I am one of those people who will also participate in one of these self serving events, because well, any excuse to talk about games on a blog about living and working in Korea is an endeavor worth taking.
This list is going to be a little different, as the amount of time and money I had this year really had an impact on the games that I played, meaning that this isn't exactly a comprehensive list but I like to think I was able to include a good mix of titles.
Also along with my top ten, I've included 10 games that I replayed this year, and still find excellent in terms of quality. Some of these games I have not played in over 8 years, and the fact that they still hold up well now deserves mention and in some cases, phrase.
TL:DR The 10 Best Games I Played in 2013 (and the 10 best games worth replaying in 2013)
10. Killer is Dead- Pure Suda 51 inspired weirdness with an anime veneer. Not his best but still a lot of fun with that dark and sinister anime vibe combined with excellent cell shaded visuals.
9. Grand Theft Auto V- Everything GTA IV should have been. Strong characters, huge world, tight controls, creative missions and a great soundtrack. Despite the online portion being flawed, the single player kept me playing for a very long time.
8. Battlefield 4- There are many, many issues with BF4, but even with its slew of problems, I find myself returning to this game more than any other this year. When it does work right, when everything clicks, there's simply no other modern FPS that can compete.
7. Fire Emblem: Awakening- Great turn based gameplay. An incredible story and tons of replay where generations of family are raised to fight on the battlefield. Fire Emblem is my favorite handheld game of the year and quite possibly one of the best strategy rpg's I've ever played.
6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengence- Super slick and frantic gameplay from the action masters at Platinum Games with the crazy military/sci fi settings of the Metal Gear universe. The best hack and slash title this year, performing leaps and bounds better than its rivals, DmC and Ninja Gaiden 3.
5. Papers Please- Not quite sure what genre this would fit in, but I do know Papers Please is one of the most compelling games I've played this year. Requiring memorization, repetition and moral choices without being forced, the game constantly keeps you on your toes by changing the rules and forcing you to weigh the heavy decisions of keeping your family alive and staying loyal to your job.
4. Bioshock Infinite- While I was slightly disappointed about the watered down combat, the two weapon limit and the lack of combat options from Elizabeth, once I put my expectations aside, Bioshock Infinite turned out to be incredible with one of the most ambitious stories and endings I've seen in a modern game. In the end this puts Infinite at number 4 and makes it one of the best games this generation.
3. Assassins Creed IV- While I was a big fan of Assassins Creed II, I skipped the other titles in the series due to a lack of interest. I'm glad I decided to check out the latest in the series because it turned out to be one of the best open world titles I've played in recent memory. An interesting world and setting with likable characters, incredible navel combat and a cool ARG style portion of the game where you play as an employee of Abestigos Entertainment helping to "make" the very game you are playing. Now that next gen is here, I cannot wait to see a truly next gen Assassins Creed.
2. The Last of Us- There is little to be said about this game that hasn't already been said but for the sake of being complete, The Last of Us was presented with high expectations and in my opinion, met all of them. Excellent stealth and survival gameplay where every single tool and item can be used effectively and smart enemies who flank, hide and scream out in pain. The world is a compelling zombie apocalypse setting that takes the tired old zombie trope and turns into something new and refreshing. The characters are complex, complicated individuals who aren't in the game to be cool or likable, but rather make you believe these individuals are bitter and tired people trying to survive in a world where everything wants you dead. Heck, even the visuals are fantastic, proving that the PS3 still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Without a doubt, I can say that this is Naughty Dog's masterpiece.
1. Tomb Raider- No other game surprised me with its overall quality than the Tomb Raider reboot. Taking everything that didn't work with the old series and giving it a fresh new coat of paint, this new Tomb Raider took my expectations and gave me one of the most exciting and compelling action titles I've ever played. This new Lara is a interesting character who's growth from scared survivor to unstoppable killing machine and skilled acrobatic was a non stop action journey from beginning to end. Despite some issues of narrative having a disconnect with gameplay in terms of emotion, the story was still a compelling tale of survival and serves as a fitting origin story for Lara. With word of a new title in development, I can only hope it expands further and gives us more to do, because as of right now, the game is near perfection and the reason why, without a doubt, is my favorite game of 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Ducktails Remastered, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Deadly Premonition (PC)
The Ten Games Still Worth Replaying in 2013
10. Castlevania- Still difficult. Still has clunky controls. Still feels great to advance to the next level.
9. Amnesia: Dark Descent- Still one of the scariest and atmospheric horror games I've ever play. On my second playthrough, I'm still afraid of going into the dark.
8. Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando- To me, this is still the closest you can come to a quality action platformer without Mario in the name. The guns, the levels, even the Saturday Morning cartoon-esque story are still entertaining and hold up remarkably well today.
7. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped- It's amazing that a decade old PS1 platformer is still better than 90% of what is offered today. Tight controls and a great level design still make this a great game to play.
6. The Marvel/ Capcom Vs Series- After playing through MvC 1 and MvC 2 again with a better controller, I can now see the full potential of these games and love the frantic fighting combat combined with colorful 2D backgrounds and huger roster of characters.
5. Nights: Into Dreams- It's been a long time since playing Nights, and playing again is like jumping into a pool of ice cold water. You're not sure what to do, you awkwardly flail around for a bit, but finally you find your grounding and eventually have a blast. Nights still has some of the tightest controls, a memorable soundtrack and some of the best levels I have ever seen in a video game (including the best Christmas themed level ever). Even today, there is no other game like Nights.
4. Super Mario World- My go to game to play on long train rides to Seoul. SMW still impresses today with its incredibly tight and responsive controls along with great levels with a ton of secrets to discover. It often goes back and forth for my favorite Mario platformer with this and the next title.
3. Super Mario Brothers 3- Great levels, a cool world screen, awesome power ups and great music still make this one of the best Mario games ever, and one of the best platformers ever. When you have debates between Super Mario World and Mario Brothers 3 as the best Mario platformer ever, you know you've done something right with you franchise.
2. Duke Nukem 3D (with High Resolution Pack)- Trying to get away from all the gritty and multiplayer centric FPS titles of today, I found myself revisiting old gems on PC with the latest in visually enhancing mods. Despite being crass and stuck in the "tude" times of the 90's. Duke Nukem 3D still has some of the best levels and most satisfying weapons in any FPS ever. The new HR pack brings the old 2D sprites into full 3D, keeping the same fast paced gameplay with a new, shiny coat.
1. Brutal Doom - If Doom I and II were considered the best FPS's ever made. Brutal Doom takes it up to eleven in every singe way possible. Brutal gory combat. with full 3D movement and all new devastating weapons makes this more than worth it to go back and play through the old Doom titles in a whole new way. I held the Doom series in high regard before, but the insanity of gameplay makes Brutal Doom, the best FPS mod I have ever played and quite possibly the best FPS ever.
Honorable Mentions: Chrono Trigger, Unreal Tournament
That's All! It's been a good year for gaming and a reminder that my favorite hobby just keeps getting better and better ever year. Happy gaming everyone! Here's to great games in 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment