3 Up, 3 Down – December 2023
December 2023 was a pretty slow month for video game releases. But that was also expected. There was a shock GOTY contender in December though. And at the very end of November, there were games we had to include in the Good and Bad sections of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from December 2023. Be sure to check out all of the games from our Good section this month, as they scored very high. Without further ado, here are The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from December 2023:
The Good
Asgard’s Wrath 2
***click here for our review***
Asgard’s Wrath 2 is that late GOTY entry I was writing about in the intro to The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from December 2023. It’s a VR RPG designed as a system seller for the Meta Quest 3. It really feels like a game built for VR, and combat is much better for it. Boss fights are an epic highlight. Our reviewer concluded “It’s hands down VR’s Game of the Year”. It’s also likely VR’s best game ever.
The Last Faith
***click here for our review***
The Last Faith is a gorgeous pixel graphics Metroidvania. It has a very dark tone and fantasy world. The monster designs are creative. The gameplay challenge is high, with The Last Faith taking lots of inspiration from Dark Souls. It’s one of the few indie games heavily nominated throughout COGconnected’s GOTY awards, and an easy contender for The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from December 2023. Our reviewer even concluded “if you’ve never played a Soulslike before, this is a good place to start”. All Metroidvania fans should take notice too, especially those who lean towards the “vania” side of things.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
***click here for our review***
Star Ocean: The Second Story was originally released for the PS1, and it’s easily considered the best game in the Star Ocean series. Every game in the franchise has been available on modern consoles, except Star Ocean: The Second Story. The tail end of 2023 finally got the remake of its dreams with Star Ocean: The Second Story R. There are tons of quality of life improvements that make Star Ocean: The Second Story R a contender for best action JRPG ever. Our reviewer found “this remake proves that old games can become new and better than ever”. Don’t write off the past, kids!