Top 10 Games Of 2013 - Bioshock: Infinite, GTA V, Final Fantasy, The Last Of Us?
It’s easy to say this about every year and not get called out, given the rapid, exponential growth of the video games market in the past decade, but 2013 has really been a golden year for the medium. If Telltale’s Walking Dead proved one thing to us in 2012, it’s that gamers are ready for complex, affecting stories as well as high-action, triple-A shooters.
And this year, studios recognised that, combining the two with often-fantastic results. It’s also been a hugely exciting period for mobile gaming, with technological advances in tablets and smartphones allowing developers to inject gaming experiences into your daily commute as well as on your sofa. Gone are the slow, repetitive puzzle games downloaded via an MMS; ushered in are the graphical powerhouses and franchise games that make your device physically heat up.
This top 10 list isn’t based on the best-selling, the best-reviewed or the prettiest. Neither is it fully (it is a bit) based on the writer’s feelings towards some of the titles; rather, it’s an assembly of the year’s most important games: the innovators, the game-changers, the ones that were most fun to play. So without further ado – absolutely in a particular order – it’s the top 10 games of 2013.
10 - Deus Ex: The Fall (iOS)
Back in 2000, Deus Ex was released for the PC, and later on, the PlayStation 2. It was a revelation, and the franchise desperately clung on to the grace that the seminal game allowed it, until Human Revolution – in 2011 - gave it a spring clean. Now, The Fall, which was released for iOS in 2013, promises a new and exciting platform for the cyber-punk shooter/thriller.
With plot reigning supreme over pure action in contemporary videogame vogue, an experience rich in twists and turns is equal to shooting or stealth mechanics, and The Fall combines the two perfectly. Like every top 10 list, there are a few wildcard entries, and The Fall’s mixed reviews certainly qualify it for that description, but who doesn’t like a talking point?
9 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist (PS3, XBOX 360, PC, Wii U)
Something – a lack of invention, variation or innovation – was lacking from Splinter Cell for a while, until Blacklist came along and reasserted Sam Fisher’s cult status amongst video gamers. With a focus on stealth, the latest entry to the franchise combined loved elements of games gone by to create the best Splinter Cell game yet.
The plot sees Sam Fisher and Victor Coste attacked by an unknown enemy as they leave Anderson AFB in Guam. The attackers are revealed as The Engineers – a terrorist group hell bent on unleashing a series of deadly attacks (The Blacklist) until the American government recall all of their troops deployed abroad. Of course, Fisher and a crew are assembled to quell the threat.
8 - Minecraft (XBOX 360, PC)
Alright, so Minecraft was released ages ago as a beta, and quite a while ago as a fully-fledged game. But such are the nature of its updates – both large and small – it remains fresh even now. A physical release this year just served to remind us of how powerful this sandbox, make-your-own-adventure game has been for gaming and the gaming industry.
Dubbed as Lego for videogamers, Minecraft lets you carve your own journey, and is best played with friends, in this writer’s humble opinion. You can build a community together, delve in to the rich dungeons, or simply co-exist on the same server; it’s up to you, which is something Mojang will live and die by for this game. It can’t be game of the year, as it came out years ago, but while it's being updated, it deserves a mention without a doubt.
7 - Pokemon X & Y ( Nintendo 3DS)
It’s difficult to understand just how Nintendo have kept the Pokemon games franchise fresh. Thinking back to Red & Blue on the Gameboy, easily one of the best games of all time, you’d be hard-pressed to find many integral differences to the marrow of the game: explore, catch Pokemon, be the best trainer of them all.
And while the first 151 will never be trumped by the subsequent creature creations, X & Y is still a beautiful accomplishment. Perhaps I’m being too fair to a franchise I grew up with, and, manifestly, love. It was criticised by some for being too similar to previous games, but in the most competitive market in the world, it could be considered brave to keep giving your core fans exactly what they want. And Pokemon fans want Pokemon.
