Can you believe that 2013 is nearly over? In less than 24 hours, we’ll abolish that dreaded three for ten more years, and a cool, clean, pointy four will take its place.
2013 has been a great year for all types of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share with you our favourite things of 2013. This time, video games!
Take a look at everyone’s top five or top ten games below, and be sure to let us know yours in the comments below!
Jonathan London
1. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – This was the runaway hit for 2013, a game that seemed to have been made perfectly for me (and probably many others). As a lifelong fan of Studio Ghibli and a longtime fan of Level 5, Ni No Kuni was the best way to get me back into JRPGs (after more than a decade). From the incredible score (the best of the year) to the familiar controls and beautiful visuals, there wasn’t a moment of Ni No Kuni that I didn’t enjoy. Even the large amount of grinding, which some could point out as the game’s only drawback, gave me flashbacks to playing the original NES Dragon Warrior and grinding for hours before venturing into a dungeon (and if you don’t like the grinding… the game gives you Tokos!). It will be a while before another game comes along and feels this perfect.
2. Grand Theft Auto 5 – As Lauren said in her initial piece upon the game’s release, every Grand Theft Auto game since III has been on that generation’s elite level, but with GTA 5 the writing and the characters took a big leap forward. Combined with a much bigger and more immersive open world map, reminiscent of the West and beautiful vistas in Red Dead Redemption, and everything just seemed to work. In fact, GTA 5 did for the Grand Theft Auto series what GTA III did. It brought everything to another level and now with the next generation of consoles there is no going back.
Top 2013 Gaming Moment: That time Jonathan ran into Lamar (Slinky Johnson), Michael (Ned Luke) and Trevor (Steven Ogg) at Comikaze 2013!
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – I would argue that any site that gave this game a bad or mediocre review was blatant doing two things: Nintendo fan trolling and shock posting for publicity. There’s nothing mediocre about this game and after the beautiful fetch quest that Skyward Sword was this was the game that the Zelda series needed, introducing a new dynamic to the gameplay with it’s more open world approach. As a sequel to Link To The Past, Between Worlds makes a fantastic companion piece (and update) and as the first true Zelda game on the 3DS the wall painting mechanics bring back the sense of exploration that is crucial to the series. This is one of the rare games that I immediately wanted to replay as the credits were rolling. Now let’s bring on the 3DS Majora’s Mask!
4. Super Mario 3D World – Yes. The cat suit is awesome and gives New Super Mario 3D World a fresh energy… but that happens every time a new suit is introduced in each game. It’s fun. It’s fantastic. But it shouldn’t overshadow the real stars of this entry: the fantastic 3D level designs and the fact that it’s just fun to run around in this world and discover new places. It’s almost redundant to keep naming the level design as the strongest thing in each Mario entry (because it always is) but New Super Mario 3D World’s stages had a personality to them that wasn’t quite there in New Super Mario Bros U (although they were strong). Seeing Goombas lounging in the water and throwing baseballs at enemies, or blowing them away with the Gamepad microphone, gave a sense of a bigger game with much more to do and discover, like the random 8-Bit Luigis that would pop up when discovered.
5. The Walking Dead: 400 Days – This is an easy one for me. Telltale Game’s The Walking Dead: Season One was my favorite game of 2012 and 400 Days came as a welcome surprise when it arrived this fall. I love how it furthered the Walking Dead story from Season One, and in turn the Walking Dead comics, introduced fresh characters (although some had played directly into Season One’s events) and contained a few action sequences (like running through the cornfields while being chased by a rival group of survivors). It felt like the epilogue we didn’t quite get after the final, inevitable heartbreak at the end of Season One and did a great job of setting the stage for Season Two (literally, as you will see in the opening moments of Season Two, Chapter One).
The game that would have made this list if I’d allowed myself the time to play it: The Last of Us – Hands down this is the game that I stayed away from like a good grade schooler avoids the drug alleys on his way home from school. The second that Game of the Year edition shows up, you won’t be seeing me no more…
http://youtu.be/jDQiyD5zotE
Shane ‘Rarity’ O’Hare
1. Bioshock Infinite – This was the perfect game. The immersion, the storytelling, the voice acting and the overall narrative was literally perfection. I didn’t think I was going to get pulled in as much as I did, but as soon as the game started I didn’t want to stop. I literally fired up the game and played through it straight; almost playing for 24 hours without a break. The parallel to modern social politics was palpable, and the game did not suffer for it. This is the best video game I have ever played, and that ending. OH DAT ENDING!
