Before
we head into the second half of the year, and go full-force into the next
generation of consoles, it's time to look back and appreciate what we've been
playing since 2013 began.
What
game do you believe deserves Game of the Year, at least up to this point? Which
titles stand tall or which have disappointed you?
I’ve
listed below a few games that I believe could be worthy of the Game of the Year
award. After you read over them, let me know what you think!
BioShock Infinite
There
are very few games that have as much of an impact as BioShock Infinite does on
a gamer. The story of Booker, and his ‘side-kick’ Elizabeth is an incredible
journey and will stay with you for ages after the credits roll. I still bring
up the ending with friends and would list this in my top 5 games of the
generation.
The
real star of the show, however, is the city in the sky known as Columbia.
Irrational Games create wonderful worlds for you to explore but moving on from
Rapture was a hard step for many players , at least until they walked the
streets of this beautiful floating world.
Levine’s
design choices are strong and the made a world so beautiful and immersive that
you get lost in its wonder and grandeur. You can spend hours just walking in
the world and pretending you are one of its citizens without ever taking off on
the quest you are handed at the beginning of the game.
It’s
a different approach from the dilapidated underwater world of the previous
titles. Columbia is still very much alive with characters and shows of the true
nature of the citizens.
BioShock
Infinite is something that’s magical to behold and makes playing your next
title that much harder – as you seek the same gaming ‘hit’ that you experienced
through the cloudy world above.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
It’s
very difficult to explain how brilliant this little handheld title is to
someone who has no experience with the franchise. It’s one of those titles that
runs into your real day -to-day schedule as you have to complete tasks at the
correct point in real time. The title allows you to craft a town, populated
with humanoid animals, obscure activities and more. The aim is to build
something you love while keeping your citizens happy. Yes this might look like
a kids game – due to its cartoon characters and bright pallet – but it’s so
much more.
The
joy of seeing a flower grow or opening a fortune cookie to reveal a host of
Nintendo inspired items is more additive than your first steps through Viridian
Forest. It is such a well thought-out design that it makes you feel as if you
truly are a part of it. There is always something to be done, and usually, the
reason you start playing ends up being taken over by tons of other activities
that spring up all the time. New leaf also introduced multiplayer which allows
you to visit your friend’s towns.
Tomb Raider
In a
world where reboots are a standard affair (especially recent years), one in
particular has stood tall above the rest. This game was Tomb Raider, which took
the iconic Lara Croft model and made her a vulnerable hero. She is constantly
beaten, bruised, defeated; all in an attempt to save those she cared about.
Its
brutal title that feels more like an adventure than any other. The enemies are
realistic and their AI is challenging. Lara is very vulnerable too – playing
through the majority of the game with only a hand-crafted Bow for protection.
You genuinely
see a transformation from the innocent, young woman on the ship to the deadly,
tomb-raiding (Don’t excuse the pun, I meant it) heroine we all know and love.
Match that with a fairly open world and a fantastic upgrade system, Tomb Raider
is just a pure joy to play. If you’re a collectables fan then this is a must
buy.
The
team at Crystal Dynamics crafted an exciting world really feels alive. There is
always something to do and plenty of collectables to find, bringing you back to
the island even after the story was complete. Its multiplayer is a bit lacking
– in my opinion – but that’s not why we play Tomb Raider anyway.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Perhaps
the least known game on this list, Ni no Kuni, that captures your heart from
the very beginning. Whether it’s the beautiful hand-drawn cutscenes or the
great cast of characters, this truly shows us the golden age of the JRPG’s
again.
In
an age where every game coming out seems to be a shooter or take place in a
gritty, dark world, it is a nice change of pace to lose yourself for hundreds
of hours in a world that is not only gorgeous, but full of charm and charisma.
To
top that off, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch has a familiar creature
system that is a little like Pokémon. This added to the tremendous value and
length of the title and shows how deep games can be compared to the standard
campaigns of the often used released FPS’s.
The Last of Us
I
know if this wasn’t on the list they’d be uproar but the new title from Naughty
Dog has left both fans and developers with a massive whole in their hearts once
the title has been completed.
There
is an undeniable allure and fascination with the post-apocalyptic genre –
especially of late. We have had so many
chances to experience dilapidated worlds that many writers had called for an
end to this genre, at least for the time being – that it until their got their
grip on The Last of Us.
Naughty
Dog's take on the apocalypse has become the standard to which all others should
be judged. The attention to detail, the focus on the characters, the survival
and the scavenging, all fit perfectly with the atmosphere that the game gives
off. The story is as engrossing as you’d expect from the Uncharted developer
and the world is beautiful and brutal all at the same time.
This
is not a happy tale. It goes to some very dark places, yet that's the reality
of these impossible situations. This is why it resonates with the gamer long
after the credits have rolls and also why it garnered such critical acclaim. It
has set a new benchmark for storytelling in Video Games.
Here's some oldies to remember what is the benchmark!
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