As we come to the end of another great year in Gaming, it’s time for us to bask in the memories of all the highs and lows we went through in the course of the year. Our team has gathered with weapons drawn to fight over which games get the coveted awards. Ok, maybe it’s more of a general debate but it’s no less as tense as the final stage of a PVP match. While many games drew our attention in a year which was marked with tumultuous changes in the Game industry, a few stood out for being exceptionally good or for being in the news for the wrong reasons. And it is these games that we have decided to bestow upon the iLL Gaming Awards for 2013. The Awards will be Platform Specific, The iLLest ones, iLL Team Picks and our overall Game of the Year.
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Platform Specific Awards
The categories are PC, XBOX 360, PS3, PS Vita and Mobile (iOS/Android).
PC Game of the Year 2013
DOTA 2 – iLLGaming Review Score: 9.5
Our Dota 2 review says “This is the true definition of insanity”, and almost an year later, today, this quote holds true. Dota 2 is a hallmark of excellence. It wasn’t easy to pick Dota 2 as the PC Game of the Year because PC gaming really shined in 2013, but we believe that Dota 2 gives you an experience unique only to a PC. Valve have created a game that is addictive, deeply challenging, satisfying, gratifying and rewarding. And what’s best, it’s ‘purely Free-to-play’. Micro-transactions are cosmetic only, the full featured core game is absolutely free. To top if off, Valve has taken a great initiate to make matchmaking effortless and as quick as possible. If you still haven’t played Dota 2, we suggest you download Steam and do it right away. The game is available for OSX and Windows. [divider]
XBOX 360 Game of the Year 2013
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – iLLGaming Review Score: 9.5 In an era where the importance of typical narrative devices to convey story is becoming far too common, Starbreeze’s Brothers came as a breath of fresh air, tying the concept and narrative neatly into its gameplay mechanics through its unique control scheme and then constructing the entire game around it. The result was player engagement through mechanics into a story which built up beautifully into arguably the biggest emotional pay out by its ending. A touching fable, Brothers stands out in more than few ways to deserve this award. [divider]
PS3 Game of the Year 2013
The Last Of Us – iLLGaming Review Score: 9 2013 was overloaded with sequels and remakes, until Naughty Dog came around and pulled a new trick up its sleeve. Letting go of the glamorous Uncharted series, they unsettled the generation with a raw, flawless post-apocalyptic game – The Last Of Us. The game was distinctly divided into the sneaky, scary and the emotional moments. Flawless visuals, breath-taking sequences and a strong story made sure that this game went beyond every exclusive’s reaches. [divider]
PS Vita Game of the Year 2013
Tearaway – iLLGaming Review Score: 10 Tearaway by MediaMolecule was pretty hyped from the start and the presence of a Vita bundle with tearaway spoke volumes of what Sony thought it could do. Every praise it received was short of what the actual game was. Tearaway is not only the best game the Vita has but it also the first real one to showcase how the sensors on the Vita are meant to be used. The story is phenomenal albeit a bit short and you’re pretty hooked throughout. The art style is phenomenal with you playing as Iota in a paper craft world. The soundtrack and general sound effects in the game put almost everything else to shame. In most games like this, you tend to want to finish objectives quickly and progress but I found myself trying to get a 100% completion rate in every area by hunting for the wrapped presents that are hidden or looking for each papercraft model to snap with the in game camera. Tearaway is a joy to play and experience from start to finish and you’re missing out if you don’t play it. [divider]
Mobile (Android & iOS) Game of the Year 2013
Ridiculous Fishing This has been a bumper year for games on mobile and tablets what with GTA and XCOM making their way to devices that could fit in your back pocket. We’ve seen fantastic conversions of existing titles, once considered the domain of PCs and consoles alone. And though they’ve been fun, none of them have managed to enchant us like Ridiculous Fishing. In spite of having been in development for eternity (by mobile standards of course), the wait was worth it. As the name implies, it’s about catching fish. With a hook, line and an assortment of bespoke weaponry such as Uzis and shotguns. Donning the role of a mosaic-pieced redneck fisherman who plies his trade across the high seas with a hook, line and an arsenal of guns, it seems, is quite an enjoyable career path. Throw in some sweet touches like a Twitter parody that lets you interact with the game’s weirder characters (much like Twitter in real life) and a hilarious plot, and there’s enough of a reason to keep playing. Oh, and there are leaderboards and an endless mode to boot. Funny, how a space associated with pissed off fowls and greedy swine is one-upped by one game about…fish. [divider]
[…] Platform Specific Awards picked the best game for each platform and now it’s the turn of the iLLest Awards. These are […]