THE MYLESOFBACON GAMES TOP 5 GAMES OF 2023
2023 was an inspiring year for gaming, so much so that it inspired me to pivot careers into the games industry. From small independent releases to big-budget AAA juggernauts, home runs were being hit everywhere all the time. That being said, sitting down to try and narrow down my top 5 favorite games from 2023 quickly became the most significant challenge I’ve faced since launching the MylesOfBacon Games platform. Nevertheless, I’m incredibly excited to present the first ever M.O.B.G. top 5 games of the year.
Before we dive into the M.O.B.G. top 5 games of 2023, I want to acknowledge that while it was a fantastic year for the quality of games that were released, it was a heartbreaking year for thousands of the very people who helped make and bring those games to the forefront. We wouldn’t have anything to celebrate if it were not for the blood, sweat, and tears they pour into the games they make. As gamers, we should do what we can to lift them up during these trying times.
Now for the list! The rules are simple. This is a ranked list, with #5 being the bottom choice and #1 being the M.O.B.G. Game of the Year. Without further ado, here’s #5.
#5: Final Fantasy XVI
IMAGE SOURCE: https://na.finalfantasyxvi.com/
My hesitancy to jump into this franchise came from not knowing where to start, fearing that I wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate everything it had to offer from a lore and storytelling standpoint. After playing Final Fantasy XVI, I no longer have this fear. Not because this is a standalone title, but because I loved it so much that I’m more intrigued than ever to see what brought the franchise to this point. This game broke down those walls for me, opening the floodgates to a history of amazing titles that came before it that I cannot wait to experience.
When it comes to Final Fantasy XVI, its legacy will be built on the sheer spectacle of its boss battles. Never have I experienced the heights that these climactic confrontations offer in any other video game, as they conjure the highest level of every kind of emotion that the story is trying to pull out of you. Though the low points between these battles created what felt like an uneven experience at times, the flashy, fast-paced combat and profoundly emotional and intricately written story more than make up for it. The OST, composed by Masayoshi Soken, is also nothing short of breathtaking, as it does just as much to shape this game’s epic identity as the Eikon battles do. I’ll forever be proud to have had Final Fantasy XVI as my entry point into this legendary franchise.
#4 The Finals
IMAGE SOURCE: MEDIA KIT PROVIDED BY EMBARK STUDIOS
Like Final Fantasy XVI, The Finals also broke ground into a new gaming territory for me. I’ve always shied away from live-service multiplayer shooter games because I’ve always preferred offline single-player experiences. However, just one look at this game's flashy, over-the-top, destructive presentation had me signing up for an open beta as quickly as I could, and I’ve been utterly hooked ever since. I couldn’t see myself putting hundreds of hours into another game from this genre, and here are the reasons why.
Embark Studios has done an incredible job ensuring that the battle pass system in The Finals is fair, non-egregious, and rewarding to push through. This is important, as the live service space has become increasingly less friendly to consumers as more studios move their games into it with aggressive battle pass systems and cash shops. I’ve never felt like I was missing out or unable to make thorough progress through the battle pass system because I didn’t pay for it. However, I did buy the battle pass as a personal decision to show support for the studio. In addition to this, The Finals has an unmistakable style, slick visuals, and combat that is tough but rewarding if you commit to improving yourself at it. And, of course, there’s the world-class destruction, which is unlike anything I have ever seen in any game and is something you must experience for yourself. Though there are some balancing issues among some of the classes, that doesn’t take much away from just how good it feels to play this game, making it a great landing spot for my 4th favorite game of 2023.
#3 Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/news/48271/update-to-pc-system-requirements
Little hasn’t been said about the initial release of Cyberpunk 2077. I certainly won’t be rehashing it here. However, it makes it all the more impressive that we can now look at Cyberpunk today as one of the premier open-world RPGs in that genre. This is owed in no small part to years of updates but also to the DLC expansion “Phantom Liberty,” a spy thriller featuring new characters, a new location, and a new story for V.
