Battling the Backlog - 34 Games Completed in 2023: A Brief Summary
Intro
I am a big fan of watching My Life in Gaming yearly backlog videos. Many videogame outlets talk about the games they have completed at the end of each year but they tend to talk about games that released in a certain year, but what makes My Life in Gaming videos different is they mention the games that they have completed that year regardless of when they were released. So a 2024 video could bring up thoughts on games from many different years - one minute they may be talking about a PlayStation 5 game then the next minute they may talk about a game that was released on the Super Nintendo. Below is their latest video on the games they played in 2023:
Inspired, I decided to list the games I completed in 2023 and briefly summarise some thoughts about each title.
Games Completed in chronological order:
Tekken 7
WWE 2K22
Home is Where One Starts
Soul Calibur VI
Remember Me
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Severed Steel
Saturnalia
Call of the Sea
Asura's Wrath
Forged in Shadow Torch
Dreams
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Simulacrum - Chapter One
Sonic Origins Plus
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Stuntman: Ignition
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
Sonic Time Twisted (Fan Game)
Okami HD
Delca's Tomb Raider Legend Demake (TRLE)
Sorcery
Battletoads
The House of the Dead 4
WWE 2K23
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Escape from the Dragon's Lair (TRLE)
Nordic Adventure (TRLE)
Final Fantasy VIII Remaster
Stray
Daymare 1998
Sabatu's Tomb Raider Gold (TRLE)
Stats
2023 Completions
1. Tekken 7 Story Mode
Story mode starts off rather bland, but gets better. Not a huge fighting fan but been having fun with Tekken 7. Tekken 8 has just been released. Now I am excited to play Tekken 8, but how long will it take before I actually play it?
2. WWE 2K22
First WWE game I have played since 2016. Compared to 2016 the wrestlers seem to have a nice feel in weight difference.
Downloaded a bunch of custom wrestlers and have been invested in the Universe mode with my custom WWF attitude era, WCW and ECW dream matches.
3. Home is Where One Starts
Okay interactive short. Not really Much else to say - it was fine.
4.Soul Calibur VI
Another fighting game I played and enjoyed despite not being a huge fan of fighting games. I have only briefly played every mainline Soul Calibur before VI and only own entry number four and five (mainly to play as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, because I love the old school Assassin Creed games - especially the Ezio years).
5.Remember Me
Started in 2015 and reached episode 3 but gave up as I became frustrated with the combat at a certain point and felt the game was not for me. I decided to revisit this game and give it another chance in 2023.
I started the game from the start as I could not remember (no pun intended) my original time with the game. This time I absolutely loved my time with Remember Me and strangely I had no problem with episode 3 this time.
There are many things I like about this title; the art direction, the memory rewinding, neo Paris. The combat I find is fun and resembles the Batman Arkham games, but the combo building can be confusing at first. Overall, Remember Me is a unique title and engaging experience.
6.Max Payne 2
Enjoyed more than the first game as I felt it had more variety in levels and story. You can definitely see the elements of world and story building that would make Alan Wake, Control and Quantum Break such great experiences.
7.Severed Steel
Claimed for free on Epic. Short and chaotic.
8.Saturnalia
Interesting horror game.
9.Call of the Sea
Short fun adventure. Felt a little like Myst but easier.
10.Asura's Wrath
Played this game many years ago on the PlayStation 3 and enjoyed my time, but was annoyed that the true ending was in later DLC. Now, it is many years later and I saw the complete edition on sale in the Xbox Store for a fair price, so I decided to download and finally experience the proper ending.
It has been long enough since I played the PS3 version that I have forgotten the story so I played through the short game again along with the DLC.
It is even better than I remember and I also read recently that the true ending DLC was intended to be contained in a sequel that was never made because the game did not sell enough for a sequel to be made - so a comprise was made to finish the story through DLC.
11.Forged In Shadow Torch
Claimed for free on Epic. A fun Metroid - Vania type of game. Combat is fun and some later bosses can be tough, but I think there may be some adaptive difficulty and they felt easier to beat after 2nd or 3rd attempt. I enjoy exploring maps on Metroid Vania games and this is no different - nearly 100% every map. I thought this game would be quite short but it took me nearly 20 hrs to fully explore the game.
