Top Ten of 2013
by gaz231
2013 was a strange year, one in which indie developers seemed to take the forefront with smaller, more contained experiences that occasionally challenged the very nature of the medium we love. As more and more of the mainstream audience get used to digital downloads, be it through Steam, PSN or Xbox Live, I really hope these developers get even more of a chance to shine and show us what video g...
2013 was a strange year, one in which indie developers seemed to take the forefront with smaller, more contained experiences that occasionally challenged the very nature of the medium we love. As more and more of the mainstream audience get used to digital downloads, be it through Steam, PSN or Xbox Live, I really hope these developers get even more of a chance to shine and show us what video games are truly capable of. The history books may look back on 2013 as the year games finally started growing up.
Before getting to the list proper, I wanted to give an honourable mention to Super Mario 3D Land. Due to it coming out in 2011, it couldn't make the list, but I probably had more fun with this than any other game this year. Special mention should also go to Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse, a reinvigoration of one of my favourite franchises, but it's only half released as of this writing, so it didn't feel right to include it.
Now, on to the list!
10. Divekick
Fighting games are really not my thing. I've never found the time or desire to learn an entire roster of characters to be able to compete at any level. But I always liked the idea of fighting games, and Divekick distills the essence of the genre into 2 buttons. There's a surprising amount of depth to such a simple game, and it's perfect for short bursts while I'm waiting for something else to download.
9. Rogue Legacy
No game made me lose track of time as much as Rogue Legacy this year. The game controls beautifully and, like the best games of its ilk, it never feels unfair. What really sets this apart from something like Spelunky though, is its constant progression. You rarely feel like a run is wasted thanks to the levelling up system. It's a real shame the bosses aren't better, or this would have found itself much higher on this list.
8. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
I didn't finally play Brothers until a few days ago, but I immediately knew it had a place here. The storybook visuals are simply gorgeous, and the intriguing control scheme keeps you mentally engaged throughout. Some have accused the controls of being clunky, but I think this is more to do with how we are predisposed to using a controller than an issue with the game itself. And all this is to say nothing of the beautiful gut-punch of an ending.
Devil May Cry was far from my favourite character action game in the past, but Ninja Theory really outdid themselves here. The level design in Limbo is just outstanding, and the combat is fast-paced and exciting. It was honestly a close call between this and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, but DmC wins for sheer variety.
I still can't decide if The Stanley Parable is goofy fun or an extremely intelligent critique of player choice, or lack thereof. Once you start to poke at the game, it becomes very clear that the designers have considered and planned for every contingency, and always come back with a frequently hilarious, sometimes surprisingly dark response.
5. Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014
Magic: The Gathering came back into my life in a big way this year, so it's no wonder this year's game took up so much of my time. Planeswalkers doesn't have the visual clunk of Magic: The Gathering Online and is just one of the most affordable gateway drugs into one of my favourite card games. The challenges are also great fun.
GTA has always had a special place in my heart, and GTA V provides a sumptuous, vast playground to explore. I haven't touched the online component of the game for it to have soured my experience with the campaign, and the story kept me interested enough through to the bitter end. I just wish there were more heists.
I can't begin to think of how to describe this game in words. There's so much to love about Saints Row, and it's the only game that kept a big, goofy grin on my face the entire time. I have no idea where they take the franchise from here, but I can't wait to see it.
Papers, Please should probably be terrible. Yet, somehow, it's absolutely captivating. Every day, more red tape is added. More things to check, more procedures to follow, forcing you to be faster and more efficient to ensure that you family is kept warm and fed at the end of the day. Sometimes, that means denying someone entry who just wants to see her child, and you have to live with that.
Yes, it has its issues. The gunplay is not spectacular, the whole thing is rife with ludo-narrative dissonance, and some of the themes it brings up aren't handled as well as they could have been. But I don't care. I enjoyed the HELL out of Infinite. Colombia is a breathtakingly beautiful world, full of life and wonder, contrasting perfectly with the dark, decaying Rapture. The narrative is assured, and generally at least follows its own internal logic, which is more than can be said for most sci-fi stories of this nature. Like anything, it can be picked apart under scrutiny, but it remains the most memorable game of 2013 for me.