Thom Yorke

List taken from this site:

The best games of 2013 | GamesRadar

Thom Yorke

Had a poll written up but it took me too long to post it.

LoathsomePete

As much as I enjoyed the experience of Gone Home (more than most it would seem, the backlash against that game's reviews have been pretty big), the fact that it's voted "Best Indie Game" above something like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons or Papers, Please kind of bugs me.

I'll do up my Best of 2013 list later on this week after I finish The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 1 which I'm positive will share a spot with The Wolf Among Us.

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Psychedub Dude

I really havent played many of the new big title this year, or the year before that.. Well lets just say Im a cheap ass gamer.

So anyway, of the few new releases I played this year I would definitely pick Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons as my game of the year. It really blew me away.

As for non arcade titles I would probably pick Tomb Raider. I had a lot of fun with the game really surprised me.

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Shadows Of Our Souls

LoathsomePete

This was kind of a weird year for AAA gaming because everything that came out in the first half has really been overshadowed by the new consoles. Besides Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider, I really haven't heard a lot of people talking about some of the AAA games from the first half. Definitely been a great year for the indies though.

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LoathsomePete

Okay now that I've had time to play through The Walking Dead Season 2 I feel pretty confident in my list. I'm going to do it as a Top 5 Games of the Year and 3 Most Disappointing Games of the Year rather than a Worst games list because I really haven't played any "bad" games. Also I feel it's worth mentioning now but Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us aren't on my list because A) I don't feel like playing a game that massive on 8-year old hardware and B) I don't own a PS3 (something I hope to rectify by year's end).

Top 5 Games of 2013

5) Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves

In 2013 I discovered I enjoyed strategy games. While I grew up on Real-Time strategy games like Starcraft and Age of Empires, I never really got into anything else. Anyways Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves is a kind of mixture of strategy, tower defense, and hack 'n' slash that works really well on a mechanical level. The dialogue and voice acting are pretty atrocious and the animation could stand to be a little better, but the real fun of the game comes from setting your traps and planning appropriately for the ensuing attack of werewolves sent by the devil. There's a real sense of achievement when you lead a pack of wolves straight into a trap and it only gets better when your plan goes off without a hitch. The soundtrack is great with a really nice folk fiddle feel and really helps set the mood, especially during frantic fights. The game definitely has its problems, but from a pure strategy and RPG point-of-view, it succeeds where a lot of games fail.

4) Bioshock: Infinite

I think everyone was too charitable to Bioshock: Infinite when it came out because there were a lot of problems with it. The scavenging and vigors really seemed out of place and unnecessary and I do agree that the nonstop violence did hamper the story in a few places, especially in the early stages of the game. Yet despite all that the game really did deliver everything that I wanted from its grand story and added a whole new element of combat with the rail system. Booker and Elizabeth were very well written and traveling with Elizabeth reminded me a lot of traveling with Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2: Episode One which I wish more games could get right. The story did get a little convoluted towards the middle and end, but it wrapped everything up nicely in ways rarely seen in stories involving time travel and alternative dimensions. Overall it was one the better AAA games from 2013 and definitely a game worth your time.

3) Outlast

I love how indie publishers keep on disproving the notion that true horror games are dead and we have to include co-op, and plenty of action to "widen the net". Outlast is a shining example of just how good the horror genre works with video games, and that despite all the criticism against jump scares, they are effective as fuck when done right. The nightvision and scare resources work wonders for keeping you on your feet and the chase sequences really do a good job of getting your adrenaline pumping. If there's one criticism I have for the game it's that it's really only effective on the first play through, but given that it's a 6-8 hour game for $20 I think one play through is really all you need.

2) The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 1 & The Wolf Among Us Episode 1

Yes I'm cheating a bit with this one but really the two full length episodes released by TellTale Games (and The Walking Dead: 400 Days DLC) are indicative that TellTale really are shaping up to become one of the big indie developers. While their gameplay can be minimal, they have an amazing writing team and really know how to create tension and moral dilemma. There was a sequence in The Walking Dead Season 2 that was just as tense as Outlast and I think The Wolf Among Us did a wonderful job at bringing the Fables universe to life while making conversations with foul mouthed toads from famous British novels feel real. With their recently announced Game of Thrones and Tales of Borderlands games, I suspect I will be giving them quite a bit of money over the course of 2014.

1) Papers, Please

Here's a game that really came out of nowhere and left lasting impression. Honestly if you had told me that my favourite game of 2013 would be a bureaucracy simulator I'd laugh good naturedly and make a mental note to take you off my Christmas card list, but I'll be goddamned if I can't think of a game more deserving of top spot on the list or worth your time. Papers, Please really does exemplify everything that is positive about the indie gaming scene and showcase how full of crap AAA publishers are when they say they need to copy Call of Duty in order to make a good game. The game is challenging (rewarding gameplay) while also providing context (rewarding story) and makes every person you service feel like the big choice moments from the TellTale games. Honestly it's hard to describe why this game is so good because on paper it should be mediocre at best, it's just one of those things you need to experience for yourself.


