The 10 Best Games Of 2013

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Razor

Best-Games

Greetings gamers,
I recently decided to do a review of the best and the worst games that were released in the year of 2013, and this article will be about the best games of 2013 in my opinion. For the full article please visit my website at: http://www.retrogameshelf.com

2013 saw the release of many great games, some great reboots of some of my most beloved franchises and also some not-so-great reboots. 2013 also saw the release of some fantastic mobile games, and I will cover some of my favourites of the year in upcoming articles, but for now let’s get started with the best games of 2013.

Oh yeah, please remember as you’re reading this article that only games I’ve played a substantial amount of to form an opinion on will be included in this article, and that everything I do write about these games is my own personal opinion.

The 10 Best

10 – Spelltower (Played on Android)

Spelltower

Really odd release date on this one, and according to iTunes it was released on iOS in 2012. However according to the Google Play Store it was released in 2014 on Android. I however picked this up during one of the Mobile Humble Bundles in late 2013 and haven’t been able to put it down since! Both myself and my partner have spent many hours on Spelltower trying to beat each others’ words; the game even boasts a fun (local WiFi) multiplayer mode too.

9 – Metro: last Light (Played on PC)

Metro Last Light

Having disliked the game play and linearity in the previous Metro 2033 I was in two minds about getting Metro: last Light, but once it popped up in the Steam Winter Sale for under £10 I would have been stupid to pass up on it; so I bought it and I’m glad I did.  This game literally improves on every single aspect of Metro 2033; it’s dark, creepy and really does have a great atmosphere to it. Metro: Last Light is also one of the best looking (if not the best looking) games released in 2013, and that’s something my computer loves; great looking PC games.

8 – Papo & Yo (Played on PC)

Papo and Yo

Papo & Yo was released on the consoles during 2012 but only made it’s way to PC last year and I’m so glad it did.  The games puts you in the role of a small Brazilian child with an abusive Father, and the story in the game is told very well through the eyes of a child. Some of the mechanics on show are unique to this game and extremely well done. A great game and a must-have for every gaming library.

I did a video on this game, see that below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QePjMML40I4

7 – Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (Played on PC)

CoJ Gunslinger

Having enjoyed the first two Call of Juarez outings I was scolded by the abysmally poor 2011 title, Call of Juarez: The Cartel with it’s poor story, awful gameplay and disgusting graphics, but Gunslinger more than makes up for that with it’s great cell-shaded art style and fun gun play.  The game also boasts an extremely well-written and well-presented story that at some points literally had me laughing out loud. A great wild west adventure that never takes itself seriously; if you’re looking for a fun time then this game is a welcomed addition to anyone’s collection.

6 – Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Played on PC)

Sonic Racing Transformed

I’ve heard people call this game and the previous Sonic Racing title a ‘Mario Kart clone’ but as a person who was never a fan of any of the Mario Kart titles because of how slow-paced they seemed, I can tell you that this game is no slouch.  With super-quick game play that has you switching between car, plane and boat within a matter of seconds, does mean that the game requires a certain level of skill, but with how easy it is to just pick up and play, you will be blasting through the tracks with ease in a few minutes. This game also offers one of the most fun online multiplayer modes to ever grace a game in the past ten  years. So get your friends and play some Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed because it is so much fun online!

I did a video on this game, see that below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvXlN4Q-7Ws

5 – Rise of the Triad [2013 reboot] (Played on PC)

Rise Of The Triad

Remember the days when first-person shooters were about skill and precision? I do and so do Interceptor Entertainment as clearly shown by the Rise of the Triad reboot.  This game takes every single aspect of the first-person shooter genre that I loved during the 90’s and melds them all together into one exhilarating white-knuckle joyride. From start to finish the Rise of the Triad reboot is perfect in every single way; well maybe except for the bastard Vomitorium!

I did a video on this game, see that below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toKXbn77Rrc

4 – Thomas Was Alone (Played on PC/PSN)

Thomas Was Alone

I bet you’re thinking “oh not this again, it’s a game about shapes” but all of the reviews and articles you’ve read on this game do not do the magnificence of this little game justice. Thomas Was Alone is indeed a game about shapes that traverse an angular environment, but it’s also a game about friendship, and I’m not sure how Mike Bithell (the game’s creator) did it, but he’s managed to create one of the most emotional and memorable games in existence.  The ease at which this game can be played combined with the brilliant story and perfect voice acting, makes this one of the greatest games not only of 2012, or 2013, but of all time.

(This game was released in 2012 on PC and PSN in 2013)

3 – Grand Theft Auto V (Played on PS3)

GTAV

I can hear people screaming at their monitors confused at how the latest game in the GTA franchise is not at the top of my list but there’s a very good reason for that, whilst I do think that GTAV is one of the greatest games in the series, and that Rockstar have almost perfected the sandbox genre to a point where it’s not even worth trying to compete with it, I did find myself breezing through the relatively short yet brilliantly-written story without any trouble. I also found the world once the game is completed to be very barren, couple that with some of the game-breaking bugs and this game is far from perfect. Perhaps if Rockstar had focused more on the singleplayer and left GTA Online as an afterthought then the game would be far more substantial, still it is a must have for all gaming collections.

I have done multiple videos on this game, see them below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jggkDAdysPI&list=PLhaOpwigabOeyhdx5BqSiOtqF_ymJY31W

2 – The Stanley Parable (Played on PC)

The Stanley Parable

What is The Stanley Parable? A question that’s difficult to answer.  The Stanley Parable is a game about a man named Stanley, and you are Stanley and you are making your way around your abandoned office complex. Every decision you make will affect the story in a significant way until you find one of the games many endings. A great remake of the original mod, The Stanley Parable is pretty much a parody of every single video game.  The game gives you a set number of tasks, but allows you to blindly ignore them and progress the story your own way with weird yet sometimes hilarious results. A fantastic mind-bending game with great narration!

1 – Antichamber (Played on PC)

Antichamber

Never have I been so distressed than I was when playing Antichamber. I have very little to say about this game because even after completing it and digging around in it, as much as I did, I still don’t understand it. Antichamber is a first-person puzzle game that has you wandering around an M.C. Escher-style complex of rooms trying to solve seemingly impossible puzzles with the aid of a gun that can pick up and fire blocks.  If you love solving puzzles, or you love weird and often ‘trippy’ games, then this game is a must have for you. I can’t explain it, but I must recommend that you try it for yourself.

I played this game from start to end, see the videos below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2xND0aWg9w&list=PLhaOpwigabOfGrUDJzsOpU3h2kLyF0nuF

Here are some notable games that I enjoyed playing this year that only just got pushed out of this Top 10 list: Fez, The Swapper, Shadow Warrior, Skullgirls, Surgeon Simulator

Thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for my next article about the worst games of 2013.

Happy Gaming,
~Razor

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About Razor

John "Razor" Rowberry first got into gaming in the early 90s when he was very young, his first experience with the world of gaming was with Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Desert Strike on the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), later on the early 90s he got his first PC, the Mega PC by Amstrad; it had a built in Mega Drive and was running WIndows 3.1, this is where John was first introduced to a user-orientated operating system. John is more of a PC gamer than a console gamer in this current generation but he still has a place in his heart for the classic games that inspired him throughout his childhood. In his spare time, John collects Carmageddon items and owns one of the largest collections of Carmageddon memorabilia on the planet, he also create content for Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now! alongside running his own retro gaming website at www.RetroGameShelf.com.