Game of the Year: Jaimie's Top 5 PS5, PS4 Games of 2023

Alan Wake 2 is over rated. There I said it!

I’ve been gaming for over thirty years and not once have I experienced anything like Alan Wake 2. It’s easily my game of the year and one of my favorite games of all time. I haven’t finished it yet but I can’t wait to see how this all wraps up.

@Flippygruffle I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a comment on this site I disagree with more, to each their own though.

@Odium my main problem was with the gameplay, and to be more specific, the combat, which was really frustrating and finicky. I enjoyed the Saga sections a lot more than the Alan ones and really liked her mind room and how you pieced the mystery together. The Alan sections were bogged down with pretentiousness and falling over itself to be too clever. To each their own though indeed, and I can totally see the uniqueness of it, and how ambitious it was,

Man I really want to play BG3 but I really dont care for its combat system.

@Flippygruffle I can definitely see your complaint about the combat, I’ve said all along that it’s the weakest part of the game and that I could play it without a single fight and I’d be completely ok with it. I don’t hate the combat and have certainly played worse, but I definitely get how someone could not like it. For me, Alan’s story feels pretentious, but intentionally so. I feel like it’s meant to have that air of superiority to it because it compliments his writing style. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of his story, I played it until it finally booted me back to Saga. I’m a bit more than halfway through her story but I agree, the Mind Palace is great, it’s such a fun and unique way of story telling.

That's an interesting point about intentionally pretentious to match his writing style, I hadn't thought of it like that. I'm not overly keen on the New York streets and subway and hotel areas of the Dark Place in Wake's story - I found the frustration and tedium of navigating them eroded the tension a little bit, although some of the studio bits were cool. Much preferred say the nursing home and hospital bits in Saga's story.

@Flippygruffle I could be wrong but that’s how I interpret it. My friend is the same way, he enjoys Alan’s story but he’s said he’s enjoyed Saga’s settings far more. I’m the opposite, I loved how you get to alter the world around you in Alan’s story. Though with that said, I do love Saga’s as well. Alan’s does feel like you’re just in one big area that all feels similar, where Saga’s has more unique and memorable locations, but I feel like they balance that by being able to shift the world around with Alan.

@Odium @Flippygruffle Let's not forget that Alan Wake 2 has "the divine Old Gods of Asgard".

That alone makes it Game of the Decade! 🤘🤘

@Flippygruffle I, for one, think that Alan Wake 2 is extremely underrated.

Edit- Altho i also prefer Sagas gameplay, I think Alans parts are brilliant too, the instant rewriting of scenes is breathtaking. And the fact that you never know which shadows are real or not keeps you uneasy for the entire game.

@GamingFan4Lyf objective fact

@Odium They just put an album out and it has a new song on it that isn't in any game. It has some interest tidbits in the lyrics that I am sure Lore analysts will attempt to pull apart.

Well, it technically has 2 new songs, but the first is just like an introductory instrumental.

The album is called Rebirth - Greatest Hits.

@Odium you are definitely not wrong. I mean, Alan Wake (the first one) had one of the single most pretentious final lines in game and cinema history, and that is why it is so good. It is perfectly on brand for Alan Wake 😁

That moment the line hit stays with me so clearly as both mine, and my freinds, reaction to it was an audible "HAAA!" because it is so unbelievably stupid and pretentious, but also, at the same time, thinking "that is absolutely genius, it is perfect, and I love it"

Alan Wake 2 dialling that up several notches is only fair.

@Nepp67 my advice. Don’t do it. If you’re convinced you don’t like that combat system, the game won’t change that. I was in the same situation like you. Bought it, and wasted 70. Some games as great as they are, aren’t for everyone.

BG3 is the type of game I’ve never touch five years ago. It’s also in my top 5 this year, but only 20 hours in so it’s hard to say it would be higher than 4 or 5 for me as well.

Thats a good list.a lot of of good games word up son

Baldur’s Gate 3 is overrated. There I said it.

Other than Baldur’s Gate though, list is spot on.

@GamingFan4Lyf that’s good to know, I’ll definitely check it out.

@Ravix that line nails it! I love a game that knows exactly what it is and leans into it. Like when a satire game just goes all out. Alan Wake definitely is self aware and it thrives on that, whether it’s the meta of it all or the pretentiousness of it. It just does it 100% right.

Spiderman 2 is overrated, there I said that

@Casco And I heavily appreciate that it isn't for everyone, just wish that there was some sort of trial version so I could get a grasp on it.

@Ichiban ...totally agree. Biggest disappointment of the year and yeah I play Starfield

@Ichiban it was good, not great. Much like God of War Ragnarok, I liked the original more. The combat was better than the first one but it felt more bloated and the story was no where near as good.