Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style
2013 was a hell of a year for video games. On the cusp of the next console generation graphics were pushed to the limit, Indie passion projects continued to gain ground against market-dominating AAA titles, and increased community interest in social issues lead to many games handling topics you might not have expected.
Of course, I played a lot of games this year, and narrowing that list down to a handful of favorites wasn't easy. While almost every game that comes to mind has its strong points, but after some thought I realized that there were a few that stood head and shoulders above the rest.
5. Gone Home
At this point Gone Home is a punchline to some; the 2 hour long indie non-game that all the journalists fawn over because it's about queerness and the 90s and Lisa Frank and women and alienation and music and abuse and a million other things. I'll be blunt: Gone Home is not a game that everyone will "get". I don't think I even "got" it in the way that many others did. It didn't exhaust me emotionally, it didn't have me in tears, and I was perhaps born a few years too late to really click with the game's soundtrack. A lot of what hit others square in the chest was just slightly off the mark for me, but I still enjoyed and respect it.
It was the world of the game itself that really captured my attention; how smoothly it integrated the role of the player going through an unfamiliar environment, examining people's lives with a fine-toothed comb. The player character is of course a member of the family in Gone Home, returning from a year-long coming-of-age trip around Europe. While she was away, her family moved to a large new house, and life carried on. You're returning to a home you don't know, and family members who have changed dramatically, so it doesn't feel as alien as it should when you find yourself going through mom's day planner or rifling through your sisters school supplies. It seems like such a small thing, but it made for a much more immersive experience than I ever expected. Gone Home is short, sharp, and somber, and even though it didn't blow me away it absolutely sucked me in.
4. Remember Me
Speaking of punchlines, I wouldn't be the first to remark on how easily Remember Me has been forgotten. Unjustly so, for that matter. It's one of the most beautiful games I've played this year, and also has one of the most convincing visions of the future. There are so many breathtaking moments in this game, so many unique and dynamic scenes... It's a little difficult to put into words. Suffice it to say that pictures of this game dominated my screenshot blog, SingleFrameVideoGame.
The problem is that the game's rhythmic combat often dragged all that down, interrupting the flow of gameplay with bursts of tedium. This is precisely why I suggested playing it on easy mode, so that these clunky combat sections would get in the way as little as possible. For that matter, playing Remember Me with french voices and english subtitles is another choice that will improve the experience tremendously, since the english dialogue is rather hokey-sounding by comparison. Remember Me offers a beautifully realized sci-fi take on Paris with an interesting and introspective heroine... And one hell of a soundtrack. It's stylish, it's smart, and it deserves to be remembered.
3. Saints Row IV
It might sound crazy, but before I played the latest Saints Row game I think I had forgotten just how carefree and fun games could be. Flying around, blowing things up, putting on increasingly bizarre outfits and following every ridiculous little impulse that came to mind... It helps that at the same time, the writers went out of their way to reconcile many of the more problematic aspects of the series' history without losing any of the levity or momentum. Did I mention that many of the custom character hairstyles you can choose from are totally Pinterest-worthy?
While my feelings about Saints Row The Third were mixed at best, Saints Row IV won me over wholeheartedly. I found every collectible, finished every side quest... And you can bet that I'll be picking up The Saints Save Christmas DLC ASAP. It's just pure, unadulterated fun.
2. The Yawhg
As much as I love experimental games, weird little indie projects, and all-around unusual gaming experiences, I wasn't expecting the borderline choose-your-own-adventure of The Yawhg to earn it the second spot on this list. Yes, it's a beautifully illustrated game with some pretty interesting hooks, but... Well, is there really that much more to it?
This game is rather sobering, but not in the way that games like Cart Life or Papers, Please are. To understand why, it might be best to compare it to the kind of fantasy-based demon-slaying games that inspired it. In most such RPGs, you're progressing towards a very specific goal. You gain experience, you focus on key skills, you upgrade your equipment, you advance towards your challenge and eventually, inevitably, you succeed. That's not quite the case with The Yawhg, especially the first time you play. All you know is that something will happen, soon, but until then you're left to live your life. Maybe what you're doing will help in the end. Maybe it won't. Maybe it will cause other problems that you could never have anticipated. At the end of the day there's only so much you can do to prepare for the unknown, and that's a surprisingly cathartic experience to have.
1. Rune Factory 4
I love Harvest Moon and I love Rune Factory, but even I was surprised by just how much I loved Rune Factory 4. It was a perfect storm, with just enough cuteness to catch my eye and more than enough substance to keep me playing. It's pretty common for games to try to do a little of everything and end up doing each of those things rather poorly, but Rune Factory 4 was just so... On point. Whatever I was looking for in a game at any given moment was there. The relaxing routine of tending to crops and livestock, the legitimately challenging combat, the strategy and research needed to win the hearts and minds of the townspeople, the balance of risk and reward in pressing deeper into unfamiliar forests and dungeons, and of course the straightforward charm of managing costumes and accessories.
At the same time, I can understand why many people overlooked Rune Factory 4. As a fan of the series and its roots I can still acknowledge that past titles have been a bit hit-and-miss, and these kinds of games can also be a huge time investment which is off-putting in itself. Even if you have no patience for JRPGs, no time for virtual farming, no interest in landing a super-kawaii wife or husband, there's almost certainly something here for you. It's a credit to its developers, which makes their recent bankruptcy an exceptionally bitter pill to swallow. Rune Factory 4 is a high-point for the series, and hopefully it won't be the last.
But wait...
Given that I spent the better part of my gaming time in the latter half of 2013 glued to my 3DS (and not just because of Rune Factory 4) I feel obliged to give out a few honorable mentions. Between Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Pokemon X/Y, it was an unbelievably strong year for the handheld system. I'm surprised I didn't wear my stylus down to a nub.
That's all from me, but what were your absolute favorite games in 2013? Let me know in the comments!
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