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 (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.
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.
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.
Showing 1-10 of 29 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