12.Dreams
Played through Arts dream which could be considered the main campaign story mode. Dreams is basically a game engine for developers to create games and share them on the PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles in a similar manner to Itch.io or GameJolt on the PC.
I am not a developer and just wanted to experience dreams and the various games/levels from creators. The games that I have experienced so far are mixed when it comes to quality. But it is genuinely amazing the high bar that some creators have set where some games feel like they were developed on a different engine.
So far some of the highlights have been:
Silent Hills - Someone decided to create their own version of what the story could have been from this cancelled entry in the Silent Hill series. As a fan of Silent Hill I really appreciated this possible story that was created and Twin Peaks fans will understand some of the references included. Although, I think some of the combat sections can be rather clunky and wish they had just been included as dialogue sections.
A rather nice recreation of PT which was a Playable Teaser for Silent Hills which can no longer be downloaded through the PSN.
Tomb Raider PS1 Inspired - This is a short but great celebration to the original Tomb Raider games. Who knew that sounds of the original PlayStation CD loading could feel so nostalgic.
A cat in the box - A number of community levels where you go through areas in a small, but giant carboard box (Think of the Tardis from Dr Who)
Ethan goes to work - Combat can be clunky but this comedic platformer is a blast.
Cubric - An interesting puzzle platformer with rotating cubes.
Into the Unknown - A short Portal and the Witness type of first person puzzler.
Turbo Drift/Frontier - Interesting racing games.
Peak Speed - Retro graphic inspired Outrun type arcade racer.
Overall, I think this is a game I will revisit every so often if I want some bitesize adventures.
13.Resident Evil 4 Remake
I have a difficult relationship with the original RE 4 - on one hand I enjoyed it and thought it was a good action horror game, but on the other hand it seemed to be distancing itself from the survival horror that made the franchise so interesting for me to experience. Since then RE 5 and RE 6 were released I felt that with every new release I was enjoying the franchise less and less. Then RE 7 was released and it felt like the franchise was returning to its survival roots with an interesting first person perspective. RE 7 was the first instalment of the series that I really loved since the old fixed camera games. I always preferred the slower paced games where it felt more rewarding to strategize with inventory management and ammo conservation.
When the RE 4 remake was first announced I was a little disappointed that Code Veronica was not the next to be remade after the amazing remake of RE 2 and the good remake of RE 3 (after all, Code Veronica seemed to feel like a mainline game and had quite a grand feel to it). I was also secretly hoping that instead of remaking the fourth game in the series that came out in the mid 2000s the game would be based on the more survival prototypes that ended up being scraped in favour of the more action horror that came out. I was thinking they could have created it as an 'alternate timeline' where the prototype happened instead of the events of the original RE 4. So both RE4 games could exist side by side.
I decided to give RE 4 a chance despite it not being based on one of the fixed perspective RE titles - and I am extremely glad I did. While it is quite an action packed game it does have some elements of the survival horror type of Capcom's past RE titles, I found myself actually enjoying the remake more than the original RE4.
Out of the three recent remakes of the franchise, despite me saying that the remake is better than the original I found the remake of the second game to be the most enjoyable. Below is a brief summary of my thoughts on the three RE remakes:
RE 2 Remake
I feel this is almost as good as the original, but sadly does not have the zapping system of the original and there sadly seems to be less interaction between Claire and Leon between all the scenarios, but overall it is a very enjoyable experience, especially with what they did with Mr X!
RE 3 Remake
I was so hyped for an RE 3 Nemesis remake - with what Capcom did with Mr X in RE 2 remake I thought how cool it would be to deal with the Nemesis following you about Racoon City in a similar vain, but sadly the Nemesis seemed to only appear during scripted events and boss fights. (I wonder if Capcom listened too much to people that found Mr X to be too stressful in RE2 remake? The best part of RE 2 remake was trying to strategize around Mr X following you throughout the game) I do think RE3 remake is a good game but could have been great if they had implemented the Nemesis to work like Mr X and not cut out nearly half of the original game. RE 3 remake is only half as good as the original.
