In the wild frontier that was year one of EZIYODA, things were a little different. Whether it was the inconsistent image cropping or the stark, featureless layout, I was just kinda winging it in the hopes that the content would shoulder the load.

Rarely was this quite so apparent as it was in my 2022 game of the year piece. I use the term loosely, because it was in fact a facetious article where I anointed the award to Stray, despite having never played it.

It was all in good fun, but nowadays I’m all about those official titles. Something that people can look back on as a significant event in time, even if I’m the only one who feels that way.

I didn’t play a lot of games this year, so unlike my anime of the year award, the field is much smaller and even more subjective. But I’ll do my best to somehow make it sound at least halfway credible. After all, it only takes a few big, fancy words to fool anyone into believing you’re a professional.

Professional dumbass, perhaps. Hur hur.

Runner-up: Fire Emblem Engage

When Three Houses became the latest instalment in the Fire Emblem franchise back in 2019, I was in the minority of fans who was left a little wanting.

Highlighted by its fabulous storyline, the likes of which hasn’t been matched in the series before or since, the ubiquitous nature of the unit classes rendered combat rather tepid. It was too far removed from the finely tuned mechanics of yesteryear, and I yearned for my students to feel special and unique.

Now, the Switch has seen another entry in Fire Emblem Engage, and I couldn’t be much happier. I could take or leave the narrative, but the gameplay on offer leaves Three Houses in the dust. Although the eponymous Engage mechanic may look gimmicky on paper, it turns out to have been a wonderful addition that urges you to experiment with different ring combinations.

I’m not necessarily playing Fire Emblem to be compelled by the events transpiring before me. I want to enjoy the strategic elements taking place on each map, and Engage has got this down in spades. It’s likely my second favourite game in the series since the treasured Fire Emblem Awakening on 3DS, and it makes me very excited to see what’s on the horizon for the Switch’s eventual successor.

Runner-up: Octopath Traveler II

I fell in love with Octopath Traveler from the moment I first laid eyes on it. The dynamic blend of sprite work on polygonal backgrounds popped off the screen, and I yearned to recapture that lost art of the classic turn-based RPG.

I’ve gobbled up Square’s 2.5D lineup without question — including last year’s stellar Triangle Strategy, which may have been my game of the year had I not decided to publish a joke article instead — and joyfully leapt into the follow-up to Octopath headfirst.

To address the elephant in the room, yes, it is very markedly similar to the original, and could have stood to push more boundaries. With that being said, that game remains one of my favourites on the Switch, so a flattering imitation is not entirely a bad thing.

If the strength of a JRPG lies in its cast, I’m pleased to announce that Octopath 2 has nailed the brief. The octa-protagonists are just as relatable and interesting as their predecessors, and overall, I think I even ended up liking my new starter (Partitio) over the man who kicked my whole adventure off all those years ago (Alfyn).

Also, you fight a fucking train at one point. That’s enough of a selling point to get you into any game of the year discussion.

Third place: Pikmin 4

Throughout its history, Pikmin titles have held my imagination in such a way that I reflect on them for years to come. Much like the Wii U it first released on, Pikmin 3 didn’t quite capture me as much as what came before it, so I was keen to see how the fourth offering might correct its course.

Now that I’ve had half a year to experience Pikmin 4, I’m not entirely sure where it sits in the rankings. What I do know, however, is how it has made me feel; this game creates a flow state unlike most other things on the market.

As I’ve noted previously, Pikmin 4 is much more forgiving than prior entries, and though that might sound like a bad thing — part of the appeal of Pikmin is the way it brutally punishes you for even the slightest lapse of judgement — my pursuit for absolute perfection has got me hooked.

The newly added Ice Pikmin slot nicely into the lineup, serving as an alternative to the Rock Pikmin with their own unique elements. As for the Glow Pikmin and their twilight missions? It is a terrifying endeavour, and I love it. I’m fascinated by Nintendo games that dabble with horror themes, and the oncoming horde of red eyed assailants evokes memories of defending Romani Ranch in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

I’m no longer a frantic taskmaster trying to mitigate disaster like Lieutenant Gorman in Aliens, but an aspiring Dandori practitioner. Unbothered. Moisturised. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing.

Second place: Coffee Talk Episode II: Hibiscus & Butterfly

In 2023, EZIYODA has added (proper) reviews to its repertoire, and when Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly came across my desk, I knew I had to give it a go. Though I hadn’t yet played the first game, I felt drawn in by its striking visuals and alleged cosy vibes. By the end of my third run in the span of a week, I had concluded that I was completely immersed in this magical world.

Hibiscus & Butterfly strikes a potent balance of engaging writing and brainteasing gameplay, and you will most assuredly become caught in the tangle of these people’s lives. I adored new characters like the satyr influencer Lucas and the introverted banshee, Riona, and equally wanted to know more about returning patrons such as the Nekomimi Rachel (of course I was going to like the kitty lady).

I can’t remember the last time a narrative-heavy game made me want to go down so many rabbit holes like this. Typically, I’m laser focussed on accomplishing the dream run where everyone is happy and the MC has somehow achieved world peace. But cheating these whimsical Seattleites of their journeys felt distasteful, and I instead elected for us to suffer through their setbacks together.

To close out my review, I stated that “this is the kind of experience that evokes a desire within me to pursue game development myself”, and I don’t really know how you could praise a game much higher than that. I swiftly became a Coffee Talk fanatic, and not coincidentally, Andrew Jeremy’s lo-fi soundtracks combined to become my most listened to artist of the year.

Game of the year: Resident Evil 4

It seems inevitable that it was going to be a Resident Evil game at #1. It is the peerless gaming obsession of my 30s, and the promise of returning RE4 to a more sinister tone was one that I couldn’t pass up on.

Yes, Resident Evil 4 had failed to grab me in the way it had for so many others back in the day. But its 2023 remake injected all of the things I crave from this franchise, with an unnerving atmosphere and amplified body horror. It brought back the Evil that had been so lacking in the mid to late 2000s, while still giving Leon that boyish charm that has made him a legend of the industry.

But it doesn’t just look and feel stronger. The modern mechanics of third person gunplay are crisp and satisfying, and the team wisely scaled back on the sections that had overstayed their welcome without hindering the overall runtime. There were a few notable moments in OG RE4 that I was not looking forward to slogging through a second time, only to find them either repurposed or scrapped entirely.

For me, it’s the finest distillation of one of the most iconic games of all time. I’ve already waxed lyrical about it in the Resident Evil 4 article I wrote for this year’s Resident Evil week, but in summation; it’s a beautifully crafted adventure that is filled to the brim with content both thrilling and hair-raising, and among the most complete packages the franchise will ever see.

It gets brownie points for being an RE game in the first place, I suppose, but it is one that has firmly claimed its place in the upper echelons of survival horror.

For more great digital memories, check out Crunchyroll’s gaming year in review! I get to gush even more about Resident Evil 4 and my Dandori skills, so you know I was happy to be involved.