1.Bioshock Inifinite(X360);For all its flaws, Infinite is wildy imaginative and creatively outshines every other game I've played or seen this year. World building really doesn't get much better than Columbia. While the gameplay is clearly a secondary effort in comparison, I was aggressively compelled to play and replay the game
as I love the world too much to let go. Worth the wait.



2.Brothers:A Tale of Two Sons (X360);Sometimes a game nails excution so masterfully, everything else is made better than they actually are. Brothers isn't the best looking game, but it looks amazing. Its story is typical fair, but it's emotional and gripping. None of its puzzles are difficult, but they are all engaging. Brother's is the best
designed game of 2013. Its vision is well considered, the game is a greater
cohesive whole as its moving parts click with amazing synergy.



3.Battlefield 4 (PS4);Yeah yeah it's broken for some people. A significant population actually, but DICE has made an undeniably impressive shooter when it works.
I've had little amounts of poor performance, but coming from the 360 ghetto,
the PS4 version of Battlefield 4 was the first true next-gen experience I've had
this year. There is no going back to current-gen shooters after this.



4.Grand Theft Auto V (X360); Rockstar finally did it. They made an incredibly dense world worth exploring. The mechanics aren't trash and the characters aren't shallow stereotype fodder. For the first time, Rockstar validated to me exactly why they are so revered.



5.FIFA14 (PS4); Next-gen FIFA raises the immersion of an already great franchise to another level. Instead of stripping it bare, EA Canada wisely made changes to enhance in practicality instead of implementing new things for that sake alone.
FIFA 14 is an amazing next-gen title. I can only wonder where the series wil improve with dedicated next-gen lead development.



6.Metal Gear Rising (X360); Never been much of a Metal Gear guy, but anything Platinum does must be throughly investigated. Rising is a great character action game that flips the tendency of the genre to be entirely offence-based to a defense-rewarding
philosphy that values patience and deliberate input. No Button mashing here
just the most beautiful kind of off the wall insanity only possible from
Japanese game development.




7.Flower (PS4);Having skipped the PS3, I was initially perplexed by Flower's experience. By the triumphant end, it all made sense and I felt the weight of a truly singular experience. The use of music as narrative guide, in addition to the game's abstract design, make Flower a brilliant piece of moving art that chucks convention aside. Visually, Flower is unbelievably gorgeous through every meadow and one of the very best things to see on a screen this year.




8.Resogun (PS4); Resogun is geometry wars of the PS4 launch lineup.
Pick up and play session quickly shift from 5 minutes to an hour long score
chase nearly every time you play it. Resogun's gameplay is absolutely rock solid.
Challenging and always fair, Resogun is a test of pure, rewarding twitch skill.



9.Steamworld Dig (PC); Metroidvanias, they're really hard to go mess up in truth.
SWD brings something else to the formula though;the addictive dig-dug/mass effect 2 planet scanner loop. The dig-dug grind for more minerals for a new drill or steam meter taps into that lethal carrot on a stick mentality that can't be denied.
And yeah, there's a damn solid metroidvania on top of it all.



10.Gunpoint (PC);Gunpoint is a great stealth puzzler that thankfully picks up on Mark of Ninja's lead. 2D stealth is always in short supply, but with thoughtfully designed games like Gunpoint at least they're worth making a fuss about when they appear.

1. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan ; My game of the year hands down and one of the best dungeon-crawlers I've played, also the best game in the series too. Vast improvements with the gameplay system with the overhaul of the sub-class system making it more balanced. The dungeons design is also great, albeit smaller than the normal series standards. The music is great too as expected from Yuzo Koshiro.

2. Shin Megami Tensei IV ; One of the best games in the SMT series. Its also great that the Press Turn system is back, the smirk system is kind of a mixed bag though. While the game is no Nocturne, the game has the fastest battle system in the series yet, and also nailed the post-apocalyptic Tokyo atmosphere, along with a rocking soundtrack. My problem with the game is the bad negotiation system and the weak cast.

3. Pokemon X/Y ; Pokemon is finally 3D! Gamefreak really nailed the transition of the series and its still fun as ever even with little to no changes to the mechanics. The little additions however makes the game stand out from, easier training/trading/battling etc. Its really everything I expected from a Pokemon game. Disappointed with no 3D and frame rate drops though.

4. Super Mario 3D World ; 3D World isn't the game everyone expected, but the game imo was better than what we have expected. The game is everything I wanted for a Mario game, simple, fast, and the classic Mario platforming charm with the added multiplayer, plus playable Rosalina gives the game plenty of replay value and different play styles. Still prefer the Galaxy games though.

5. Tearaway ; I was caught off guard by this release considering I wasn't a big fan of LittleBigPlanet. But Tearaway is way better than LBP. The game is charming, great gameplay mechanics and solid platforming, add also the soundtrack and Tearaway is easily one of the best games on the Vita. Sadly, the game is too short and I kinda wish there were more to the game.

6. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; Zelda is back and with one of the best new mechanics too. I skipped Skyward Sword so its been a while since I last played any of the recent Zelda games. The rental system and the overall presentation and open-world style is not perfect, I feel like its the step in the right direction for the series though and a little more refinement of the new formula will make it even better.

7. Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk ; I've only been a recent Atelier fan and I really love Atelier Ayesha and I really wish I can rate the game higher in my list. While I don't know how to rank the game in the series, I'd say that the changes and additions are one of the best in the series. The alchemy system might seem complicated at first, its actually the best in the series imo, since its simple and complex at the same time. The characters are better than Meruru too and I'd also like to stress how I love the music of the game.

8. Ys: Memories of Celceta ; Fast paced Ys action is still there, and the game is better than Seven imo. Falcom did a great job in refining the mechanics of Ys Seven. Not the best Ys game though but still great, fun, enjoyable with kickass music to boot.

9. Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten ; Age of Empires II has to be one of my Game of All Time and my favorite RTS game, sadly it has issues with Windows 7 and with the HD Edition, I can finally play the game in modern systems. Whats more, integration of Steam Workshop and also the official release of the Forgotten expansion made the game even better, with new civilizations, new gameplay modes, new units etc. Just disappointed with the devs who handled the HD port though, especially with all the issues the game had since release which took them a while to fix.

10. Dodonpachi Saidaioujou (Import) ; My only import game on my list, I've only been a fan of CAVE and the shmup genre last year and I'm glad that Saidaioujou is region-free. In terms of scoring system, it feels like the old Daioujou system with slight changes and new additions, considering I wasn't really a big fan of the bullet-erasing mechanic in Daifukkatsu.

Since we are limited with 10 votes, my honorable mentions are basically games I just can't fit into my Top Ten.

x. Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl ; No one expected this game, but a great remake of the first Etrian Odyssey nonetheless. I'm neutral with the Story mode though, but the classic mode is still there. I just don't understand the purpose of the Grimoire system though, its not game-breaking, you won't even rely on it, but its not a bad addition. I do love the new gameplay options though.

x. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers ; Classic SMT at its core and I'm glad I finally get to play the game officially now. While I might say that the game aged a bit and theres barely any changes in gameplay, the SMT experience is still there and without a doubt one of the best game in the series.

x. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies ; Its been a long time since I last played a game in the series and I'm glad the series is back. Only disappointed with Case 2 which is the only bad thing about the game. The other cases were great especially the last one. I haven't played the DLC case though.

x. Kingdom Rush Frontiers ; I haven't realized it before, but I'm actually a really big fan of the Tower Defense genre and Kingdom Rush is my favorite. While Frontiers barely added new mechanics, the new towers gives off a different feel and strategy while playing the stages. Add also that the devs are really great at pushing content giving free stages throughout the year which is really unexpected for a mobile game given most devs would monetize them and add them as a microtransaction instead.

x. Fire Emblem: Awakening ; I'm not really a big Fire Emblem fan but I really enjoyed Awakening. Biggest improvement is the option for Perma-death and made the game accessible. From a gameplay perspective, the games is really great. But the plot and story imo, is not up to par compared to other Fire Emblem games I've played.

x. Tales of Xillia ; Tales games have always been fun because of their battle system and Tales of Xillia is no exception. The combination of the old LMBS system plus the CC-like system was really great. However, its a Tales game at heart, not that great, but not bad either. But the game still gets an honorable mention to me.

