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My 2013 in games

Minimal 2013

Writing this at the back end of 2016, 2013 is a distant memory. Finishing my dissertation (Poor Student), moving into a new flat, starting my first full-time job; a very busy year which resulted in very little time to play video games. In fact a sum total of 11 games were completed with a measly 1 that was released in 2013. Holding me back was not only time constraints but a PC which was slowly dying a death, with dated hardware preventing me from playing new releases and the blue screen of death appearing with increased frequency, slightly older games were my only option. My first generation Xbox 360 was just as unreliable with it picking and choosing when it would run smoothly.

Given the amount of amazing games that were released in 2013, my sole completion of Tomb Raider during the year made it my 2013 GOTY by default! The other 10 games completed were all backlog games with not one being a stinker, some disappointments (Mass Effect 3, Dead Island, & Assassins Creed: Revelations) but none I'd class as bad games. All above mediocre. With such few games i didn't have many surprises, maybe Dark Souls, a game in which i didn't really have any intent to play but being skint i gave it a go. The constant to and fro about whether or not i loved or hated this game was mood dependant, but the satisfaction you get when you finally beat a boss after dozens of attempts is unparalleled, one of the most satisfying experiences in gaming.

Games completed in 2013

Games Completed in 2013 (11). Only One of them being release in 2013. What can i say it was a slow gaming year.

9/10 - Batman: Arkham City.

8/10 - Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution, Dark Souls, Mass Effect 3.

7/10 - Rage, Metro 2033, Spec Ops: The Line, Assassins Creed III.

6/10 - Dead Island, Assassins Creed: Revelations.

2016 update of 2013

Now it's the end of 2016 and 2013 turned out to be one of my all time favourite years for games, with The Last of Us, GTA V, and Bioshock Infinite all blowing me away! Backed up by Dead Rising 3, The Wind Waker, Shadowrun, Super Mario 3D World, and the oddly satisfying Deadly Premonition. Years like this remind me why i love video games.

2017 update of 2013

I've completed all my backlog games of this year, the final pieces being Pikmin 3 and Guacamelee! which were both highly enjoyable little games, that in other years would of found themselves much higher up on the list, similar to a lot of other games on this list,

Final tally of Games Completed: 30

I should probably mention i keep track of every game i play, the console played on, date completed and a score out of 10. I started doing this at the start of 2013 and it has now become an obsession.

List items

  • The problem with open world games is most game don't feel like a living world, but thanks to rockstar we get a world that feels alive, with NPC's having a life outside of the playable characters. As well as a living world GTA V offers you freedom to do with as you wish. Play Golf, Invest in companies, steal a military jet and go on a rampage, and much much more. My overt feeling when playing GTA V was joy, regardless in what i was doing i enjoyed it, even the highly criticised story and protagonists felt perfect to me. The ability to change characters at will, spending dozens of hours with each of them, treating each character differently and playing to their personalities. Rockstar knocked it out of the parked with the single player, i can't attest for the multiplayer as i haven't any experience with it. 10/10 is the only score i could truthfully give to a game i've played though 3 times.

    Platform: Xbox 360

    Date Completed: 7th January 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 45h

    Rating: 10/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 1

  • "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt, that was the deal", A simple task for Booker DeWitt, or so it seems.... Bioshock Infinite is without a doubt one of my favourite games of all time, taking place in possibly my favourite series of all time. Everything about this game is near perfection, fun action packed combat, and a story that subverts your expectations and leaves you awed, and characters that have become ingrained on my memory! Elizabeth and Booker feel like real characters, written and acted so well you become attached to them throughout the game, so attached you feel real emotions when things happen to them. A game that can do this earns all my plaudits. If I could wipe my memory to forget the story to experience this again, I would! A special mention to that barbershop quartet, I've watched that clip so many times, and it has yet to put a smile on my face.

