The Preamble
All has been quiet on the Thomplog front for quite some time now, and for that I apologize. The Thomp has recently started working in the games industry with an awesome company here in the Seattle area. While I am thrilled to have the job, and am enjoying it a ton so far, my spare time has been severely reduced. I've been playing a smattering of games in the mean time, but none to completion, and none enough to write any meaningful critique of.
But all of that being said, 2013 has been an exciting year for gaming. We saw a plethora of AAA gems rush in at the end of the generation, as they typically do, as well as countless indie masterpieces. It has been, without a doubt, a year to remember, and has set us up for an amazing looking 2014. So without further ado, let's get to the picks...
Let's not bother with this "save the best for last" nonsense. If you play one game from 2013, it should, without a doubt, be Bioshock Infinite. Superb characters, fantastic FPS gameplay, a story that will twist your brain into a knot, and a world that will keep you awestruck with every corner you turn. Don't question it, just play it.
The Picks
Pick of the Year
Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock Infinite
Let's not bother with this "save the best for last" nonsense. If you play one game from 2013, it should, without a doubt, be Bioshock Infinite. Superb characters, fantastic FPS gameplay, a story that will twist your brain into a knot, and a world that will keep you awestruck with every corner you turn. Don't question it, just play it.
Runner Up
Tomb Raider
I know most people won't agree with me on this one, but when it comes down to it, I had more fun with Tomb Raider than any other game this year, outside of Bioshock Infinite. The eerie, dark atmosphere, the fantastic cinematic gameplay, everything shined about this game. I will undoubtedly be picking this up for another play through soon.
Honorable Mentions
The Last of Us
The stealth gameplay wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but there's no question that the character development and storytelling in The Last of Us broke new ground this year in the medium, and for that I want to give at least an honorable mention. It is a fine game, and a must play for anyone who wants a deeply moving storytelling experience.
Grand Theft Auto V
The controversial beast came back to us this year in it's fifth installment. While I didn't enjoy GTA V as much as some, it deserves a mention, as it definitely brought some new and exciting things to the franchise. And of course, blew people's socks off with how absurdly offensive it manages to be.
Indie Pick of the Year
Rogue Legacy
Created by the brothers Kenny and Teddy Lee, who make up Cellar Door Games, Rogue Legacy came out of nowhere for me. I came across it by word of mouth when it released, and was instantly addicted to the soul-crushingly difficult platforming fun. With a near perfect mixture of difficulty and progression, Rogue Legacy stole my heart this year. I can't recommend it enough to gamers far and wide.
Runner Up
Antichamber
Alexander Bruce sunk well over four years into this non-euclidean, first-person, mind fuck of a puzzle game, and it shows. Antichamber is incredibly well thought out, and it possibly one of the most difficult, mind bending puzzle games I've ever played.
Free to Play Pick of the Year
Path of Exile
Simply incredible. That's what comes to mind when I think about Path of Exile. It is mind blowing that this nearly perfect action RPG, that surpasses the likes of Diablo 3 and Torchlight with flying colors in my opinion, is somehow free to play. It has arguably, the most liberal and fair free to play policy ever introduced in a game, and there is so much community support from the developers that you have to wonder where the hell the money is coming from. I can't speak highly enough about this game, I've sunk so many hours into it this year, and I suggest any other ARPG fans out there to do the same.
Runner Up
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (Beta)
This is kind of cheating since this isn't even in open beta yet, but it's really that good. I've sunk countless hours into Blizzard's new F2P collectable card game, and I will sink countless more. Blizzard has hit the nail on the head once again with this one. Hard to tell how obtrusive the pay model will be yet, so time will tell in that regard, but so far, it's looking pretty damned good.
Worst of the Year Picks
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Not only did the marketing for Aliens: Colonial Marines flat out lie to consumers, showing "gameplay" that wasn't actually from the game, but the game was blatantly unfinished. Gearbox and all associated parties really let fans of the franchise (and of gaming in general) down with this release. Because of the shameless deception from the developers and publishers, and the overall disappointment as a result, Aliens: Colonial Marines is easily my pick for the worst game of the year.
Runner Up
Defiance
I was initially excited for Defiance, not only as a third person shooter MMO, but as a new bridge between mediums, tying in a game world with an ongoing television series and having both affect one another. Unfortunately, I was disappointed on both fronts. The game had a decent enough backbone, but lacked a usable UI and almost all the social features that are so key in an MMO. Pair this with the fact that there was literally no effect on the TV show, or vice versa, despite being told that would be the case, and we're left with a smoldering disappointment. It was a nice idea, but unfortunately there was zero follow through.
Most Anticipated Games of 2014
Let's end on a nice note, shall we? We are at the end of 2013, and man do we have a big year ahead of us in gaming. With a new generation of consoles upon us, and numerous Kickstarter projects slated to come to fruition, we have a lot to look forward to!
Destiny
Bungie's ambitious new sci-fi FPS MMO, Destiny, is officially slotted for 9/9/2014, and it has started to generate a lot of hype. Being a long time Bungie and Halo fan, Destiny is at the top of my list for upcoming games next year.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
After playing through The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings earlier this year, and enjoying it more than any RPG I've ever played before, I am genuinely stoked for CD Projekt's new addition to the franchise. Last I heard, this was slated for a Q2 release in 2014... I'll be waiting with bated breath.
Star Citizen & Squadron 42
I kind of doubt that we'll be seeing Star Citizen released this year, but since it was originally slated for 2014 in its Kickstarter campaign, I'm putting it down anyway. I'm super excited to see what Chris Roberts and his team will accomplish, and can only hope that we'll get our hands on the beast that is Star Citizen and Squadron 42 in 2014.
Project Eternity/Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian's Kickstarted "Project Eternity" is scheduled to hit shelves in Winter 2014. Like Star Citizen, not sure how confident I am in this releasing on time, but I sure hope it does. Obsidian seldom disappoints, and the cRPG style they're employing with this game has my mouth watering. Keep your fingers crossed that we get our hands on Pillars of Eternity this year.
The Conclusion
Well, that's it folks, my picks for 2013 and beyond. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has decided to read over the past year, I'm forever grateful for you taking some time out of your day to hear my opinions on gaming. I've had a great time writing, I've learned a lot, and I'd like to think that I've improved a bit.
I'm not sure how active the Thomplog will be in 2014. As I mentioned in the preamble, I've recently started a job in the games industry, and we have a significant release coming up this year. I'm anticipating a lot of work, and not a lot of down time. That being said, I'll undoubtedly still be gaming, and if I get the chance to share some thoughts, I plan to do so, so keep an eye out just in case!
Happy Holidays and New Year to everyone! 2014 is gonna be a doozy!
Thomp out... [drops proverbial mic]