2012. Crimson Shroud ; I have barely played any games from last year, but Crimson Shroud is the best one I've skipped. It has a really great and fun battle system and the storytelling and plot are great too. My only problem is, the game is too short and I want a sequel! Better yet, a full retail sequel and not just an eShop game.

1. Europa Universalis 4 ; EU4 wins my GOTY because it is the game that introduced me to Grand Strategy. The game is very newbie friendly (if you're willing to give it the effort it deserves) and once you've gotten a grasp of the game a bit you can really start to appreciate the depth that is there if you want it. I was hesitant at first to put it at number one, but with the amount of time I've put into this game already and how much more I will surely continue to put into it, I couldn't put it anywhere else.

2. The Last of Us ; Brilliant game. It had a good story but what really got me to love the game was the game play mechanics. It did start to feel too long about half way through (I did finish the game in 3 sittings, so maybe I have myself to blame for playing too much at once), but it really picked up soon afterwards and did so much more than enough to continue my interest to finish the game.

3. Bioshock Infinite ; I really enjoyed playing through this game. It helped that I hadn't been following it at all, but it came free with my video card, so I had the unique pleasure of playing this game from start to finish without having seen a single review or trailer. It crafts a beautiful world that I believe looked better than the other game it came with, Crysis 3. I certainly didn't finish Crysis 3, but I did go back and play through Bioshock Infinite again. Playing through again, with the knowledge of what's what was a blast.

4. Assassin's Creed 4 ; An incredibly cozy game. A great game to relax with as you plunder the Caribbean.

5. Resogun ; Fun game. I keep coming back to it even though I've already platinumed it. Great game for waiting for other games to download and for listening to podcasts as well.

6. Killzone Shadow Fall ; I was in the mood for an online multiplayer shooter , but I was dissatisfied with Blacklight Retribution and didn't want to buy another COD game. So to fill my craving I bought Shadow Fall and I am very satisfied. It itches all the right spots and is much more refined than COD. Pretty too. I expect this will take up a good chunk of the rest of my winter break.

7. Civilization 5 Brave New World ; I've loved Civ since I was a kid. Brave New World was a good improvement on Civ 5. Shame I've fallen for paradox and now Brave New World is all the way down here under even Killzone .

8. Rayman Fiesta Run ; Haven't played Legends, but it's great to have a good go to game on my phone that doesn't involve micro transactions and is a polished and entirely decent platformer/runner. Certainly made Mechanics lectures more interesting.

2012. Spec Ops: The Line ; Good story, and I even liked the game play given my appreciation for third person shooters. I did find out after a conversation with a friend that I had made all of the evilest choices. Shame

1. Dota 2 ; Only one game on my list this year because once I started playing it in July, all other games were mere distractions. For the first time in more than a decade, the year-end holiday gaming season passed by in a blink of an eye and I didn't purchase a single game because I could not stop playing Dota 2. Massive props to Valve for implementing a fantastic F2P model and solving many of the issues that plagued the original WC3 mod. The learning curve is insanely steep and the community is impatient at best and downright toxic at worst. However, give the game a chance and it *will* prove to be massively rewarding.

1. Dota 2 ; Probably the hardest game you will have the chance to learn. Valve showed they are the masters of multiplayer. From CS, TF2, L4D, and now Dota 2 they can do it all. And they showed other devs how to properly do Free to Play. The music, art, and voice acting all tip their hat to Warcraft 3 and take it one step further.

1. Resogun ; Simply the most fun I had with a video game this year. As a PS4 launch adopter almost entirely on impulse and habit at this point, I did worry over what I'd actually play on the thing once it arrived. For me, Resogun is not only the perhaps unlikely killer software of the PS4 launch, but is also my favourite ever console launch title (although to be noted, I missed the N64 and original Xbox launches).

I'm a sucker for a good twin stick shooter and Resogun is amongst the most rewarding and gratifying I've ever played. There's an ultra-satisfying "pop" to the combat and the increasingly intense shoot outs on higher difficulties keep the tension high, while deciding whether to rescue the humans or chase score multipliers strikes a nice balance between the games core objectives and your desire to top the leaderboards.

The decision to essentially give it away from Day One on PlayStation Plus was a stroke of genius, too. By breaking down the barriers of entry at launch, anyone who picked up a PS4 with a Plus subscription has been able to dive right in for no additional cost, and the leaderboards have come alive as a result. I've spent the last month locked in a constantly evolving battle with what feels like half my friends list, something which has kept me coming back to the game daily and achieve only my second ever Platinum trophy on PlayStation. Not bad for someone who usually couldn't care less about high scores or his trophy count.

2. Tearaway ; In many ways, reminded me about how and why I still and always will love video games. Tearaway brought back traditional platforming and spliced it with an absolute treasure trove of creative ideas and charm. Placing a Teletubby-style camera stream of your own face in the game worlds sun is almost like a review within the game. I was constantly smiling during my time with Tearaway. The whole game had me beaming from ear to ear. It also showed me that I have quite a fat head and my Vita-playing posture is appalling, but they are worthy prices to pay.

In terms of the balance between creativity and commercial success, being exclusive to the Vita is both the making of and death of Tearaway. It's a game that simply could not be achieved on any other platform in the same way, and while the sales suffer for it, the game itself truly benefits from the Vita's myriad of inputs. It's unique to the platform and unique to the years gaming slate.

3. Hotline Miami ; A 2012 release, but the 2013 Vita version was the one I put the most time into and eventually finished, and in some ways took on new meaning as a handheld experience. Hotline Miami ticked every box for me. It's addictive, smart, pulsating and absolutely dripping in cool, with a soundtrack that was and still is a regular on my iPod rotation. The sequel is my most anticipated game of 2014.

4. BioShock Infinite ; A game which seems to become more flawed as time goes on, and one which will divide opinion for years to come. That said, I absolutely loved my original play through of BioShock Infinite. The floating City of Colombia was wonderfully well realised, if lacking some of Rapture's initial spark, and I enjoyed the story and interaction with Elizabeth. The combat and end game don't quite hold up under longer term scrutiny, and revisiting BioShock 2 straight after finishing Infinite soured me on a few things, but it was a highly polished and very enjoyable ride while it lasted.

5. DOTA 2 ; At its best, DOTA 2 might have been the most I enjoyed a game this year. At its worst, probably the least. But that's DOTA 2 in a nutshell, and I still feel like a scrub hours and hours in. Both the game itself and the community it attracts can be brutally punishing or thrilling and welcoming from one game to the next. It's a complete time sink either way, and probably the industry leading example of how to do Free 2 Play right at the moment. Even at its worst, DOTA 2 is still another incredibly slick and polished package from Valve.

6. Sound Shapes ; It seems to have been something of a stellar year for inventive and unique platformers on Sony systems (Puppeteer is another which might have joined Sound Shapes and Tearaway here had I played it), and Sound Shapes is amongst the most creative of the bunch. Another game which perfectly fuses the audio and visual experience, the playable albums ranges from pleasant and dreamy to devilishly difficult within the space of a few short hours.

