Best of 2013
Honorable Mentions: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Super Mario Brothers 3D World, The Stanley Parable, Saint's Row IV, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, Tearaway, Guacamelee
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I'm not sure why, but it seems the zombie-themed games of late have really been packing an emotional punch. The Last of Us is one of the few games that pulls me to the edge of my seat to begin cursing in disbelief at what unfolds before me. I love how the game cuts through time at multiple points to really show how things change not only in the world but in your relationship with other characters. This game can really capture the player in the storytelling. Obviously, it is another competent shooter coming from Naughty Dog. I love the scavenging, the stealth, the bevvy of combat options, and the pressing need to conserve ammo. Also, the game is gorgeous. Overall, I was not able to find anything to not like about this game.
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This one really impressed me. I'm not sure that I have seen a game unfold a narrative in such a satisfying and organic fashion. The ordering of the clues and story elements offers many different possibilities that slowly come together to tell a coherent story. You learn about and come to appreciate characters despite never actually meeting them. This game is quite an achievement.
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Bioshock: Infinite is one of those rare pieces of entertainment that send me straight to the internet to look up all sorts of breakdowns and interpretations. It is, at its core, interesting. That is a rarity in games, especially shooters. Speaking of shooting, it does that just fine. The skyline mechanics and tear system add just enough to keep this one from feeling stale despite the holdovers from prior Bioshock titles.
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I wasn't sold on brothers at first. It felt like a clumsy game trying hard to ape Ico. Over time I came to appreciate the story it was telling both through character interactions and through specific gameplay moments. This game has some real weight and meaning.
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Rayman has gotten continually refined to the point of near platforming perfection. The game is visually beautiful, the worlds are interesting, and there is a decent number of challenging moments. The music levels are phenomenal and the rest of the game is rock-solid. The inclusion of all the Origins levels gives the game a good amount of staying power.
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This would have to be my biggest surprise of the year. I was ready to avoid playing this one after experiencing the bore-fest that was Assassin's Creed III. I would recommend looking past the title and relabel it in your mind as Awesome Piratey Piratefest. The feeling of sailing on choppy waves while engaging several enemy ships is positively thrilling. Although a lot of core game elements remain, it seems like Ubisoft has been willing to step more firmly toward something new. I hope that future titles in the series demonstrate similar (and perhaps more extreme) departures from the old-hat core gameplay of the series.
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This title shines as a party game. It is deceptively simple but has plenty of space to allow for higher-level play. It is a shame that this is pretty much the only reason to own an Ouya for the foreseeable future (well, other than for easy emulation on your television).
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Grand Theft Auto V provides the same open-world gameplay that the series has always been known for. The inclusion of multiple playable characters is a neat idea, although I'm not sure that it really adds a whole lot. The story kept me from skipping cut scenes, but it certainly wasn't all that meaningful. Even still, the game is well-polished and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
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