I feel like I always miss out on some important games by the time GOTY rolls around, but I have still played a few this year that I really enjoyed. Compared to 2012, the selection this year is unparalleled.
I haven't yet played (or just started): Gone Home, Papers Please, Brothers, A Link Between Worlds, Metal Gear Rising, DmC, Fire Emblem, Guacamelee, and MORE!
I really enjoyed the combat as opposed to everyone else. Narrative dissonance? I don't give a fuck. I like the world, the characters, and whizzing around on skyrails.
The animation and storytelling in The Last of Us is the true winner here. It's so good. Naughty Dog is great at making stuff like this.
The music levels are probably some of the best platforming I have played ever. I had a smile on my face for the majority of the game. Even the water levels are good. Whoa.
It's like Castlevania and Binding of Isaac and it's got loot and upgrades and a square map. Holy shit, a square map - that's GOTY material.
The puzzles are so great. This is a puzzle game, donchaknow? The rooms look like green but then you walk into it and now it's a pattern but here's some stairs and manipulate the blocks to do the thing.
This game was cool. The combat was perhaps too simple but it was fun and chaotic. The character designs are great and it has Jack from Madworld in it. I think he's a pretty cool character with his chainsaw arm and other defining qualities.
Female Uncharted is better than Uncharted 3. The story was forgettable but upgrading weapons and shooting said weapons is fun.
I spent about a month playing Animal Crossing religiously, playing immediately after waking up just to find my 5 fossils for the day, removing weeds and looking through all the shops. I realised I was wasting my life and haven't played since.
More GTA. Exactly what I expected. There are cars and guns. There are missions, are they interesting? Not particularly. Maybe a few are. The only reason this is on the list is due to not playing enough other games which would surely have replaced this.
This game is kind of not great, you can earn TF2 hats though. If only I had played more games I wouldn't have to write about this. I still have this installed to earn TF2 hats. In conclusion, GOTY goes to Team Fortress 2. Congratulations Valve.
