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retrovirus

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GOTY 2013

It's that time of year again. 2013 is an odd year. Plenty of amazing games were released this year, but to echo a sentiment I've heard from others, there's no read one "standout" game that is going to top the lists this year. That said, there have been so many great games released that you can still make a GOTY list without having to play everything, and I think that says something about the great breadth of games available today. Years ago this list would be only top AAA releases, but the growing indie games scene has given us so many great focused experiences.

And for the record, 2013's 2012 Game of the Year goes to Lumines: Electronic Symphony for the PS Vita.

Honorable Mentions include: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons; Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance; GTA V; and Dragon's Crown.

List items

  • I have over 2 straight weeks of playtime sunk into Dota 2, and I don't regret it at all. This is a game that combines my love of complex gameplay interactions are rules with the sweet refinement of personal skill.

  • The Last of Us has one of my favorite stories in games that I've ever played, combined with smooth gameplay known from the team that made Uncharted 2. There's not much else to say other than that you should play it.

  • I love when games can convincingly tie arbitrary gameplay tropes with their narratives. When you die in a roguelike, you start again with nothing and continue to play as long as you last. Rogue Legacy explains this so well as a family lineages' cursed fate to explore this ever changing castle, while all the gold earned is used to build up your mansion and make sure your offspring get farther than you to solving the castle's mystery. It's a beautiful justification in a game with tight platforming, tons of upgrades, humorous traits inherited by your children (Vertigo is the worst!), and one of the best running animations to date.

  • BioShock Infinite plays much better than the first two, still has a great story, and all the wonderful worldbuilding and lore Irrational is known for. I'm not sure why the conversation around this game for the last several months has been one of disappointment, because I had a blast playing it.

  • DmC is stylish and fun. It's really all there is to it. While it may not be the most deep or eminently replayable action game I've ever played, I could still rack up crazy combos with great weapons and kill a bunch of demons. The club level hands down is one of my favorite moments this year.

  • Saints Row IV isn't better than III, but it takes the wackiness factor up a notch, and gives you superpowers so fun that I didn't care. Any game that cribs from Mass Effect and does it well is guaranteed to make me like it.

  • For the same reasons I love wandering around the world in BioShock, Gone Home fills that same space, giving you an entire house to explore and hidden story bits throughout it. The short story and game made it a quick and impactful experience, where I really cared about the characters, and not many games can do that.

  • The Swapper has some incredibly mind-bendy puzzles that managed to give me the Portal-style "Aha!" moment whenever I solved one. It has a great haunting atmosphere, and one hell of an ending.

  • I love Metroid, I love luchadores, I love Mariachi music, I love Guacamelee. It manages to make combat more than just shooting stuff like in Metroid with a cool combo system, tons of background jokes, and some amazing stage design.

  • It came out for PlayStation platforms this year, so that totally counts. Spelunky is another roguelike that focuses more on building your skill to pass long trials in ever more dangerous environments. It's the Super Meat Boy of Roguelike platformers. It's the perfect Vita game, and the daily challenge is a brilliant idea that I hope more games like this implement.

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