For the past few years, the Canadian Online Gamers crew have come together in collaboration to share with you our best and worst games of the year. Some of our picks have come from way out in left field while others have come as no surprise. This year Grand Theft Auto 5 and Bioshock Infinite are sure to get plenty of votes. Remarkably enough they didn’t clean up as much as you would expect. Regardless, this group won’t hold back when they give you their thoughts on what they view should be the best games of the year and the most horrendous game of the year.
For “Part One”, we take a look at the games that received top honors this year from each of our writers. “Part Two” will be published later this week and we will look at which games just didn’t make the cut.
Tomb Raider
“I’ve enjoyed a lot of games over this past year but none more so than the latest Tomb Raider. Square Enix took a faltering franchise and breathed new life into it with an amazing telling of Lara Croft’s origin story. There are very few games that manage to pull me in like this one did. Rock solid gameplay, stunning back drops, and the sexiest Lara voice work I’ve ever heard. By all accounts I do believe I might have nerd crushed on her as a matter of fact. The ‘Definitive Edition’ is set to hit next gen consoles in January and with any luck we’ll see more of the new Lara in the near future.” – Shawn Petraschuk (CanadianBoarder)
“It was a real tossup between The Last of Us and Tomb Raider for my favorite game of the year; however, Tomb Raider was the game I could not put down and played for a countless number of hours straight. With amazing graphics, terrific acting, good story and great shooting controls you easily have one of the best games of the year. I look forward to getting to play it again in Early 2014 when they release the Definitive version on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.” – Josh Pellerin (Blizzy)
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
“2013 was great for games, featuring some of the most diverse and creative games in many years. It’s surprising then, that the more traditional AC4 is my favourite this year, especially when AC3 was my most disappointing of 2012. Black Flag just nails everything. The characters are interesting, the setting is gorgeous, and the gameplay has never felt more natural. In short, the freedom afforded by sailing the seas makes the whole experience feel fresh and exciting. It also switches up how the modern day sections play out – long overdue in my opinion. AC4 takes a big step towards reinventing Assassin’s Creed, and opens countless doors for the series going forward.” – Paul Sullivan (Paulhammer)
“This is always a really hard question as I had some great gameplay experiences this year with Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Super Mario 3D World and of course Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. However, there can only be one and I have to give it to my favourite series and the newest chapter, Assassin’s Creed IV. With the upgrades to the naval combat, the fluidity of movement between land and sea and not to mention the most bad-ass Assassin to grace the series, Edward Kenway, ACIV delivered in all areas.” – John Elliott (JohnnyXeo)
“Simply put, not only is it the best of the Assassin’s Creed series, but even if you’re not a fan of the series in general, this is most likely the best pirate game you’ll play as well. You’re a pirate, you have a pirate ship, and are given the freedom to play in an open world. Not only can you pillage and plunder like any respectable pirate would do, but you can participate in intense naval battles, take over enemy forts, harpoon sea animals, hunt land creatures, upgrade your pirate ship, and of course, be an Assassin. Black Flag brought back the stealth element mechanics that weren’t all that prevalent in the last game and the ‘real world’ element of the series has been changed up and completely refreshing. Just like many other sandbox games, you can easily find yourself sailing around for hours doing quests, naval battles, and a ton of other distractions that may make you never even complete the story itself. The jump in graphic fidelity from current to next gen was also substantial and a very welcome surprise. Oh, and there’s sea shanties, so there’s the final word.” – Adam Dileva (Variation)
Super Mario 3D World
“My choice for Game of The Year is a bit of a surprise for me. Never did I think that in 2013, in the age of next gen consoles and huge games like GTA V that a Nintendo game would be at the top of my list. While the 3DS Zelda Link Between Worlds was a close runner up, the recently released Super Mario 3D World for Wii U is my choice for Game of the Year. It’s absolutely spectacular, with extremely clever level designs, bright colourful graphics, 4 player co-op, the return of Peach and Toad as playable characters and most importantly, Cat Mario. This game has renewed my love for Mario games, its addictive 3D platforming and good family fun make this a must own for Wii U owners.” – Jennifer Dingle (xxGENEVIEVExx)
“It’s fair to say that 2013 was a pretty awesome year for games all around, and it was pretty hard for me to nail down my top pick. But, after some good amount of humming and hawing, I’ve decided that this year is all about Mario. Super Mario 3D World was absolutely bloody stellar. Nintendo’s flagship never fails to please year after year, but this one was out of the ball park. Fun power-ups and a fresh take on multiplayer (revived from the history books), take what has built up over the years and made it an even more solid package. Good one Nintendo, I applaud you.” – Royce Dean (Rahnir)
COG’s Super Mario World Review
The Last of Us
“The Last of Us was an incredible experience. This game alone makes owning a PlayStation 3 worth it. Developers Naughty Dog brought the equally amazing Uncharted series to the PS3, but for me The Last of Us blew Uncharted out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, the Uncharted series is great, but The Last of Us tells a tale that I still think about, half a year after completing the game. The graphics are stunning, the combat intense, and the entire design incredible. This game is a masterpiece through and through.” – Daniel Kozlowski (The Jugganautt)