RE remake 4 to summarize I think the game takes a good action horror game (RE 4 original) and improves its gameplay in many ways to create a great action horror game that manages to include some survival horror elements - it has a better balance between action horror and survival horror than the original, but it still tends to lean more to the action side of horror as a whole.
Overall, RE original, RE 1 Remake, RE 2, RE 3, RE Code Veronica X, RE O, RE 2 Remake and RE 3 Remake are RE games I prefer over RE4 (which I do enjoy just not as much as many other fan seem to), so I am extremely surprised I enjoyed the remake of the fourth game in the series as much as I did.
So to summarize the summary of RE remakes with the addition of the first remake that was released in the 2000s decade.
RE 1 Remake = better than the amazing and pioneering original.
RE 2 Remake = almost as good as the original second game but the original did some things better that mean it cannot be toppled.
RE 3 Remake = only half as good as the original RE 3. It plays well, but sadly cuts out too much content and Nemesis being stuck to scripted sequences and boss fights mean that the original version remains the best version.
RE 4 Remake = better than the original version - adds more actual horror elements in the remake, but still remains very action focussed. I think the problem I have with the original is that the tank controls do not work well with the shift in camera and the more action focus of RE 4 original. The free movement of the character just works better in the remake - and this is coming from a person that loves tank controls in games with a fixed perspective camera angle!
So, to summarize the summary of the summary (?) my thoughts are that Remake 1 and 4 are the only remakes that better the original, while the remake of 2 comes close and the remake of 3 is the most disappointing but it is still worth playing.
14.Simulacrum - Chapter One
Simulacrum is a short old style type of survival horror game that you can download for free from Game Jolt.The game was released around 2020 - 2021 and I only recently found out about it through Avalache Reviews YouTube channel.
It is heavenly inspired by the Silent Hill series and I found the first chapter to be an enjoyable old skool Silent Hill type experience. It gave me Silent Hill 1, 3 and 4 vibes and probably some SH 2 touches as well. Anyone who loved playing Silent Hill 1 - 4 should experience this. I really hope that the developer is still working on chapter 2 as I would love to continue on the journey of Simulacrum.
I really am enjoying the resurgence of fixed camera survival horror that is happening with indie developers at the moment.
15.Sonic Origins Plus
Definitive way to play these classics. Anniversary mode allows for the collection of coins rather than lives. The coins add to an overall total across each game. Coins can be used to unlock bonus items such as music, videos and pictures in the museum mode. The coins can also be used to retry bouns stages if you fail - I feel this is a good addition as the bonus stages can be frustrating as if it is easy to fail if you accidently mess up even slightly.
I always enjoyed attempting to collect all the Chaos emeralds through the special stages in the classic Sonic games with Sonic 3 and Knuckles being my favourite. Despite popular opinion I never really enjoyed the Sonic 2 special stages, but they have had a nice graphical improvement, but I still do not enjoy playing them.
The anniversary editions make some quality of life improvements such as saving automatically at checkpoints so you can come back at a later point and continue. Back in the day Sonic 1 and 2 did not have a save function and the third game in the series introduced saving but it would only save at the start of a new zone - if you could not get through act 2 of a zone you would have to play through act 1 again.
There are boss rush modes for each game which are great fun. Missions for each game have been included and they are kind of like the NES Remix games that came out on the Wii U and 3DS.
Also you can unlock cheat menus for each game and in Sonic 1 this allows Sonic 2 and 3 power ups to be used - although I feel you should play through the games without cheats at first for a satisfying challenge.
Overall, this feels like a labour of love for the classic Sonic games and is a great way of replaying the games in a new way. Although one negative is that some of the great Sonic 3 tracks have been replaced (probably to do with the Michael Jackson rights). You can always listen to those tracks through another device and play along. Also I noticed that you cannot damage the bosses straight away like you could in the originals - this will probably annoy speedrunners - I got used to it and it added more challenge rather than just being able to spam hit the boss at the start of each fight.