7. Proteus ; A game of a thousand stories, or so it seems. Every play through feels like a unique water cooler moment that you want to share, but fear potentially spoiling things for others. The surprisingly gorgeous pixelated graphics and delightful music create a truly beautiful audio visual experience.

8. Tomb Raider ; Probably my surprise of the year. Wrote it off as an Uncharted rip off but got a better game despite that. It's a real looker on PC and I appreciated the redesigned Lara far more than I ever did previously - both aesthetically and in terms of the development of the character. The more open ended approach - however slight - mixed with a Metroidvania/Arkham upgrade system really worked for me too. After the best part of 20 years I feel like I'm finally interested in the Tomb Raider franchise, so kudos to Crystal Dynamics for that.

9. Spelunky ; Would have been higher had I ever progressed beyond the second level. Spelunky is one tough cookie, but it's also a damn tasty one, and I still play it almost daily. Another game which took on a bit of a second life to me as a handheld experience.

10. Animal Crossing: New Leaf ; They say your first Animal Crossing is the best and this was the case for me. Thoroughly enjoyed what I played, although admittedly my interest in the game did take a nose dive and I've not returned since. I did exceed the 50 hour point before that happened, mind.

Lots of new tags around, is that a christmas thing? Derrick's new one e.g, :bow

1. Fire Emblem: Awakening ; FE:A was posed by the developers at Intelligent Systems as a culmination and celebration of all things Fire Emblem, and in that regard I feel that the game is a stunning success. FE:A represents quite simply the most enjoyable gaming experience I've ever encountered. Deep strategic gameplay, fantastic presentation, polish from top to bottom (minus the lack of feet perhaps!), and engaging RPG mechanics are all on display in this gem, and the amount of fantastic side-content was enough to offset any of the potential balance issues that arise with a more sandbox-style SRPG. As with any game there are a few flaws in the design that I’d like to see changed in future iterations but looking back on the 100+ hours I spent with this game it’s hard to find much to complain about. In short, FE:A is a celebration of one of my favorite gaming franchises of all time, and it was a celebration I never wanted to leave.

2. The Last of Us ; I am a gameplay first gamer. Always have been, always will be. However, TLoU showed me that storytelling can indeed be the star of the show for me in a video game by raising the bar for the entire medium. The pacing in this game is something to be celebrated, not just from a gameplay perspective but from a story perspective. Unlike the vast majority of video game developers ND never felt the need to bash you over the head with the themes of TLoU, but instead presented each situation in a believable and interesting way that allowed you to draw your own conclusions. I also loved how TLoU focused less on telling the story that the audience wanted to hear, and instead told the story that the writers wanted to tell. This in turn made the characters, and in particular Joel, more believable than the vast majority seen in gaming, and it helped me appreciate the storytelling in the game even further. Oh yeah, the gameplay was also a ton of fun!

3. Super Mario 3D World ; Quite possibly my favorite Mario game of all time (important note: Yoshi’s Island is not a Mario game). This one absolutely oozed with creativity and polish from start to finish, and the tight approach to level design carried over from 3D Land remains a fantastic fit for the series. Also, finishing Crown-Crown with no power-ups was one of my greatest gaming accomplishments of the year.

4. Grand Theft Auto V ; For me, GTAV lived up to the hype. The world was the star of the show here, and I never got tired of driving around exploring random locations or flying a plane as high as possible before plummeting back towards the earth at terminal velocity. The story was a bit of a letdown overall but I have tons of love for GTAV as a game.

5. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ; A perfect example of what I’m looking for in a JRPG, NNK captivated me from start to finish. Sure the battle mechanics could use a bit of tuning and the game gets off to somewhat of a slow start but all of the minor flaws faded into the background for me thanks to the wonderfully realized world, the classic JRPG exploration, the top-tier visual fidelity and artstyle, the great cast of characters, and the solid and thoughtful mechanics. NNK charmed my socks off.

6. Shin Megami Tensei IV ; These days it can be difficult to find a JRPG that feels like a departure from the norm, which is a big part of what made SMT IV so special to me. The world was like no world I had ever explored, and the story sunk its teeth into me from the very beginning. That said, my favorite aspect of the game had to be the battle system which was an absolute joy to experience, especially when you combine it with the thoughtful and fantastically designed fusing mechanic that the series is known for.

7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; I'm still having a hard time placing ALBW in my list of favorite Zelda games but I can at least say it is up there with LA and ALttP for me. Brisk pacing, numerous dungeons, and the best gameplay in a 2D Zelda game yet were some of the highlights for me.

8. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD ; I never played past the second dungeon of WW back on the GC so this re-release was a great opportunity for me to see what all the fuss was about. Overall I loved my time with WW, from the unique exploration of the ocean overworld to the time spent working my way through the great dungeons. There are certainly some flaws with this one but overall I found it to be another fantastic Zelda experience.

9. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen ; To me DD is a very thoughtful experiment; a WRPG developed by a Japanese company. I loved the combat system, the ever-present threat of night, and the open-ended exploration. I really hope we see a sequel to this one someday, as more than anything the game screamed with potential.

10. Killzone: Shadow Fall ; SF's campaign was slightly above average at best but the real star of the show here is the fantastic multiplayer. SF's MP is a return to form for the series, with thoughtful additions like spawn beacons replacing the ill-conceived tactical spawn areas from KZ3 accompanying series hallmarks like unique and compelling classes, weapons, and abilities. The move to 60 fps and 1080p has worked wonders for this series, and I honestly can't get enough of the buttery smooth experience of playing the game online. This one will be in my rotation for quite some time.

x. Pokemon Y

x. Killzone: Mercenary

x. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

x. Hotline Miami

x. The Swapper

x. Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2

x. Guacamelee!

2013 was such a phenomenal year for gaming for me personally. A lot of my honorable mentions would have easily made the list a year or two ago, and that's not to mention quite a few other big games I didn't list like Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite. If 2014 delivers half as many great games as this year I'll still be happy.

I know a lot of the stuff I've said in my comments sounds like hyperbole but I promise it is all 100% down to earth. I don't throw stuff like "best Mario game ever" and "most enjoyable gaming experience ever" around without some serious thought, but in the cases where those types of comments are seen I honestly felt they were completely warranted.

El Idiota said:

So is the Winnie The Pooh baseball flash game eligible for voting?

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Yep, probably gonna put it on my Honourable Mentions.

1. Persona 4 Golden ; One of the best JRPGs I've played, which surprised me after being disappointed by P3P. I know a lot of people prefer P3's darker atmosphere, but the combination of the cheerier feeling and less repetitive dungeons made me enjoy it much more.
2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; While appearing to be a direct copy of LTTP at first, it plays with your expectations, combining nostalgia with interesting new features. Becoming a painting initially feels like a gimmick but ends up providing most of the game’s more interesting puzzles.
3. Super Mario 3D World ; An improvement over 3D Land. There are lots of levels that have some great ideas, and some of the later levels can be challenging, although a few feel like they would have been better in a 2D game.
4. Grand Theft Auto V ; This is how a GTA game should be done.
5. Pikmin 3 ; Pikmin 1’s time limit felt like it prevented me from exploring too much. Pikmin 2’s got rid of it but felt less interesting due to the dull caves. Pikmin 3 manages to get the best of both, with better worlds and a time limit system that made me want to keep pushing forwards without being punished.
6. Tearaway; Best art direction of the year. I wish 3D platformers were more popular.
7. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies ; It’s good to return to Phoenix’s story. While I don’t think any of the individual cases are up to the standard of the best of the series, the overall quality is one of the highest.
8. Saints Row IV ; Too much of the game is made up of dull side missions, but that doesn’t matter when traversing the city with super powers is so fun.
9. Tales of Xillia ; Not as good as Graces f in terms of gameplay, but a better story and much more likable characters.
10. Ni No Kuni ; The world looks beautiful, and it has an enjoyable story. It’s let down by the combat, mainly because of the AI. It would have probably worked better with just one character.
x. Bioshock Infinite ; The world looks beautiful, and it has an enjoyable story. It’s let down by the combat, it gets dull after a while, especially at the end.
2012. Virtue’s Last Reward ;

P4G should be eligible because I’m in Europe.

