2023 was, for better or worse, a year. One of its good bits was The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, the only good game that came out in August. Ahem.
Much like that other story-driven masterpiece I’ve sneakily alluded to there (Baldur’s Gate 3, just in case you’re reading this before 8AM) Cosmic’s main draw lies in the fact it just feels wonderfully and unequivocally like something that was made for humans, by humans. This is something that’s become a hallmark of Spanish indie studio Deconstructeam over the years, with their works really capturing the emotion that fuels all of our real world lives and interactions with aplomb. In episode two of our Games of 2023 series below, I argue that this human factor is what sets all of this year’s most acclaimed games apart from all the usual cash grabs and Live Service Slop:
2018’s The Red Strings Club was a great example of what you can do with a compelling narrative, interesting characters, and lots of alcohol – with CWS building on that same narrative experience style, albeit with the booze swapped out for tarot cards. It’s got all the choice and consequence you’d expect from an RPG, along with the in-depth worldbuilding, and doesn’t suffer from not having any shooty or stabby bits in between the talky sections.
Within those talky sections, you’ll find a cast of unique and believable folks who’re a joy to get to know. No matter what your interests are or what kind of personality you have, I’m willing to bet that at least one of the witches or entities that the game’s protagonist, Fortuna, has come to visit her little house on an asteroid will worm their way into your heart. As with all of Deconstructeam’s works, representation is handled expertly well and the dialogue is dripping with a pretty much perfect mix of funny gags and emotionally resonant lines.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to become some kind of weird deity by winning an interstellar election. Easy GOTY.
For more on The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, check out our preview from earlier in the year and tune in tomorrow to find out what’s next in VG247’s Games of 2023 series! It’s like an advent calendar but instead of chocolate you get to listen to some git’s cold take on a recent video game for five minutes. Cor!
VG247’s Games of 2023 will be released here on VG247.com, our YouTube channel, and our Tiktok feed daily over the holiday season.