RPGFan Member's Game of the Year - 2013 Edition!

[Dice]

I don't think it's too early for this by now.

So what game/s/ won you over this year?
You can pick more than one, just hopefully keep it limited.

I also want to add a category for older games that DIDN'T come out this year but you played THIS year (some of you might have done that anyways).

Also a category for Biggest Disappointment!


GOTY2013:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
(it's the nostalgia doing this I think; but it's legitimately the title I had the hardest to put down)

Runner-up:
The Last of Us
(summer goes on just a bit too long, and something about a game that has a few too many parts that are a pain in the ass than necessarily fun... everything else was wonderful though; the story hurt in all the right places)

Non-2013-made GOTY:
Wind Waker HD
...if that counts....but it's my fucking topic, so it does.
(I didn't like this title at all as a kid; and I'm embarassed to say I sucked at it then...now I think it actually beats Twilight Princess for easiest Zelda title; but it was just a lot of fun and the improvements and graphic changes demonstrate how HD remakes should be handled!)

Honourable Mentions:
Picross
(for keeping me company while I studied fucking terrible things)

Pokemon Y
(I don't really like Pokémon anymore, and I think it's terribly convoluted with Poke-snacks and other pointless elements.... but I had a ton of fun with Pokemon Gen 6.  The graphics blew me away, the music was impressive, and its fun to actually interact with people here and at home and fight each other with Pokeman).

Biggest Disappointment:
Tales of Xillia
(I liked it...I put in the time...  I just wasn't really at any point "enthralled" by it; I feel like it never really pushed things, and it was pretty bare and tame as far as a 15th anniversary title.... and seriously, what the fuck is up with the sea ports and world map?)

[Darilon]

I have not played a lot of new games this year.

GOTY 2013
Bioshock Infinite

The game blew me away. It is up there with Radiant Historia and Trails in the sky as my favourite game the last few years.

Runner Up
Pokemon X

I have put hundreds of hours(Terrifying thinking on it) into this game. I can't really call it my GOTY but I had fun with it throughout.

Also Ni No Kuni, FFXIV and Harvest Moon A New Beginning are worth mentioning

Non 2013 made GOTY
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

The game has aged remarkably well and I had a lot more fun with it than I expected.

Biggest Disappointment
Been lucky with games this year but the MMO Ecol Tactics sticks out to me. It was displayed as something akin to FFT gameplay online and I bought into the hype. The game is okay but I was expecting something different.

[Mickeymac92]

It was a pretty dry year for me (well, not in terms of releases, but in terms of games I actually played). I'll probably change my GOTY once Christmas comes and I play Ys Vita and LOZ:ALBW.

GOTY:

Etrian Odyssey IV - Never before have I seen a game so vastly improved that it pretty much made the rest of the series irrelevent. It helps that I played quite a bit of Etrian Odyssey I-III before playing IV, so I something fresh to compare.

Runner-Up:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate/Pokemon X (Tie) - These were the games I spent the bulk of my game time with this year, with 50 and 100+ hours chocked up respectively. While they're both really good games, I finished neither of them and I doubt I'll be going back to them anytime soon.

Non-2013 GOTY:

Tales of Graces f - ...because it was the only game this year I had the urge to beat. It was actually kind of disappointing, but I don't have anything else to list here.

Biggest Surprise of the Year:

Demon's Souls/Secret of Mana - I'm not sure if the latter was this year, so this one is either/or, not a tie. Besically I used to hate these games before. Now I find them kinda fun. It's always a nice surprise when you come to like a game you didn't before, you know?

Honorable Mention:

Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction - I technically only finished it off this year, I think, so it only gets an honorable mention, but otherwise it was pretty fun.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year:

Tales of Xillia/SMT4/Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (Triple Tie) - I had sooo much hype for these games, then I got them and barely played them at all. The latter one might edge out the other two, since it was sooo boring and the Clank puzzles sucked...These were series I really liked, but I guess I set the bar too high.

That said, I've had far worse disappointments than this. If that's the worst I could do, then I'm doing alright.

Game I definitely need to play more of:

Ni no Kuni - It's Xenoblade/Okami/Gravity Rush/A Bazillion Others all over again! It's so good, I'm afraid to play it, because then I'll have less greatness to play later! D=

Actually...why do I do that? It's not like they stopped making games or anything. <_<

Brb, I gotta go play some games.

[Klyde Chroma]

GOTY2013/ Ni No Kuni

Yea, so I may be jumping on a bandwagon here... Ni No was not downright AMAZING, but the competition for GOTY this year just is not that fierce IMO. I played the game with a hard copy of the spell book which really added a neat immersive angle to my whole experience. The big fail here was the fact that the spell book should have been included with the game and NOT a under-produced and consequently over-priced collectors edition.  

2013 was interesting in that a great deal of great games came out. None proved exceptionally stellar to me though.