Linkyn said:

x. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; I haven't finished A Link Between Worlds yet, and am not sure whether I'll be able to get to finishing it before the deadline, so I can't include it in my numbered list. From what I've seen so far, it would probably feature around 4-6, though..

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Voting doesn't end until the 18th of January. Plenty of time to finish LBW

1. Dota 2; One of only two games I played this year - Because Dota 2 is insanely challenging, complex and rewarding. Changes and content additions keep this game fresh for years. Also one of the few games that are entertaining to watch as a sport.

1. Tearaway ; As magical as people said it would be. More new IPs like this please.



2. Bientôt l'été ; Gotta fill that no-narration minimal gameplay niche.

That's all, folks! The Last of Us looks too scary for me, and I'll get to Puppeteer and maybe Beyond in a year or two.

1) Diablo 3 - Played it on PC, but the console version is by FAR the best version of the game. It's my no. 1 because of all these titles I played D3 the most.
2) Metal Gear Rising
3) Zelda A Link Between Worlds
4) The Last of Us
5) Wonderful 101
6) God of War Ascension - I love GoW, but I want story progression. We know his past
7) Saints Row IV
8) Hatsune Miku Project DiVA - Finally a western release!
9) Animal Crossing: New Leaf
10) Hearthstone

I realized when I saw this thread that I really don't play enough games in a timely matter. Maybe I can burp out a top 5, but I'll have to look into release dates.

1. The Last of Us ; Great story, far better gameplay than Uncharted

2. Grand Theft Auto V; Incredible world, Life Invader mission ;-)

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; Great pacing

4. Bioshock Infinite; That ending

5. Tomb Raider, nice Uncharted clone

6. Tearaway

7. Broken Sword 5

8. Super Mario 3D World

9. Gone Home

10. Guacamelee!

Green Yoshi said:

5. Tomb Raider, nice Uncharted clone

Click to expand...

... Please tell me you're being facetious. Tomb Raider came first.

pariah164 said:

... Please tell me you're being facetious. Tomb Raider came first.

Click to expand...

He's not and he's correct. TR 2013 took all the best aspects of Uncharted and ran it into the ground. Terrible game in my opinion and my biggest disappointment of the year.

It's okay to edit your list post, right? I just played Papers, Please and I think it needs to be added.

1. The legend of Zelda: A Link between worlds ; (3DS) Frankly I had been expecting the worst when it was announced, graphicly and gameplaywise, especially since the last Zeldas released had their problems, but the controls are really good, the dungeons- although once again on the easy side- are nicely designed and the wallwalking mechanism is a great new idea. The gameplay is fast and there's never a boring moment since the game invites you to explore quite early thanks to the item-rent system.
2. Ys I and II Chronicles Plus ; (PC) Might also be called: Highspeed Adols funtime. Although the simple bumb mechanic is old it's just so much fun to run around in highspeed with Adol and leave exploding enemies behind while listening to the awesome music of the series.
3. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen ; (PS3/XBox360) Expansion of the original DD, including later. It's an action-rpg with SotC-like climb-mechanism, actual dark night, and you can create (lots of customizing) and outfit two characters - yourself and your pawn who will fight alongside you. I like extensive charactercreation. Two more pawn of other players can be recruited too to aid you in battle. In a way this game is also a beauty pageant when you send your pawn out to be hired - how does my pawn look, how useful are its skills and traits. =)
4. Atelier Ayesha ; (PS3) Ignoring the missing japanese voices this game, like the other Atelier games on PS3, is a nice solid, colourful, jRPG with good music, but with timemanagment. Adventuring and Alchemy (and friendships) takes time and determines what kind of ending you will get. Those scared of the girly design are missing out - be nice to your inner female and have an open mind.
5. Ni no Kuni ; (PS3) Good-Beautiful Ghibli graphics, a modernized classic battlesystem (sadly with randomly stupid AI for your companions) and a solid enjoyable story despite having a child as the maincharacter.
6. Völgarr the Viking ; (PC) It's hard. And sadly ugly colours.
7. Long live the Queen ; (PC) So cutesy yet so deadly. It's a deadlier variant of a Princessmaker game where the princess has to learn a varierarity of skills and hope survive with them.
2012. Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time ; (PSP) The Growlanser-series games belong to the Strategy-RPGs genre. IV was previously released on the PS2, but extended for the PSP-rerelease with extra characters and storyroutes. The few random encounters are like in any RPG: attack and kill the enemy. Where the game(series) shines are the mission-battles since in those the positions and abilities of the pcs are important if you want to block the advancement of the enemies, quickly kill of the mages and archers and protect npcs/objects. Theres no button-mashing as a pc continues to attack&follow until the choosen opponent is dead and also attack any opponents standing in their way. Pathfinding is also very solid. But the extensive voiceover of/like in the japanese version is missing.

Wasn't sure about the YS Chronicles plus games, as they are the combination of all good things between the pc and psp releases, so it's not really a goty-type of release but maybe sort of?

pariah164 said:

... Please tell me you're being facetious. Tomb Raider came first.

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Uncharted 1: 2007
Tomb Raider: 2013

The previous Tomb Raider games were no Third Person Shooters, but Platformers and Action-Adventures.

pariah164 said:

... Please tell me you're being facetious. Tomb Raider came first.

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There is no serious argument to be made that the 2013 Tomb Raider, specifically, is not an Uncharted clone.

for all you last of us fans, I'm just gonna play it once to see if I can fit in my list. so, hard or survivor?

zkylon said:

for all you last of us fans, I'm just gonna play it once to see if I can fit in my list. so, hard or survivor?

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I think hard is your only choice since survivor only unlocks with a hard playthrough.

upJTboogie said:

I think hard is your only choice since survivor only unlocks with a hard playthrough.

Click to expand...

my brother already beat it so I have both options available

zkylon said:

my brother already beat it so I have both options available

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Survivor really is for second playthroughs. It removes the "listening" feature, which lets you see enemies through walls while standing still. It felt to me like the game was balanced around this feature, but, hey, there may be some who prefer it turned off anyway.

1. Fire Emblem: Awakening; I always loved the FE games and this is my favorite since the first to come to western shores. The perfect blend of strategy and RPG, my favorite genres.
2. Pokemon X/Y; Best Pokemon since Silver/Gold. Really enjoyed the new graphics (It was time...). Really got me back to Pokemon.
3. Eador: Masters of the Broken World; A little slow-paced. Apart from that, an excellent TBS game with some very neat ideas.
4. Europa Universalis IV; Just started playing it. Will probably rise in ranks later on. Nation-building has never been so satisfying.
5. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team; Funny as as always, great RPG. Weaker than SS and BIS, though.
6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf; Got it through Club Nintendo Europe's promotion. Surprised me positively, very charming and fun game, even though it can get a little monotonous after a while.
2012: Sleeping Dogs; As satisfying as masterfully made pork bun. Loved everything about it: The graphics (that rain!), the characters, the fights, the city. Didn't expect so much awesomeness.

Haunted said:

And here we go again. Any games past the top picks, which I feel strongly about, are only separated by small differences.

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Goddammit, Monster Hunter was robbed!

1. The Last of Us : Best story experience and most fulfilling game that I played this year

2. Bioshock Infinite : Wasn't super fond of the gameplay but the characters, art direction, story, and twists were all novel enough for me to love the game.