16.The Dark Pictures Anthology - House of Ashes
Since Until Dawn I have been playing these Darkside pictures interactive movie games. Really enjoyed this one. Always enjoy finding out the different permutations of the story and the characters.
17.The Dark Pictures Anthology - The Devil in Me
More of the same as House of Ashes but better!
18.Condemned: Criminal Origins
Interesting use of forensic tools to break the combat.
Slow creeping atmosphere that some will find boring, but I like the slowness as I find it more interesting rather having everything hit you every second without a break.
Very different from the usual First Person games. Melee combat heavy. Sometimes will find firearm but will only have ammo of around 3 - 6 which keeps things interesting.
19.Stuntman: Ignition
I am pretty bad at this game.
It is a good idea for a game but I did not enjoy much about it.
You can see the developers were very inspired by various classic action movies and TV shows.
The trailers for each movie were quite enjoyable.
20.Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
I am not a hardcore fighting fan but recently I have been playing more fighting games. I have recently been playing Tekken 7 and enjoyed it a lot. I decided to buy Tag Tournament 2 as I enjoyed playing the original on the Playstation 2. I decided to buy the Wii U version of the game instead of the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions because it includes previous DLC on disc and I wanted to try the Nintendo exclusive mode.
The Nintendo exclusive 'mushroom' mode is a fun odd distraction from the main modes. Your fighter can increase in size (Mario style) by collecting the mushroom or you can become invincible for a time by collecting the Mario star. The mode is interesting but can wear thin quite quickly.
I think the Wii U is probably the best version of the game as it comes with the extra fighters that I believe were DLCs in the other versions.
21Sonic Time Twisted (Fan Game)
Very impressive Sonic fan game.
It seems to be in the vain of both Sonic CD and Sonic 3 + Knuckles. Like Sonic CD the game has future and past versions of the levels. One thing I like about this over Sonic CD is using the time posts is better implemented in that you just have to go past a post fast for you to go into the future or the past whereas in Sonic CD it could be a pain to go fast enough to travel in time in many levels that were just not really designed to go fast.
The boss battles in this game felt a bit hit or miss - some I really liked while others felt out of place in a classic Sonic game.
Overall I enjoyed my time with Sonic Time Twisted but it is not quite as good as another Sonic fan game I played recently which was a remake of the Game Gear game Sonic Triple Trouble.
22.Okami HD
I have had a rather odd past with Okami. I originally bought the game for the PlayStation 2 and I could not get into it as the introduction tutorial was rather tedious and long.
I then decided to buy the Wii version a few years later because I remembered hearing good things about the motion controls for the brush mechanics.
When I played the Wii game I found that the controls were quite intuitive for the brush mechanics but controlling the character with the Wii controls was rather frustrating so I decided to stop playing. I was enjoying the game but the Wii controls were just too much.
Then the HD version came out on the Playstation 4 and I wanted to give the game another chance. I played the game for 2 hours on the PS4 and was enjoying my time, but for whatever reason I stopped and did not return. So, a number of years later I decided to return to the land of Okami and revisit my old 2 hour save and pick up where I left from (So far I have tried to remember what I was doing in my old save and I am really enjoying the experience so far).
*Update*
I have finally finished the game and WOW!! what an experience. This game has now become one of my favourite games I have ever played and I cannot believe it has taken me so long to finally play through the game.
I started this game on the PlayStation 2 and only played for a little bit and I bought the HD version for the PlayStation 4 in 2018. Since than I have bought a new console - PlayStation 5. Thankfully the PS5 is backwards compatible with many PS4 games.
In a strange way I am glad I waited for the PS4 HD version as it has quicker loading times and enhanced visuals, although the unique oil painting look has aged quite well even without HD upgrades compared to many other games from the same generation.
The game really feels like playing a Zelda game between the Ocarina of Time and before The Breath of the Wild Zelda titles - although I think the controls are better in Okami than the N64 to Wii Zelda titles.
Now I want to try the prequel Okamiden that was released on the Nintendo DS only.