“I cannot recall the last time I played a game that actually made me a little teary eyed. The Last of Us was the game this year that managed to strike a nerve with me. It had such a profound impact that even to this day I don’t think a game has ever managed to hit home quite like the way The Last of Us did. Graphics wise, Naughty Dog’s powerhouse of a graphics engine really showcased how good a game can look on the PS3. Now imagine what those cats will be able to do on the PS4. I cannot wait for that. Yet The Last of Us isn’t all about the looks. This deeply emotional story driven game made it difficult to put the controller down. In the end it’s simply a fantastic game, a fantastic experience, and a game that gets my Game of the Year award.” – Trevor Houston (MRBIGCAT)
Skylanders Swap Force
“As I was pondering all the great blockbuster titles that I could choose from, I kept coming back to one game I couldn’t overlook, and that game is Skylanders SWAP Force. For me this title is an “all in one” experience. I have been able to beat it on the Wii U, watch my kids play it on the Wii, and I am playing all over again on the Xbox One. It’s a game that has a lot of replay value, alone or with my children, from the story to the survival modes to the bonus modes. Plus looking almost like a Pixar Movie doesn’t hurt either and having those great looking figurines to collect is cool too.” – Kirby Yablonski (The Outcast)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
“I have to go with A Link Between Worlds. So many of the obvious candidates (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider) focused so strongly on the narrative I felt the game play took a back seat. As good as the emotional responses were that those games generated games like Super Mario 3D World and Zelda rekindled a joy of actually playing a game I haven’t felt in a while. Zelda gets the nod over Mario for me because of its original story.”– Shad Forsyth (Fiftyspeed)
Guacamelee
“I was first introduced to this game at PAX East 2013 in Boston. I got to experience the game and chat with some of the developers from Drinkbox Studios in Toronto. Now why would I pick an indie game over some of the larger titles that came out this year? Well, this game spoke to me with its rich “Metroidvania”-style gameplay, graphics that oozed character and charm, and of course extraordinarily witty writing throughout that had me giggling all the way through it. The people behind the game knew their audience and hit the nail right on the head. Gameplay sometimes got really challenging (but rarely unfair) and there was no hand holding, which I commend the developers for their restraint: too many developers seem to prompt the user throughout the game rather than trusting the player to figure things out for themselves. I look forward to see what the developers have for us next, and I hope there is a sequel in the works.” – Matt Cullen (Canusky)
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
“I would have to say my Game of the Year is Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Although it is a sequel in a series and quite similar to the previous versions, Nintendo managed to update it just enough to keep it fresh. Along with refinements to the overall gameplay and online/StreetPass additions the control over your town now that you are Mayor allows you to customize things as never before. I have had the game for 6 months now and although I may not be playing it daily anymore I still visit my town on a regular basis.” – Jordan Pachal (ThreeDJP)
Grand Theft Auto V
“In some ways I’m glad that The Walking Dead released so late in the year as I am still digging on last year’s game of the year. Without a doubt and by far the best game for me is GTAV. After enduring a number of delays GTAV hit like a ton of bricks. The three separate but connected storylines work flawlessly. Rockstar Games has once again proved that nobody can create open world epics like they do. The detail involved in the game is astounding. Los Santos (Los Angeles) is well realized with instantly recognizable landmarks all over the city. The characters personalities are also spot-on, well written and very believable. I personally love the crazy Canadian Trevor. His erratic psychotic behavior should give him character of the year. I’m not sure of how Rockstar can improve on this installment, but I can hardly wait for a next-gen version.” – Frank Naresh (Alucardblack)
Tearaway
“Tearaway isn’t just a game I enjoyed and admire, it’s refreshing and different. Players are part of the world (literally) and are cleverly drawn in by the peculiar environment and charming characters. Moreover, the voice acting and soundtrack gives the world and characters life in the best way possible. To top it off, the game fully utilizes the PS Vita’s functions and doesn’t just limit itself to the touch screen. Not only is Tearaway an amazing game, it shows what the PS Vita is truly capable of and made it that much more admirable.” Judi A (MzDino)
Saints Row IV
“My choice for Game of the Year was a huge toss-up between this and The Cave for PS3. Saints Row IV took top place as it has eaten up more hours than any game this year. Not only are you President of the United States where you get to fight aliens while naked but it does follow a story line dating back from the second game of the franchise. Gaining super powers in this game was another bonus as it incorporated something new that in my opinion GTA fails to deliver. Some of the side quests are some of the most enjoyable I’ve ever been able to say that I have completed. This is one title that I would hate to see “shelved” because the entire series is enjoyable from beginning to finish.” – Sean Hunter (NathanCroft)
