Choosing my favorite games of 2013 was no easy task. After many years with this hardware, developers have refined their craft, making some of the most memorable games of this, or any generation. I wasn’t able to play every game I would have liked, Papers Please, Rogue Legacy and Dragon’s Crown to name a few, and one of the games I spent the most time playing, Persona 4: Golden, would have easily made my list but, unfortunately, was a released in 2012. None of this diminishes the great gaming 2013 had to offer, so here we go; My Incessant Need to Write Down My Opinions… 2013!
10. Firefly: The Game – (Strategy / Boardgame / Gale Force
Nine)
Time for some thrilling heroics! In Firefly:
The game, you play the captain of a Firefly, hiring crew, taking jobs,
holding up banks, running from Reavers and dodging Alliance patrols. The mechanics can be simplistic and the
length is a might long, but the implementation of the theme is the big draw in
this game. If you are a fan of the show,
like me, this is a must play. No power
in the ‘verse can stop me.
9. Tearaway – (Platformer / PS Vita / Media Molecule)
From the makers of Little
Big Planet, this Vita title is exploding with charm. The front-facing camera brings you into the game as the protagonist struggles
to deliver you a personal message. The
hand-crafted feel of the Tearaway really builds on great platforming and puzzle
mechanics. Every part of the Vita is
used, and all of it makes sense. It is
really a love letter to gamers and a delightful time to be had.
8. Tomb Raider – (Action / PS3, X360, PC, OSX, PS4, XB1 /
Crystal Dynamics)
One of the first games I owned on the PSone was the original
Tomb Raider. The game was difficult but
rewarding, and I went on to play most of the sequels. When Crystal Dynamics announced they were
doing a reboot of the series, I was skeptical.
I’m happy to say they did an amazing job bring Lara Croft into the 21st
century. This thrilling tale has her
battered and beaten, fighting for survival, but Lara always finds a way. The puzzles and combat are well implemented,
the platforming is solid and the collectables are addictive. Tomb Raider has the formula for everything a
great game should be, and delivers on that promise.
7. Guacamelee! – (Platformer / PS3, PS Vita, PC, PS4, XB1 /
Drinkbox Studios)
Do you like Metroid?
Do you like Castlevania? Do you
like Luchadors? You will find these and
some of the most intense and challenging platforming I have ever encountered in
Guacamelee! The abilities, style and
gameplay kept me coming back again and again.
I loved it so much, I replayed the whole thing on Hard difficulty. Guacamelee!
is funny, rewarding and a blast to play.
6. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – (Adventure / PS3, X360, PC
/ Starbreeze Studios)
I have never played a game that married its mechanics and
story so perfectly. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a puzzle platformer, wrapped in an emotionally
engaging and beautiful story. This will
be the next free game for PS Plus subscribers so don’t miss out. The run time is about four hours and is well
worth your time. One of the most
satisfying and surprising games I have ever played.
5. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – (RPG / PS3 /
Level-5, Studio Ghibli)
This year I rediscovered my love of JRPGs thanks to Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Studio Ghibli, the animation studio
responsible for Miyazaki films like, Spirited
Away and Princess Mononoke, lend
their considerable talents to this gorgeous and heart-warming tale. If you are a fan of Miyazaki, you know that
you are in for a strange tale with lively characters and eye-popping
sights. The gameplay is engaging and
thoughtful, making Ni No Kuni not only a great RPG, but a great experience in
entertainment.
4. Gone Home – (Adventure / PC, OSX, Linux / The Fullbright
Company)
I read a lot of “hardcore gamers” calling this overblown
indie shit, that it isn’t even a game, and shouldn't be in the discussion for
best games of 2013. Why do we need to
define what a game is so stringently?
The Fullbright Company, based in Portland, has created an interactive
story set-piece that they are calling a game, and this is fine. I had such a fantastic time uncovering the
mystery of this house, the protagonist family and their fates. It was often creepy, unsettling, but
sorrowful, hopeful and honest. Gone Home
is the perfect example of what games can be and it doesn’t need our definition
to contain it. It’s an allegory for the
story really.
3. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – (Action / PS3, X360, Wii
U, PS4, XB1, PC / Ubisoft Montreal)
YAAAARRRR!! There’s
some narrative dissonance for ya! AC4:BF is so fun, I’m calling it the
best in the series. I said it. There we go.
And I don’t even like pirates.
2. The Last of Us – (Action / PS3 / Naughty Dog)
The Last of Us
tells such a fervent and authentic story, it is a difficult game to bear; with
scenes that will stay with me forever.
The world is so perfectly realized and the story so engaging, it is easy
to see why it has won so many game-of-the-year awards. I know replaying it won’t be the same and I
don’t know if I can put myself through it again, but I’m so glad I got to
experience it. This is possibly the best
looking, sounding and performed game of this generation and is the perfect swan-song
for the PS3.
1. Bioshock:
Infinite – (FPS / PS3, X360, PC, OSX / Irrational Games)
This was really tough call for me. The
Last of Us is superior in many ways, but I just dreaded playing it at
times. I never felt this way with Bioshock: Infinite. Immediately after finishing this crazy sci-fi
adventure, I restarted a new game on Hard and powered though. While nothing can live up to the feeling of
seeing Rapture for the first time in the original Bioshock, Infinite’s Columbia does a damn fine job with
spectacle. The characters are compelling
and well-acted, the writing is tight and snappy and I found the gameplay to be delightful. The story sometimes loses focus and the boss
battles can be frustrating, but I really had a terrific time playing this
game. Great to look at? Fun to play?
Awesome story? Game of the Year.
2013 was the last hurrah for our consoles, and the dawn of a
new generation. Handhelds like the Nintendo
3DS and Play Station Vita saw significant growth, and the quality of gaming as
a whole took a big step. 2014 may be a
slow year, as developers figure out the new hardware, but 2013, it has to be
said, was one of the best years gaming has ever seen.
