So, looking back at 2013, it was quite a shit year for me, in terms of gaming. Given that the Khaleesi and I welcomed another offspring into the world, that may have been for the best, but it sure led to some long hours trying and quitting various games in my Steam library.
Ultimately, I divided my time between a hell of a lot of Star Wars: The Old Republic (to which I'm still a subscriber) and replays through the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series. Yeah, that's a lotta BioWare, and I don't think that's an accident. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big fan of theirs. I'm considering doing a blog about the BioWare approach to RPGs, so I'll get more into it then, but know that their approach in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age: Origins resulted in two of my favorite games ever. I've enjoyed everything they've released since then, to varying degrees, but there were a few key design choices in those games that cemented them as 'best ever,' at least for me, or anyone else that a) has played them, and b) doesn't have utter shit for taste.
Playing through Dragon and Mass Effect again, has been, predictably, wonderful. I really like truly roleplaying a character through both of those series, and getting to see something new every time.
I also, for the most part, really enjoyed SWTOR in 2013. I made a commitment to getting comfy in the 'elder game,' (end game) and actually got a good handle on how raids work in MMOs. I still prefer playing either with real friends or alone, but the occasional raid can be a blast. Now, though, SWTOR and I, due to the infection of F2P elements, are at a crossroads. More on that later.
I also dallied a bit with my roots. I revisited some once-familiar territory in the Final Fantasy series, as well. As part of another effort, I've been shifting my console gaming more and more toward the Xbox brand, and so I decided to move my Final Fantasy gaming that direction, and began a replay of Final Fantasy XIII on the 360, with the intent of playing through the rest of that trilogy on 360. That's been going well, but I won't lie. I don't love Final Fantasy XIII the way I do 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 12. It's a different beast, and that's okay. I like the series, but do not love it. I didn't have a problem with the linearity, and actually really like the combat system. The biggest problem I had was the vague and nigh-incomprehensible storytelling, and the flat characters. Unless you have a fucking wiki open next to you, or actually churn through the walls of text in the menus, you won't have any idea what's going on. Fal'cie, L'cie, angsty school-shooter-wanna be Hope, boring Lightning, insufferably moronic Snow, and ... sorry, I almost fainted from boredom.
Underneath, though, there is an interesting tale that badly wants to break out, and I'm curious to see if I can sustain this playthrough of the trilogy. Thus far, it's gone okay. It'd be easier if the Xbox One were backwards compatible, but I've set up the PS360 setup in another part of the house for 'retro' console gaming, and so, that's been proceeding apace.
On the other side of the Final Fantasy world, I've been, shockingly, enjoying Final Fantasy XIV, the most recent MMO iteration of the series. I was one of those people that had preordered, beta tested, and then suffered all those years ago when it first launched. I quickly canceled all my shit, and moved on.
Then, in 2013, some buddies started whispering that 'A Realm Reborn' (the second attempt at 'Final Fantasy XIV') was actually worth playing. I was skeptical, but ultimately, I decided that I'd enjoy having a true Final Fantasy MMO in my life was worth looking into, even after the disasters that were Final Fantasy XI and the initial release of Final Fantasy XIV.
I've played it a bit, and actually liked it. I went ahead and bought a six-month sub, to alleviate the pressure of 'needing' to play it, and when I've wandered in, I've been rewarded by a world that is the closest any MMO has come to 'feeling' like a Final Fantasy game. It's not perfect, and I've got a list I'll detail some time of things that would make it the perfect Final Fantasy game for me, but if you're a Final Fantasy fan, it's something you might enjoy.
Aside from all that, I did really enjoy BioShock: Infinite, Company of Heroes 2 (probably my personal Game of the Year), Forza MotorSport 5, and Divinity: Dragon Commander.
So, really, 2013 was a year of getting back to my roots. There were no core RPG releases for me, but some enjoyment was to be had in revisiting old friends, and yeah, a few new releases brought some serious fun, but I have a feeling 2014 is going to be almost overwhelming in the number of core RPG releases I'll have to play. Everyone from Squenix to BioWare to CD Projekt Red to Obsidian to Inxile to Larian Studios to Zenimax Online (sorta Bethesda) is putting something out this year, and it's going to be awesome. I don't think I've ever seen a year like this before, with so many quality potential releases that fit my extremely narrow tastes.
I'd also like write more here. Now that I've changed jobs (I'm a full-time developer now), I have a little more free time, as well as some newly-gained insight into the development process. I want to write about the releases I'm excited for, as well as my issues with the growing F2P problem, and some musings on what I've been playing.
How was your 2013, in terms of gaming?
I'll be back in the next couple days, but will be monitoring the comments here. I think before I kick off my awesome games of 2014, I wanna talk a bit about the things I've noticed playing the Mass Effect and Elder Scrolls series simultaneously.
Thanks, and please comment away!
-Blaine
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