TOP 10 GAMES FOR THE YEAR 2013

1. TOP 10 GAMES FOR THE YEAR 2013 FOR PC, PS3, Xbox One, Sony, DS, and more…

2. TOP 10 Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS3)Unfortunately, combat grew more and more tedious the longer I played, even as the story and magnificent, magical world remained well above average. It’s a shame that the combat became such a drag, because every single other thing about the game is rich with creativity and beauty. And even with the combat issues, this is a game no PlayStation 3 RPG fans should miss. I desperately hope we see a sequel which smoothes out the wrinkles and make combat as fun as the story itself.

4. TOP 9 Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS) It combines tactical combat with RPG elements and a great story filled with great characters who can marry one another and, in Classic mode, face permanent death if you screw up in a battle. I did leave the game wishing I could play a crossover of Fire Emblem and XCOM, with greater use of cover and terrain and some non-battle resource management. And yet, I still have Frederick’s words echoing in my head in a way that none of XCOM’s chatter ever did: “Pick a god and pray!”

6. TOP 8 SLY COOPER : THEIVES IN TIME (PS3/PSVITA) It’s a colorful, largely stealth-oriented game with big open stages and tons of challenges both for the main missions and on the side. I suppose it might be too “kiddie” for some, but as much as I enjoy the many blood-drenched, “mature” games that made this list, the humor and stealth and cartoonish skullduggery of this game are exactly what I find refreshing about it.

8. TOP 7 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance February 19th (PS3/Xbox 360) Challenging, fast-paced, and brutal, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeancecombines a thoroughly ludicrous and over-the-top story with some of the best action combat I’ve encountered in a video game in quite a while. Even the QTEs in this game work, which is something I thought I’d never say. Raiden was far from a fan favorite when he first showed up in Metal Gear Solid 2, but he’s a pretty terrific protagonist in Revengeance.

10. TOP 6 Tomb raider (PC/Xbox 360/PS3) I didn’t warm up to Tomb Raider for quite a while. Its worst features were most apparent and off-putting toward the beginning. QTEs, for instance. And some of these problems persisted throughout the game. The combat was great but there was simply too much of it. I wish we’d spent more time platforming and exploring and raiding tombs: the stuff that makes these games so great.

12. TOP 5 BioShock infinite (PS3/Xbox 360/PC) BioShock Infinite gets so much right that its shortcomings are even more disappointing. Then again, it gets so much right. The flying city of Columbia, the surprising story of Booker and Elizabeth and the way the world ties in to earlier BioShock entries, the truly terrific acting and writing, all make this one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in video games this year. But there’s no doubt that the gameplay is flat compared to the setting, or that its action pales in comparison to its commentary. So many opportunities for better puzzles, more intriguing use of the game’s magic system, and more varied combat existed and were squandered.

14. TOP 4 Metro : last light (PS3/Xbox 360/P Following in the footsteps of Metro 2033, Metro Last Light continues the dark, post-apocalyptic story of a future overrun by demons. The atmosphere and stunning vistas—a burnt out metropolis cast over by grey; demons lighting on rooftops—were my favorite things about this game. But it also has an interesting story about the tribes who’ve formed in the wake of the world’s destruction, and what it means to be truly alone in the universe. As a survival-action shooter it’s quite good but not great or particularly innovative. Still, a worthy follow-up to its predecessor and one of the best-looking games of the year without a doubt.

16. TOP 3 Donkey Kong country returns 3D ( 3DS) Donkey Kong and his crew are headed back to the Wii U in an all new game soon enough, but in the meantime we have this excellent port of Donkey Kong Country Returns in some of the best-looking 3D I’ve seen on Nintendo’s handheld 3DS. Of course, caveats apply: the 3DS is a wonderful little machine, but the 3D can be twitchy unless you hold it just so. In a super-tough platformer like Donkey Kong this can be beyond annoying; it can spell a quick and agonizing death. But if you can manage, the 3D is amazing, and the game itself is a rush of color and challenge, with or without 3D turned on. It also has one of the best video game original soundtracks ever. And it’s just pure, good, old-fashioned fun.

18. TOP 2 The Last of Us (PS3) Maybe this is too conventional a choice: The Last of Us, after all, received gads of perfect scores, rave reviews, and Game of the Year predictions. Perhaps I should be edgy and pick something more avant-garde. But I won’t. The Last of Us has been the most powerful gaming experience of the year, to date, and while I have quibbles—which I go into detail on in my review of the game—I still can’t shake just how much this game affected me. Beyond the story, The Last of Us had great stealth mechanics, reasonably challenging combat, and some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen on the PS3. (I fired up the first Uncharted just to check, and the difference is astounding.) If I had to recommend just one game to play this year so far, it would be this.

20. TOP 1 Neverwinter (PC) Then again, if I had to pick just one game to play for a very long time I might send you over to Neverwinter, the new Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG. I don’t normally care much for MMOs. In fact, I usually find myself gravely disappointed in each and every one. But Neverwinter is a different story. It has fantastic action-oriented combat, tons of user-generated content thanks to the unique Foundry system, and is just far more fun than any other MMO I’ve played. It may not be the prettiest out there, or the most diverse, but it does what it does exceedingly well. And it’s free-to-play, so there’s really no risk in giving it a whirl. Which, if you haven’t already, you should go do.