Join Liv as she shares some of the amazing and unique games she played in 2023!
Pyre
Developer: Supergiant Games
Platforms: PS4 and PC
My Playtime: 10 hours
The first time I heard about Pyre was through a Reddit post. Someone described it as “wizard basketball” and that was enough for me to try it out! A match consists of 2 teams with 3 players each. Each team attempts to destroy the opposing pyre by launching an orb into it. The goal is to whittle the pyre down to 0 health to win the game. The player can only control one character at a time by passing the orb to another teammate. In order to play defense, the other team has special abilities to banish a player (temporarily removing them from the game) to steal the orb and try to score. Essentially, wizard basketball as someone described to me!
The campaign mode in Pyre is about the journey to freedom through playing this sport. Along the way, you find new companions you can recruit to your team. After completing a set amount of games, there will be a championship game where the winning team will release 1 player back to society. This game is strategic and fun if you are looking for a sports-esque video game with a wonderful narrative. I’d highly recommend this game for people who think the typical sports video game genre is becoming monotonous.
Passpartout The Starving Artist
Developer: Flamebait Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC
My Playtime: 6 hours
Want to be an artist in your real life, but don’t know how to get started? Try Passpartout The Starving Artist to kickstart your fictional art career! In hilarious fashion, the player paints and tries to sell art pieces to survive your expensive wine and baguette addiction. Depending on the art you create, you will attract a niche clientele who will appreciate your artstyle. As you progress in your career, you will move to new locations and earn more money! Your art can lead you to many different paths to success which unlocks new painting tools, locations, and story endings.
I have played through this game twice so far and it is an absolute joy! I thought it might be challenging to paint with a joystick, but it works out quite nicely. If you’re looking for an art game, then be sure to check this one out! There is a sequel to Passpartout The Starving Artist, but I haven’t played it yet. I am looking forward to continuing my fictional art career in the future!
A Plague Tale Requiem
Developer: Focus Entertainment
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
My Playtime: 15 hours
A Plague Tale Requiem released during the tail end of 2022, so I didn’t have time to play it until this year. Requiem continues Amica and Hugo’s journey of handling the macula and a cure. This is the sequel to A Plague Tale Innocence which does its predecessor justice in every conceivable way. Some of my biggest gripes with the first game was the lack of accessibility features. For games that are stealth heavy, I do enjoy the flexibility of adjusting the game difficulty and having enemy awareness indicators. In the sequel, the player has the ability to adjust the settings to have the best experience possible.
The level design in the second game is very beautiful. This is a linear game with semi open world sections which allows the player to explore. While you explore these areas, you will come across optional puzzles, collectibles, and moments you can share with Hugo. It’s the small breaths of fresh air you get before a grueling sequence with all the forces against you. If you enjoyed A Plague Tale Innocence, then be sure to check our Requiem as it is a major improvement to an already stellar game.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos DLC
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
My Playtime: 10 hours
The Outer Worlds is a narrative RPG game with the ability to be as nice or as evil as your heart desires. I love the silliness in The Outer Worlds and this story DLC is a wonderful treat. If you’re a fan of murder mysteries, then this DLC is absolutely for you! You become an investigator to solve a murder on the planet of Eridanos. You can choose to actually solve the murder or accuse and jail whoever you want which is the beauty of the chaotic nature of The Outer Worlds.
I am a big fan of The Outer Worlds and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. This DLC was very fun as I am a fan of investigating mysteries in video games, so I’d highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for more content in The Outers Worlds universe.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Developer: Sumo Digital
Platforms: PS5 and PC
My Playtime: 15 hours
I typically do not enjoy platformer games, but Sackboy: A Big Adventure was quite enjoyable! Typically, I feel as though platformer games do not have a strong narrative which is mostly why I enjoy pla
ying video games. The narrative of Sackboy is very silly, but the gameplay was very engaging! As a 3-D platformer game, the environment is very interactive and there are various items players can use as weapons. The best part of this game is messing with your friends! Sackboy can be played solo or co-op and I highly recommend the latter! You can pick up friends and carry them around or cause chaos by throwing them off the map. Another aspect I really enjoy about this game is the character customization. There are many familiar faces of notable PlayStation characters such as Ellie from The Last of Us or Kratos from God of War, but the best part is mixing and matching aspects of various characters!
Sackboy: A Big Adventure was a pleasant surprise as it is not a game that I typically play, but it was an absolute delight nonetheless! I encourage you to check out this platformer game with your friends even if this genre is normally not your style.
You may have a lot of games in your backlog, but as you read through my brief reviews; I hope you consider adding one of these to your catalog! As there are many great games in 2023, I wanted to take time to explore games I missed out on over the years.
BIO: Liv writes for Podcasters United. When she's not gaming, she's watching sports! Looking for more of Liv’s video game and sports takes? Follow her over on Twitter:
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