GAME OF THE YEAR 2013
What the fuck, Ryan :(
I'm listing 15, but 11-15 are "Honorable Mentions."
List items
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Oddly enough, a Wii game takes my #1 slot for the fourth year in a row. Pandora's Tower was the most unique game I played in 2013, because it did an amazing job of tying the gameplay mechanics to the narrative, and also made me really, really care about that narrative. You're cast as a young hero, venturing into a series of towers to procure beast flesh to stave off the curse that your beloved has contracted. The better you do in the dungeons, the better your relationship plays out, and that's what determines the ending. In a generation where so many games either have static endings, or endings based on a bullet-list of choices that you make independent of gameplay, this was refreshing.
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I'd argue this is the best strategy RPG since Final Fantasy Tactics. The customization has finally caught up, and the cast of characters is full of memorable weirdos. Even the straightest characters have goofy moments that you can dig up if you try, which is another strong point - how many games of this sort give you so much agency regarding what you see the characters do? Strange as it is, I find appeal in the fact that the interaction system is bascially a slashfic writer's wet dream. The relationships forged also hold a greater meaning in battle than ever before, a bow on the already satisfying package.
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I did not see this coming. I'd never played a Tomb Raider game before, so when I decided to take a flier on this in March I had absolutely no expectations. That turned out to be a great choice. The combat was enjoyable, I couldn't help but root for Lara, I wasn't bothered by the more violent moments like some, and I was having fun for the entire 15 or so hours. I'm excited to see what they do with the series next.
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There was a point, about two hours into this game, when I was ready to sell it to Gamestop for pennies on the dollar. I'm very glad I persevered, because it became a uniquely empowering game. I've heard it compared to Thief, or Deux Ex. Having never played Thief and fresh off being disappointed by the new Deus Ex, Dishonored took a while to click, but once it did I was hooked, hard. Once I learned to play loose and really press Corvo's abilities to their limits, I knew what it was like to be a magical ninja assassin, and it was awesome. Noteworthy for being the first game I've put on one of these lists from a non-current year. More to come...
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...now! Valkyria Chronicles is from 2008, a gem I missed because I didn't own a PS3 until January 2013. The appeal here is a bit like Fire Emblem. You've got a group of characters that you grow very attached to and march into battle. The stakes aren't (usually) quite so high, but it still feels great to beef them up and tear into long odds with reckless abandon. I'm a big softy at heart, and this one gets bonus points for pacing a believable romance well, and knowing just which character to take away and make it stick.
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I'm just about out of things to praise regarding Monster Hunter. I guess with this new one, they figured out the problem where part of the game would be unavailable once the servers went down? That's good and all. We still have a little group playing this once in a while, and I've again put over 400 hours into hunting, gathering, and building incredible weapons for my character.
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I remain torn about where to put this game. On one hand, a lot of it is the same AC we've seen since AC2 back in 2009. You chase guys, you counter guys when they have a red light over their head, you hide in the bushes or the hay and stab a dude as he passes. On the other, HOLY BALLS I HAVE SATISFYING CONTROL OVER MY OWN PIRATE SHIP. Now, the ship stuff isn't totally ideal. I'd like to name the ship, and I'd like to paint it, and I'd like to build it to my specifications rather than just upgrade in a set path. But this is as close as I've ever come to my boyhood, Lego-fueled fantasy of being a pirate, and that's worth a spot on this list.
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Specifically the BFG edition on 360. I loved Rage, y'all. I know I wasn't supposed to but I did. Something about id's shooting model (and the silky frame rate) just really does it for me, and that continued with Doom 3: BFG. I remember when games like Resident Evil 5 and Dead Space were causing game journalists to ask "Can you make a good horror experience while still being empowered?" This was answered in 2004, dummies.
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This game nails the "survival" part of survival horror better than anything I've played (I suspect there are better examples on PC). You're scrounging and managing resources, frantically trying to get that flare ready to toss so the undead will back off and let you escape. The Wii U gamepad is a very convenient tool at times. It lets me play Monster Hunter while watching basketball, for example. But ZombiU showed me that it could actually enhance a single-player experience, and that's valuable. Having to look down at it and touch it for inventory purposes while the game continues on the main screen is genius.
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The dungeons are intuitive while not being pushovers, the game's economy and upgrades are better designed than the franchise has ever managed, and the music is quite nice. This is a way better game than Link to the Past, you crazy people.
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