You can thank (blame?) The Last of Us for forcing us to switch the criteria for this particular Ask PSLS, seeing as we didn’t want everyone to just have the exact same answer. So, for this week’s question, we asked the staff: What are your two favorite games from the first half of 2013? (For last week’s AP on our most anticipated 2nd half game go here.
*The cut off date was June 15th, then Sebastian went ahead and picked something that came out 10 days after that, so the cut off date is June 25th.
Anthony Severino – Crowd Funded (@Sev_Anthony)
I have to go with the “in-crowd” and say BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us for the very, very obvious reason. The truth is, I’ve been extremely bored with gaming for quite some time now – I think it’s more about generation stagnation and this gen just lasting way too long. I’ve been craving something new, something elevated, and I do feel that I got that out of The Last of Us, and even BioShock to a lesser extent. It makes me happy to close this generation on a stronger note than the games we got last year. This year’s GOTY awards should be interesting, especially with GTA V being thrown in the mix.
Cameron Teague – Ultimate Ninja (@Cameron_PSLS)
My two favorite games for the first half of 2013 are actually pretty easy to choose, and for the sake of bringing something new to the table, I won’t list The Last of Us, even though it was AMAZING. The number one slot on my list is reserved for Ni no Kuni, which took it in a land slide, even if I was counting The Last of Us. Such a beautiful story and characters, with some really fun gameplay and genius combat, I simply couldn’t put it down. Coming in at the second spot is Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3. The game might have taken some steps back from previous games but was still an utter blast to play and for fans of the Naruto universe, it provided you so much.
Chandler Wood – Risky (@FinchStrife)
Alright, so The Last of Us obviously. And beyond that it’s a toss up between BioShock: Infinite and Ni No Kuni. Makes sense that I am choosing the three games that have received perfect scores from us this year. They are all very, very deserving and should all be a part of your game collection. I know I’m once again going to aggravate Jason by not sticking to the question and picking only two games, but for these masterpieces, I’ll risk it.
Dan Oravasaari – Crofty (@FoolsJoker)
I don’t even think it is worth bringing up The Last of Us, as that is just obvious, but the one game that I think most people forgot about after BioShock was Tomb Raider. Many people will just say that it was Uncharted with a girl, but I really don’t see that being an issue, as Uncharted is one of the best franchises this generation. I did enjoy BioShock, but I think it gets too much hype and felt that I had to force myself to get through it, unlike Tomb Raider, which didn’t feel nearly as repetitive.
Joseph Fait – New Guy (@AcesHigh291)
I’d have to say BioShock, that ending!
Jason Dunning – Remastered (@Jasonad21)
I can’t stand here (or am I moonwalking?) and say that I’ve played every single game to come out this year, but from what I have played, I’ve been disappointed. Now, of course The Last of Us gets one of my choices, but I can’t really think of something that deserves my second pick. So, even though I haven’t played it yet, I’ll channel Future Jason, who has finished BioShock Infinite, and say it’s BioShock Infinite.
Louis Edwards – Ignited (@ftwrthtx)
The Last of Us should go without saying, but what really surprised me was Metro: Last Light. Great story with fun game play. Looking for those damn air filters became a pain in the butt, but worth the effort to find.
Sebastian Moss – Disturbing (@SebMoss)
Hotline Miami’s plot reminds me so much of my childhood, where I used to wake up with a chicken glued to my face surrounded by dead Russians. Other than that it has to be the Troy Baker + younger woman fighting enemies together game with a stellar plot that’s a GOTY contender.
What are your two favorite games from the first half of 2013? Let us know in the comments below.