2. Grand Theft Auto V – I feel a little cliched putting this here, as everyone else on the planet will be saying this is game of the year, but I cannot give this title more praise. The whole package was really a giant step up for Rockstar. Unlike games in the past this one was a true sequel. Best part for me was playing it with my Dad. He would just sit there and take in the story and the goings on and watched me play through the whole thing. He was actively engrossed and treated it like a film.
3. DmC: Devil May Cry – I was never a huge fan of the previous DMC games, but when the screenshots and trailers for this one started coming out I was blown away by the presentation. The new Dante was a problem for a lot of long time fans, but I fell in love with him the moment I started playing. The graphics are dark, but not in a way that makes it too over whelming. The Raptor News Network level was a stroke of genius.
4. DuckTales: Remastered – Whoa boy! When I saw this trailer come out I flipped the fuck out. DuckTales 1 and 2 were my favorite NES games growing up, and seeing the remastered version gave me a nostalgia explosion. The levels are all there, and besides the tedious tutorial level, it was exactly as I remembered. The best standout was the music. THE MUSIC! The classic songs from the previous games were faithfully and magically redone and updated. The Transylvania theme blew me away.
5. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate – This was the year of the 3DS for me. I got my first 3DS right before Comikaze (STREET PASS BABY) and grabbed MH3U and a couple other games. I cannot put it down! It is really overwhelming at first, but once you understand everything it just becomes a fucking blast. It is a huge grind to get materials for gear, but it never really feels like work. The world is alive, and the monsters really are monstrous. Couple it with the Circle Pad Pro (Thank you Juan Carlos!) and you have an amazing gaming experience.
Gaming Honorable Mention: Battlefield 4 – OK, so you’d expect me to put BF4 on this list but I cannot in all good conscious put it on my top 5 List for 2013. After playing the beta, and seeing how unbearable the game was I opted to wait a few days instead of getting it on launch. I am glad I did. Server crashes, client crashes, glitches and hacks were all over the place for the first few weeks. With all the leaks coming out about how it was rushed to beat CoD: Ghosts to market, and the multitude of bad choices being made (Can we talk about that hideous Client Side Hit Detection?) I am not impressed. Yeah I’ve played it, but it’s not the Battlefield I know and love. It is some weird bullshit Battlefield Test Bed. Let’s hope in a month or two this gets sorted because I honestly want to love this game so much more than I do.
Juan Carlos Marquez
Top Wii U games of 2013
1. Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo) – Nintendo, for all the criticisms it gets from journalists and gamers alike (some deserved, some not) will always do something to remind the industry, its fans, and critics that they are the best at what they do—making video games, and just when it seemed unlikely that a title would come along that would rival the brilliance of Super Mario Galaxy, along comes Super Mario 3D World.
The game is everything those who love Mario games and platformers in general could ask for—homages to World 4 in SMB3, a boat load of power-ups from previous Super Mario titles (Kuribo’s shoe!), levels littered with secrets, challenging landscapes to traverse, and next to Rayman Legends, one of the best soundtracks in gaming this year. Koji Kondo just hit it out of the proverbial park with the music in the game. Additionally, the last encounter with Bowser is by far one of the most memorable moments in gaming I’ve had all year. As a single player experience or a romp with friends, Super Mario 3D World is damn near perfect.
One of my favorite pro wrestlers once said “if you truly know me, then you’d know better than to doubt me.” Nintendo has once again shown the entire video game industry that they can not only make good video games, but create masterpieces. Super Mario 3D World is yet another jewel in Nintendo’s jewel-riddled crown.
Mario’s latest adventure is a proper way to end the year for Nintendo; they may have struggled throughout the year, but just as it was with the 3DS, Mario and company may have very well turned the tide in Wii U’s favor. With Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros. Wii U, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, Shovel Knight, and more surprise announcements, there’s a lot for Wii U owners to get excited for in 2014. Here’s to a wonderful new year and may your body always be ready.
