The last two weeks were just appetizers as it is finally time for the main course. The previous two articles were just building to this writer's list of the best games of 2013. While there were not as many games released in 2013 as in past years, there were plenty of outstanding titles. So many noteworthy titles, in fact, that I had to make some tough decisions when creating this list. Not every game this writer enjoyed in the past year could make it. Although I spent tons of hours with games like Lego City Undercover, DuckTales Remastered and Resogun, they just fell a little short against the excellence encompassed on this list. Due to how much there is to talk about, I decided to split this section of the Year in Review 2013 into two parts. The first part will list the first five entries on this list in order of their release with the second part following with the final four entries. Also my Game of the Year for 2013 will not be part of this list as I will honour it in the final entry of Year in Review 2013. Hopefully you enjoy the first part of the best games of 2013 and if there is any game that I may have overlooked feel free to share in the comments.
Do not overlook Runner 2 for its incredibly odd title because you would miss out on one of the most enjoyable downloadable games of the year. The Bit.Trip games are retro-inspired rhythm games that made a name for themselves on Nintendo's WiiWare service. Runner 2 is the sequel to the grueling yet satisfying Bit.Trip Runner. The difficulty may be scaled back for gamers of all ages to enjoy, but that does not mean Runner 2 is a walk in the park. Runner 2 will put any gamer's hand-eye coordination to the test in trying to rack up the most points, collect all the secrets and Perfect+ every stage all while listening to the incredible ever evolving soundtrack. Odd name or not, Runner 2 is pure unadulterated fun.
It has been a long wait for Crystal Dynamics' new direction for Lara Croft to reach store shelves, but it was well worth it. Tomb Raider takes the iconic and pristine image of Lara Croft and throws it in the mud. The mature tone of this new Tomb Raider is a breath of fresh air for a game series that seemed a little dated this generation especially when competing with Sony's action-adventure giant, Uncharted. Tomb Raider does an excellent job of placing gamers in Lara's shoes, which makes her much more relatable than in past entries. Apart from the story, the gameplay is phenomenal as the interplay between the gunplay and stealth is well balanced, the puzzles are always engaging and the optional tombs and collectables offer a lot of opportunities to traverse the interconnected island of Yamatai. The multiplayer may not be the greatest, but it is still a fun diversion for those who cannot get enough of Tomb Raider's combat. Since Tomb Raider's release, the game has not gotten as much attention as it deserves. Hands down, Tomb Raider is one of the best games of 2013 and should not be overshadowed by some games that in this writer's honest opinion are extremely over hyped like BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us.
The first Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the Nintendo Gamecube. Being a huge Nintendo fan, yours truly was very eager to play Luigi's first big adventure. After breezing through Luigi's Mansion in a week, this writer was very disappointed with the end result. While length does not determine the quality of the game, Luigi's Mansion felt a more like a tech demo than a full-fledged game. The mechanics were never fleshed out enough to feel rewarding in the mid to late hours of the game and there was not much to do in the mansion after capturing all the ghosts other than collect more money. After revisiting Luigi's Mansion about a year ago, I enjoy the game a little more than my initial reaction, but it still was not a home run. Well Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is that home run. It improves on everything the first game lacked. The bite-sized mission structure sets an excellent pace for the game, the multiple mansions offer more places to explore, the length of Dark Moon is two to three times the length of the original and the Poltergust 5000 is so fun to use with the upgradable suction, stunning white light and secret-finding dark light. Also there are tons of secrets to find, Boos to capture and a full-on multiplayer mode to boot. This writer can go on and on about everything great about Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, but this article will run far too long. In summation, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is one of the premier experiences on the 3DS and definitely worth owning a 3DS just to play. Do not miss out on the greatest ghost-busting game on the market.
Before Shin Megami Tensei IV, I had never played a RPG from Atlus. I heard about previous entries and spin-offs of the Shin Megami franchise such as Persona, Devil Survivor and Nocturne from reading gaming magazines and watching videos, but was too afraid to give these games a chance. Due to Nintendo's efforts of pushing the game during the summer months and the free upgrade to the collector's edition for pre-orders, I gave Shin Megami Tensei IV a try. Long story short, I fell in love with the newest entry in the Shin Megami series. The great combat system that has the player balancing different elemental strengths and weaknesses to earn extra turns, increase the chance of criticals and cause more damage to enemies along with the excellent demon recruiting and fusing mechanics and tons of story and side missions easily kept me playing for hours on end. While Shin Megami Tensei IV offers an "easy" mode, the game is not for the faint of heart. Shin Megami Tensei IV is a very challenging RPG that will test your proficiency of all the game's mechanics. The only drawbacks I personally had with the game were the abrupt ending and the unclear objectives which caused hours of inane wandering around Tokyo and the Kingdom of Mikado in order to trigger the correct cutscene to advance the story. Inconveniences aside, Shin Megami Tensei IV is easily the best third-party exclusive for the 3DS and can stand among all the great titles released during the handheld's strongest year yet.
The Mario & Luigi series has been around since the Game Boy Advance, but no entry in this series has captivated this writer much like its latest, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. After all of their adventures thwarting Bowser, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach decide it is time for a vacation. Upon reaching their destination, Pi'illo Island, the Mario Bros. vacation is short-lived as an evil bat-king Antasma locks Princess Peach in the darkest corners of the Dream World. What ensues is the crazy hijinks and hilarious dialogue that the Mario & Luigi series is known for, but those elements are not what makes Dream Team stand out from previous entries in the series. The greatness of Dream Team comes from all the deviations introduced through Mario & Luigi's adventures in the Dream World. As you access the Dream World through Luigi's dreams, it allows Luigi to transform into different forms, which are used to solve puzzles and interact with the environment. Luigi's new powers changes the typical battle system as it takes full advantage of the 3DS' features and allows you to easily handle tens of enemies at a time. The best part of Dream Team is fighting bosses in Dream World. During these fights, the player controls a giant version of Luigi. The player uses the stylus and accelerometer to perform moves from simple jumps and hammer swings to special attacks and guiding a star shuriken to finish the boss in style. Each boss fight adds their own unique take on the battle such as a tug-of-war like battle or a multi-stage battle. While these battles are Dream Team's greatest asset, the action-packed combat system, hilarious dialogue, Bros. powers and overworld puzzles are all amazing parts of this game as well. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is such a great game that can easily get lost in the shuffle of all the excellent 3DS titles released in 2013. Do not make the mistake of missing out on this stunning portable RPG.
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