My 2023 Gaming Goals.

Happy New Year! I can’t believe we are at the start of 2023, it feels like 2022 just flew by. Still, with the start of a new year, it is the best time for me to set myself some gaming goals. For this year, I am going to have a total of fifteen specific games that I want to play at some point in 2023, as well as some trophy hunting goals. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at my 2023 gaming goals!

Games I started in 2022 that I want to finish in 2023.

2022 was not a great year for gaming for me, as I found myself burnt out on gaming for a large portion of it. This has meant that there were several games that I started last year but didn’t finish by the end of December. Now that I have reignited my love of gaming, I would love to go these five games justice and complete them.

Freedom Wars, PS Vita.

OK, I am slightly cheating with Freedom Wars, as I started it at the very end of 2021. Still, it was a game that I intended to finish last year. Freedom Wars is an action RPG, in which you are a prisoner who must earn their freedom by fighting giant monsters and gathering resources. Although I only started the game to earn the online trophies that would soon be unobtainable, I found that I really enjoyed the gameplay loop and the setting. Since it has been a few months since I’ve shown my Vita some love, Freedom Wars would be a good way to spend some time with it.

Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, PS3.

Image source: ratchet-galaxy.com.

As I mentioned in my post about the games I played in 2022, I loved my time with Ratchet & Clank. I enjoyed my time with it so much that I jumped straight into the sequel, which turned out to be a bad idea. I initially loved my time with Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, but I soon found myself burnt out on it. I decided to take a break from it and I never went back to it, which is a shame. So, I hope to change this by revisiting it in 2023.

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland, PS3.

Another PS3 title, this time an RPG. I was loving Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland, until I reached assignment 10, when the difficulty really spiked. No matter what I did, I could not get past this assignment. When I looked into it, it turns out I slightly messed up the early part of the game, which means I can’t really progress. So, even though it means I’m going to have to restart it, I really want to finish Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland this year and hopefully explore more games in the Atelier series.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, PC.

Image source: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky‘s Steam store page.

This JRPG had me hooked very early on with its turn based battle system and detailed lore. Unfortunately for The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, I started playing it when Warhammer III: Total War was released, which meant I quickly got distracted and I didn’t go back to it until September… then I started playing Final Fantasy IX and was distracted for a second time. So, I want to give The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the attention it deserves and finish it by the end of this year.

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Switch.

Another JRPG that I started last year and was then promptly distracted by other games on the Switch. I love Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition atmosphere, setting and characters; I can also see myself getting distracted by its side quests! Unfortunately, a combination of my gaming burnout and Christmas, meant I put my Switch down and didn’t pick it back up until recently… when I started to play Pokemon Scarlet. I think I will finish Scarlet and then return to Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, to ensure I don’t split my attention between the two games.

OK, so those were the games I started but didn’t finish. Now let’s take a look at five games I have finished previously that I would like to replay.

Games I want to replay.

Assassin’s Creed: Liberation.

Image source: Assassin’s Creed: Liberation‘s Steam store page.

This first game, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation, probably won’t take me long to get to, as I am currently working my way through Assassin’s Creed III Remastered on PS4 and it is bundled with a remastered version of Assassin’s Creed: Liberation. I remember playing Liberation on PC and really enjoying my time with it. I liked the persona system that offered you different ways to approach different tasks, for example if you wanted to be able to free run you would pick the assassin persona but if you wanted to draw less attention, you would choose the lady persona.  I can’t wait to revisit New Orleans and Aveline’s story.Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.

Last year, I mentioned that I wanted to replay games from my childhood and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is one game that I want to return to. I had a blast playing it on the PS2 with my friends and siblings. And I would really like to revisit the Sword Coast in 2023.

Kingdom Hearts.

It has been a long time since I’ve played Kingdom Hearts and I’ve been wanting to revisit the series for a little while. I tried to play Kingdom Hearts III back when it was released but it soon became apparent that I had missed some important plot points, most likely because Square Enix lost me on the numerous spin off titles that were released on various different consoles. Since I have the various Kingdom Hearts compilations on PS4, I do have the opportunity to play the series from the beginning, which I hope to do this year.

Dragon Age: Origins.

Image source: Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition‘s Steam store page.

Speaking of series that I want to revisit, I would love to replay Dragon Age: Origins this year. Although we haven’t heard alot about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, I am still excited to return to the world of Thedas and what better way to get ready than by going back to the game that started it all for this series?

Final Fantasy X.

The game I would most love to go back and replay this year is my favourite game of all time, Final Fantasy X. It has been many years since I finished it and I would love to journey through Spira, with the party, once more.

Those were the five games I want to replay in 2023 and now all that is left are the five games I have never played before, that I want to play this year.

Games I want to play for the first time in 2023.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of my favourite games on the Switch, so a game like Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, that gives me the opportunity to spend more time with those characters, will always be on my to-play list. I remember really enjoying my time with Fire Emblem Warriors and I feel like tFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes’ hack and slash gameplay will be the perfect balance for some of the more RPG heavy games I want to play.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker.

Image source: Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanded Plus Edition‘s Steam store page.

This RPG has been sitting in my to-play list for quite some time now. In Pathfinder: Kingmaker, you are trying to forge your own kingdom in a heavily contested land. I love the Pathfinder world and lore, so any game set in this world will always appeal to me.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

This next game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, was one that my partner absolutely loved playing last year. Since he had such a great time with it, I really want to pick it up and give it a go. I probably won’t play it until a little later in the year, as I want a gap between Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.

Image source: Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition‘s Steam store page.

The next game is another JRPG, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. I have yet to play a Dragon Quest game but I have heard that Dragon Quest XI is a good starting point to get into the series. The fact that it has been well received suggests that it will be a solid JRPG experience, which will hopefully introduce me to another JRPG series to love.

Ghost of Tsushima. 

The final game that I want to play this year is Ghost of Tsushima. This game has been sitting in my backlog since 2020 and hopefully, this year I will finally get to experience it. I do love open world adventure games and one that lets me play as a samurai should definitely grab my attention.

And those were the games I want to play for the first time this year! Aside from these fifteen games, I don’t really have any other major gaming goals. I would like to earn some more platinum trophies, but it will only be for games I am enjoying. Overall, I won’t pressure myself too much to get all of these games finished, as I would rather play fewer games and just enjoy them than pressure myself to play as many games as I can. That being said, I will do my best to play as many of these games as I can!

I would love to hear about your gaming goals for 2023. Are there any specific games that you are planning on playing this year? Let me know in the comments and I’ll talk to you soon!