Honorable Mentions: Rayman: Jungle Run, Super Hexagon, Sleeping Dogs
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This is one of the few games I have ever played that has me emotionally invested in the characters. I care what happens to them, or to be more accurate, her. Clementine is imminently likable and her vulnerability makes it hard not to feel protective. Here I am, caring about a video game character. The attention to detail in the facial animation enhance the experience and make it easier to connect to the plight of the characters. Through both the narrative control given to the player and the narrative control selectively withheld from the player, you can never be fully sure what will happen. I constantly wondered if I had made the right decision and often wondered if I could have prevented several of the tragic scenes. To be honest, I think I felt guilt for the first time in playing a video game. The gameplay is certainly basic, but this game is about what happens to people when everything falls apart. It is not about shooting zombies.
This game is as close to perfect as it gets. It removes the frustration from stealth games with smart checkpointing, open-ended gameplay, and immediately available environmental information. You always know what you did wrong, which makes it a game of perfecting your movements rather than a game of frustrated confusion. The narrative is of minimal interest, but the world and the art style are unique and engaging. This is one of those few games that can throw me into a rabid completionist obsession. I simply did not want to miss anything the game had to offer.
Holy shit. This game is full of surprises. It starts off as an unassuming platformer and morphs into a brain-teasing puzzler that might as well require a degree in cryptography. Good luck finishing this one without the internet. The game is impeccably designed and I rarely felt stuck. There was always a puzzle I could go back to with new knowledge and try again. Be sure to stick with this one past the first few hours or you are going to miss practically everything that makes this game great. This game is an incredibly clever and unique achievement. There simply are no other games like it. It provides the kind of individuality that makes the indie game scene so exciting.
I finally arrived at the best way to describe what Far Cry 3 feels like. It is like playing the scene in The Patriot where Mel Gibson and his youngest sons work together to take out an entire squad of British soldiers using the forest to their advantage. The difference is that rather than using a musket, you also have access to a bow, a flamethrower, an RPG, several rifles, and BEARS. There is nothing more satisfying than toying with the enemies as you take them apart one at a time. This game manages to take the best elements of the first two Far Cry games and put them together in a cohesive fashion. It does the open world right with emergent gameplay that keeps you wondering what might happen next. I can see myself coming back to this one.
Dishonored is as thrilling as it is frustrating. I love having the ability to approach situations from multiple angles with various tools at my disposal. This provided for some unique and creative moments. However, the game could be made so much better with just a few additions. A real-time stat-tracker would make it much easier to do a pacifist playthrough. I played through the game without killing or alerting anyone, although the game did not recognize this or demonstrate to me what was done wrong. Also, with the game making it so easy for things to go badly when approaching stealthily, the long load times become increasingly frustrating when you just want to jump back into the action. The game actually shares a lot in common with Mark of the Ninja, although it lacks most of the useful data that game provides to a would-be assassin.
Journey really defies description. It is really more of an experience than a game. It tries something different and succeeds in bringing a unique feel to interactive entertainment. It is also visually stunning and, I must say, I was transfixed throughout. This is the kind of game you soak in.
It seems to be a rare trilogy that closes out with its strongest entry. Mass Effect 3 is not an exception. Although the plot felt somewhat contrived, the character interactions remained as interesting as in past games in the series. I certainly felt it when prior squad members met their fate. The much lambasted ending did not bother me as much as it seemed to bother others. I'm not sure why others were so upset that they did not get to see the consequences of their choices in the last five minutes of the game. Here's a clue, you saw those consequences in the 20 hours leading up to the conclusion. You are bothered by three different colored endings? Why were you not bothered by the three different colored dialogue choices all throughout all three games? What did you expect? I found the three endings to be quite distinct, although I will admit that the cut-scene demonstration of these endings were all a bit too similar. The game has its draw-backs to be sure, but it still stands much taller than most games out there.
It has been a while since I have invested so heavily in the Halo franchise. 343 Studios did a great job taking over the mantle. The single player still falters in the same way all Halo games have, with repetitive environments and a "run here to press the button" mission structure. The combat remains top-notch with enough moving pieces to make each encounter feel quite unique. The multiplayer has been shined up and remains distinctive despite stealing a few ideas from Call of Duty. Spartan Ops is a bit disappointing, but the idea of providing free "episodes" post-release is certainly a good one.
I have never been much of a fan of strategy games (with the exception of Fire Emblem and Advance Wars). I find it hard to relax and enjoy myself with so many important elements to track. XCOM does a good job of introducing various gameplay elements at a steady pace, which gave me the time to get into it and figure things out. The turn-based nature also gives plenty of time to prepare my next move. The tension is still there, though, via elements such as permanent death and panic states. However, the game does get a bit repetitive by the end. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable experience.