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Nintendo) – I made the grave mistake of thinking this game would be nothing more than Wind Waker with a fresh coat of paint, but I have never been so happy to have been so wrong.
While the world found within Wind Waker HD was breathtaking, I was surprised just how much more fluid the gameplay was with the Wii U Game Pad allowing me to change weapons and items on the fly without interrupting gameplay, making my treks through my favorite dungeons all the more enjoyable. And of course, Wind Waker HD has given Link the most powerful ability of all: the pictograph box. It’s good to know that the legendary hero not only knows his way around a sword, but can take mean selfies while doing so. All kidding aside, Nintendo has perfected one of the greatest Zelda games ever made.
3. Rayman Legends (Ubisoft) – The follow-up to the brilliant Rayman Origins started 2013 with a bit of a thud. After Ubisoft announced that the game would be delayed from its original February release to September, gamers became irate. Twitter and Miiverse were flooded with messages from angry gamers proclaiming they are cancelling their pre-orders and/or they would never buy another Ubisoft product again, feeling that Wii U gamers are being punished for purchasing a system which was originally to be the exclusive home to Rayman Legends only to see it released across all major consoles. While the wait was painful, it seems that the months of extra time allowed the team at Ubisoft to perfect and polish what has become one of my favorite platformers ever.
Rayman Legends is gorgeous to look at and even more of a pleasure to listen to. Once again, Christophe Heral and Billy Martin have produced one of the most beautiful video game soundtracks I’ve ever listened to, and it makes jumping and running through the worlds in the Rayman universe an incredible experience. The varied levels (over 120 of them!) are cleverly designed and it challenges the most hardcore gamers around, giving anyone who can make it to the end of each stage a true sense of accomplishment. Rayman Legends deserves a spot on every Wii U owners shelf.
4. BIT.TRIP Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Gaijin Games) – The BIT.TRIP series from Gaijin Games was one of the best things to grace the Wii, and the announcement of a sequel to BIT.TRIP Runner thrilled me. Not surprisingly, BIT.TRIP Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien became an instant ‘must buy’ title when it released back in March. Commander Video never looked better and the challenge issued by Gaijin Games in the form of grueling obstacles which demanded perfect timing and reflexes sang like a love letter to old school gamers everywhere. I constantly found myself playing courses multiple times in order to beat my own high score, or better yet, destroy a time set by one of my Wii U friends.
BIT.TRIP Runner 2 is a joy to play and nearly impossible to put down once you get started. It is for the countless hours of practice, the numerous failed attempts, the sheer agony and jubilation Gaijin Games have caused me this year that I place Runner 2 among the Top 5 Wii U games of 2013.
5. Pikmin 3 (Nintendo) – With the cheers and cries of despair from the hundreds of different Pikmin players will meet, the exchanges between newcomers Alph, Brittany, and Charlie, there’s no denying how infectiously charming Pikmin 3 truly is. The environments are stunning (Twilight River, anyone?) and beg for exploration. Unlike most video games today which make one sit through arduous tutorials, Pikmin 3 offers the basics and allows gamers to explore the landscape freely with little to no handholding except when time’s running out. With a wide assortment of challenge maps, multiplayer modes, and downloadable content, Pikmin 3 not only is the best in the series to date, but a title that will make players say ‘just one more game” time and time again.
6. The Wonderful 101 (Platinum Games) – For anyone who complains that today’s video games are way too easy, may they pray that Hideki Kamiya never finds them. Through the humor and bright costumes, The Wonderful 101 demands respect. In the same vein of Bayonetta, the controls take some time to learn, but when mastered, the game is an absolute blast to play. The boss fights are some of the most cinematically grandiose found in any title this year, and anyone who grew up with Kamen Rider, Power Rangers, or Voltron will be quick to point out the many homages Hideki Kamiya and his team have embedded in what easily is one of the most original and fresh new intellectual properties of 2013.
7. Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate (Capcom) – If Wii U owners want a game that will easily eat up hours upon hours of your life, look no further than to the latest instalment of the Monster Hunter franchise (at least to those of us here in the United States). It’s pretty much a port of the 3DS title, but the incorporation of the Wii U Game Pad makes the experience better than its handheld predecessor. Of course, the heart of Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate is found within its multiplayer mode, and it does not disappoint. MH3: Ultimate boasts one of the most active online communities on the Wii U and anyone looking to hunt with other players will have little to no trouble finding a game to jump into.
8. Batman: Arkham Origins (WB Games) – I couldn’t stop playing Batman: Arkham Origins for two huge reasons: the gameplay and combat system were rock-solid and, more importantly, my wife couldn’t stop watching me play through the story. Any time Batman truly got into his detective mode and tried to recreate the crime scene in order to determine at which angle a bullet pierced a victim, which object was used to cause blunt trauma, or figuring out the height of the murderer by the angle at which the gun was fired, my wife was glued to the television. After learning all of Batman’s tools, she started giving me advice as to what I should do next. Not only did WB Games allow me to play as Batman, but they inadvertently transformed my wife into Oracle.
9. Ducktales: Remastered (Disney/Capcom/WayForward) – Leave it to Wayforward to take a beloved platformer and make it even better. The production value in DuckTales: Remastered is nothing short of impressive. Hand-drawn sprites, an updated soundtrack (The Moon Theme never sounded better!), expanded leves, challenges, fun little additions such as diving and swimming in Scrooge’s Money Bin, unlockable content, and every single member of the original voice acting cast reprising their role for the game makes DuckTales: Remastered one of those rare titles which met and exceeded all of my expectations.
10. New Super Luigi U (Nintendo) – The ‘Lost Levels’ of New Super Mario Bros. U is coated in green paint. New Super Luigi U offers some nasty levels to get through (albeit a lot shorter than those found in its predecessor) and allows those who fancy themselves a hardcore gamer to challenge their skills with Mario’s younger brother. It’s as if Nintendo heard the cocky bragging of gamers on Miiverse and said “oh, so you think you’re good, do you? That’s cute. Try getting through this.”
Josh Jackson
1. Pokemon X and Y – It’s true that GTA V, Tomb Raider, and to a lesser extent, ALBW all represent a series renaissance for their respective franchises, each of which are iconic in their own way. However, there’s no greater representation of perfecting an existing franchise than Pokemon X and Y. With the latest adventures, the Pokemon series was refined to the point where I can’t think of very many ways it can be improved. Sure, the usual expectations such as new Pokemon, a new region and new badges are all here, but brand new content like the Fairy type, Mega Evolutions that bring a completely new dynamic to competitive battling, the entire roster of 720 creatures being reanimated in full 3D, a retooling of how leveling up and training are accomplished, (eliminating the tedium of level grinding,) and new features like Pokemon-Amie give trainers so much more content to work with. On top of that, so many tools have been added to make getting that perfect Pokemon that much easier. Featuring the largest roster in franchise history, (454 are native to these two games alone,) one of the most emotional stories the series has ever seen, a renewed focus on playing with friends thanks to random trading through Wonder Trade and the Friend Safari that awards more Pokemon for every friend on your friend list, and about 70 brand new creatures to experiment with, I seriously can’t think of a way to improve on this legendary franchise beyond X and Y. Aside from a few great features that were strangely ommitted, these games are the new benchmark in which future titles in this 17 year old series will be judged. But most importantly, out of all the great games on this list, this is the only one that I’m still playing daily with no signs of stopping. A great story? Perfected game play? Fantastic visuals? Tons of practical online features? Hundreds of hours of content? Even in a year of tough competition as a console generation ended with a huge bang, this choice just shows how much of an accomplishment X and Y was. How else could it not be my game of the year?