3. Animal Crossing New Leaf : Living with animals and being under crushing debt is a lot of fun.

4. Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag : The first AC game that I have enjoyed since the second. A lot of fun, a great pirate simulator. Too bad they kept the dumb tailing missions.

5. Tomb Raider : The first TR game I have ever played. I am a huge Uncharted fan so everything they did with this reboot, I was on board with. A lot of fun.

I really didnt play that many games this year but I really enjoyed the ones I did play.

Right, here's my problem - most of the games I've played most this year are either years old (Xanadu NEXT, Borderlands 2, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls), or beta versions of games that will come out next year (Dark Souls II Network Test, Hearthstone, Duel Of Champions). To be honest, I don't even know if Tekken Tag 2 is a 2013 game or not (I'm thinking not), so I can't put that in my votes. I could put in some downloadable game, like Mighty Switch Force 2 or Bloody Vampire on the 3DS, but that would be pretentious. I could put in Fire Emblem Awakening, Super Mario 3D World, Grand Theft Auto V, or any other big AAA success, but I haven't played them yet, so that would be lying. As such, my choices might not be the best, but y'know, opinions and shit, so here goes.

1. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance; Maybe if I had a Wii U, The Wonderful 101 would be my favourite Platinum Games product this year, but since I only have a PS3 now, it's a toss-up between Rising and Anarchy Reigns (I'm EU, so it counts as 2013). However, I believe I voted for AR in last year's poll, so it's got to be Konami's epic cyber-ninja side story. It's a miracle that this game turned out playable at all if its tortuous development cycle was anything to go by. As such, Platinum Games were the perfect choice to fix the project up. Everything just feels right, from the initially-bewildering Parry system to cleaving giant Metal Gear Rays asunder with the Zandatsu free-cut technique. And let's face it, squashing an enemy soldier's internal batteries in your hand after a successful slice-and-dice never gets old.

2. Risk Of Rain; I did a huge write-up on this in the RoR OT, so I'll keep it brief - it's a murderously hard side-scrolling Roguealike with unlockable characters, retro graphics, and a uniquely dark sense of humour. It's certainly the best Roguealike to come out this year, ahead of the likes of Rogue Legacy and Teleglitch. One of the very best indie games this decade so far.

3. One Piece Pirate Warriors 2; I've only just bought this game last week, so it may just be the afterglow of newness still affecting me, so I apologize in advance, but this is the most fun I've had with a Dynasty Warriors-style game since Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Warriors back in 2011. It helps that I like One Piece, of course, and I still feel that the DW games lack the dynamism and sheer fun factor of the BASARA games (though I haven't played Strikeforce or the Orochi subseries), but what I've played shows the promise of a huge and well-made challenge ahead.

4. Skullgirls; I suck at this game. I suck at it so hard. But even a soulless scrub like me can recognize the sheer love, passion and hard work that went into every aspect of this game. Silly concerns over exploitative booby physics be damned - this is the new Mahvel, coming just as the old Mahvel is about to cease to exist in the pro FGC. Add to that a unique sense for character design, the release of free DLC characters as they are made and the use of GGPO for network play, and I can see that it deserves a place on my Top 10, even though I really, really suck at it.

5. Bioshock Infinite; My thoughts on this are well known - Infinite's superbly polished presentation, deceptively bright and fully realised setting and clever writing and characterization are wasted on what really is just another shooter - and not a particularly outstanding one, either. So this game is only here as a footnote, as if to say "what could have been, had 2K/Irrational had a little bit more ambition or imagination". All that said, the game is FUN, despite itself at times, and I felt compelled to play to the end regardless of my nitpicks. I even bought the Burial At Sea DLC, and I hope that it might give me the experience that Infinite's base game couldn't.

6. Guacamelee; A brilliant Mexican-inspired platform beat-'em-up with strong Metroidvania leanings, a truly unique graphic style, and memes all over the place. To my mind, you'll only find the preponderance of Internet jokes tiring if you're terrible at the game and have to constantly repeat sections. If so, I got nothing to say to ya.

7. Super Mario 3D Land; I got this from a fellow GAFfer for £9. i feel safe in saying that it is indeed worth full price. Bear in mind that I've only played up to the end of the first world, but what I've played is not only classically Mario, it's also really good Mario, which is more than can apparently be said for the later New SMB iterations. I've heard lots of people say that Super Mario 3D World is even better; looks like I'll have to buy a Wii U to find out for myself.

8. Catherine; It's certainly not the game it sells itself as, I'll tell you that. You go in expecting an anime-heavy adventure game about modern-day relationships, you end up playing a hard-as-nails survival horror inspired tower-climbing puzzle platformer with perhaps the best local multiplayer mode ever conceived. Yeah, better than Tetris Vs Mode.

9. DmC Devil May Cry; It ain't your Uncle's Dante, and I still think that DMC3 and 4 are both better, despite their flaws. However, despite the shamefully antagonistic PR debacle, annoying new rendition of an old fan favourite, and irritating Occupy/conspiracy theorist storyline, you just can't deny that Ninja Theory have done a bang-up job on the game. The PC version is best, of course, since you can mod the game's faults out, and it runs at a smooth 60 frames per second. That said, here's hoping that Capcom go back to the old universe for their next DMC game, if they ever make one.

10. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen; I get that the game is right up my alley, and I will probably love the shit out of it, which is why it's in the Top 10 at all, but the honest truth is that I just haven't played enough of it to make a final judgement. It's very reminiscent of the Souls series, though, which is a definite plus, and I loved the demo of the original game, so since Dark Arisen is basically the GOTY version, I'm sure I'll love the full game too.

x. Bravely Default Demo; Having only played the demo, I can't put this in my Top 10. I wish I could, because what i played could be a Number 1 contender. Gorgeous graphics in both 2D and 3D, a surprisingly engaging battle system reminiscent of old-school Final Fantasy, and a solid difficulty level promise to come together into a true RPG classic.

2012. Dishonored; I can't believe I only played this game in 2013, despite buying it in the 2012 Winter Steam Sale. I was truly missing out, as it turned out. With even the most cursory upgrades available, the freedom and scope of the environments and gameplay really do make you feel powerful, and I found myself gleefully doing every side-mission I came across, regardless of the consequences (and the fact that there are consequences is a welcome rarity in today's AAA gaming space). i look forward to tackling the DLC episodes once I finish the main game.

1. Grand Theft Auto V ; I've played these since we got a PS2 and a copy of Grand Theft Auto III to my dorm. There's something special about a really good GTA-game. This is the greatest it's ever been and it sticks with me.

2. The Last of Us ; This is a great game and you notice that the people behind it are exceptionally good at what they do. It's a long, well-paced and perfectly executed game.

3. Bioshock Infinite ; Comparing this to The Last of Us will not be favourable to former. Infinite is better than the sum of its parts. There's something about the setting and the mystery that keeps pulling me back in.

4. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ; The most mature story told so far in video games. Too bad about the combat system.

5. Tomb Raider ; I've always had a thing for Tomb Raider games since I first played them on a PC way back in the day. This is the first time I openly can say that I like them. The closest I've been before this was Legends which I admitted to like among close friends.

6. Guacamelee! ; The one thing that makes this the best platformer in years is that all skills are used both for combat and puzzle solving. A skill isn't truly mastered until it can help you in all kinds of situations. Add to that one of the most visually interesting games in a long time and a humour that's both warm and inspired.

7. Shadowrun Returns ; The nostalgia overload 2013 is offering is best executed in Shadowrun. Fun little indie with tons of potential. The campaign is some of the most enjoyable narrative experiences of the year without featuring over-produced cut-scenes.

8. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm ;

9. Civilization V: Brave New World ;

10. Resogun ;

pariah164 said:

... Please tell me you're being facetious. Tomb Raider came first.

Click to expand...

Yet Uncharted plays nothing like the original Tomb Raider games. Play Anniversary then play Uncharted, Uncharted is more action oriented whereas TR is more exploration and 'platforming' oriented.

1. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ; A memorable adventure. Ni no Kuni is easily one of the best games I had the opportunity to play from this past generation. Ni no Kuni boasts absolutely gorgeous graphics with excellent music from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and a wonderful story full of excellent characters. A perfect collaboration from Level-5 and Studio Ghibli.



2. The Last of Us ; A post-apocalpytic adventure that showcases some of the best storytelling in video games. Naughty Dog created a true gem with beautiful graphics, fantastic voice acting, emotional relationships, and fun gameplay.



3. BioShock Infinite ; A story-driven shooter exceeding the original BioShock. I thoroughly enjoyed spending my time in Columbia with Elizabeth and unwrapping a wonderful and encompassing story. Excellent graphics, voice acting, and music. Another gem from the past video game generation.



4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; One of the best handheld Zelda games ever made. An excellent revision on A Link to the Past which is one of my favorite Zelda games of all time. The graphics and 3D effect is definitely the best I have seen on the Nintendo 3DS. The series is also known for excellent soundtracks and this soundtrack is top notch. A beautiful, wonderful, and charming game.



5. Animal Crossing: New Leaf ; I have probably sunk the most time into Animal Crossing: New Leaf than any other game in 2013. I recently started playing the series a year or so before the release of New Leaf so I don't have a long history with the series. New Leaf takes all the best things from previous titles and adds new features and creates the best title in the series. New Leaf is a very inviting and a very addictive game to play. Nintendo has provided an extensive amount of content that still keeps me coming back to play more and more.



6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies ; Another excellent game in the Ace Attorney series! The franchise is definitely strong with this latest release out for the Nintendo 3DS. I have always been a huge fan of the series and this game was definitely worth the wait for its release. I am excited to see what Capcom has in store for the near future as it is looking extremely bright.



7. Super Mario 3D World ; An absolutely beautiful title in the Mario series. I was floored immediately upon playing this release and I am still at awe from how beautiful this game truly is. The music is also top notch and wonderful to have play along while exploring the different levels in the game. The game boasts fun yet sometimes challenging co-op play. A terrific Mario game!



8. Grand Theft Auto V ; I thoroughly enjoyed playing Grand Theft Auto V which I found was an absolute solid title in the series. I did find it hard to find the proper ranking in my top 10 just due to the other solid releases I enjoyed over the past year. GTAV had me from the moment I entered San Andreas. The soundtrack yet again is enjoyable which the series is known for. The gameplay introduces heists as missions which is something I have been craving to play in video games overall and Rockstar does it very well. Gameplay which is split mostly between three main characters is done very seamlessly. When it comes to an open-world action adventure game you can safely choose a GTA title and Grand Theft Auto V definitely does not disappoint.



9. Rayman Legends ; An excellent platform title by Ubisoft. The game carries on the style from Rayman Origins which is another solid platform title. I played the Wii U version which incorporates excellent gameplay with the Wii U Gamepad which you cannot enjoy on any other platform the game was released on. Rayman Legends is an absolutely beautiful title with fantastic level design and game mechanics.



10. Fire Emblem Awakening ; The first game I have played in the series. Tactical role-playing games are definitely a new genre over the past year but this was extremely fun to play.

2012. Borderlands 2 ; I picked this game up early in 2013 for the PS3. Borderlands was a game I had been wanting to try for quite sometime and finally had the chance to do so. I definitely enjoyed my play through and if given the chance to revote in the GOTY vote for 2012 this game would be on my list.

1. Bioshock Infinite : Beautiful world with an engrossing atmosphere, a great ride that was fun to decode afterwards

2. The Swapper : Brilliant puzzle game with a unique mechanic, look, and atmosphere. This game was fantastic, played it all in one sitting because I did not want to stop.

3. The Last of Us : Amazing game, it really shows what can be done with videogame story telling and characters. I even enjoyed the stealth gameplay which was a nice surprise considering how little I think of Uncharted's shooting.

4. Rayman Legends : Terrific platformer that uses the Wii U to increase the variety of gameplay and keep things fun and moving from start to finish. I bought this and 3D World on the same day and threw this in first because I only had a hour to play that night and wanted my first 3D World to be free of limitations on my time. Turns out that I couldn't put this game down and it was finished before I even thought about 3D World again.

5. DmC Devil May Cry : This game is just tons of fun with a great combat system. It's a game I can boot up at any time just to play a level or two for purely the gameplay experience. That's not even recognizing what a great ride it was the first time through when I was enjoying it's crazy story and level design.

6. Zelda A Link Between Worlds : A beautiful re-imagining of what was probably my favorite Zelda game, and done so with great care and tact. Nearly perfect, too bad the dungeons were all short and easy, and the artstyle wasn't too great.

7. Super Mario 3D World : This game does so many things so amazingly well, I just wish it didn't take getting to about world 4 before I could stop rolling my face on the controller to complete levels. Other than it's difficulty ramp being far to slow, I have still had fun 100%ing each level before moving on in the utter gorgeous game.

8. Brothers A Tale of Two Sons : Very pretty game that communicates it's story and feelings well without dialogue. A rare game that makes it's gameplay a key part of it's narrative rather than a completely separate aspect. It was predictable and told a story you have seen told plenty of times before, but quality is quality, even if it's not entirely new.

9. Tomb Raider : This is basically an Uncharted game with a worse story/characters, but much better gameplay. I think they handle the birth of a new Lara fine, she was interesting even if all her supporting cast was not. Mainly I had fun shooting a bow and arrow and climbing around the island.

10. Batman Arkham Origins : This is a guilty pick because there are plenty of games that I liked this year that were more inventive and new than this, less rote and predictable than this one, but nonetheless if I am being honest this game was one I enjoyed more than those other games. I loved the first two Batman games, and even if this is basically Arkham City with more glitches and CSI stages I still love the Batman gameplay so much that I don't grow tired of it. If there is one thing I can say that is uniquely positive about this game it is the story was well done and a joy to complete. This game is nowhere near as great as the first two for me, but it was still a blast to play.

stfuppercut said:

Goddammit, Monster Hunter was robbed!

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It was honestly neck to neck right up until a couple weeks ago. But where my interest in Monster Hunter had tapered off, Dota 2's continued support with Diretide and Wraith-Night and new heroes and new items and balance changes put it over the top. Just a continuous stream of new content that turned out to be even stronger than the good post-release weekly quest support Monster Hunter had. Both fantastic games!


Also, Monster Hunter Tri already topped my 2010 list, so there.

1. Lego City Undercover ; Outlandishly funny with a surprisingly good story. It's GTA for the family and in my opinion, it's a far better game than GTA IV was with much more interesting and vibrant city. This is my game of the year.

2. The Wonderful 101 ; Another sleeper hit which wasn't bought nearly enough. Intense and brutal with - finally! - challenging learning curve and very deep gameplay. Story was a bit on the basic side but it was made up by incredible scenario after scenario and magnificent boss-fights. Only downside of the game is the tedious Vorken fights.

3. Super Mario 3D World ; This might be the best Mario game so far rivaling even SMG 1. Gorgeous looking with variety of new (!) ideas with brilliant level design. Plenty to play even after finishing it.

4. Tomb Raider ; A big surprise. I was expecting a copy of a copy of something but this turned out to be a breathtaking journey. The story was a bit shallow although I think it was still better than in previous Tomb Raider games - but whatever the story lacked, was made up by amazing set-pieces.

