That1Panamaniac
Just beat this last night and I already know I'll be thinking about it for the rest of the year. From the gameplay to the story to the characters to the setting. And my god that setting! As much as we've grown to love Japan in this franchise (still can't wait to finally visit Japan irl), the Hawaii setting was an amazing change of pace and experience. This game is packed with content as well and the characters are what really make this franchise at this point. Kasuga might just be the best character yet and although we've seen this kind of character trope in the past, it's one that I just can't help but love. Kindness truly can go a long way and Kasuga continues to exemplify this and even inspire me. Kiryu's story is also handled tremendously here and might even encourage those who haven't played the previous Yakuza titles to go back and give them a shot. Ultimately, this felt like a passing of the torch, and what a hell of a character to pass the torch to! I plan to write a lot more about this one in the future, but as it stands, this is my GOTY so far and I can't imagine they top this! May just be the best Yakuza yet as well.
2024
Tekken is not only the very first fighting game I remember playing but the one I have the fondest memories of as well. So, this was my most anticipated fighting game of the big three coming out and of course, there is bias to that. But man this game not only completely lived up to but far exceeded my expectations and reminded me of why I fell in love with this franchise as a kid. Will be playing this throughout the year from time to time.
2022
I remember this one catching my attention and curiosity early on. Then, a close friend (shout to him) gifted this game to me on Steam for my B-day last year. I just finally got around to finishing the game today and WOW! What an incredible game! It felt like this was made for me. Will look back on this as one of the very best games to release in 2023 which is saying a lot given how insane last year was for gaming.
Expected this to be good, but it far exceeded that! A fantastic game! What a 2023 Nintendo managed to have in an already insane year for gaming in general.
2016
I mean I don't need to talk about how great this is at this point. We all know it so I will just briefly talk about how I eventually ended up playing this instead. So, I got this game and Middle Earth Shadow of War on sale for PS4 at the time these games came out. I played the crap out of Shadow of War, but after a while, I started to notice that game's true colors and its microtransaction infested pay to win BS and so I took the game out and launched it across the room and it landed right next to Persona 5. A game that I've heard oh so much about and haven't even opened it yet. Well, I thought now was the time to see what all the fuss was about, and oh man did this live up! Everything from the story, the characters, the more refined gameplay, and the music (and my god that music!) this is an incredible feat! This joins the ranks of some of the greatest games ever made and even my Discord server is themed after this game till this day. Still need to finish the Royal version, but Vanilla is still an all-timer in its own right!
2020
Criminally underrated! This is an indie gem in every sense of the word. I am still shocked that more people aren't talking about this!?!? I enjoyed every second of this when I played it on my Switch and rebought it on Steam to play on my Steam Deck!
One of the greatest games I've ever played.
2022
One of the very few games that had an overwhelming amount of hype and expectations and yet somehow it far exceeded them. One of the greatest achievements in gaming. For almost any other gaming developer this would be like the penultimate game to end on, but for From Software this was only the beginning.
Joins the OG as one of Rockstar's best and one of the best games ever made.
2010
One of Rockstar's best.
2023
One of the best games ever made... Again!
2011
The best superhero game ever made.
One of the best sequels of all time that somehow manages to build further upon an already masterful game. Still can't believe this not only lived up to the hype and my expectations but far exceeded them. This is simply one of the best games ever made.
2023
A masterclass of a sequel. Completely worth the wait!