CLOSE BUT NO SEEEEEEGAR (as they say)/ Zelda Wind Waker HD and Mario 3d World

I came into 2013 neither a Zelda nor a Mario fan.... I am entering 2014, having been proven totally wrong in my assumption that neither franchise could do anything that excites me. These 2 games, coupled with the Wii U hardware itself, got me back on board with Nintendo. In all honesty, it is the happiest I have been with the big "N" since super nintendo.

ONE MORE HONORABLE MENTION/ DISGAEA D2

Ok. I love disgaea. And this title did a lot of things right for me. It, unfortunately, did just as many things wrong. Seeing Laharl, Etna and Flonne take center stage again was awesome.... but that truly is where the awesomeness of the narrative ends. While Flonne and Etna see a wee bit of humorous development, Laharl is about as singular and static as a character can get. My other narrative gripe is the lack of cameo's. If you are going to do a direct sequel to Disgaea, I want to see the defender of earth dammit.

Gameplay took too many sharp turns and fell pray to the problem I have had in the last 3 disgaea games. By the end of the game I was able to wipe out full story maps with one caster. Yet, in D2, couldn't even touch the final boss. I feel like a fool for arguing the game felt more balanced to me that other disgaea's because by the last chapter I was CLEARLY mistaken.

KLYDE's RETRO GOTY199...errr...2013/ CHRONO TRIGGER

 Just replayed this and it really is one of those games that lives up to all the praise it receives. From comforting and cute Toriyama visuals to the greatest soundtrack I ever experienced in my youth, Chrono has it all for me.

KLYDE's RETRO RUNNER UP/ SEIKEN DENSETSU 3

Some may argue the gameplay and mechanics took a step down from the first SNES SoM (Secret of Mana 2) but I personally felt the class system (I am sucker for palette swaps) ability to select an MC and companions and difficulty make it an overall improvement. Once again (like Chrono Trigger) a spendid soundtrack and graphical masterpiece (from its era) makes this title drip with a bit more Mana magic for me than its predecessor. The biggest flaw???? A padded second half of the game that demands you revisit and run through all the dungeons again with zero plot development was a real drag...

BIGGEST DISAPOINTMENT / TALES OF XILIA

Xilia was not bad. What Xilia was, was VERY dull in contrast to my expectations of a Tales game. A bitter sweet experience considering I loved the cast. All in all I would take Xilia over quite a few other games but it was weak in nearly every respect that other tales games shine.

[Kevadu]

Game of the year:
KanColle!

OK, serious game of the year:
Probably The Last of Us.  Even though I'm sick to death (lol) of zombies Naughty Dog has shown that it is still possible to tell a zombie story really well.

RPGish game of the year:
Dragon's Crown.  Seriously, this game is the shit.  Even though it can be pretty repetitive, thanks to the really fun combat and solid character growth systems it's a title you just want to come back to over and over.

Honorable mention:
Project Diva F.  Even though I already played the heck out of my import Vita copy I enjoyed playing the heck out of it again.  And it deserves a nod because it's a small miracle one of these games actually got localized.  Especially the way Sega has been lately...

Biggest disappointment:
I guess I'll hop on the bandwagon and say Xillia too.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes this game so disappointing because on the face of things everything seems pretty solid.  But I wasn't even able to finish it...I just got bored.  And this is after I loved Graces F.  I think the cast was pretty bland, the combat was a step backwards, there's a general lack of side content, and the dungeons feel phoned it.

[MeshGearFox]

GOTY: Toki Tori 2 although ALBW miiiight take this spot.

Non-2013 GOTY: Euro Truck Sim 2. 2012 release but it didn't get widespread US release till 2013.

Biggest Disappointment Of The Year: Realizing how much of a yuppie I've become.

--- update ---

Adding the 3DS updates of Super Hang On, Space Harrier, and Galaxy Force 2 to my Non-2013 GOTY list.

[unsmashable_pumpkin]

I don't really play that many new games as it turns out, so most of the games I played didn't really come out in 2013, but giving it a shot anyways.

GOTY2013:
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows:
Looking back over the list of stuff that I beat this year, this is the one that stands out the most to me. There is something about that twisted morbid style of these games that really resonates with me, and that ending/epilogue segment was the perfect icing on the cake.


Runner-ups/honourable mentions:
the Last of Us:
That into and ending sections are some of the more interesting story beats I can remember from this year, and the game deserves major kudos for actually managing to take a rather subtle and nuanced with respect to the morality of the characters actions (especially where video games are concerned)

Aterlier Totori Plus:
Perfectly suited for the hand-held format; super addictive at the same time as being a soothing, non-angsty type of game.