23.Delca's Tomb Raider Legend Demake (TRLE)
This is a pretty incredible demake of Crystal Dynamics first Tomb Raider title. This has been created using the Tomb Raider Level Editor and the Next Gen Level editor.
While Tomb Raider Legend is my least favourite of the Legend trilogy I still am really impressed with this demake. I love the concept of what Legend could look like if the original development team were to create the game.
This first chapter covers the first 4 levels of Tomb Raider Legend.
I especially apprieciated the fact that Delca (the creator) included Croft Manor as a playable level - it sure is interesting to run around in Crystal's version in the grid based desgin of the classic Tomb Raiders.
Anyway, I hope the other chapters will be released covering the rest of Legend.
It truely is incredible to see fans still make classic Tomb Raider levels/games. TRLE.net and TRCustoms.org list over 3000 level sets, which is a lot of classic Tomb Raiding a feat that is both exciting and daunting.
24.Sorcery
Fun little adventure.
Suprised how good it feels considering it is a PlayStation Move motion controlled single player adventure game.
It feels more enjoyable than a number of PlayStation Move games I have played in the past.
Motion controls can seem off sometimes when trying to hit higher up targets.
I think the game does become more enjoyable the further into the adventure.
Not bad for £1.00.
25.Battletoads Arcade
Played on the Rare Replay compilation disc.
An enjoyable arcade game which I thought was better than the original console game that was released.
I like side scrolling beat-em ups to have nice big sprites and this title does not disappoint.
26.House of the Dead
Not a huge lightgun fan but I enjoyed a few titles of the genre (such as House of the Dead 2/3, Dead space and the Resident Evil Chronicles games) on the Wii with the motion controls.
I heard on a few YouTube videos that House of the Dead 4 was only released for the PlayStation 3 console and that it used the Move controller.
Decided to buy House of the Dead 4 while it was still on the store.
It is a short arcade lightgun game. Not really much to say - it is enjoyable enough to play. Short and sweet.
27.WWE 2K23
I was surprised how much I enjoyed 2K22 (I had not bought a new wrestling game since WWE 13). So I ended up buying 2K23.
Played the game in bitesize chunks over a few months in between more story driven titles.
Showcase Mode - Decent enough mode playing through highlighted matches from John Cena's career. Unlike previous showcase modes where you control the 'showcase' wrestler this time you play as other wrestlers trying to beat Cena - which was an interesting twist. I went through this mode rather quickly, but it felt like it was the right length.
My Rise - Enjoyable enough mode where you play as a created female and male character in 2 seperate campaigns. The mode feels like there is a bit more story to it than WWE 2K22 but sometimes it can drag in places. I played this mode in bitesize chunks over a few weeks as I found it alright but I really played to unlock the extra wrestlers and arenas that I wanted to use in Universe Mode. Sometimes I was having fun with this mode, but other times I felt like it dragged and was rather bland story wise.
I spent the bulk of my time in Universe Mode. In 2k22 I made a Universe Mode based on WCW, WWF and ECW late 90s/early 2000 eras. In 2K23 Universe Mode I decided to create an old eras type of WCW/WWF/WWE and ECW experience - I don't really watch wrestling these days but I enjoy playing the legend characters along with some (but not many) of the current wrestlers.
I knda wish they would scrap My Rise and (maybe) GM mode and use those resources to invest more into WWE Universe - no doubt that will upset those that like those modes, but they feel to me rather half baked.
28.Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Not a huge Star Wars fan but it looked very Uncharted which made me very interested.
Recently bought original trilogy with original cuts.
Feels like a mix of Uncharted with elements of Metroidvania progression and Prince of Persia wall running.
Could the cancelled Star Wars 1313 have been like this game?
Bratac from Stargate is in it!
29.Escape from the Dragon's Lair (TRLE)
An original ex staff member worked on this expansion level for Tomb Raider II.
This custom level was released in 2019 and is meant to be an extra level set after the Dragons Lair.
I only recently learned of the existence of this level via Seth Mackenzie's video entitled 'The Secret Classic Tomb Raider Games You've Never Heard of!'
