Open World Nostalgia: Edcel Javier Cintron Gonzalez's Games of the Year

Edcel Javier Cintron Gonzalez, Contributing Editor

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Screenshot by the author.)

2023 has inspired me to think more about the importance of taking up physical space, even when engaged in digital activities like playing video games. This idea was inspired by reading Alex Custodio’s book Who Are You?: Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance Platform, in which she talks about the importance of material nostalgia and the social interactions that handheld consoles such as the Game Boy Advance provided. With the Nintendo Switch's portable capabilities and the vast world of the internet, it is possible to have this same type of nostalgia. I’ve been thinking of nostalgia since all the games I played in 2023 reminded me of how much I loved their franchises. I created huge combo attacks in Bayonetta, went on a bubbly and epic adventure across the New World in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and delighted in the new features of the Pokémon series. I also enjoyed playing Garden Story, an indie RPG that combines adventure and simulation elements in a vibrant world inhabited by anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables. Each game has its own spin on open world gaming where I felt I was enjoying the landscape of the world; I could spend hours just chilling with my Waddle Dee buddies in the New World, or just having a chill picnic with my Pokémon. Other games gave me a sense of reclaiming back what I miss from my past gaming experience and a bittersweet taste when I realized that a franchise’s main character is moving on, such as the ending of Bayonetta 3 (spoilers ahead!). Here are my top games for 2023!

Bayonetta 3 (NS)

Bayonetta 3 (Screenshot by the author.)

Bayonetta 3 has been a long-awaited title for me, since I played the first Bayonetta back in its release in 2009. Fun fact: I got both Bayonetta and Dark Siders for the Xbox 360 on their release day. I have great memories of waiting in line at GameStop and getting the sweet pre-order bonuses. This year, approaching the game with the benefit of long-term engagement with the franchise, Bayonetta 3 did not disappoint where combat was concerned. With the addition of the Demon Slave mechanic, players can now summon infernal demons into battle, which opened up a number of ways to add new strategies and combos into the gameplay. My favorites would have to be the Umbran Clock Tower, which has the ability to activate witch time without the need to dodge attacks, and Cheshire the Lost Outcast, which allows you to play as Viola. What really felt bittersweet about this third installment in the Bayonetta franchise was the ending and rebirth of Bayonetta. 

I couldn't help but feel sad over the outcome of Bayonetta 3, since in this game’s timeline we are left with no Bayonetta, and our hero Cereza meets her fate in the underworld. It seems like a lot of gamers felt as depressed as I was when they first finished playing the game. However, I think Bayonetta 3 has a lot to offer to fans when replaying the story a second time. There is the singularity theory and the possibility of Cereza’s soul being kept safe, as mentioned by Youtuber Johto Jonny. What intrigues me about this video is the idea that each Bayonetta comes from a different universe, and the reminder that Bayonetta 1, 2, and 3 have their own version of Bayonetta. Maybe Viola is passing the torch to the next generation, just as Bayonetta from Bayonetta 1 encouraged Cereza to be brave and strong when harsh situations arose. Viola has inspired a lot of great writing, too, such as Maddy Myers’s article that focuses on aspects of the story that made Bayonetta more of a fallen hero in this game. With Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, and fan theories surfacing about the possibility of another timeline emerging, fans can hope to see more story development from the events that happened in Bayonetta 3.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (NS)

Pokémon Violet (Screenshot by the author.)

In a nutshell, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet take the franchise to a new level with their vast open world environments and immersive gameplay. I know there have been a lot of complaints about the glitches the games had in their release, but honestly, I didn’t care. Glitches or not, I spent hours roaming through the landscape with my sassy Fuecoco while riding at high speed with Koraidon. The watch towers where trainers would go to find Gimmighoul–the highest point in the game–gave me the opportunity to admire the digital landscape. I also felt recognized as a grad student when I faced trainers who were adults and still going on their own Pokémon adventure. This really brought it home for me because it paid homage to the OG fans of Pokémon, like me, who have been playing the games since Pokémon Red & Blue, not to mention fans who started their Pokémon journey alongside Ash in the anime. We had gym leaders with real world careers demonstrating the real aspects of the Pokémon world, alongside memorable storylines: helping Arven find a cure for his sick Mabosstiff by battling the titan Pokémon, or defeating Team Star. I see Pokémon Scarlet and Violet not only as evidence of how the franchise has evolved through the years, but also as signs of the freedom I’ve been craving in a Pokémon game. With the ability to walk for hours in a vast landscape instead of a set road like previous games, I experienced joy in exploring the Paldea region, and with the Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLCs, I can’t wait to continue my Pokémon journey.

Garden Story (NS, Steam)

Garden Story

This game is adorable! I’m mesmerized by the artwork and graphics in Garden Story, a game that will inspire you to rebuild a community, fight monsters, and also practice your other skills such as fishing and gardening. While I don’t necessarily partake in fishing and gardening, I do enjoy games that incorporate these activities. I usually like this because I think of it as a way the game is inviting the player to relax and enjoy some time to think about life as you try to catch some virtual fish or plant some healthy veggies. I mean, Animal Crossing: New Horizons finally got into the gardening and cooking trend with their last free update. I think these mechanics, while they may seem pointless at first, really add to story development in indie games. Recently, I’ve really gotten into indie games where you find similar game mechanics that you may have experienced back when the Gameboy Advance was a thing, and Garden Story is one of the best examples I know. Playing as Concord, our little grape hero, and exploring the small island world in Garden Story reminds me of the size factor and mapping mechanics of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, where I would hack and slash my way into the story while also solving puzzles and collecting items. Garden Story also has interesting task log mechanics. Like Untitled Goose Game, where the game lists out your next set of goals, Garden Story uses these mechanics as a way for the player to progress through the story. The major difference is that you can’t freely explore the world unless you complete the tasks. While completing tasks to progress through the game may seem limiting at times, the game still provides beautiful graphics and fun tasks to help you forget about your worries.

Kirby and The Forgotten Land (NS)

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Screenshot by the author.)

I think I speak for a lot of us when I say, “We have been waiting for an open world-ish Kirby game for a long time.” I say “open world-ish” because the game is still divided by different stages in each area, but each area is beautifully designed in this post-apocalyptic world where nature is taking over broken buildings, a wasteland covers a past human civilization, and the player gets to explore new Kirby abilities! Kirby and the Forgotten Land really blew my mind in terms of how beautiful each level is. If you can tell by the picture, my favorite level was the abandoned amusement park, Wonderia Remains. I don’t know if it was my fascination with amusement park levels and thinking on how much fun these designs were in games like Super Mario Sunshine, Cuphead, and NeiR: Automata, but there was something charming and exciting about exploring the different puzzles the stage offered. The lightbulb mouthful mode used in this fun house provided moments where I really felt the danger of enemies nearby–also, I had to actually think about falling off the stage, since Kirby can’t float in this mode. 

With all this open world nostalgia from the year behind me, I’m excited to play more games in 2024!