Non-2013-made GOTY:
Dark Souls:
I don't think there is much I can say that hasn't been said several times over about this game, but I really loved the atmosphere and unique gothic horror fantasy visual design as well as the excellent combat system



Biggest Disappointment:
Bioshock Infinite:
I know many people loved this game, and had heralded it's story, so I came in with rather high expectations, which probably worked against it. Overall, I found the combat to be boring and repetitive, the

Code:

ghost fight

was ridiculous. I felt like the use of "quantum mechanics" seemed both anachronistic and incompatible with the type of fundamentalist religious setting they were going for. And in the end it didn't actually serve to explain any of the games main set-up, so other than lending an air of sophistication and obfuscating terminology, it might as well be magic.
 
I saw the final twist coming from a mile a way, despite the fact that it doesn't seem to really make any sense, and overall it just felt like the game was pretending to be a lot cleverer than it actually was.
So overall, really dissappointing as the premise and setting seemed like it was going to offer something really interesting.

[Draak]

I didn't play many games this year, but here we go:

- GOTY
Monster Hunter 3 U. Refined mechanics, great monster roster (missing Tigrex though), hours and hours of content. Only thing that brings it down a bit is the crappy framerate when there's too much action going on.

- Non-2013 GOTY
Fallout New Vegas, hands down. It was so good it ruined rpgs for me, haha.

- Biggest Disappointment
Besides MH3U the only other 2013 game I played was EOIV, which was decent from what I had experienced. If we count non-2013, then Dark Souls. It is a fine game and I understand its appeal but unfortunately it didn't click with me. Maybe it will in a future replay.

[Monsoon]

Are you ready for some hideous combinations of colored fonts?  Well if not, I'm sorry.* 

2013 GOTY - The Last of Us

I wasn't on board with it's bull**** for the first few hours, but then it comes together and becomes a compelling experience through to the end. Spectacular finish as well.  Makes me more excited to see what Naughty Dog can do on new hardware, presumably the PS4. 

Runners-up - Tomb Raider ; Rayman Legends ; Tales of Xillia

My favorite 2013 action-adventure game, platformer, and RPG respectively.  Was impressed with the TR reboot.  Rayman was a delight that got me interested in the rest of the series.  I really enjoyed Xillia's combat wrinkles and cast, I suppose moreso than the rest of the forum. 

Not-2013 GOTY - Persona 4

I was Persona-obsessed for the first half of 2013.  Finished Persona 4 twice in five months.  I love the changes made from Persona 3 and I was on board with the story and characters from start to finish.  Unlike some people I appreciated the less grim-dark story.  I am WAY pumped for Persona 5.** 

Runners-up - Ys: The Oath in Felghana ; Tales of Vesperia ; Donkey Kong Country Returns

I played these three in 2013 and had a ****ing blast.  Very recommended to fans of one-character action RPGs, group action RPGs, and platformers respectively. 

2013 Games I Wish I Could Play - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ; Ys: Memories of Celceta

I don't own a 3DS or a Vita and as such I can't play either of those.  It's killing me on the inside.***

2013 Big Bang Mini Award (most underrated or overlooked) - Guacamelee!

Guacamelee is a nifty little metrovania game about masked luchadors with a Mexican Dia de Los Muertos aesthetic and a TRIUMPH among portmanteaus for a title.  It's on PSN and Steam, people, give it a shot. 

Biggest Disappointment - Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness

I liked the return to older Disgaea traditions (weapon levels, easier class upgrades, simplified skill levels and skill passing), but D2's story, class variety, stage variety, and endgame content were lacking.  I wish I had just played Disgaea 4 for 30 more hours than indulged in Disgaea D2. 

*I'm not sorry. 

**I think I was unfriended by some people on FessBork due to my excess enthusiasm. 

***Not really, but I am disappointed. 

[Aeolus]

My GotY so far would either be FE:Awakening or LoZ:aLBW.

Runner up would be the other one.

Not-'013 GotY would be Ys Origin (since I finally got around to playing that this year).

Biggest Disappointment would be Time and Eternity by a country mile. Never before have I seen such great talent, wasted so badly.

But in all honesty, I don't play enough of the latest and greatest to really give a fair opinion on what came out this year. These are just the standouts.

[Holykael1]

2013 GOTY - Ys Memories of Celceta(edited out Tearaway)
2013 Runner Ups -  Soul Sacrifice/Guacamelee and Tearaway

Non-2013 GOTY - 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors - Best game I played this year by far

Non-2013 Runner ups - Xenosaga Ep 3, Virtue's Last Reward, Chrono Cross

Biggest Disappointments(2013) - Bioshock Infinite - I think this is a great game but after the caliber of the original Bioshock and after experiencing another game with similar plot twists and with a more clever use of Quantum Physics, I foresaw the big twists quite easily and the combat was repetitive generic dribble in certain parts. I was massively hyped for this game but I came out disappointed because it didnt blew my mind like people were saying it would.(Blame zero escape for this)

Honorable Mentions - Ys Origin, Chrono Trigger, Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete, Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicoot 2, DKC and Castlevania PoR. - Really Fantastic games aswell, better than all the 2013 releases I played anyway.

