interested. It’s been 6+ months and I still haven’t beaten the game (although I am finally getting close).

Backlog Awards' Best of 2023 | #3

When Overwatch released in 2016, I spent all of 15 minutes trying it. I played two or three matches with a friend…and then didn’t even think about the game for years. But when I was looking for games to play with my brother after his accident, I saw that Overwatch 2 was free-to-play; since my brother is a pretty competitive FPS player, it seemed like a game we might both enjoy.

To be transparent, we didn’t stick with the game long. He bounced off after a few months, specifically when new players flooded the game this summer after a new season kicked off. I kept playing every now and then, but it’s hard to want to play a competitive shooter without a co-op partner. (I won’t get too into the weeds on why we moved on, but suffice to say that “tons of new players” meant “tons of lopsided games due to poor matchmaking.” That ruined what had otherwise been a fantastic experience.)

But what I did stick with is the lore. Overwatch has one of the most compelling and enjoyable worlds I’ve found in a game in years. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen in a video game, merging the heartwarming heroism of The Avengers with quirky, nonsensical humor that people expect from Blizzard games.

So, while I’m not still playing the game as often as I want to, I’ve read all the comics and watched all the animated shorts (which are some of the coolest transmedia storytelling pieces I’ve ever seen; I rank them up there with Pixar shorts). The game has been a huge part of my year, despite the fact that I might play it one night a month.

Author’s note: I can’t help but want to recommend the animated shorts to everyone I know, if only because they are so well made and tell some cool stories — no Overwatch knowledge required. If you’re at all curious, I’d point you to “Honor and Glory” or “Dragons” as serious stories and “Kiriko” as a funny-but-cool one.

Backlog Awards' Best of 2023 | Runner-up

I’ve debated with myself on this one. Sure, Pokemon Scarlet was an incredible experience. I played the game daily for months, grinding away to complete my Pokedex and build a team I loved. Sure, nobody else would call my crew a “perfect” team. But you know what? They were my team, picked up and trained by me over dozens of hours that made me love each and everyone of them.

After 15 years away from the franchise, most of the Pokemon (even the “old ones”) felt brand new to me. It made every encounter a challenge as I familiarized myself with all 400 of the monsters and the vastly different Types combos available.

I enjoyed the Spain-inspired Paldea region a lot, particularly with the open world aspect that let me wander and explore to my heart’s content. It was fun to get into the online trading aspect, connecting with strangers online as we worked to help each other complete our Pokedex. And I even got to play a Pokemon game cooperatively with my cousin, with both of us battling and exploring Paldea together.

But what really made the experience special — what locked Pokemon Scarlet into this spot all year long — is the way it reignited my love of Pokemon. I’m not just a nostalgic fan of the franchise anymore; I’m an active fan who follows news and thinks about the game regularly. And that’s not something I’ve felt since I was in middle school getting lost in Pokemon Blue, Yellow, and eventually Gold on my Gameboy.

Backlog Awards' Best of 2023 | Winner

Citizen Sleeper isn’t just one of the best games I’ve played this year — it’s one of the best games I’ve played, period. The world is polished yet dirty, a SciFi setting that resonated with me (and particularly my own SciFi novels) by walking the line between crumbling dystopia and promising frontier. The game’s setting is intricate and alive, full of compelling people and unexpected stories.

The characters and their stories were written so well that I felt compelled to do everything. I took my time, sometimes failing objectives for fear that finishing something too early would make me miss out on plot progression or some new discovery.

I cried multiple times. I felt adrenaline rushes and the fury of righteous anger. I got dirty by dipping into underhanded politics, became a cyber-vigilante, sacrificed some people to save others, fought for what I believed in, and betrayed people who trusted me. The game delivers a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and I was obsessed with my unique journey as a Sleeper aboard The Eye.

The phrase “it all comes back to the writing” was going to be the focal point of this summary, but that’s too simple. The music is atmospheric and ambient in all the right ways. Game design is clever and streamlined, merging a sort of “interactive novel” (dialogue-heavy without much “traditional” gameplay) with the dice rolls and systems of a tabletop RPG that I discovered earlier this year. And all of that culminates in a game that is simple on the surface, and yet so beautifully rich in detail no matter how deep you go. It continues to amaze me, and I literally cannot wait for the sequel to release.

2023 in a nutshell

There’s no telling what my life will look like a year from now. Having one child changed a lot; how much more will a second kid affect things? But, at least for now, I’ve got a solid list of 10 (or 11) games I’m happy to recommend, and I’ve already got my list of backlog games to tackle in 2024.

But what about you? Which (if any) of these games did you play? What are your favorites of the year? And, maybe more importantly, what’s in your backlog that you finally get around to this year?

As always: Keep on gaming, even when life gets in the way.