2. Grand Theft Auto V – Let me get this out of the way first. I HATED GTA IV. In fact, GTAIII was the only game in the series that really blew me away. I kind of just picked this game up as a formaility, with cautious optimism towards the praise it was getting, but still unable to get the bad taste of Niko and friends out of my mouth. What I got however, was one of the craziest, most entertaining rides I’ve experienced this generation. The three protagonists, Michael, Trevor and Franklin, each brought so much individual flair to the story that I often felt like I was playing three intersecting campaigns. The story was gritty, offensive and violient, but it’s always tongue in cheek, which is what we’ve come to expect from Rockstar. Game play refinement made traveling and fighting through Los Santos an absolute joy, with new features like heists, special abilities and character specific missions putting a particular touch to GTA’s storied history. If messing around in the 30 plus hour campaign wasn’t enough, Grand Theft Auto Online launched about a month later, where would be criminals are still pulling off jobs and hunting each other down for as much cash as possible. GTAV is easily the highlight of the series, and one of the best games of the entire generation. Besides, what other game can you wake up stranded on a beach wearing a dress?
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – A Link Between Worlds had a ton of strange expectations going in. As the first Zelda game that takes place in the exact same world as one of its predecessors, which was none other than the beloved SNES classic, A Link to the Past, Nintendo set the game up for failure. After all, how can reusing a map and setting it in direct comparison to what many consider one of the best games of all time be anything but? However, A Link Between Worlds not only manages to fill the large Pegasus Boots of its predecessor, it surpasses it in nearly every way. ALBW is the first modern Zelda to allow players to tackle dungeons in nearly any order, thanks to a focus on Rupees since tools now need to be rented or bought instead of found. Link’s ability to turn into a painting acts as one of the most creative abilities I’ve seen in years, and the boss fights are some of the most creative in franchise history, which is saying a lot in comparison to other Zelda games. The amazing story with a touching ending tops off what is a timeless experience that any 3DS owner should experience. If it wasn’t so easy or short, this definitely would have made number 1.
4. Tomb Raider – I’m pretty sure that this is the third reboot that Tomb Raider has gone through over the decade and a half since Lara Croft enchanted gamers everywhere. Unfortunately, the decline in quality combined with a comfort level that the developers settled into after the early success of the series turned the brand into an afterthought in the minds of most. With the latest Tomb Raider, that trend seems to have changed. Giving Lara another fresh start, this origin story strands the adventurer on an island full of cultists who will stop at nothing to bring their would be prophecy to light. It’s a fight for survival at every turn, with improved combat, a large island to explore with plenty of hidden areas and a fun story that brings a level of humanity to Lara that’s been missing since her inception. Combining the best of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Uncharted, it seems like the series has found a winning formula. Back in March, I was sure this game was going to be my game of the year after I was so blown away, but that just goes to show how amazing the end of the year has been.
5. Super Mario 3D World – Like with Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World once again shows how Nintendo has a knack for milking insane amounts of creativity out of concepts that they’ve been working on for years. Taking the 3D platforming of Super Mario 3D Land and blending it with the four player co-op of the lastest New Super Mario Bros. games, on paper, the game sounds like a mash up of old ideas. However, thanks to brilliant level design that feels brand new, power ups like the cat suit and double cherry and five playable characters with unique abilities, and you have a rare sequel that’s completely unique while being fun as a single and multiplayer experience.
6. Project X Zone – If I told myself last year that I would be putting a strategy game on this list, I would think I was lying. But to my surprise, Project X Zone was a game that provided so much fun, there’s no way I couldn’t put it on this list. Bringing together both well known and obscure characters from Sega, Capcom and Namco franchises into one huge grid based RPG, and there’s sure to be plenty of fan service and tongue in cheek writing to go around. Street Fighter, Mega Man, Resident Evil, Tekken, Endless Frontier, Sakura Wars, Virtua Fighter, Space Channel 5, Valkyria Chronicles… you name a franchise, and it’s likely represented. But what carried me through close to 60 hours of play was the addicting combat that puts control directly in the player’s hands to maximize damage. Acting much like a fighting game, simple commands can be entered to combo and juggle enemies within a certain amount of commands. The better the combo, the more effective the turn. Even if you’re terrible at strategy games, anyone with an interest in these properties should give PXZ a shot. If nothing else, it’s probably the only way we’ll see Tron Bonne again.
7. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies – I have to admit, I was skeptical of the fifth Phoenix Wright game. After all, it seemed like Capcom was bringing Phoenix back despite his story being long over, and all because the forced him into AA4 and made the new protagonist an afterthought before he had a chance. Once I actually got the game in my hands however, everything changed. The new lawyer in town, Athena Cykes, as well as Apollo Justice, have huge amounts of focus placed on them, all while bringing their own gameplay tricks to the court room. While Phoenix himself is the character that gets the most play time, it’s only for good reason story wise, and is firmly in the mentor role rather than the main focus of the story. And speaking of the story, it’s an incredible one, complete with some of the best cases and characters in series history, all brought to life with the first game in the series to feature 3D animations. The ending alone is one of the best in the series, and is one of the best reasons to buy a Nintendo Points card. Now, if only we could get a physical copy…
8. Pikmin 3 – After a nine year wait, the long awaited third Pikmin game finally hit the Wii U. Nintendo used that time to work their 1st party magic that only they can. Despite being the third game in a series, so much of Pikmin 3 feels completely original. Whether it’s the new Flying and Rock Pikmin that create new situations for fighting and gather materials, the three protagonists that can be used simultaniously for traveling across the larger terrains faster or the numerous new abilities that make game play more exciting and efficient, Pikmin 3 was a godsend during a long Wii U drought.
9. Bishock Infinite – As one of the most hyped games of 2013, Bioshock Infinite had huge expectations to meet. After all, the original set a new standard for storytelling, gameplay through the creative use of Plasmids and a complete reworking of what the 1st Person Shooter genre could be. While Infinite isn’t nearly as groundbreaking as its predecessor, what really could be? What we get instead is an incredibly well told story spanning time and space with some of the most memorable characters you could meet in a game. The names Booker, Elizabeth and Comstock are irreplacable in my mind, which shows how memorable they were through the tale, (while I must commend Booker in particular for being a strong protagonist in a genre that typically has none.) Combine this with a fantastic early 1900’s setting in a city in the sky, and you get an unforgettable setting that complements the tried and true game play to a tee.
10. A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV – Most of the appeal of Final Fantasy XIV comes from how much more accessible the game is than its predecessor. It’s so much easier to jump in and do fairly well by yourself, which is important when trying to get the hang of a new MMO. More importantly however, is that the game is so fun and accessible that it made most people forgive the travesty that was the original FFXIV. Square Enix had a lot to prove with this massive reboot of their latest attempt at an online game, and I’m happy to say that they were successful in almost every way. They’ve earned my monthly subscription fee.
http://youtu.be/S5FG63P8kmE
S.J. Borger
1. The Last of Us — Lie down. Curl up. Feel all the feels.
2. Bioshock Infinite — So good. So good. Play it. Because it’s SO GOOD.
3. Gone Home — The little indie game that could. Put together clues and find out what happened to a family in their abandoned home.
4. Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag — Solid story and improved gameplay gave the franchise a much-needed breath of fresh air with this expansion.
5. Grand Theft Auto V — Not for kids! Not for kids! Do not buy for your eight-year-old! Adults, however, will enjoy the trademark GTA balls-out insanity.
6. Dead Space 3 — Some fans had issues with the fact that our hero could talk in this one. Others didn’t like the human-on-human fighting. Still, the game played well, the story was compelling and the final twists and turns worth the hours of playtime.
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — A direct sequel to “A Link to the Past,” the games bright colors and retro-feel delighted fans of the 1990’s Zelda games.
8. Tomb Raider — A complete reboot, harder puzzles, and more intriguing gameplay. Fans and critics alike couldn’t find enough good things to say about it.
9. Beyond: Two Souls— Ellen Page and William Dafoe, digitally captured and ported into your console to tell a subtlety wrought, but moving, story.
10. SimCity (eventually)— Ok, ok, there were problems. So many problems. Problems that probably resulted in quite a few computers being thrown across rooms and even more rage-posts on forums. However, nine months later, SimCity is playable, enjoyable—and with updates and changes to the maps, definitely a time sink.
Derek Kraneveldt
I’ve had so little time this past few months that I have a few games still sitting on my shelf that would have definitely made it on this list. Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, I cannot wait to play you. Also, The Walking Dead: Season Two and The Wolf Among Us both had excellent first chapters this year, but seeing as 4/5ths of these titles fall into 2014, look for them on this list next year.