[unsmashable_pumpkin]

Biggest Disappointments(2013) - Bioshock Infinite - I think this is a great game but after the caliber of the original Bioshock and after experiencing another game with similar plot twists and with a more clever use of Quantum Physics, I foresaw the big twists quite easily and the combat was repetitive generic dribble in certain parts. I was massively hyped for this game but I came out disappointed because it didnt blew my mind like people were saying it would.(Blame zero escape for this)

I like you :)
I agree with pretty much everything you said (except I found the twist in the first Bioshock to be pretty dumb as well). I get that it's a video game so I wasn't really expecting them to actually have anything interesting to say about the real scientfic implications of quantum mechanics; but considering how prevelant the philosophical implications of the Copenhagen interpretation and the Schrödiner's cat analogy is in general science-fiction media, I was expecting it to be more relevant to the plot as a whole.
Zero Escape (which I played prior to Bioshock) did a much better job with that, as well as offering cool insight into what the world might be like if Sheldrake was not just a total hack, but actually had something worthwile to contibute with to the scientific community. Here's to hoping the next installment comes out soon-ish.

[Klutz64]

I'm stealing Dice's formatting. HA!

GOTY2013:
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F - If I was trying to be even remotely objective, I would never pick this. But as a completely personal choice, I haven't had nearly as much fun as I have with this game from any other title this year

Runner-up:
Pokemon Y - This one's more of an objective pick as I haven't even gotten the second badge yet. But I'll say I haven't gotten much enjoyment from Pokemon games like I did with the first two generations until this came along. Refreshing is certainly the most appropriate word to describe it.

Non-2013-made GOTY:
Lego Lord of the Rings - Such an amazing Lego game, a crap ton of stuff to do. I complain about how long it takes me to do anything in it, but that's because most of the time I get distracted and start just goofing off with stuff. Plus it has One of the best ever collectibles in a game

Honourable Mentions:
Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds - It's a great game with a great soundtrack, but I just beat it a week or so ago and it's not staying with me quite like I thought it would.

Borderlands 2 - Another non-2013 game, but I feel like mentioning it because some of the DLC from this year was pretty stellar.

Biggest Disappointment:
I have to pick two because they're disappointing in very different ways:
1. Evoland - I didn't have extremely high expectations of this game, but I did see a lot of potential in the trailers and screenshots for something truly creative. The game was anything but.

2. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - It's a solid MMO and I've been playing it a lot, but quite a few of the design decisions make me yearn for the far more ambitious original version.

[Annubis]

GOTY2013:
Nothing.
There are some games that could claim this, but since I'm cheap, I'm waiting for the GOTY/Complete editions.

Runner-up:
The Last of Us
The game is great, except when you have to play it =P
From one-hit kill enemies to everyone having infinite ammo except you... the gameplay is just unbalanced and frustrating.

Non-2013-made GOTY:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
An amazing game. The only flaw I can think of is that the game is a bit too long for its own good.

Non-2013-made GOTY Runner-up:
Dark Soul
I usually don't like action RPGs because the bosses usually end up as HP sandwich. Opposite to that, Dark Soul is the fairest game I've ever seen.

Honourable Mentions:
Hate Plus
I haven't played it yet (waiting for the Xmas break to play the whole thing in one sitting), but I'll just assume that the game is as great as Analogue.
If not, I'll just stealth edit this in the future ;)

Biggest Disappointment:
Tales of Xillia
I think we could rename this section to 'games that had the potential to be so much more'. Xillia had tons of potential that sadly wasn't tapped.

[GrimReality]

I don't generally play through many games in a single year, so I can't fill out many categories. Of the few I actually DID finish:


GOTY2013:
The Last of Us - The opening was stunning, and pulled me in right away. Then I found myself getting my ass kicked and not enjoying myself for the first few hours. Yes, even on Casual. Once I got past that, though, I really loved it. Great game.

Runner-up:
Tomb Raider - a great surprise. I really had a lot of fun playing this. I look forward to the sequel.

Honorable Mention:
Bioshock Infinite - I actually played all the way through a first person action game! I needed some help figuring out the story after I was done, but I did enjoy it.

Discovery!
I like slow-paced story type games. I played through both Gone Home and Dear Esther, and kind of liked them. GH, especially, minus the ending.

Sad Reality:
I really don't play traditional rpgs anymore. The closest I come is with games like Dragons Dogma, which I am enjoying so far. Plus, anything that I know will take 100s of hours to play through I just don't bother with. I tried playing Xenoblade, and liked it(minus the obnoxious battle voices you can't turn off!), but just stopped when I realized how long it would take.