1. Super Smash Bros for Wii U ; You can always trust that Sakurai will deliver on Smash. I’ve played this almost daily since its release, and have yet to finish even half of the content. Expanded online options with mostly smooth gameplay resulted in my most enjoyable gaming moments this year.
Highlights:
Amiibo are great sparring partners
Revamped classic mode shakes of the feature’s dust
Great balance between Melee and Brawl
Expansive soundtrack
FD versions of all stages
2. Bravely Default ; When I think of BD, I think of the final boss battle, using the best strategy I cobbled together from trial and error while listening to a soaring, dynamic, and dramatic score. While many found the second half tedious, BD has done more to reduce the tedium in grinding than any of its JRPG contemporaries.
Adjustable encounter rate
Excellent soundtrack
Top notch job battle system
3. Mario Kart 8 ; I was pretty down on the Mario Kart series after lackluster Wii and 3DS entries.Thankfully, 8
fixed this solely by having a level of polish most games now lack. The coordination between the soundtrack and lap in Mount Wario is a textbook example of using all parts of a game - sound, visuals, and gameplay, to achieve an experience that cannot be found in any other medium.
4. inFamous Second Son ; SS is a first generation new console game in many regards. It has some very high points (great mix of powers) and some infuriating low points (tailing missions, destroy cameras).SS
is at its best when traversing this stunningly beautiful version of Seattle.
5. Azure Striker Gunvolt ; Mega Man X was my introduction to action platformers. Like Shovel Knight, (but with a different set of colors), ASG is a game that is right at home with SNES/PSX action platformers. The unrelenting 16-bit-ness of it makes me grin when I’m not cursing out an accidental pitfall.
6. Transistor ; The seamlessness of the music and its gameplay integration is sublime. You can tell that so much attention was paid to how the soundtrack and sound effects interact. This is on top of a fun battle system that reminded me of Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter in parts.
7. Freedom Wars ; While I’ve owned a Vita for a while, most of my time on it has been playing PS1 games. FW finally offered a compelling game that took advantage of Vita’s technical prowess. FW’s grim dystopian setting (and its unwavering commitment to the universe’s rules) immediately drew me in.
8. Shovel Knight ; SK taps into veteran gamers’ tiny nostalgia wells without drowning us in overt references, while still crafting its own lore - the gaming equivalent of a Tarantino movie.
SK so perfectly captured its intended vibe that on my first time playing, I attempted to create a virtual console save point, absentmindedly thinking that it was an NES game.
9. Destiny ; Destiny was completely off my radar in 2013, but the Alpha and Beta convinced me to buy a console FPS for the first time. Destiny is at its best when on a mission with a couple of friends, laughing about dumb mistakes or yelling at difficult bosses.
The post level 20 grinding ultimately ended the fun for me, but it was a blast while it lasted.
10. Dragon Age Inquisition ; I’ve searched near and far for a suitable Phantasy Star Online replacement (sega plz). Never thought it would arrive from Bioware and EA. Four player squad based combat + customizable controller hotkeys + distinct classes = a very satied recovering PSO addict.
Honorable Mention:
Bayonetta 2 ; Bayo 2 is a gaming coelacanth - a stellar game from a genre that many think is dying, if not already dead. It’s gameplay brought me back to the genre’s PS2 heydey, but now taking advantage of the jump to HD.
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker ; Fun puzzle game, just not as impactful as some others this year.
Super Smash Bros for 3DS ; the best $40 demo I’ve ever bought. I put over 100 hours into the game in the short time between its launch and the Wii U version, but I’ve barely touched it since. While it’s good to be able to play Smash anywhere, the loss of Ice Climbers (RIP) and superior Wii U controls will leave this game unplayed for the foreseeable future.
Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire - The annualization of Pokemon is starting to wear on me. Haven't even fully digested X/Y.