1. The Last of Us – I’m not sure if The Last of Us is the best game of the year, or the best game of this generation. I still recall experiencing the game’s incredible finale for the first time; after the credits finished rolling, I couldn’t bear to move for upwards of 30 minutes; I was upset at what had just occurred, I had just finished the most incredible gaming experience that I could have possibly imagined, and I still don’t know if I’ll ever have an experience like it.
Yes, The Last of Us lives up to the hype. Yes, The Last of Us is worth buying a Playstation 3 for. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, The Last of Us is my game of the year.
Fun fact: The voice of Joel in The Last of Us is the same voice actor as Booker in Bioshock Infinite. Not to mention The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins and a million other roles.
Coolest moment: Visiting the Los Santos Observatory, and then standing in the Los Angeles Observatory in real life… It was EXACTLY the same!
2. Bioshock Infinite – This is the shooter that I’ve been waiting years for, and I loved every single second of it. The game didn’t quite change the shooter genre like Bioshock did, but it did take plot, storytelling, narrative, and mystery to a whole new level. Seriously, the game is so interesting that my mostly non-gamer girlfriend played through the entire title, and made me take the day off of work when the first chapter of Burial at Sea released. Seeing this alternate 1912, the parallels to our world, and the corruption of Comstock is an absolute treat, and its one that I could see myself playing over and over again. Playstation Plus members, you’re getting the game for free in January, and at this point it’s under $20 for everyone else. Again, even if you’re not a gamer, even if you’ve never touched a first-person shooter, the plot of Bioshock Infinite makes it worth a play through.
3. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – I’ve had numerous conversations with Jonathan about Ni No Kuni over the course of 2013, and I really can’t state it better than he already has: this is a nearly perfect JRPG, and one of the first that’s been able to draw me in for a number of years. Level 5 and Studio Ghibli have done an incredible job crafting this these worlds, and it has resulted in what is arguably the PS3’s best RPG. With quick, clever combat, creature collection a lá Pokémon, incredible animation, and plenty of tear-jerking moments turned hilarious by Mr. Drippy’s crazy antics, if you have ever enjoyed an RPG before, you owe it to yourself to play this one.
Seriously, it’s Studio Ghibli AND Level 5, how can you not have already played this one?
4. Tearaway – Since the Vita’s release almost two years ago, I’ve owned two of them. The first, I bought on launch day, and sold months later (at a huge loss) because there really were no great games for it, and nothing worthwhile seemed to be coming down the pipeline. This February, I received a second unit as a gift (thanks John); it was white, looked way cooler on my shelf… and that’s where it sat until Tearaway‘s release. Sure, there are a few great titles on Playstation + (Gravity Rush is killer, and I’ve been having way too much fun with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed), and remote play via the PS4 is useful (though still way too inconsistent), but with the plethora of amazing 3DS titles coming out consistently, what reason did I have to play my Vita?
Tearaway changed all that. Media Molecule, the creators of LittleBigPlanet have built a wonderful, heartfelt papercraft world with this game, and used the Vita’s superb hardware in a completely not cheesy or tacked on way; a feat that no other developer has really been able to achieve at this point. The platforming gameplay and simple puzzles are a welcome change from the plethora of action titles and bad first-person shooters on the console, and the game’s simple, intriguing plot (starring YOU) is one that you won’t want to miss. Tearaway is the Vita’s best game yet, bar none, and I can only hope that the console can continue to receive more quality titles like this one.
5. Grand Theft Auto V – I’ve never been a huge fan of the Grand Theft Auto Series. It’s often hard for me to get into open world games, and the extreme openness of the GTA franchise has always turned me off after a few hours of play. Grand Theft Auto V was completely different. The three sprawling, interlocking, far more down to Earth plotlines changed everything. In previous games it was easy to get tired of a line of missions or an area, and now with a simple-tap of the D-pad you can do something completely different (or head into the insanity that is Grand Theft Auto Online). Nearly everything is improved from previous GTA iterations (the shooting mechanics were something that always bugged me, and in GTAV they’re awesome), and I simply cannot praise Rockstar’s efforts here enough. Even if you’re not a Grand Theft Auto fan, you’re going to love this game.
Honorable mentions: Contrast, Gone Home, Pikmin 3, The Walking Dead: 400 Days.