Game of the Year Watch 2013

Summer is already half way over and NFL Training camps start opening across the country in the next couple of weeks. Let's take a look at what many view as the current  Game of the Year candidates. This will not be the final list as I'm sure a couple of other titles will garner some attention before year's end - I'm looking at you GTA V and Beyond: Two Souls.

The Last of Us (PS3)

 

Holding steady on gamerankings.com at over 95% based off of 66 reviews (no thanks to Gamespot's Tom Mc Shea - seriously man....), Naught Dog's latest is truly a masterpiece. Taking its inspiration from Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road, The Last of Us is an unrelenting tale of survival.

Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

This highly anticipated title was well worth the wait and delivered on all fronts. With amazing set pieces, provocative characters and a rather controversial story, Bioshock Infinite is what you would expect out of a AAA title.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS3)

Don't let the anime style and hints of Pokemon(esqe) gameplay turn you away from this one. Ni No Kuni is hands down the greatest old school style RPG to come around in a long time.

Guacamelee! (PS3)

 

Another PSN Indie exclusive in the mix for Game of the Year, much like last year's winner, Journey. Guacamelee! is a thrilling Metroidvania 2D side-scroller filled with charming character. Much like its old school roots, it's challenging but rewarding at the same time.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS)

I've yet to play this one myself, but based off what I've read and heard from plenty of others, this one is massively addicting.

Tomb Raider (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

 

The heavily silicon....errr, polygon endowed Laura Croft is back, but you've never seen her like this before. Crystal Dynamics took the series in a bold new direction with this reboot and it paid off. This goes back to the roots of Laura's origins and it's a much darker and grittier tale than those in the past.

So there's my short list for now, which is of course, open for debate. Tell me what you list consists of and come the end of the year, we will vote for 2013's Game of the Year. I'll leave this as a living document  adding others suggestions and titles as they release these last handful of months.

Till next time, Game On!
@venomlace