Our 2023 end of year awards!!

It can't be said enough how high-caliber and top-quality 2023 was for games. Years down the line, I'd say we'll look back on this year similar to how we did in 2007 and 2011. From large AAA adventures from established IP's to brand new stories told through heart-to-heart conversation and experiences to just over-the-top off-the-wall video game ass video games we had it all. Joining in on the end-of-year activities, we're going to be going over our top games of 2023—or, more like, favorite games we played in 2023. As we have already played a whopping nine games, let's see here, uh, *checks notes*, nine games that were actually released in 2023. Let's face it, we were playing old games and catching up on forgotten gems; they don't call us BadlandsBACKLOGS for nothing. Instead of a traditional top 10 list, we're going to go the category route with things we feel each of these games really nails, plus we just want to have fun with them and celebrate video games.

The game that made us pick up our Switch
Winner: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Welcome to the only end-of-year list that will feature Kingdom Battle in it. My Nintendo Switch outside of Pokemon has sat collecting dust since Mario Odyssey was released. Not to say it's a bad system, but the games don't really hit as hard for me as they used to. Off a random memory of starting Kingdom Battle when it launched, I shook off the cobwebs and booted it up. The next 4 evenings after work were spent grinding through the story and actually enjoying myself quite a bit. I eventually found myself hunting some of the bonus stages as well. Combat that blends together in a simple yet beautiful manner has you cheering for yourself when you successfully pull off bounces or knock enemies against each other for that little extra damage. With a soundtrack done by my favorite Rare composer, Grant Kirkhope, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a joy that I wasn't expecting to return to in 2023.

The oldest game we finally beat for the first time
Winner: Super Mario 64.

Coming off of Kingdom Battle, I was still in the mood to be a Switch kind of guy for another week or so, and from my carrying case, there was a cartridge staring me down. Something I've played countless times and 100%-ed the earlier parts, but something I've never actually rolled credits on. The 3D platformer that truly brought in the next generation was Super Mario 64. Yes, yes, I know anarchy. "I'm a fake gamer," the internet shouted from the rooftops, but I'll be honest, as a kid, I only had room for Banjo Kazooie in my heart. I respected Mario 64 and what it meant and continues to represent; it just wasn't for me. Finishing it all these years later with only slightly tinted nostalgia shades really puts parts of the game on blast for me. Later levels, especially with Joy-Cons, are near impossible to navigate and feel like a chore to sit through, but the charm and theme park-like design are enough to make playing through just as enjoyable as it was back then.

The game that made me return to it and fall in love again
Winner: Halo Infinite
I was 100% all in on Halo Infinite leading up to launch. I used my yearly week-long stay-cation for its release and was even slightly getting back into the E-Sports side of things along with many others. After the first few weeks and queueing solo consistently, I simply quit the game. Reward progression was off, and every single thing felt forced through the shop, which was a stark contrast to MCC, which has stayed on constant rotation for me. I was done quitting cold turkey for 2 years, never returning while they quietly worked and added to the game, trying to breathe new life into the shell of a Halo game. Then the Halo 3 revival began this year; Game Fuel was back, and with it, a new map was added to Halo Infinite. But not just one map; a whole handful of recreated Halo 3 maps are needed to celebrate this event. Infinite was reinstalled, and I was back in, experiencing all the new and remade maps. Relearning the ins and outs of combat and how to maneuver battles while keeping the upper hand. Customization had opened up and didn't feel as restricted or greedy to acquire and use. It finally feels like the game was supposed to be on day one, and it's thriving with an active, passionate community again, with me included.

The best indie game pushing for diversity
Winner: Venba
I can't say enough about how much I love Venba. A game that combines my passion for cooking and shines a spotlight on a culture that is more often than not overlooked in the world of games. Perfect. Venba opened my eyes firsthand to something that people like Kahlief Adams have been pushing for years. Lack of diversity. Throughout the past 2-3 generations, at least we've had complaints and articles written about "generic white guy number one plastered to the front of game cases." When we don't spread out the diversity of game leaders and focus on only one group of people to market to, this is what happens. However, you get a culturally diverse group of people from different backgrounds, and you get Venba, a game that's quite literally overfilling with charm, style, culture, and just a level of care and affection I'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere this year. Venba is quite simply special. It's a window to another lifestyle that is otherwise completely absent or parodied beyond recognition in mainstream culture. I don't want to spoil anything, but Venba is an experience everyone should journey through.

