2013 was a solid for gaming, with the 3DS hitting its stride big time, indies really stepping up and current-gen systems delivering a few last gems before being shuffled out of the picture. Yesterday Dan got us started, and today we continue our countdown of our favorite games of 2013 with numbers 15 through 11.
Again, this list is just the work of two guys with slightly eclectic taste. We’re not IGN, we don’t have a staff of 50 to canvas, so if something you love is left off, we probably just didn’t play it. That or we just didn’t like it — deal with it.
15) The Wolf Among Us
Only one chapter of Telltales’ The Wolf Among Us has come out so far, but we can already tell it’s going to rank up with the developer’s best. Anyone who’s read Fables will love the game, and if you haven’t, the game does a great job of introducing you to the world during its relatively short runtime. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
14) Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Nintendo’s Mario & Luigi handheld Mario RPGs don’t get a whole lot of recognition, which is a shame because they’re arguably even better than the more popular Paper Mario games. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team’s trippy “exploring Luigi’s dreams” premise, surprisingly meaty quest and gorgeous, super-detailed 2D visuals make it one of the best games in a great series.
13) Batman: Arkham Origins
Was Batman: Arkham Origins as good as Arkham Asylum or Arkham City? No, but those titles were two of the best games of the past generation. The makers of Arkham Origins may have been a little overly cautious with the Arkham mold, but hey, that’s better than ruining it. Being Batman is as fun as ever, and this game still manages to deliver a good collection of kick-ass moments and set pieces. If you can’t have fun with Batman: Arkham Origins you’re just being a crank.
12) Papers, Please
Papers, Please stood out because of its unique setting, morally challenging story and unique puzzle-game gameplay. The mixture of spotting fine details and making difficult judgement calls makes for a game really unlike anything we’ve seen before.
11) DuckTales Remastered
In a year dominated by talk of next-gen consoles, DuckTales Remastered came along and proved that old school, 2D gameplay can still pass today if given a little TLC. DuckTales is still as surprisingly fun and addictive as it was when it first released 24-years ago, and the team at WayForward clearly poured a huge amount of effort and affection into the game’s presentation. If you were a kid during the late-80s/early-90s this game will tickle every happy center in your brain.
Dan will be back with the next five tomorrow! Until then, what do you think of our picks for 15 – 11? What do you expect to see coming down the line?