52 more games have come and gone. Some were amazing, others were amazingly terrible, but all were worth trying. Which ones stood out as the most interesting? Here is a list of the best games I played in 2013. Age 8 - Stacking Technically, this is a children’s game. But for those of you above the age of 8, don’t let the initial simplicity deter you from giving this a try. After you’ve had your fill of Battlefield and Call of Duty, I would highly recommend giving this game a try. In stacking, players take control of the smallest size of Russian egg doll and use other larger sized dolls to solve puzzles. It’s a very unique and surprisingly fun game that is appropriate for all ages. Honorable Mentions: Back to the Future: The Game Back to the Future is a simple, funny point-and-click adventure game. While it lacks the emotional depth and the decision-based consequences of The Walking Dead, it makes up for it in familiar characters and comedic situations. The story follows a completely new adventure for Marty McFly and Doc Brown, so franchise veterans will love it just as much as amateur time-travellers. Age 12 - Divinity: Dragon Commander Part real-time strategy, part decision-based role playing game, the meat of Divinity: Dragon Commander is in the multitude of decisions the player will have to make outside of combat. Do you want to legalize narcotics? Do you want to abolish freedom of the press? Do you want to allow gay marriage? All of these decisions and many more will be addressed over the course of the campaign. Honorable Mentions: XCOM: Enemy Unknown It’s been a while since a turn-based strategy game hit the market and really made an impact, but XCOM: Enemy Unknown pulled that off spectacularly. While sometimes extremely difficult, this game is the kind of thing that engrosses the player in the events of the game. Every battle is vital, every decision can make or break your overall efforts. I loved this game and have been dying to get ahold of the expansion pack. Driver: San Francisco Some genres have a very difficult time innovating. The racing genre is first and foremost on this list. How do you innovate on “get from point a to point b as fast as possible”? Driver: San Francisco does an excellent job of trying something new by allowing the player to jump between any vehicle in the world at will. It makes for some crazy chases, interesting mission variety, and a surprisingly tolerable storyline. Age 14 - Battlefield 4 It was particularly difficult to make a decision about this age group. There were definitely some close calls, but in the end I had to go with Battlefield 4. The scope of the multiplayer, especially the 64-player battles and the levolution events, made this game much more fun than its other competitors. This is the kind of game that can, and does, easily suck me in for hours at a time. If there has to be only one multiplayer game to get this holiday, it should be Battlefield 4. Honorable Mentions: Call of Duty: Ghosts Call of Duty: Ghosts had its rough edges. Its single player wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot better than what Battlefield 4 had to offer. Where it really stumbled is answering the question “why should I play this instead of modern warfare 3 or black ops 2?” The multiplayer has some different elements, but when the real fun of the game comes from the somewhat underdeveloped Extinction mode and the short single player campaign, that isn’t enough to make me get excited. That being said, hardcore fans will swear by this game, so this should be on the short list for holiday gifts. Dishonored If you haven’t played this game yet, you’re seriously missing out. This is one of my favorite games of all time and for good reason. This is one of the few games I have played where the stealth elements were not only passable, they were actually enjoyable. This may have been because, while the player had to remain hidden and quiet, the powers allowed the player to move quickly throughout the level. If I didn’t already have this game, it would be close to the top of the list this year. Age 16 - Heavy Rain Heavy Rain is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games ever made. If it weren’t for my inability to pick a “favorite game” this would be my favorite game of all time. This game is like playing an interactive movie, but your choices have dire consequences. If one of the characters dies, the story continues without them. It’s tense at times, but only when it wants to be. I cannot express how amazing this game is. Honorable Mentions: Metro: Last Light Where Battlefield and Call of Duty crank shooters up to 11, Metro: Last Light prefers a much slower, more reserved pace. But while the game discourages the player from killing opponents, it is never boring. It is more of a survival horror than the recent Resident Evils, so players must conserve ammunition if they want to get through the metro alive. Those that don’t mind a shooter that isn’t just about running and gunning will definitely enjoy this game. Far Cry 3 Far Cry 3 took all of the potential that Far Cry 2 squandered, cleaned up the edges, and released a product that was nearly flawless. Aside from a campaign that killed off the best character too quickly, this game is absolutely amazing. It looked and ran perfectly on my PC, included a lush environment with tons of different creatures, and made the open world elements into a real adventure. I wish more first person shooters were like this game. Age 18 - Grand Theft Auto V While it may be the bane of parents everywhere, this game is undeniably fun. The writers of GTA V did an excellent job going above and beyond typical social commentary and turning each mission into a unique and memorable adventure. While the game isn’t perfect, and is definitely for a mature audience, it is definitely worth playing. Honorable Mentions: The Last of Us The Last of Us had a great story that kept me playing for hours nonstop. The game features well-designed characters, perfect script writing, and a unique take on the standard zombie-like post apocalyptic world. If it weren’t for a few somewhat unfairly difficult situations, this game would have almost certainly beaten GTA V out for this age slot. Bioshock: Infinite I am a sucker for a first person shooter with a great single-player campaign. Bioshock: Infinite was a lot of fun to play. It was smooth, the powers were interesting, and Elizabeth was a compelling female character. In fact, her character is a perfect example of what I wish friendly AI would be more like. If any gamers liked the previous Bioshocks, this game should be extremely high on their list. Carmine's Wishlist Even I ask for games from my friends and family. While some on this list are better than others, they are all games that I want to play (and will likely be reviewing soon after the holidays). 1. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2. Saints Row 4 3. XCOM: Enemy Within 4. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified 5. Splinter Cell: Blacklist 6. Company of Heroes 2 7. Total War: Rome II 8. Batman: Arkham Origins 9. The Walking Dead: Season 2 10. Remember Me
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The Legendary Carmine
Andrew Clayton (a.k.a. The Legendary Carmine) is SSG's Executive Editor. He toils at the stone to make sure this site brings its readers valuable content on a daily basis. Like what we do? Want to see more? Donate to the site using the button below!
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