Top 3 Most Disappoint Games of 2013

3) Tomb Raider

I was really hoping this game would work for me. As a rule I generally despise reboots especially if they're "dark and gritty" but I was really holding out for this one to work. It's been years since the Tomb Raider franchise had been relevant, long since usurped by the Uncharted franchise in terms of 3rd person action/adventure/puzzle/platforming games, but I have to say I expected something more than just copying it. I also really expected a little more out of the whole point of making her seem vulnerable and inexperienced when if you've ever played a 3rd person shooter in the last decade you would be headshotting everyone within seconds. It was still a serviceable game, but I was definitely left feeling disappointed and feeling less willing to go back to it.

2) The Cave

I really wanted to like this game, and while there are elements in this game that I do like, it's a game I really had to force myself to finish all 3 times it takes to complete it (well 6 times in total but I'll get back to that). The game is kind of a spiritual successor to Maniac Mansion, an early LucasArts game where you select 3 characters from a starting pool of 7. The major difference is that in Maniac Mansion the story and puzzles remain the same while the methods you use to solve them and proceed stays the same, whereas with The Cave you only lose half the content on each play through because each character gets their own unique level, plus 3 fixed levels. So after beating the game the first time you start a new game with 3 new characters to see their levels, and then you have to play through it again for the final character while replaying two other character's levels PLUS the 3 fixed levels. Oh and then there's this really intuitive moral choice at the end of the game that you would never think to do, so if you want to get 100% completion you have to play through the game 6 times. Honestly it wouldn't be that bad but there's really not much of a story here and there's really only a small amount of dialogue, which given the fact it was directed by Ron Gilbert, seems weirdly deficient.

1) Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs

Man... I really don't know what to say for this one. Honestly I tried to remain hopeful after the reveal that Frictional Games wasn't developing this one because I actually enjoyed thechineseroom's previous game, Dear Esther. I was even willing to accept them tossing the sanity meter because I always thought those were a bit silly and arbitrary. However I cannot say I was expecting for them to take the best thing to happen to the horror genre in YEARS and make it not scary. I was not expecting for them to ditch the resource management and still adamantly believe that had they kept that in the game I would have found it far scarier. There were only a handful of gameplay moments, with one in particular that was the closest thing to scared I ever got. I understand that they want everyone to be able to experience their story from beginning to end and not be barred off by being unable to complete the gameplay challenge, and I'll even admit that the actual story of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was quite well written and better than Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but I don't think it needed the Amnesia brand to be told. People go to Amnesia for a reason and I think A LOT of people left feeling disappointed by this one.

Games That Didn't Make The List But Are Still Deserving Of Your Time

Dota 2
Guacamelee
The Swapper
Metro: Last Light
The Stanley Parable
Rogue Legacy
Shadow Warrior
Path of Exile
Gunpoint
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Kentucky Route Zero
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

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Laces Out Dan!

Nhl 14..

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nat6432

My top 5 game list

5)Audiosurf 2
Why did this game came in my top 5? Just for the reason I'm addicted to music and to play a game based on this one is just excellent, it's still in beta test but so much potential...

4)Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves
For the same reasons as LoathsomePete, if you can try it, do it!

3)Guildwars 2
I know it came out in 2012, I had it the day of the release but it wasn't as good as expected (again), and I left it for like... 6 months and took it back after that, it changed so much from the beginning that, for me, it is a game of 2013 Not gonna say it's better then the first one, the difficulty is too low but it's one of the greatest games in my opinion.

2)Antichamber
Like you said, 2013 was the year for indie games, this one was by far my favorite, a puzzle game in 3D... Cannot describe it so strange it was to play it ^^ Just one thing, if try it, prepare your mind to explode

1)Factorio
Again, an indie game, by far my favorite of this year (or I forgot some ^^), one of my favorite real-time strategy games/management games, to try if you can


My most disappointing games of 2013:

Agarest 2
Amnesia: A machine for pigs

The games that didn't make it in my list 'cause they were made too early

Dwarf Fortress (one of my favorite games of all time)
Tales Of Grace F
Dark/Demon's Souls

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Key

In all fairness, style of gameplay and the way you move around was similar to it's predecessor, so in that respect, I think it's alright for it to have the Amnesia title. However, I do agree that upon it's release, I was as well disappointed in hearing that the scare factor was no longer there. Surprisingly, I fell very moved with the story. It was easily one of the most fantastically written single player games i've played this year. The ending was very well done, which let's be honest...the first one was pretty shit.

Sparky

1.) The last of Us

Only game that really elevated the medium imo this year

2.) Dishonored

3.)Bioshock Infinite

4.) GTA 5

can't even think of a fifth one this year