Since I haven’t really listed games in the “Games Beaten” thread, I figured I’d just compile thoughts on 2013 releases I played a good amount of here instead, to lend context. There were others I played a small amount of, and others I bought and have yet to play, and in turn have less of an opinion on.
The Last of UsWhile not exactly an original pick, overall this was my game of the year. It won me over despite the setting, and that I didn’t find every aspect of it fun per se. However, in retrospect, I consider it an achievement of the game. I don’t
want to traverse areas with the Infected, but that’s appropriate. In terms of gameplay, the stealth/combat versus humans was more in line with what I tend to enjoy. Even then, combat didn’t have the polished feel of some games, but I got the impression it wasn’t supposed to. It was tuned to give feelings of dread and desperation, and at least to a degree, it worked.
Overall, the gameplay, storytelling, and production all worked together well. Elements and themes that could (and did) define entire games were just parts of the whole here. That’s what elevates it to the top for 2013.
Tomb RaiderI haven’t played much of most of the Tomb Raider games, but the trailer and early footage of the reboot put it on my radar anyway. It helped that I’d played the Uncharted games by that point, and the promise of a similar experience was enticing (even if it wasn’t exactly like them after all).
Preloaded it on Steam (the only game I’ve purchased like that thus far), and was glad I did. It’s probably the best
playing game of the style I’ve tried, and I had a lot of fun with it. The plot was decent at best, the supporting characters forgettable, but it was just fun to play. It served to turn a franchise I was meh about into something I’m looking forward to a new installment from.
Bioshock Infinite One of my most anticipated releases this year, and one that really enjoyed. That said, I think that the shooter gameplay was not complementary to the narrative, (and even that seemed scaled back from the E3 demos and such). For some series, that’s par for the course, but the –shock games have historically done a better job tying things together.
While the game isn’t bad by any stretch, it just felt like what we got was what they settled on to get the game out the door on 7th gen consoles, not what the original vision was. The setting , story, and Elizabeth serve to prop up what is otherwise merely a “good” FPS.
Super Mario 3D WorldI got a Wii U for Christmas, so this seemed a logical purchase. On the one hand, there’s basically nothing to fault. It’s the 3D Mario model polished to hell and back, with a lot of variety in level design, and a lot to master and unlock for those inclined.
On the other hand, it’s more or less the same kind of experience Nintendo has been offering since the N64 (not that there’s anything wrong with that, just, not exactly mind-blowing).
Gone HomeIn a word: overrated. Not that it’s
bad, but, given the sheer hype around it I expected more. It’s just the “collect journals for backstory” element that plenty of games have already used, just, no game. That isn’t a problem in and of itself, as it’s a way to tell a story…but I didn’t feel like the stories it tells were that great either.
Brothers: A Tale of Two SonsThis year’s Journey. To say too much about the game itself could spoil it, but it’s well worth the couple hours or so it takes to play through.
It’s ultimately impressive in the degree to which it actually incorporates gameplay into telling the story.
Song of Saya (official US version
in 2013)
Similar to Gone Home, I felt like this was overrated. It wasn’t all that interesting. Wasn’t all that (visually) graphic either. I mean, the implications yes, but on-screen…ehhh… (not that I was hoping for that, more that it was overstated)
Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Ultimate Edition (PC version in 2013)
I had originally tried playing this on PS3, for which I own the CE. I didn’t get too far before putting it aside and not getting back around to it.
It’s derivative, far as I can tell, though I haven’t really played most of what it’s copying (namely God of War, since I find Kratos utterly unappealing to play as). Outside of (frequent) QTEs though, it’s hard to argue with the elements it lifts from other games.
The pacing can also be disjointed, at least initially. While it does contribute to a sense of growth and progression…simply put, the latter 2/3 of the game are significantly better than the first chunk. Not that other games don’t do it – hell, the Last of Us did too, after the great intro – but it simply should not take 5-6 hours for a game like this to find its groove.
That said, as a whole, it’s a gorgeously produced game that is ultimately enjoyable when it finally gets rolling. It’s possibly underrated due to the slow start.
Final Fantasy XIV: ARRI originally wasn’t super keen on playing this, but most of my friends from XI were intending to. Tried the beta and preordered it. SE has done a nice job of utilizing assets and deriving new ones to pull in Final Fantasy fans. It’s an easy enough game to get into on those merits, even if it’s extremely derivative. Past that, I think it depends on taste. Initial leveling and rising through the story is fun. Endgame is…not. Fight mechanics are interesting, though not for pickup groups, since once things get remotely difficult people need to know what they’re doing and execute. DF is not conducive to being nice. Gear/stats/skills are utterly boring. Most of the game systems are too inflexible to do much beyond spam whatever the most efficient dungeon runs are as quickly as possible.
Deactivated my account for lack of compelling content. Guild Wars 2 is a better, more varied game in most respects, and doesn’t have a fee.
Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin (most of what was in it at launch/before July)
Congratulations, SE, it took you a decade but you got the remaining members of my LS (including me) to quit. Objectively, it’ll probably all turn out decent after a year or two of updates, but the initial content/adjustments for SoA indicated to me a severe lack of planning. There have been times when the XI team was too conservative, but every other week we were getting announcements about going back to adjust something that had just been put in the game or make promises for other adjustments. Plus months of free stuff just for logging in or staying subscribed.
Typing of the Dead: OverkillHalf knew what to expect from this one, though I didn’t know about the grindhouse plot of Overkill. Not really my thing, but I bought the game to kill things with typing, and on that front it did not disappoint.
The Stanley ParableI doubt I’ve seen all there is to see from this one, but I did hit several endings and credits. Interesting enough, but not so much so that I couldn’t put it down.
Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed (PC version in 2013)
Great overall kart racer, though it would be better if it stuck to karts instead of the jets and boats I think. Either way, it was my go-to relax and unwind game for a little while, long enough to hit the credits sequence/etc.