The level is a tough platform centric experience with some combat. I reccommend that fans of the orginal Tomb Raider II should try this level for themselves.
If this is indeed created through an ex Core Designer then it is an amazing gift to Tomb Raider fans.
30.Nordic Adventure (TRLE)
Another great custom Tomb Raider level you could mistake for an official expansion that was release during the original adventures.
This TRLE adventure is made up of four levels set in the Tomb Raider 1 engine.
Each level is varied and really does feel like an expansion to the original Tomb Raider.
More information and the level itself can be found here.
31.Final Fantasy VIII Remaster
Finally after all these years I have decided to sit down and play Final Fantasy VIII.
Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG I every played and I experienced it on the Playstation 1 when it was originally released.
I remember enjoying the seventh entry in the series but I never played another Final Fantasy until number 10 on the PlayStation 2.
I have never been a huge RPG or Final Fantasy fan in general, to date I have only played 7,10, and Remake 7 part 1 (not that many at all).
With the release of Final Fantasy VIII Remastered on current consoles I decided to finally see what I missed out on in Squaresoft's penultimate PS1 Final Fantasy title. (And if i really enjoy the title I may also check out Final Fantasy IX).
*Update*
Glad I finally played this entry in the Final Fantasy series. It really felt strange and nostaligic to play a Playstation 1 era final fantasy game for the first time since number 7 was released back in the day. I enjoyed exploring the old world map they used to have in these games.
I did find the Junction system a little confusing a times but overall I enjoyed the game.
32.Stray
You play as a cat with a backpack in a post apocalyptic future where robots are all that is left of humanity .... and there is a meow button!
Need I say more?
At various points in the game you can curl up in a ball and sleep while the soothing sound of purring will emanate from your controller - there is even a trophy/achievement for sleeping for a whole hour (I didn't get that one though).
It is cat-tastic!
33.Daymare 1998
Believe project started as a fan remake of Resident Evil 2, but was stopped by Capcom.
Apparently Capcom invited the team to their headquarters to show them that an official remake of the second game was in development (which was eventually released positive reviews).
This title feels that it is a reworking of the fan remake of Resident Evil 2.
Daymare 1998 can feel clunky at times but the further I played the more I felt I was enjoying my time with the title.
Found I enjoyed the old skool survival horror feeling of Daymare 1998.
34.Sabatu's Tomb Raider Gold (TRLE)
Sabatus expansion to Tomb Raider 1.
As usual the desgin of Sabatu's level sets can be fiendishly difficult, but I am very thankful that the save anywhere is an option.
The traditional save crystals from the original Tomb Raider console versions are also an option for those wanting an even more challenging experience.
This level set may be even more of a challenge than Sabatu's excellent reimaging of Tomb Raider 1. The first level of Sabatu's Tomb Raider Gold took me almost 3 hours to complete! Although I was taking me time to savour the experience but even with that in mind that is still a long time!
Sabatu's Tomb Raider Gold even has an intro and ending sequence, something that I have never seen in the few other Tomb Raider level sets I have played before, and it is a welcome inclusion.
Another welcome inclusion is the odd bit of dialouge that has been included - of Lara thoughts - where they are included to a suitable level to not feel intrusive (afterall, a big reason I love Tomb Raider 1 is the sense of isolation that is felt while exploring some ancient tombs).
That last level .... wow!
STATS
So that is my list of games that I completed in the year 2023. Out of all (number games) completed a whopping total number of THREE games that were actually released in 2023 and they were Resident Evil 4 remake (a remake of a game that came out in 2005) and Sonic Origins Plus (a compilation of remastered retro games from the 90s). It should also be noted that Sonic Origins was originally released as a digital title in 2022 and was rereleased with a physical version containing extra DLC. WWE 2K23 was the third game in this list to be released in 2023. So ... technically that is only one game I completed which was actually truely new for 2023.
4 games were not actually retail releases and are fan mods/games that can be downloaded for free. 3 were TRLEs (Tomb Raider Level Editor) and 1 was a Fan Game.
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