    DLC also hit it out of the park! Taking you back to rapture, one of the most intriguing and atmospheric places in any video game I've played.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 5th May 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 19h

    Rating: 10/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 2

  • The reason i bought a PS3 towards the end of its lifecycle was for The Last Of Us. I wanted to play it before the inevitability of the story being ruined during a podcast or chat with friends. As it turned out i'm pretty glad i bought a PS3. Playing on Hard, The Last Of Us was pretty much a stealth game, which was fitting in the Scenario Naughty Dog Painted. You're fighting infected and humans, always outnumbered, always outgunned; so what other way then stealth is their? The fluidity of the animations allows the gameplay to flow well, especially on the PS4 at 60fps. Even with peoples grievances of the repetitive gameplay, no argument can be made against the narrative allowing for flawless character development between Ellie and Joel which allows for the plot to carry extra weight due to your investment with these characters. Naughty Dog built and executed perfection with The Last Of Us, a self contained story that doesn't need a sequel or prequel. A game i'd be happy to never see a 2 after.

    Platform: PS3

    Date Completed: 25th August 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 14h 47m

    Rating: 10/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 3

  • Fun factor alone ranks this game so high. I just enjoyed every minute with this game. Do I remember the story? No. Do I care what the story was? No. Making weapons and vehicles and mowing through zombies didn’t get old throughout the 20 hours it took me to complete the game. Satisfaction was my only feeling with a big grin on my face. Maybe it isn't the Dead Rising franchise I love but I had more fun with this game then the previous two combined. That may be due to my annoyances at previous games main features that other people seemed to love; the timer, survivors, and the potential to completely fail first or second time round at the game. All in all Dead Rising 3 is one of the best Zombie games I've had the pleasure of playing. I would definitely ultimate grim reaper zombies again!

    Platform: Xbox One

    Date Completed: 9th February 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 19h

    Rating: 9/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 4

  • Completely new to the DmC series and having little interest in this property until I noticed Ninja Theory made the newest iteration in the series. Ninja Theory games always resonate with me from Heavenly Swords ambitious ideas, but a lack of polish to their underappreciated gem, Enslaved: Odyssey to the west. I played this game shortly after completing DOOM 2016 and I felt a lot of similarities between these two games, fast paced combat combined with a heavy soundtrack that ramps up during intense battles, the rooms of enemies you have to wipe out before moving on, and the awesome character design and levels. DmC was a huge surprise I was never expecting

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 28th December 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 8h 43m

    Rating: 9/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 5

  • If I hadn't got this game as part of a Humble Bundle I don't think I would have ever purchased it otherwise. I never thought I'd enjoy the CRPG genre so therefore never played any games in that genre. I'd always heard great things about games such as Baldur's Gate, and Planescape Torment, games that that focused on lots of narrative in their games, where you can spend hours just in conversations with NPC's, rather than in combat. I can't put my finger on why i ignored this genre as Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favourite games of all time and it takes a lot of aspects from these CPRG's.

    Shadowrun is a fantastically written, no doubt there's a lot of writing but it never felt labored reading the texts or conversations. The writing wraps itself around the linear story nicely, offering plenty of context for what is happening. My favourite part however was the combat which allowed for dynamic gameplay in a turn based environment, giving the player options on combat specializing, equipment and stat adjustment. Taking place in a dark cyberpunk scenario I expected a little bit more variety in the locals, however it all felt a little too dark, I was needing more neon and colour at some points. The slightly bland environments and the linearity of the world are my only real nitpicks with this game but I'm in no doubt I'll be playing future iterations of Shadowrun.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 1st April 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 12h 36m

    Rating: 8/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 6

  • Lara Croft changes from young woman who's never fired a gun then into ruthless killer, headshotting people from a thousand yards away! Loved it! Well told story, beautiful setting, competent levelling up system, choices in how you go into combat situations. Lara Croft is well and truly back!

