Special Feature: 2013 Brutal Gamer Awards part 1 (of 3)

Jason Micciche March 12, 2014 3DS, Editorials, Featured Articles, Guides, News, past, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One 2 Comments 2,408 Views

Yeah, we know it’s a little late, but when has Brutal Gamer ever stood by formality?

Every year sees a glut of great games. Usually these releases are spread out over the course of just a few months at the tail end of the calendar, but 2013 was a banner year for gaming pretty much all around. From monster winter releases like BioShock Infinite to mid-year stuff like The Last of Us and Autumn’s tidal wave of juggernauts; 2013 was an awesome 12 months to be into games for consoles, handhelds, mobiles, and the PC.

And not only did we see a ton and a half of Game of the Year contenders appear for current generation consoles, but we saw the dawn of a brand new age with the launches of the PS4 and Xbox One and some real gems popping up for them as well, which isn’t all that typical thing anymore when your talking first generation software. There was so much great stuff that this might have been the most trying ranking year ever for the team here at BG. A lot of the games you’re about to see named our picks were close calls, some extremely close calls with only one or two votes separating them from the pack.

So with that in mind, we’ve gone ahead and listed not only the top game in each different award spot, but also some of the closest runners up where it applies. Did your favorites make the cut? Do you have a game that you’d rather have seen in the spot than the one’s we picked? If that’s the case, then go on and be your own judge and name your favorites in the comments below.

First though, here are your 2013 Brutal Gamer Award winners and runners up for individual genre categories:

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE

As it is every year, the action/adventure ranks were filled with great games in 2013. The top five were all pretty close int he voting amongst our editors and contributor corps with the winner being chosen by just one vote, which’d be BG vet Troy. So if you don’t like how things shook out, you know who to blame… Sorry Troy.

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

Grand Theft Auto 5 (Multi)

From our review:

As far as Grand Theft Auto titles go, part 5 is a masterstroke. Actually, as far as games in general go, GTA5 is an instant classic that closes out a generation of game consoles in style and it’s a title that fans of the series and lovers of good video games should eat right up. I can’t wait to see what Rockstar has cooking for the next one

Best First-Person Shooter

The FPS crowd had a few titles that distinguished themselves from the pack in more ways than one. 2013 showed just why it is that the genre has become one of the most dominant in gaming and just how far its come since the days of Wolfenstein and Doom, while at the same time paying homage to the greats with games like Rise of the Triad and Shadow Warrior.

This one was a landslide of a victory too. See if you can guess before you peek at the winner…

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

BioShock Infinite (Multi)

From our review:

Sure the gameplay is all about the action, but there are some heady concepts taken on (much like with the previous games in the series) and there are a plethora of jaw-dropping, shock moments that make BioShock Infinite an extremely impactful play. It’s actually pretty hard not to talk about the game’s story points and spill the beans on any number of developments that you’ll cross on your way to the ‘goal line’, but this is a game that’s so worthy of your time and effort to play all the way through that it’d almost be a crime to blow even the smallest part of the story for you.

Best RPG or Adventure game

Telltale’s adventure game revitalization continued in 2013 as did the crush of incredible action/RPG’s and straight-up role-playing gold. This was actually the toughest of the ‘genre’ categories for your BG staffers to sort through and garnered a three-way tie for the winner(s). Cop out? Sure you can call it that, but we prefer to think of it as the strength of the genre shining through.

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner(s) is (are)…

Diablo 3 – The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – Fables: The Wolf Among Us

Well, what can you say here. You really can’t go wrong with any of the three games in this expanded winner’s circle. Personally, if I had to choose one, I’d probably go with… nah… let’s just leave it at a tie. It’s more interesting that way, don’t you think?

Best Miscellaneous Genre Game

Every year there are games that just don’t fit into other genre slots on our list, or even genres that we simply haven’t reviewed enough competing games for to assemble into their own category. This award celebrates those titles, but don’t think it’s a weak placing because it’s something of a mash-up, because some of the very best titles to see release in the last year are right under this paragraph.

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

Injustice: Gods Among Us (Multi)

From our review:

Overall, I love Injustice: Gods Among Us. I will be playing it again soon, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite games on the PS4.