Phantom Liberty lands at the #3 spot on this list for two main reasons. First, this expansion makes the Cyberpunk experience feel complete in ways that the base game didn’t. While the point of the game is for you to decide how you handle your fate, I never felt V had the real freedom to choose. This expansion gives us that freedom, thus making the story as a whole feel more complete. Secondly, this expansion improves on every aspect of the base game to provide a deeper Cyberpunk experience. The writing and acting are better. The RPG system, while also enhanced for the base game, is more efficient, and the quality of this story shows us the potential of where CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk universe can go next. When I look back at Phantom Liberty, I see it as the best part of the overall Cyberpunk experience, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
#2 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
IMAGE SOURCE: https://zelda.nintendo.com/tears-of-the-kingdom/
When I first completed The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I frantically began searching for any mention of a possible sequel. This was back in 2019 when there was no word that a sequel would even come. From that moment on, the eventual follow-up to this masterpiece became my most anticipated game for years to come. I spent much of that time wondering how Nintendo could possibly follow up on what they had accomplished with Breath of the Wild. I never lost faith that they would, and boy, did they exceed my expectations with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The version of Hyrule from Breath of the Wild was a vast space filled with endless places to explore and get lost in. However, Nintendo didn’t rest on their laurels; they found creative and unique ways to expand on the existing world in Tears of the Kingdom. Not to mention the addition of the Sky Islands and the surprise inclusion of The Depths, which are also profound expansions to the game’s narrative, and you have one of the largest, most unique open worlds in gaming history. Though the core combat largely remained the same, the new Ultra Hand abilities bolstered it and so many other aspects of this game. These new abilities provide unprecedented and unlimited freedom to fight how you want to, traverse the world how you want to, and solve puzzles how you want to. While traditional game design seeks to give players a box to work their way out of with finite solutions, these new abilities allow you to approach this game and this world with the box wide open.
When I look back at Tears of the Kingdom, I’ll remember it for its emotionally gripping story that masterfully completes the tale started in Breath of the Wild. The confrontation with Ganon was built up over the entirety of both games, making the final battle one of the most pivotal narrative experiences of 2023 for me. The main story beats throughout the game are some of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping moments of any story I played through this year. Tears of the Kingdom lands at the #2 spot for not only satisfying expectations set forth by its predecessor but by exceeding them in ways that I could not have imagined.
#1 Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon - The 2023 MylesOfBacon Games Game of the Year!
IMAGE SOURCE: https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/armored-core/armored-core-vi-fires-of-rubicon
When I preordered my copy of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, I did so not knowing what to expect. Not only had I never played any of the previous titles, but I had never played a mech game, either. That said, I had no expectations for the game or the genre. However, even though it didn’t click with me initially, once the layers of its complicated story and combat systems started to peel back more and more as I progressed through the campaign, I quickly began to realize that Armored Core VI was indeed something special.
From Software game narratives typically revolve around the idea that at the start of the journey, you’re a powerless nobody, but by the end, you’re essentially an all-powerful godlike being. Out of all of the From Software games that adopt this idea, Armored Core VI does it in what I believe to be the most extraordinary way. Becoming the “all-powerful godlike being” in this story means earning the freedom to fight for what you believe in. This narrative pillar is supported by an intricate, complicated, and heartwrenching story about the desire for liberation from corporate greed. In no other game I played last year did I experience a story that made me feel this connected to my choice to fight for what I felt was right. For that reason, it sits as my favorite campaign of 2023.
In addition to the unforgettable story, Armored Core VI boasts incredible combat. The level of customization for weapons and AC builds is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, allowing for endless combat possibilities that fit any play style. Add to this the many boss encounters that all feel fresh owing to the diversity of enemy design, and you have a game that is constantly firing on all cylinders. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is my game of the year because, out of all the fantastic games I had the privilege to play in 2023, this game felt the most complete, and I had the most fun playing it.