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 22nd July 2013

    Time Taken to Beat: 11h

    Rating: 8/10

    2013 rank: 1

    2016 rank: 7

  • My favourite TV show ever made is Twin Peaks, David Lynch is a genius in my eyes and i've always been waiting for the David Lynch of the gaming world. I may found who i was looking for in Swery65. Swery65 managed to create one of the most unique games i've ever played. I know all the problems with this game, but to me none of that mattered, this game was about more than just graphics or gameplay. By hitting on something so out of ordinary i couldn't help but fall in love with it. Let's just hope if there's a sequel it doesn't go down the same vain as Season 2 of Twin Peaks

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 18th January 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 20h

    Rating: 8/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 9

  • The best parts of this game are when it doesn't make you feel like your playing an Assassin's Creed game. Don't get me wrong I like Assassin Creed games, I even quite liked Unity. None of them are bad games, they just make you do boring repetitive tasks you don't want to be doing. In Black Flag however your sailing around the islands getting into scuffles with other boats, acting the only way a pirate should, it felt great. Upgrading your boat to fight bigger and better ships, boarding vessels and plundering their loot or just destroying their ship only makes me want more pirate games. Sadly as i mentioned earlier the Assassin's Creed aspects ruin this, i no longer want to tail a target trying to remain hidden or listen into a boring overdrawn conversion, I'm a fucking pirate! I should be acting like one. Ubisoft needs to move into the fantastical aspects of their games, not take themselves so seriously and take risks adding new mechanics for each, such as the sailing mechanic which is the best part of Black Flag. Sea Shanties made me want to stay at sea forever.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 16th April 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 24h 42m

    Rating: 8/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 10

  • Not the Super Mario game i was wanting for my Wii U but Nintendo do know how to make a very good platforming game. A full 3D realised Mario is what i'm craving, something to rival the 2 best platformers of all time, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2.

    Platform: Wii U

    Date Completed: 4th February 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 9h 55m

    Rating: 8/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 11

  • The First game I played on my newly built rig was Splinter Cell Blacklist. It killed my last PC so I thought I'd attempt to get back into it with a far superior rig. I've played all the Splinter Cell games up to this point, falling in love with the original trilogy of games on my Nintendo GameCube. Sadly they departed from the foundation that made them so popular, opting for more action focused gameplay, with set pieces rather than the patient stealth gameplay that you associated with Splinter Cell games. Blacklist however goes back to some of these roots, allowing you to play through all scenarios as stealthy or guns blazing as you wish. More options are available to Sam Fisher than ever before with more gadgets and guns to fool about with, upgrading items in between mission. The only problem with all these items at your disposal is it makes the game a cakewalk, the challenge that made the original games so compelling kinda disappears. Difficult side mission are available, but without the need to complete them in order to progress the main campaign I kinda didn't bother completing al of them. I hope Ubisoft continue in a similar vain with their next Splinter Cell Game, keeping the large environments, and multiple ways to attack these scenarios while perfecting the AI and making sure it's optimised and supported.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 1st April 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 11h 30m

    Rating: 7/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 12

  • This game gave me one of those "OH SHIT" moments in video games. The novel mechanic with a controller that actually has a pay off for it's forced implementation. Brothers has more going for it than just this though, i often found myself just sitting on a bench taking in the scenery. A perfect example of how a simple, thoughtful indie game that last only a couple hours can have the same emotionally impact as a 15hr AAA epic.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 1st June 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 2h 36m

    Rating: 7/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 13

  • Batman Arkham Origins is more of the same. If you've played any of the previous Arkham Series you know what to expect from this game; great combat, large interesting environments, and gorgeous visuals (If a bit glitchy on PC). What makes this game fall short of previous games in the series is the story, regardless it's still a very good game, it's just the worst Arkham one.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 19th December 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 18h

    Rating: 7/10

    2015 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 14

  • I am a sucker for a game in a CyberPunk theme! An underused setting which i never feel as really got it's due in video games, which is a shame when you see all the amazing cyberpunk movies and anime over the years. Remember Me takes place in NeoParis, a reimagining of Paris 80 years in the future, rebuilt after a Civil War.The first thing you notice are the striking visuals and beautiful vistas shown when climbing around NeoParis. The attention to detail sucked me into the world they had created instantly. What took me out of the world however was the combat, a clunky version of Batmans Arkham combat that never quite felt fluent enough to rival its competition in this area. Where it did rival it's competition was in the story department, an intriguing story driven plot, with twists and turns leaving you unsure who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. The story was driven by the best mechanic in the game, Memory manipulation, as Nilin you have the ability to change peoples memories, add false ones, or remove them all together. This concept of remixing peoples memories was underused however, when i got to use it i loved it, but it was only sporadically placed to drive the story along. Maybe this was the best use of the mechanic but i can't help the feeling of wanting more time with it. Another game i wish had more compelling combat to complement it's story.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 25th March 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 10h

