At last, 2023 is in its coffin. Because of the abundance of incredible games that have been launched this year, many would immediately declare 2023 to be among the best years for gaming in a long time. This, however, does not take into account the over 7,000 workers that have been let go from different game studios around the country only this year. It also fails to acknowledge the numerous well-known industry veterans who have lost their jobs, such as Mary Kirby, who wrote the character of the adored Varric in the Dragon Age television series. Remember the persecution of workers like Leona Faren, who alleges she was driven out of Bethesda after disclosing her transgender identity, and the abuses and harassment inflicted upon the industry by large corporations like Bethesda. Another terrible development is Microsoft’s disastrous acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, a blatant violation of antitrust regulations that the software behemoth is all too familiar with (they still have their sights set on Nintendo). Last but not least, rather than genuinely coming out in support of game developers, the purported mouthpieces of the industry, such as The Game Awards, are more interested in gloating and self-aggrandizement.
If there’s one positive development, it’s that a growing number of gamers are realizing how horrible these experiences are and calling for better treatment of the people who create these games instead of sneering at CEOs. The number of people who used to ask, “Can’t we just enjoy games?” is steadily declining. An increasing number of studios are going union, with SEGA’s AEGIS currently among the biggest in the business (in spite of SEGA’s sabotage). Even with this year’s big releases, people are still supporting the industry’s smaller games. Take the.hack fandom, which is a reimagining of the PS2.hack titles, or the outcry against Dave the Diver from Nexon being called a “indie game.” Additionally, players were able to put the video game giant Epic under pressure to pay Hato Moa, the author of the well-loved visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend, a sizable sum of royalties that had been unpaid for a few years.
Naturally, I will always remember the games. The Resident Evil 4 remake by CAPCOM skillfully combined the corny one-liners and himbo protagonist of the original Resident Evil game with a more grounded and realistic gameplay experience. (It’s fitting that the Dead Space remake, which maintained the connection between these two iconic third-person survival horror games, was likewise excellent.) The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection sold gangbusters globally, proving that there is still a lot of affection for the Blue Bomber’s digital adventures. CAPCOM also laughed all the way to the bank. Even though the U.S. game industry still looks down on “JRPGs,” Final Fantasy XVI’s developers listened to reason and included POC people in the tale while creating a fun blockbuster full of poignant, emotional moments. Well done. Square Enix’s Octopath Traveller II captured the hearts of gamers all around the world and stoked their appetites for the highly anticipated HD-2D Dragon Quest III remake, which is set to release next year, thereby leading to the graceful continuation of the HD-2D movement. With Armored Core VI, FromSoft went back to its science-fiction beginnings, and fans of Dark Souls as well as devoted Ravens embraced the move. Fans of Street Fighter 6 are eager to destroy the faces of the game’s numerous new characters, including the wonderfully poisonous A.K.I., and its gracefully aging cast members. The game has done a good job of correcting the mistakes of its predecessor.
The year of the remakes saw many films, including Dead Space and Resident Evil 4, reimagining their franchises for a fresh audience. Super Mario RPG, the cherished SNES classic, was unmatched by any of Nintendo’s incredible remakes, which shocked the world with titles like Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, Kirby: Return to Dreamland Deluxe, and Metroid Prime: Remastered. The game has not only held up well over time, but Nintendo also given it a lot of love and care with the new features and even the opportunity to have a rearranged soundtrack that is on par with the original work by Yoko Shimomura. With the release of Star Ocean: The Second Story R, Square Enix revitalized the Star Ocean franchise by introducing a new generation of fans to Tri-Ace’s renowned science-fiction series in a stunning HD-2D visual format. Like A Dragon: Ishin! introduces Kiryu Kazuma’s Chanbara journey to a fresh audience, featuring an abundance of novel elements (such as an appearance by Nyatasha Nyanners).
Every year is special for Nintendo and their cherished Jumpman, Mario. Even if his film endeavor was only somewhat successful at the box office, Nintendo managed to keep Mario in the public eye. The brilliant Super Mario Wonder served as a wonderful reminder of several important points, like the importance of senior design team, the value of inspired art styles above raw graphics, the feeling of playing a decent platformer, and the importance of giving games adequate time to develop. The Super Mario RPG remake was one thing. Though for very different reasons, the news of the forthcoming Princess Peach: Showtime! and the utterly unworthy Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake are also fandom-fueling. Sadly, 2023 was not all fun and happiness in the Mushroom Kingdom as Charles Martinet hung up his voice of Mario, capping an incredible thirty-odd years of a career that began with a few appearances at trade shows. Kevin Afghani, who I hope has an equally long and distinguished career voicing everyone’s favorite plumber, will take over in his place.
Additionally, 2023 was the year of the underdog and the triumph of the dark horse. Baldur’s Gate 3 and its patient need to be given incubation before they are exposed to the sun. However, some lesser-known games have also merited attention. As I noted earlier, Star Ocean has a new lease of life, but news of Nintendo’s impending Another Code remakes, which will reunite fans with Ashley Robbins after 19 years, also deserves notice. With the help of smiling fruit, Suika Game transformed from a Vtuber curiosity to a beloved game among fans. Not to mention Success, who, after sixteen years of retirement, brought everyone’s favorite jobless ninja, Izuna, back out of retirement. And it’s not only the games; the drive for unionization, AEGIS’s accomplishments, and the united support of gamers and those who support them give us optimism that, despite all the negative things that happened in 2023, 2024 will be a better year. There’s optimism, and plenty of it. Claimed to be “too big to fail” institutions have already fallen, either through arrogance or mobilization. Furthermore, passion and unity will always triumph over greed in the end.
We are capable of this. We have our current pals and those we will make in the future.
