2013 has brought us a lot of cool games.
It's December, and while there are a handful of games that have yet to come out, we can already recognize a lot of amazing games that came out in the past year. Post your picks for GOTY, for several categories if you wish, and let's discuss the best of 2013!
Best Console Game That Isn't The Last Of Us Because I Didn't Play It Because I Don't Own a PS3: Grand Theft Auto V
I was not a GTA fan at all. I picked this game up because I was curious to see how it had changed from my experience of playing GTA2 as a child (who shouldn't have been playing it). This game was a hell of a lot of fun. If you can look past the horribleness of what you're doing - which you should, because that is what GTA is in a nutshell - it's just pure, unadulterated fun.
Honorable Mention: Tomb RaiderBest Handheld Game: Pokémon X and Y
Pokémon X and Y made for the best advances in a franchise in a while (A Link Between Worlds notwithstanding). The game is beautiful, the music is beautiful and the multiplayer is infinitely more accessible than before. Competitive Pokémon battling has never been easier to get into, thanks to new breeding mechanics and easier availability of Hidden Abilities. This is the best Pokémon game to date.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I love A Link Between Worlds. What pushes X and Y further is that I can 100% the Zelda game and not have any reason to go back to it. It'll be different for other people, but for me, competitive Pokémon brings it a huge advantage.
Honorable Mention: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between WorldsBest Roguelike: Spelunky
The Xbox Arcade version of Spelunky was ported to PC, PS3 and Vita this year, which is how it slips in. Spelunky is a fantastic game because it finds a way to make you get better at the game without actually improving your starting conditions. Having the Daily Challenge provides a competitive side to the game without affecting the core gameplay at all. With the sheer amount of content and unique puzzles Spelunky can throw at you, it's an experience that keeps you playing for hours on end.
Honorable Mention: Rogue LegacyBest Casual Experience: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
AC:NL was my (not-so) guilty pleasure this summer. Playing it was the equivalent of taking a nice, hot bath and playing with a rubber ducky. That world is amazing and positive and just so overflowing with joy that playing it gave me that pure joy.
Honorable Mention: Plants vs Zombies 2Best Mobile Game: DEVICE 6
You may not have heard of this game. It's part-mystery novel, part-puzzle game where you interact with the environment presented to you by the written word to advance the story. It's short, but that experience felt so groundbreaking and so full of potential. I recommend that anyone with an iOS device get this game and play it immediately.
Honorable Mention: Plants vs Zombies 2Best Puzzle Game: Antichamber
Antichamber's main conceit is that you are lost. "You are not here," the tagline reads. You have a limited time to finish the game before it all resets again. And man, is this game enjoyable. Discovering new mechanics to solve puzzles you thought unsolvable before is an amazing thing, and Antichamber brings that to full effect.
Honorable Mention: Fez
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