However, as perfect as the mechanics are and intriguing as the story is (really!), there are quite a few graphical errors littered throughout the game. So if you can put up with the occasional buggy texture, then go get Injustice: Gods Among Us… now, if you will excuse me, I have to go use Batman to take out my hatred on Superman….

Best Platformer

A classic among classics. The Platforming genre has been around almost since the dawn of gaming itself. In that time there’ve been some real greats, with some of the best of the best games of all time spawning from the platform game-type. Who would have thought a game where you jump a lot and stop on bad guys heads would have reached the untouchable heights it has.

2013 was no different than any other year in this one as there were a number of true contenders for that GotY crown. However, there was one game that blew the competition away and, in a genre category this crowded, you know it’d have to be one super title to do that.

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

From our review:

Super Mario 3D World is the sequel to Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros 2 that we deserve. On the surface it may seem like just another sequel to Super Mario 3D Land, but it’s so much more than that. The love and dedication put into this game reflects the quality of video games made on the Super Nintendo. Its unquestionably solid gameplay combined with delightful looking surroundings and jazzy, upbeat tunes really does take you back to a simpler time in the video game industry.

Best Indie Game

Independent games made even further inroads into the industry in 2013 with some marquee games catching major attention from the gaming public. Critics praised many of these titles for their uniqueness and there’s no denying that that’s true. There’s just no place else that a tale like Papers, Please or Monaco: What’s yours is mine would see the light of day, outside of the indie arena.

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

Spelunky (PC)

From our review:

Though most players will find it to be a soul-crushing experience of amassing a fortune of treasure and promptly kicking the bucket in explosive fashion, a wonderful sense of satisfaction awaits those who are patient enough to try and try again. A simple but hilariously fun adventure, its charm and challenge makes this one a very memorable title indeed.

Best Family or ‘Kid-Friendly’ Game

Is it just us, or is it still kind of funny to be singling out games that are child appropriate in a medium that used to basically be all about kids? Sure the current generation grew up with them and view them as a commonplace entertainment outlet, but a generation ago? A generation ago video games were just kids stuff. Now we have to give a special slot to games that are appropriate for the younger set because there are so many titles that are for teen and/or adults only (I don’t mean AO-rated games by the way) out there.

I don’t think any of us would complain about that mind you, since we of a more ‘mature’ age certainly like our bloody action games, but there’s something to be said about a nice friendly title like Skylanders or Super Mario 3D World. Speaking of which…

And the top 5 nominees are…

And the winner is…

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

(We’ve already said it, but) From our review:

Super Mario 3D World is the sequel to Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros 2 that we deserve. On the surface it may seem like just another sequel to Super Mario 3D Land, but it’s so much more than that. The love and dedication put into this game reflects the quality of video games made on the Super Nintendo. Its unquestionably solid gameplay combined with delightful looking surroundings and jazzy, upbeat tunes really does take you back to a simpler time in the video game industry.

And that’s round one in the books for 2013. What did you guys and gals think of our choices? Did we bring your favorite dark horse or hit to the light of the medal platform, or do you have some games that you think deserve the ‘BG no-prize of honor and glory’ more?

If you do, leave your picks in the comments below and maybe we’ll change our minds… Just kidding. But we’d love to see your choices all the same!

Now, today we took a look at our favorites in the individual genre-related categories, but tomorrow we’re going to be naming the games that made some of the biggest impacts of 2013. These will be titles that scored the highest with us when it comes to graphics, sound or voice acting. It promises to be a fun part 2 of our Brutal Gamer Awards.

After that, were going all out and selecting the top games for each platform on the market this Thursday. That selection will culminate in one grand selection for the Brutal Gamer Game of the Year Award. Which again, I’d like to stress really isn’t a physical award per say. Regardless, we hope you join us back here at the same Brutal time, same Brutal website tomorrow for part 2 of the 2013 Brutal Gamer Awards.

Stay tuned true-believers, because this one’s bound to get some folks upset…

Special Feature: 2013 Brutal Gamer Awards part 1 (of 3)

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