Best games of 2013 (that didn't come out in 2013)
Let's be real: This is the true GOTY list, but you'll want to read the blog for additional commentary.
List items
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I'm sort of cheating on this one, given that World of Xeen is actually composed of Might and Magic IV and V, both separate and distinct halves of a game that interconnects them in a way that I don't think I've seen again. *
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While I couldn't tell you if this game or Super Mario 3D World is the superior of the two, the second half of 3D Land is exactly the kind of thing that makes Mario games a force to be reckoned with in the first place.
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Mask of the Betrayer may have managed to usurp Fallout: New Vegas as my favorite Obsidian title, depending on the day of the week you ask me. *
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The question "Am I a bad enough dude to play these deliberately cruel dungeon crawlers with anime lolis?" was one I struggled with for quite some time. I'm not sure what made this one click, but consider me a fan of Etrian Odyssey. *
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I'll give Valkyria Chronicles II credit: Given how much better the first game supposedly is, I'll probably enjoy the hell out of it. Its PSP sequel has what might be the single most intolerably annoying cast of anime stereotypes this side of a Tales game... aaannnd I still enjoyed it. Weird.*
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Bayonetta crosses my line of tolerance for batshit Japanese insanity with its unrelenting torrent of flashing lights, nonsensical plot, sexual imagery and references to other video games. It's also one of the finest character action games I've played.
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I was actually really surprised how much I enjoyed this game, given that I think Mario Kart is sort of dumb now. *
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Don't let the Vikings fool you, Warriors of the North is more King's Bounty with some slight tweaks here and there. And... that's good enough, given that as a fan of Heroes of Might and Magic, this entire series is basically just comfort food.
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Far Cry 3 is the big dumb sandbox I wish Far Cry 2 was all along. The only reason it isn't higher is because I think it wears out its welcome by the time you reach the second island, to not even get into my issues with the story and its continually squandered potential in favor of making me openly hate the protagonist. I might like Blood Dragon more, actually. Still a blast.
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While I didn't get around to Oracle of Ages this year, Oracle of Seasons is a solid Zelda game hamstrung by the limits of what the Gameboy Color was actually capable of. *
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