5. Pikmin 3 ; After long wait Pikmin 3 didn't disappoint. First time in HD it looked as beautiful as it possibly could. It hadn't lost it's charm and gameplay. And the multiplayer part works wonderfully. I also liked that they dropped the dungeons since this game is looks the best above the ground.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD ; The best Zelda is still the best and even better in HD. Streamlining really helps the latter part of the game. The game itself is really the best Zelda done so far thanks to a really good and poignant story. The dungeons may not be as clever as in Twilight Princess but WW has got the charm.

7. Rayman Legends ; A very polished and technically brilliant platformer. The musical levels are a stoke of genious. Multiplayer - Murfy - is excellent on Wii U. Only downside is that it's a bit on the short side, would've liked a bit more content - can't get interested in the challenges since there's not enough variety in them.

8. Toki Tori 2(+) ; The best puzzle game I've played this year. With a very limited move-set this kept me thinking on some occasions far longer than it should have.

9. The Cave ; Albeit a bit uneven, The Cave was a very nostalgic and welcomen breeze from Schafer. There a some magnificent moments in this and it's got that Schafer's trademark black humor to go with. Shame that not all the stories are equally as entertaining as the best. Still a very good game at it's best.

1.Ni No Kuni : Wrath of the white witch ; Beautiful visuals and music, Addictive and fun gameplay , fascinating world design and story telling make for the best game of the year.

2. The Last of Us ; Harrowing tale , challenging , tight combat , impeccable visuals and music , characterization of the highest caliber.

I don't need a write-up for each ranking do I?

1. The Last of Us; It was my brother who brought this game home, actually. I was well aware of the number of 10/10s I saw on GAF but the genre has never really grabbed me very much (I prefer more, truth be told) however this was the game to change my perception. Within several hours my emotions were absolutely in pieces and I was left completely overwhelmed by what I had experienced.

2. Tomb Raider; Having played the Tomb Raider games when I was rather young I was more than ready for a reboot and my God I loved this game, the gameplay was beautifully refined and engaging (I used the bow and arrow for almost the whole game). More than that I thought the character of Lara was very well done and I actually cared and worried for her.

3. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag; When I first saw this game I was cautiously optimistic due to Assassin's Creed 3, a game which I felt was a good game in some ways but a bad Assassin's Creed game. Despite that Black Flag blew me away and rose to easily become one of my favourite games this year due to the wonderful characters, exciting open-world design and return to form for one of my favourite series.

4. Pokémon X; This game finally made me bite on a 2DS and my Lord was it worth it. As a long-time fan of the Pokémon games I believe that this is the biggest leap the games have seen in a long time, I did worry about the new 3D world but I absolutely adore it and the battle have never looked better. This game is exactly what I dreamed a Pokémon game would one day be and, on top of all of that, it is the first game to put the right number of Pokemon in patches of grass, I always feel like I'm finding something new.

5. Beyond: Two Souls; I know that this is probably not going to be a popular choice but I really, really did love it. I felt that despite the argument that it doesn't contain as much gameplay as some might want I felt the unique take of what a video game is was quite refreshing. With that in mind, the emotional power of being Aiden, of taking everything one step further until it suddenly occurs to you 'what the Hell am I doing? When did I get so violent?'. Just for that, this game gets high up on my list.

6. Bioshock: Infinite; I felt that the game overall was not as enjoyable as the first game, perhaps due in part to huge levels of nostalgia from what I feel to be one of the first times I ever 'loved' a game (I was 14 when it was released) but I did enjoy it thoroughly and found it to be one of the best campaigns of this year. The thing is though that if it wasn't for TLOU I believe the game would be a lot higher because Elizabeth would have been a more unique case of caring for a secondary character.

7. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon; What isn't to love about this game? Razor-sharp writing, satirical take on the games industry and how games are viewed, bombastic weapons and crazy ideas. This game is one of the best and most fun games I have ever played and all that for a reduced price, heaven.

8. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 ; Yes, I am being serious. I love these games and despite the series wearing a bit thin and the lack of improvements that I, personally, want to see the story mode was fantastic as always with beautiful visuals, a nicely condensed story and impeccable boss battles capped it off to be wholly fantastic experience (Plus I sink lots and lots of hours into it).

9. Soul Sacrifice; I've never really played a game like this before so I didn't know what to expect but i'm completely addicted to the mechanics of the game, notably the use of spells and upgrading them. It's easily my favourite game on the Playstation Vita and because of that it makes it onto my list.

10. Killzone: Shadow Fall; Well, I had to put in a multiplayer game at some point and it goes to Shadow Fall. I love the challenge system and find myself sitting there with my laptop working out what I want to do next every time I play and thus it's far more rewarding that just blanket XP for everything. The class system is also, in my opinion, leagues ahead of any other FPS this year. The campaign is rather awful but I find the online engaging enough for it to just make it onto my list.


x. Killzone: Mercenary; This game brought the best FPS offering to the Vita and caps off a fantastic year for the system from Son'y First Parties (much like the PS3) and convinced me to get the Vita. That being said, it just missed out on the list due to it's younger brother on the PS4 but I would have loved to have placed this game.

x. Grand Theft Auto V; It maybe seems harsh that it is not on the top 10 but in all honesty I got bored quite quickly and found myself moving onto other games. Perhaps I will play it again one day and love it to the extent of everyone else but for now the game has to reside in the 'honorable mentions' section.


2012. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron; In retrospect this was probably my favourite game last year followed by The Witcher 2. I spent so, so long on the multiplayer and the campaign was what I felt Transformers fans deserved, a choice of an ending, unique play between Grimlock, Bruticus and other regular Transformers. Oh and also, did I mention the multiplayer? Unique classes that really did make a difference but also felt so balanced. I loved zipping across the battlefield as a fighter-jet medic or busting through the center of the map as a Titan. Every class required me to drastically change my tactics and the customisation system was absolutely stellar. Here's hoping for a new one in 2014.

Green Yoshi said:

1. The Last of Us ; Great story, far better gameplay than Uncharted

2. Grand Theft Auto V; Incredible world, Life Invader mission ;-)

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; Great pacing

4. Bioshock Infinite; That ending

5. Tomb Raider, nice Uncharted clone

6. Tearaway

7. Broken Sword 5

8. Super Mario 3D World

9. Gone Home

10. Guacamelee!

Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, have you played Pikmin 3?

1. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn ; Who would have thought... I'm so pleased that the positive changes that saw the original release salvaged (somewhat) managed to continue into the relaunch. I have sunk so many hours into this game since it released and it continues to be a fun, rewarding experience. This really felt like a make or break for Square Enix and the team should be immensely proud of what they were able to accomplish. I also really love how open and forthcoming they are with the letters from the producer and things of that ilk.There have been some missteps since the launch, but I have a really positive outlook for 2014.

2. Shin Megami Tensei IV ; They seriously don't make RPGs like this anymore. This is the game I was the most hyped for this year and it fully delivered for me. I loved the soundtrack, and the overall package felt like such a rewarding challenge.

3. Fire Emblem: Awakening ; Another game I was hyped through the roof for. I'm so pleased it did well and that so many people were introduced to the series (though I only joined the fray in the GC era). Terrific localization, soundtrack and tons of content. This game dumps on so many AAA console titles that it isn't even funny.

4. Bioshock Infinite ; Average gunplay aside, I don't think I've ever been so invested in a supporting character. The ending floored me and the debates and discussions that ensued made me appreciate a lot of the subtleties of the story even more.

5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; This would have been higher for me had it been less of a remake and more of an original title. Still, what they achieved with the hardware and the openness of the game itself is cause for celebration.

