We can all agree that 2013 was a wonderful year for gaming. With all the awesome games releases, plus two new consoles, we had our hands full!

In this post, I’ll detail the best games I played this year as well as some others I have yet to enjoy. Of course, keep in mind that I didn’t play all of this year’s releases. For example, I still haven’t played The Last of Us or Grand Theft Auto V (shame on me!). But I’ve played plenty of other games, namely a lot of RPGs, and after telling you my best games of the year, I will want to know yours!

Playstation 3

On the PlayStation 3, we had plenty of great games to play this year!

Here are some of the best titles I played in 2013 on this console:

Ni no Kuni

Released early in 2013, this RPG was great. The soundtrack was excellent, and the art style was gorgeous. The only downside that showed up towards the last third of the game (and that has affected my memories of the game) was the party members’ AI, which was totally unreliable in harder battles.

Rayman Legends

Rayman Legends is the best platformer I played this year. This game is awesome and can be replayed over and over for the collectibles or the musical levels. Each time I had friends over at my place, we picked up our controllers to play some levels and the insane Kung-Foot mini game. I haven’t played it yet, but from what I heard, Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U is another platforming masterpiece that every Wii U owner should play!

Tales of Xillia

Tales of Xillia is another great RPG that has a lot to offer. With a ton of cutscenes and its perfectly fine-tuned battle system, that game is very enjoyable to discover!

Grand Theft Auto V

the_nmac reviewed this game a few months ago. Here is what he thought of Grand Theft Auto V:

Grand Theft Auto V is a game you should play since it deserves all of the accolades it has received. This is a masterpiece of gaming that I think we will be talking about in years to come. There is really no doubt in my mind that this is the best game of this year and possibly one of the best this generation has to offer.

The Last of Us

This game got a girlfriend review earlier this year. Here is what they thought of this game:

[…] A lot of the gameplay was stealthy, so the clickers and the militia don’t find you. You also have to be crafty, using things you find on the ground as weapons (like bricks and shivs). I liked how the POV switched from Joel to Ellie in parts. I’m a big fan of kick-ass ladies as the lead characters.

Playstation Vita

On the PlayStation Vita, we had a lot of Cross-Buy and Cross-Save games this year. The PS Vita is an amazing system, and I now spend more than half of my gaming time on that console. Here are some of the best titles I played this year:

Dragon Fantasy Book I & II (Cross-Buy with PS3)

As 8-bit and 16-bit retro-JRPGs, Dragon Fantasy Book I & II were very good games to play, reminiscent of Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior on both the NES and SNES. The first game had a very high difficulty, and the second game was a bit glitchy when it came out, but they were still great games and I’m eagerly waiting for Book III! Also, a brand new bundle of the two games is now available on the PSN for a great price, so be sure to grab it!

Persona 4 Golden (2012)

This game was released late last year, but I only got a chance to play it this year, which is why I’m including it in this post. The game has a huge campaign (80h+ hours), a very fine tuned battle system, and I’m still thinking that this is the best game available on Vita. I would like to take the time to replay it a second time and obtain the Platinum trophy!

Ys: Memories of Celceta

A more recent release, Ys: Memories of Celceta is another great RPG for the PS Vita. I’m still currently playing this game to finish it, and I still think that exploring the Great Forest of Celceta is very fun! I’ve already convinced two of my friends to buy that game, and you should buy it too if you like Action-RPGs!

Another honorable mention goes to the freemium Montezuma Blitz, which got me addicted to playing it at least 15 minutes each day. In that game, we compete for the weekly highest score with our PSN friends, and each match is only a bit over a minute long. Great for pick-up-and-play, and completely free if you don’t want to spend a dime.

Playstation 4

On the PlayStation 4, the selection is a little low for the moment, but people I know who purchased the console early are all very happy with their purchases.

Take EdEN, who reviewed Super Motherload.

Or Eddie who did one for Trine 2.

And since Playstation Plus is a requirement for online gaming on PS4, those with a subscription got Contrast and Resogun for free, and are about to get Don’t Starve as soon as the store updates next week.

Outside the PlayStation World

On other platforms, my surprise this year is the impressive 16-bits experiment game To the Moon, which has been on Steam for 2 years now. To the Moon starts a little slow, but captivates you until the very end when it picks up, and it features one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in years, which is partly performed by Laura Shigihara. As a bonus, it’s actually on sale on Steam for $2.99 until January 2, 2014. Edit: Offer has expired.

I also mentioned earlier that, from what I’ve heard, Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U is a platformer that should not to be missed (EdEN loves that game so much, he mentions it every single day)!

It’s also one gorgeous, gorgeous game, as can be seen from the screens below:

My best games of the year

All summed up, here are the three best games I played in 2013:

Of course, each one of you will have his/her own list for the best games of the year… so, what were YOUR top three games this year ? Let’s debate for the BEST game this year in the comments below!