6 - The Legend of Zelda – A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS)
Zelda games reached their peak on the N64, most would agree. Subsequent releases on the Gamecube and Wii were both excellent (Windwaker) and showed cracks in the franchise (Twilight Princess). But with A Link Between Worlds, Nintendo have gone back to the series’ roots, culminating in one of the best of its many, many releases.
The classic gameplay that shot Link to international notoriety on the SNES is back on the 3DS, and despite an old formula, ALBW feels fresh. It’s certainly up there for handheld game of the year – battling it out with Pokemon for that mantle – and fully deserves its place among the ‘big boys’ for game of the year. A stellar update, now to see how Zelda on the Wii-U goes…
5 - Ni No Kuni (PS3)
When the news first broke – I struggle to remember when it was – that Level 5 and Studio Ghibly were combing to make a JRPG, fans of both the legendary studio’s films and the games developer’s games were sent into raptures. But with this hype came a great expectation; something other developers have succumbed to in the past. Luckily, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a triumph.
Charming, silly, sweet; terrifying, touching and brave, the game increased PlayStation 3’s already-sizable stock despite the imminent arrival of its bigger brother, the PS4. With long-play titles (60-hours +) diminishing in popularity, it’s refreshing to see a teeth-sinker hit and stick with such alacrity. More where that came from, please.
4 - Bioshock Infinite (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
Adopting the character of Booker DeWitt in Bioshock Infinite is one of the most entertaining things you can do on a games console or PC. And that’s why its place on this list is entirely justified. This theme-park-ride-of-a-game is non-stop; it’s thrilling in both its story and mechanical execution, culminating in a truly memorable experience.
While the game falls down on enemy variation, it more than makes up for with a complex, multifaceted and truly surprising storyline. Its summer 2013 release means it isn’t as fresh as recent blockbuster titles, but Infinite will be making many top 10 lists, especially as we’re ushered into a new generation of hardware. Incremental DLC also harks back to the early Bioshock days, which is no bad thing at all.
3 - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS3, PC)
For such a beloved franchise, Final Fantasy has really made a few chronic missteps over the past decade; the biggest was probably Final Fantasy XIV Online. But realising their mistakes, then-Square Enix President Yoichi Wad and his team decided a remake was in order. It’s rare to see such commitment to quality; usually if a game is rubbish, you won’t hear much else.
So for a developer to openly admit their mistakes and reinvent the game is something special. Now, with a stunning world to explore, challenging dungeons to delve into, a deep, engaging crafting system, Final Fantasy XIV really is a re-born game. And furthermore, it’s refreshing to see a quality, paid-monthly MMORPG on both console and PC, with cross-save functionality.
2 - GTA V (XBOX 360, PS3)
GTA V is one of the best games of the year, no doubt, but it’s certainly not the best. Despite being the fastest selling entertainment product of all time, netting perfect reviews from a number of publications and stunning fans with an unrivalled scope, GTA V doesn’t top our list, and it wasn’t an easy decision.
Where GTA succeeds, it really succeeds. In terms of exploration, humour and replayability, it’s probably the best game of all time. But when you consider story, characterisation and pacing - increasingly important hallmarks of the modern greats – GTA doesn’t reach the heights of the game ahead of it in this list. Ridiculous, crazy fun and well worth the price tag: yes. Life-changing, seminal or genre-defining: it is not.
1 - The Last of Us (PS3)
Combining the tropes of every successful game in the past few years – a post-apocalyptic dystopia, eerie, zombie-like enemies, proficient enemy A.I and deep, meaningful characterization – The Last of Us was a production of extreme quality. Top marks were awarded, seeing it become one of the top rated games of all time on Metacritic, and deservedly so.
The Last of Us left many 360 users with a sour taste in their mouth. Not long after Halo 4 reasserted itself as the king of exclusives, Naughty Dog introduced a contender to the crown. It, alongside GTA V was a brilliant way to send of the current generation of consoles, and we can’t wait to see what the new DLC will be all about.