6. The Last of Us ; I understand why so many people love this game. I feel like the back half was a lot stronger than the front half (with the exception of the opening, which left me and everyone I know who played it speechless). Joel is a great focal point and I love that he's not necessarily a "good guy", and makes some decisions that you as a player may disagree with. Without a frame of reference to go by, who can say if we'd do the same things.

7. Bravely Default: For the Sequel ; I feel like this is a modern classic that is marred only by its later chapters. It's old school Final Fantasy for better or worse. Terrific soundtrack and battle system, but I really disliked the localisation. I can't say enough good things about the art and the fact that the game makes every effort to show it to you. This reads as more negative, but despite all that, it's just a fun game.

8. Risk of Rain ; I only recently got into this title, but it's got its claws in deep. I've dumped a lot of time into it. I think it's the best of all the rogue-likes released this year in that I haven't felt frustrated by it. It definitely has that "just one more run" effect on me.

9. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ; I'm a huge Metal Gear fan and was pleased to see this actually make it out after all the delays. Platinum knocked it out of the park (like they do) and have created a series that I'd really like to see continue to spin off.

10. Tales of Xillia ; Not the best of the modern tales games, but for me, it was solid enough to play through multiple times. I liked the battle system more than Graces f and it managed to reignite the "Tales" fan in me.

x. The Stanley Parable ; Charming, funny, and worth every penny I paid. I love how self-aware it is.

x. Dragon's Crown ; Great reintroduction to a basically dead genre. Hands down the most amazing animation in a title this year (not accounting for the direction of the art, which I know a lot of people dislike).

1. The Last Of Us ; The only game this year to leave a lasting impression on me, thanks to a great story and characters brought to life by strong acting and animation. The tense gameplay fits perfectly with the setting and makes playing for extended periods quite stressful. It has an awesome soundtrack too. Probably my favourite game of the last generation and I can't wait to see what Naughty Dog do on the PS4.
2. GTA V
3. Tearaway
4. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
5. Tombraider
6. Rayman Legends
7. Guacamelee!
8. Hotline Miami
9. Killzone: Shadowfall
10. Need for Speed: Rivals

1. Bioshock Infinite ; I liked the story and art style. And I'm still mindfucked on the ending.
2. Tomb Raider ; I liked the atmosphere and good character development for Lara.
3. DmC Devil May Cry ; Action packed, great art style, ok combat.

2012. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; Got this as a freebie from Bioshock Infinite pre-purchase. I'm not good with strategy games so it took me a while to get the hang of it.

1. The Last of Us ; Emotional story, great gameplay, addicting and underappreciated multiplayer make it my nr1 game this year
2. Tearaway
3. Killzone: Shadow Fall
4. Killzone: Mercenary
5. Resogun
6. Puppeteer
7. Sly Thieves in Time
8. Ni no Kuni
9. Gran Turismo 6
10. GTA V

Atilac said:

I don't need a write-up for each ranking do I?

Click to expand...

Commenting on one game suffices.

1. Dota 2 ; Fun, frustrating, addictive, and the ultimate time-sink, Dota 2 is probably the best competitive game I have ever played, in many ways Dota didn't need a sequel and I think Valve understood that they took the base gameplay, improved the graphics, and added on a bunch of stuff to make the experience better without altering what makes Dota work

2. The Last of Us ; Playing through this with my broken PS3 controller was insanely frustrating but it was hard to ignore just how great this game is, Naughty Dog hit it out of the park up there easily with UC2

3. Papers, Please ; This game isn't fun...but it's probably one of the most oddly compelling games I've ever played.

4. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag ; Probably the biggest return to form I've ever seen in gaming, AC 3 was boring, had a bland main character and too much modern day crap and 4 pretty much improves on it in every way and then takes the one gameplay gimmick 3 had going for it and improves it even more so thankfully there's no reason for anyone to ever play 3, thanks Ubisoft!

5. Bioshock Infinite ; Beautiful game, great world, interesting story, awesome covers of songs, decent enough gameplay, my opinion of this game has been slowly going down over time but when I first played it nothing compared.

6. Gone Home ; If you're one of those people who complained about Bioshock's "dull" gameplay then this is the game for you! Takes the exploration part of Bioshock and crafts the entire game around it. Enjoyable story too.

7. Brothers a Tale of Two Sons ; Fun game with an interesting control mechanic, nice little story too really felt like I was playing a fairy tale

8. Fire Emblem Awakening ; Doesn't really reinvent the wheel but the game is tonnes of fun and looks pretty nice in 3D

9. Saints Row IV ; I couldn't decide what should go higher this or GTA V but...Saint's Row IV was the most pure fun I've had in games in years, legitimately funny too

10. The Stanley Parable ; Stanley Parable is a tough game to talk about, I'm also unsure whether or not it should be higher or not...it's unique and funny is all I'll stay

Canis lupus said:

1. The Last of Us
2. Tearaway
3. Killzone: Shadow Fall
4. Killzone: Mercenary
5. Resogun
6. Puppeteer
7. Sly Thieves in Time
8. Ni no Kuni
9. Persona 4 Golden (Europe)
10. GTA V

Click to expand...

This is the second time today I've seen you having failed to read the OP. I'm almost starting to think you're doing this on purpose.

1. The Last of Us; Only good game I played that was released in 2013. Have not played lot of games this year so there was not much competition. Top quality gameplay and gfx.

1. The Last of Us ; Without question my Nr. 1 game this year. It has a slow start, but then becomes a truly immersing experience, wherein story and gameplay are in almost perfect sync. Naughty Dog managed to incorporate their famous setpieces into a game that for the most part never looses its gamyness to the cinematic presentation of the game. Its best moments are those, when the game opens up and lets you explore a wider area. Also memorable are the sections, where you get attacked by a super fungus. Those actually make this game my favourite survival horror game of the gen! Last but not least it also has a superb soundtrack.
2. Dragon’s Crown ; Vanilla Ware in HD looks simply gorgeous! Although I may like the tight narrative of Odin’s Sphere better than the one one we got with DC, it still lived up to most of my expectations. It’s a really fun local multiplayer game with tons of loot and dungeon chaining. One thing I thought lacking was the dungeons being a bit too straight forward for my tastes.
3. Killer Is Dead ; As a SUDA51 fan this game is not everything I wanted it to be. It is not as crazy and as good as Killer 7, but it still has its fair share of Suda moments that make it enjoyable and gave me the fix I longed for. Its overall structure is a bit too simple, but the boss fights, visuals and animations are top notch.
4. Tearaway ; How long did I have to wait for a new 3D open field platformer? Tearaway fills this gap with flying colors. Its unique visuals not only define the look but also the gameplay. It manages to use all of Vita’s input possibilities without turning them into gimmicks. Its only flaw: it’s too short. It almost hurts that all the great ideas most of the time only appear in one section and never again thereafter.
5. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ; To be honest, not the game I wanted it to be. I prefered the older art style and also the story it was supposed to tell, when Kojima Productions were still at the helm of the project. Still it was a nice action title with a great battle system, but held back by imo terrible level design and world building.
6. Guacamelee ; This game has a nice artstyle that goes along so well with its mexican theme. Gameplay was a real blast, with various intertwining systems and a great progression system that centers around the aquisition of new skills used in fights and also in the platforming sections. Speaking of wich, they were very fresh, the need to actually think before you tackled them, was a nice change from the norm.
7. Knack ; Can’t get my head around the low scores it got. It certainly can’t compete with the next gen promises a lot of games on the horizon are evoking. But for what it is, it is a pretty solid game with a nice length. We certainly didn’t drown in good jump ’n’ run games last gen, so this was a welcome game for me. Its precise combat system requiring timing and strategy wasn’t revolutionary or anything, but it gave the game a nice sense of urgency demanding controlled handling of the character.