This year, I didn't watch a single minute of the annual Game Awards show. I was too focused on finishing construction on my home's bathroom addition before Christmas. And honestly, I'm not that interested in the show itself but in the results. I just like to know what RPGs won awards and how well Nintendo games did.
Unfortunately, Tears of the Kingdom didn't win Game of the Year. I was a bit surprised by that. It's a great game and had been highly anticipated for years. It sold well...and I'm still playing it!
I think I'm about half-way through the main quest line. But there's also many side quests I want to pursue and vast amounts of Hyrule, Skyrule, and Lorule that I still want to explore. The game is lavish with interesting places, items, and mechanics to apply on such. Nintendo outdid itself in the scope of the latest Zelda title.
On one hand, I want to simply stay immersed in TotK and enjoy it for all its worth. No rush. On the other hand, I want to no longer delay starting a handful of great-looking JRPGs, beckoning me from the backlog. With any luck, 2024 won't have any major new releases that distract me. That way, I can stay focused on finishing Zelda and starting Octopath Traveler II, for example.
Besides ToTK, my 2023 game time was mostly spent in two other games: the back-half of Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and the entirety of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (except for the DLC). Else, I enjoyed several hours again playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Another development for my 2023 gaming was a switch in how I play on the Switch! I was hardcore console mode. But this Fall, I took down all the gear and went handheld only! Simplicity for the win. After a slight adjustment phase, I now prefer the easy access of my Switch OLED. Pick up and play anywhere. It's another nod to the cultural virtue of: convenience.
Summary
So my 2023 playtime was mostly in my usual genre: JRPG. I expect that to carry on in 2024. If a Switch 2 launches next year, I plan to delay jumping on that bandwagon to focus on finishing my Switch 1 must-plays. Then again, if the Switch 2 plays Switch 1 games with enhanced graphics, it will be harder to resist the shiny new hardware from Nintendo.
Hopefully, joy-con drift will be fixed on the new system. I mean, we can land people on the moon, so why not fix drift? Just sayin'.