    Rating: 7/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 15

  • The last game i played before going travelling, a game that had been sitting in my pile of shame since it's release date. If i hadn't of been leaving this game would have most likely stayed their until the foreseeable future. My deciding factor on finally taking Pikmin out of it's shrink rap was my underuse of my Wii U in the last year. I've never played a Pikmin game before, even though iv'e owned ever console a Pikmin game has been released on, but for some reason or another it never stood out to me amongst the million of other games. Having no experience in the series i can't judge it based off the others. Pikmin 3 is an adorable little game that has an intuitive control scheme with the Wii U pad (Finally a use for the pad!), merged with good level design, diverse enemies and beautiful visuals; Pikmin 3 made me want to play the previous instalments. The replay-ability to collect all the fruit could have kept me engaged for longer if i wasn't leaving my consoles at home as i travel, maybe i'll go back one day and maybe it'll appear higher on the list.

    Platform: Wii U

    Date Completed: 3rd January 2017

    Time Taken to Beat: 13h 08m

    Rating: 7/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: N/A

    2017 rank: 16

  • £3! It's hard to criticise a £3 game but coming with the XCOM title it had a large name to live up to. I remember years ago seeing an E3 Trailer for what this game was meant to be, then it resurfaced as a game with Mass Effect combat set in the 1950s. Both positives in my eyes. And that is what this game feels like, a B-Tier Published game that took aspects of popular games and implemented them competently enough. B-Tier games are known for their clunky controls, menus, and bad AI, but if you're aware of this aspect before playing it these aspects can easily be negated, never once stopping me from enjoying the game. Yes the AI always died, but i chose to just ignore them and play it mostly as a single player experience. Yes the game glitched often with cutscenes sometimes becoming a mess, with guns floating and characters not opening their mouths when speaking. Regardless of it's many problems, it's saved by an interesting story which won't disappoint. If only a little more love got put into the gameplay aspects and bug fixes then i would feel comfortable recommending this game.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 9th April 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 8h 52m

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 16

    2017 rank: 17

  • Getting this game to run on my PC was a chore, changing the locked at 30fps, 720p resolution brought more problems with it. Thankfully after fiddling about with the ini files and the help of people on forums who have already encountered these problems and fixed them i was ready to kick some but. Il start with some positives, great variety in missions, unusual and interesting characters

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 18th December 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 6h 17m

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 17

    2017 rank: 18

  • Graphics wise this game blew me away! One of my first experiences on the Xbox One. I've always wanted a good game set during the Roman Empire, a third person RPG with Witcher-esque combat would be my dream. Ryse ticked a few of these boxes but missed out on compelling combat, i did enjoy the combat, however it was far too easy and simplistic. Combat wasn't the only mediocre element of Ryse, the story was shallow and easily read, within the first chapter i had figured out Ryse's narrative. The sum of Ryse is better than it's parts, nothing i would categorically say was good but as a whole i enjoyed my experience.

    Platform: Xbox One

    Date Completed: 6th December 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 7h

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 18

    2017 rank: 19

  • Don't really know what to say about Stanley Parable. It was clever, unique, funny; a game i should have liked more than i did. If i was to introduce someone who doesn't play or like games, this would be the game i'd give them to play, maybe a back handed compliment, but a compliment none-the-less.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 23rd October 2014

    Time Taken to Beat: 2h 30m

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 19

    2017 rank: 20

  • The silent storytelling and questions that arise throughout the game make it a worthwhile experience, taking chances in the narrative that most developers wouldn't. The puzzle gameplay with the lack of variation just didn't appeal to me, so my concentration waned towards the end. However as a whole the developers accomplished in creating an average 2d platformer that excelled In story and atmosphere aspects that make it a unique and memorable experience.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 8th January 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 6h 18m