The game my girlfriend absolutely loved, and I couldn't stand.
Winner:Redfall
Redfall is... special. A game that had so much potential from a rock-solid team that just seemingly missed the mark in almost every way.
If you're reading this, I'd urge you to give Redfall another go or check it out for the first time, as the team has done an incredible job fixing it up into a more presentable state than it was at launch. At its core, what I expect from an Arkane game is something with deep storytelling and multiple options and choices to sort of twist how you complete your objectives. Redfall is anything, but each mission is a simple point A to point B affair that doesn't incentivize exploration or discovery. AI that seems completely zoned out or couldn't be less interested in the player makes. It’s a weird game that I feel had a lot of behind-the-scenes issues that eventually stunted what the game had a chance of becoming. Arkane makes cool stuff and creates interesting worlds; just keep it to a single-player, more focused setting.

The game I gave the most time, with slight improvement.
Winner:League of Legends
I’ve had a long and strange relationship with League of Legends. Originally starting way back in 2013 to pay with a friend from school, I kind of just played around, never really learning the ins and outs of what I was partaking in. I quit as my friend fell off for a few years until I met my friend Tim through work, who would bring me back every now and again. I’d play a game or two every few months or so just to pass the time, but it still wasn’t really clicking with me. The barrier to entry seemed way too high for someone just starting. Then came the beginning of 2023, and I loaded in one last time, this time to ranked matchmaking. If I couldn’t learn casually, I might as well throw myself to the deep end and learn to swim. I was hooked. Every night I was playing multiple games; on nights off, I’d get on until the early morning hours, fully immersing myself in LoL content creators and trying to learn as much as I could. Now, a year later, I’ve climbed almost four ranks from where I started. I’m more comfortable with the limited cast of characters I use, which is currently 3. While I’m currently floating around in the bronze ranks, it’s still a step up from where I began, and I can confidently hold my own against similar players. I’ve secured S ranks on all 3 of my champions and relatively know the matchups I’m most commonly against. As anybody who plays league knows, it’s a constant back-and-forth love-hate relationship.

Our most anticipated game of 2024.
Winner: Yakuza Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Yakuza was always a series I was aware of from a distance, but I never had the urge or care to ever approach the series. That was until Like a Dragon was added to Game Pass, and I lost nearly 200 hours of my time getting completely lost in the world. The switch up to a traditional turn-based combat system was enough to get my foot in the door and eventually be absorbed by a super compelling, over-the-top story that had me emotionally and physically invested. So of course, the next game that’s taking the series outside of Japan across the ocean to Hawaii immediately jumped up my list. Give me more wild adventures with Ichiban and Nanba; give me a new perspective on the series original protagonist Kiryu as he joins to party; and, oh yeah, did I mention they added their own entire separate version of Animal Crossing as just a side hobby to do? I’ve avoided really digging into details and new features in the game as I want to go in relatively blind, but everything I’ve seen so far looks like a blast, and the best part is I don’t even have to wait long as Infinite Wealth releases on January 26th!

Badlands Backlogs Game of the Year!!
Winner: Final Fantasy XVI
This honestly came down to two titles for me: this and Spider-Man 2. But, sweet Eikon of Morhercrystals, Final Fantasy just hit so hard. I went more in depth in my review, but to recap, FF 16 was a visual spectacle. Every other encounter and boss fight felt like it was out there purely to push theme PS5 to its limits. We used to talk about things like particle effects last generation and how they made games more of a visual showcase. Final Fantasy takes that to a whole other dimension, pulling up breath-taking effects and scenery while making you feel like the coolest person ever to walk the earth. Gameplay dives full force into a rhythmic action formula that calls back to games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry with its own magical spin on it. Beautifully weaving in and out of enemies while learning combo strings between any of the seven Eikon-based ability wheels lets anyone mold their own play style they’re most comfortable with. While the story at times felt flat and side quests were less than desired, the main cast of characters and the actors behind them are really what cemented the game as a hit for me. Referencing Clive and Cid especially has become a meme at this point, and seeing Ben Starr reach another level in the social space has been a delight and well-deserved victory on his end. While I don’t see myself yearning to return to the world of Valisthea anytime soon, it’s something I’ve found myself thinking back on, and my overall enjoyment of my time there exploring has been the highlight of my year of gaming. This is why Final Fantasy XVI takes BadlandsBacklogs first ever Game of the Year!

This year has been an absolute whirlwind, with killer games being released every month and our slow but steady growth on our little slice of the internet here. If you’re reading this, have shared or liked a post from us, tuned into the stream, or even jumped into content with me, I’d like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was our first full year of running essentially a one-man program here, and we're beyond proud of the progress we’ve made and the plans we have for the future. Happy Holidays, and most of all, Happy Gaming!