Game of the Year 2013 Part 1: Genre Awards

With 2013 quickly coming to a close we here at NoobFeed have been hard at work discussing, voting and coming up with a list of this year's best games. After much deliberation and a bit of cordial arguing we decided on a solid list of 2013's defining games. So without further ado here are NoobFeed's Game of the Year 2013 Genre Awards:

Best Fighting Game – Injustice: Gods Among Us

It’s been a quiet year for fighting games, but not a slow one. Some old faces were able to return to us anew, while young bucks could seep through and show us their worth. Innovation is alive in its own way for something that always ends up in punching matches in a secluded area. What impressed us the most is how Injustice: Gods Among Us was able to mix both novel and traditional means inside one gruesome title with an inspiring campaign and tight multiplayer component. Regardless of license, this game uses its experience to excel in adrenaline-fueled, whirlwind brawls.
Runner up: Killer Instinct

Best Driving/Racing Game - Need for Speed Rivals

Need for Speed Rivals delivers an exhilarating feeling of adrenaline, whether you choose to hunt down your prey as a cop or escape to your hideout as a racer. The wide open world of Redview County is teeming with activities that combine both single and multiplayer spheres into one. It’s a highly polished experience that appeals to both the racer and thrill-seeker within us.
Runner up: Forza Motorsport 5

Best Sports Game - FIFA 14

Unlike most genres, competition for sports games has always been the toughest. There are only a handful of publishers releasing football simulations every year, absorbing a large amount of criticism for failing to deliver something unique. FIFA 14 may not be the most revolutionary football simulation yet, but in terms of gameplay it provides the most gripping footballing fun among its competitors. Whether in a single or multiplayer game, there are enough features to keep fans busy for a long period of time. A few issues aside, FIFA 14 truly is the most brilliant and engaging football game EA has delivered this year.
Runner up: NBA 2K14

Best Strategy Game - Fire Emblem Awakening

It’s hard to find anything wrong with Fire Emblem Awakening. It delivers a fun and intense experience that takes the best elements of a modern strategy RPG. Intense tactical combat, character-driven relationships, pediment death and the freedom to play the game how you choose made Fire Emblem Awakening one of the primary reasons to own a Nintendo 3DS.
Runner up: XCOM: Enemy Within

Best Puzzle Game - Peggle 2

Peggle 2 is a joyful experience all condensed into one button. You think, aim, fire and watch as bright colors slowly fill the screen followed by point indicators. With this basic concept it’s difficult to ignore the allure of another board; just one more game of Peggle 2 then I’ll sleep.
Runner up: Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure

Best Shooter Game - Metro: Last Light

Fighting battles on a front as active as that of the first person shooter genre is no trivial affair. Despite being a sequel among other better known sequels, Metro: Last Light has polished what begged for polish in its predecessor and provided the strongest first person experience this year. Metro: Last Light did so through an atmosphere that creeps into and takes hold of you with every step taken in Moscow’s underground. Solid gunplay, gorgeous outside vistas and dark, terrifying tunnels filled with obstacles both expected and unexpected combined with a story examining humanity at its worst genuinely sets Metro: Last Light apart from its competitors.
Runner up: BioShock Infinite

Best Role-Playing Game - Pokémon X/Y

Without a question, Pokémon is one of the most beloved and successful videogame franchises. Every new generation, more and more Pokémon are added to the list and fans either love them or hate them, and this time was no exception. However, Pokémon X & Y not only feature a new set of pocket monsters, but a brand new Pokémon type, fairy, and whole new graphics that really takes the Pokémon experience, adventure and battle, to a new level. Now, as is tradition, we just have to wait for the inevitable version Z, probably sometime in 2014.
Runner up: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Best Action Game – DmC: Devil May Cry

We were absolutely blessed when it comes to sprawling endeavors to titillate us this year. Whether it was old franchises getting a new scope or fresh scenes opening our eyes, sweat was richly spent on many glorious escapades. In a surprising turn of events, none other than Dante jumped out the gate early in DmC: Devil May Cry with all cylinders firing. Despite early cosmetic skepticism, this lad’s moving story was encased in a high octane ride of a crumbling demon world requiring swift combat expertise. Both gorgeous in design and entrancing in flashy execution, DmC ended the competition immediately.
Runner up: The Last of Us

Best Adventure Game - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

It is always a peril to mess with holy cows regardless of the field of interest. That’s why everybody held to their seats as Nintendo announced a direct successor for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - one of the most important games in the franchise. The Legend of Zelda: A Link between Worlds brings back the best features that made A Link to the Past what it is today, but it also enhanced them to create a whole new experience without feeling redundant. New game mechanics, like shifting between 2D and 3D and the “rental” of equipment, generate a different challenge for longtime fans and is a perfect first step for those unfamiliar with Zelda games. As always, music, story and game art are the elements that excel in this new tile of the Zelda mosaic.
Runner up: Tomb Raider

Best Action-Adventure Game - Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V was one of the most anticipated games of the year and Rockstar really delivered. The most recent installment in the GTA franchise came with a new way of telling stories in videogames with the use of a trilateral narrative. GTA V has everything we love about the previous titles of the series: black humor, satire of the American way of life, profound and alluring characters, attention to detail and, most importantly, a vast world to wreak havoc and cause mayhem in. Apart from the compelling campaign story and the outstanding production value, the game also features a massive multiplayer mode that, sometimes, could feel like another game on its own.
Runner up: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Best Platformer Game - Super Mario 3D World

The Wii U has had a rough launch, but then came Super Mario 3D World. This game tugs at both nostalgic 2D and modern 3D platforming levels that showcase an unbridled sense of joy and creativity. It switches between an entertaining solo game into a great competitive cooperative game, something that the New Super Mario Bros. games couldn’t achieve. If you have a Wii U, or are thinking about getting one, Mario’s latest adventure is an absolute must buy.
Runner up: Rayman Legends

There you have it - NoobFeed's Game of the Year 2013 Genre Awards. Be sure to check out part two of our GOTY awards - Special Awards. And because we know you love a tease, we're holding out to announce our official 2013 Game of the Year. Stay tuned and find out what game claims this coveted award: BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us of Grand Theft Auto V.

NoobFeed Staff
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