Originally my idea for reviewing one game a week was done primarily to avoid writer’s block once a week as they’re by far my easiest posts to write and usually the most enjoyable as well. However sticking to that promise meant that I couldn’t just rely on AAA titles like I had done previously, no in order to be able to keep a steady stream of reviews going I’d need to broaden my gaming horizons significantly and play games that I might not have considered previously. To that end 2013 was filled with a bevy of titles ranging from some of the most unheard indie developers to major publishing houses with pedigrees spanning decades.

Gmae of the Year 2013

Whilst I had initially thought the calibre of games this year to be somewhat lacklustre looking over the list I can see that instead its my standards that have increased as many of these titles have received wide critical acclaim, including my own. Indeed looking back over the scores there are multiple titles that share my highest rating (9.5 this year) indicating that any one of them could potentially be crowned game of the year. Still looking over this list I’m finding myself torn to crown a winner as many of them are deserving of it, especially within their own genre.

Here’s 2013’s list of reviews in chronological order:

The winner of the wooden spoon this year should be pretty obvious as there was no other game that was so widely panned as Ride to Hell: Retribution was. Whilst I can understand a publisher wanting to get something out of their investment Ride to Hell: Retribution was clearly unfinished with the actual functioning bits simply not coming together cohesively. Mind you it probably wouldn’t have been a highly rated game should it have had the time required to fix it, with all bets with it being something like GTA but with bikers, but you have to wonder about the execs who put the stamp of approval on something like that.

I have to give a shout out to Gone Home as it was by far one of the most impressive storytelling games evidenced by the fact that I felt my review could really only be meant for those who had played it already. It starts off slow but you find yourself being pulled in ever so slowly as the story begins to reveal itself to you. Yet again I’ll have to stop myself here as to say any more would feel like I was spoiling the game for you and whilst Gone Home won’t receive my Game of the Year award you can be damn sure it was one of my main contenders.

The final battle for my game of the year comes down to 2 titles, both of which I have been praised for their strong story. The reason I’m conflicted is one of my known bias towards one of the games and the other being in a genre that I typically rate lower. That being said upon taking a step back and thinking about which of those two titles was the better overall game the choice was clear: my game of the year for 2013 is The Last of Us.

The-Last-Of-Us-Screenshot-Wallpaper-Title-ScreenWhilst my aversion to survival horror is well known The Last of Us managed to draw me in far more than any other title in its genre has managed to do and that’s pretty much all due to the gripping story that it portrays. At the time I can remember saying that I didn’t think it was game of the year material, especially considering all the hype surrounding it, but upon reflection it is the best game I played last year. Few titles have managed to cement me in my seat for the better part of a day (I think I spent 9 hours straight in my last run to finish it) and fewer still have made such a lasting impression on so many. Naughty Dog is to be commended for taking the risk on a new IP and pulling it off so well.

The runner up is, as you could have guessed, Beyond: Two Souls. Whilst the wider critical reaction to it has been somewhat mixed I was definitely a fan of it, thoroughly enjoying the playable movie that Quantic Dream had created for us. However it’s not as strong of a title as Heavy Rain was which is what made me realise just how solid the Last of Us really is. It’s still a great game though and one that I’d heartily recommend to anyone who’s seeking a great interactive movie experience.

2014 is looking like a great year for games with dozens of AAA and indie titles coming out that I’m already looking forward to. I’ll endeavour to stick to my guns of doing 1 review per week as that seems to strike the right balance between variety and amount of time I need to dedicate to getting them out.

So, dear readers, what was your Game of the Year for 2013?

 

Games, Review

Tagged in:

, ,

About the Author

David Klemke

David is an avid gamer and technology enthusiast in Australia. He got his first taste for both of those passions when his father, a radio engineer from the University of Melbourne, gave him an old DOS box to play games on.

View All Articles