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 20

    2017 rank: 21

  • After the peak of Dead Space 2, i had high hopes when Dead Space 3 was announced, that however shortly faded once news of what they developed became apparent. My favourite parts of the previous two games was the survival horror, the feeling of being alone, just Isaac, you, and the enemies, with a plot to compliment the gameplay. This iteration is none of the above, it forces an awkward love story between Isaac and someone i don't remember the name of, I actually don't remember the name of any of the charcters due to how foregtable they were. The most dissapoitning thing about this game was however the combat. Enemies just seemed to appear out of nowhere, over and over again, waves after waves. I felt the methodical combat had gone and i was just spraying and praying fighting way too many humans and necromorphs. I shit on this game but it did do a few things right, such as the opening segments on the ship, if the rest of the game followed in this vain i would of loved it, these moments created tension and atmosphere which was lost by the time you reached the surface world. Co-op Survival horror should never be a thing!

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 26th May 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 12h 54m

    Rating: 6/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 21

    2017 rank: 22

  • Fighting games are not my forte, never have been and never will be. I always feel inept when playing them and therefor most of the time don't enjoy enjoy them, with the exception of Mortal Kombat X reboot which i played to death. Injustice didn't change my mind on fighting games. All was really hoping for with Injustice was a decent story with interesting subplot, that offered variety and a decent length. I managed to finish the story campaign in one sitting, a little disappointing if that's all your wanting from this game. The story itself was just boring to me. I enjoyed playing as all the characters but once you get used to them your onto the next character, having to learn all there move sets, i wish they gave you an option of who to pick in certain environments. As someone who doesn't have the patience to learn the depth that fighting games offer i think this may be my last fighting game.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 7th October 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 4h 21m

    Rating: 5/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 22

    2017 rank: 23

  • The trailer sold me on this game. The concept of an 80's action film as a game should have been my perfect game, i love that eras action films and music, those things mashed with a game had me drooling. However towards the end of my experience i just wanted it to be over, the beginning mission had cool aspects but it didn't span those aspects throughout a whole game.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 4th April 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 4h

    Rating: 4/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 23

    2017 rank: 24

  • I put this game down and never got back to it, I enjoyed what i played of it. I might go back to it if i have time in the future.

    Platform: PS3

    Date Completed: N/A

    Time Taken to Beat: 5h (Retired)

    Rating: N/A (Retired)

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 24

    2017 rank: 25

  • I attempted to play this game twice but both times i only made it through the first few levels. I liked the ideas this game had but it just wasn't clicking for me, and if a game can't get my attention after 3 hours i will give it up

    Platform: Wii U

    Date Completed: N/A

    Time Taken to Beat: 3h (Retired)

    Rating: N/A (Retired)

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 25

    2017 rank: 26

  • David Cage's second interactive movie which is worse in every way then Heavy Rain. When a game wants to be a movie it has to get the things that makes movies great right, such as story, structure, tension, drama, and characterisation. Without nailing these aspects the game felt hollow.

    Platform: PS3

    Date Completed: 3rd August 2017

    Time Taken to Beat: 9h 02m

    Rating: 3/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 26

    2017 rank: 27

  • Loved the concept of this game, with the developers accomplishing working it into a game. However i just didn't enjoy any of it, that's probably what the developers wanted, working as a custom officer trying just to survive and look after your family. For only a couple pounds I'm glad I played it, if only for the reason that I know I won't play another realistic simulator about the harshness of reality.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 4th January 2016

    Time Taken to Beat: 1h 17m

    Rating: 3/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 27

    2017 rank 28

  • Getting told of what an intriguing story gone home had made me want to play it, what i didn't expect was a cliched soap opera. Nothing original about the subjects they cover, i could have forgiven it if i felt it had been written well, however i also felt this way lacking, trying to shoehorn in references etc which just felt awkward. I was also at least expecting some puzzles as a gameplay mechanic, none existed! So what i was left with was wandering about an empty house waiting for something to happen. It left me with the feeling "was that it, had i missed something", i had not! In my games i like gameplay in them so maybe i'm just not the audience they were aiming for.

    Platform: PC

    Date Completed: 22nd December 2015

    Time Taken to Beat: 1h 24m

    Rating: 1/10

    2013 rank: N/A

    2016 rank: 28

    2017 rank: 29
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