This year, we decided to do something special: allow staff to choose award categories of their own to join our end-of-year festivities. In this first half, we name 2013’s best game soundtrack, best remake, best experimental game and best local multiplayer title. READ MORE
2013 was a great year for variety. Not only did a ton of games come out, but a lot of different genres were represented as well. There really was something for everyone. I didn’t get to play all the games I wanted to (I imagine a good stretch of 2014 will be me trying to catch up), but I did get to play some games with real lasting power – some of these titles are gems I won’t easily forget.
Lego games are what they are, and boy, do I love cape books. It also helps that this was my first game of the new hardware generation. A Lego game is a natural fit for the PS4’s early theme (polygons and particles everywhere!), and the Marvel branding allows for an overwhelming number of characters. Sure, I mostly sought after Spider-Man and Wolverine when I could, but seeing adorably goofy Lego forms of unexpected characters such as Howard the Duck made dipping out of my superhero comfort zone a worthwhile endeavor. READ MORE
This year was full of some truly great games, but there were just some gems worthy of a little extra recognition. Today, we’re naming 2013’s best games on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. READ MORE
This may have been a year of new hardware, but for me it was the time that platforms released in the last few years really came into their own. The 3DS, Wii U and Vita provided some great fun in 2013, and even the PS3 posted one of its best lineups of its lifespan.
My sole complaint after finishing X & Y was its length, but when someone asked me how long I’d played, I looked it up. Oh. The advancements and streamlining elements of the new games make everything seem so painless that the hours melt away. Sure, you could turn the EXP Share off if you wanted, and you could build up your competitive team without Super Training, but… why would you? READ MORE
I’ve been putting together top ten lists for a while now, but this might just be the hardest to I’ve had to create. Some amazing games were cut, such as Grand Theft Auto V, Tearaway, Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Rising, Gunpoint, Year Walk and countless others. This process highlighted one of the best problems you could have: there were simply too many good games released this year. In the end, I’m pretty happy with the results, even if so many other games I love just missed the cut.
Like with Rayman Origins before it, Rayman Legends is an absolute joy to play from start to finish. The thing that strikes me the most about it is how well it handles and the excellent level design constructed around that handling. Every mistake I made was my own mistake, not the fault of the game or the controls, which is always a necessity when it comes to making a good platformer. The Murfy stages are surprisingly solid, even during solo play, and the music levels are the perfect blend of charm and challenge the series is now known for. In short, Legends is an expansion on an already amazing formula, and manages to surpass the original in some remarkable ways. READ MORE
