Looking back - Rutledge Daugette's top 10 games of 2013

Wow, this year has flown by, with some incredible new releases throughout the year (including TechRaptor!), and the all new next-gen consoles being released! With that said, I'm kicking off (Founder's rights!) our author's showcase of their top 10 games of 2013! I truly enjoyed the past year, and my top 10 games of 2013 are my absolute favorites of this year, in order of course! I'll even throw in my worst game of 2013!

Number 1: Bioshock Infinite

 This is easily one of my all time favorite games, especially after four playthroughs. The (final?) game in the series sought to step away from the underwater city of Rapture and take to the clouds, and later on back to Rapture! I thoroughly enjoyed the new weapons, salts (previously plasmids), and especially the mind-blowing story. Without revealing much, Bioshock Infinite has one of the best, albeit confusing the first time, endings due to really making you think and bring the whole story full-circle, and the DLC extends that a bit - furthering the story. Definitely should be close to the top of everyone's list, I had a hard time choosing this over number 2!

Number 2: The Last of Us

As a Playstation exclusive, this blew myself and tons of other gamers away with both story and gameplay. It's not often that a game really, truly makes you feel and care for the characters of a game all the way through it, making you incredibly invested when you get to the end of a game. The gameplay was incredibly challenging as well, even on the normal mode, making survival actually feel like you accomplished something. Overall, this game is one of the most beautiful and engaging games I've ever played, and a must-have!

Number 3: Tomb Raider

 I'm not much for reboots, as they usually aren't as good as the originals, but all I can say about this Tomb Raider reboot is...Hot Damn! No, I'm not talking about the character herself, who is completely re-imagined to look significantly less...busty, but is much more real and believable, especially as this game is meant to really set up her backstory and show how she became the tough pistol-wielding badass that she will likely be in later games. Showing another side of Lara Croft, as well as a phenomenal story and gameplay that was both challenging and enjoyable gives this game the number 3 spot in my top 10!

Number 4: Resogun (PS4 Exclusive)

 The PS4 (which I reviewed here) is a phenomenal system. As a Playstation Plus member, I received Resogun free when I booted up my console, allowing me to play what is now one of my favorite shoot 'em up's of all time. From the graphics to the gameplay (which took me a while to really figure out), this game has been played more times than I've played Assassin's Creed IV on my PS4, and I just can't put it down! Offering an incredibly challenging game at every difficulty, as well as co-op gameplay, this game is a must for any PS4 owner!

Number 5: Crysis 3

 The final in the series, and one that I pretty much had to play as the first game on my new built PC back in January of this year. The graphics on ultra were incredible, and I loved every minute of the gameplay. I always tried to sneak around, and taking down enemies with a freaking bow was awesome! If you're looking for a game to play on your newly built or purchased PC this holiday season, look to Crysis 3 first!

Number 6: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

 Hoist the mizzen and set sail! Sorry, I know it's not national talk like a pirate day! I haven't had a chance to play Assassin's Creed III yet, so I was worried I would be completely lost when I played Assassin's Creed IV, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Bringing a whole new story to the player, you play as a swashbuckling pirate, in both traditional Assassin's Creed gameplay, as well as the all new sailing and ship battles. I loved every minute of the ship battles, and jumping from land to ship was always enjoyable!

Number 7: Deadpool

 "Explosions attract the coveted 18 to 24 year old male demographic. " This quote from Deadpool couldn't be any more correct, and there were plenty of explosions, crude jokes, and lewd comments to be in a game that knows it's a game. If you love Marvel, the mouthed merc, and tons of bloodshed, Deadpool is hands down worth a pickup! I found it to be the funniest game I played all year!

Number 8: The Cave

 This one may have passed under a lot of peoples' radars. The game is really simple, but at the same time...difficult. You pick three adventurers, and based on the ones you chose, you're given various levels to complete which can only be done by utilizing all 3 at once! The puzzles are quite challenging, and I really liked how much thinking and planning I had to do to complete each part of the cave's depths. Without a doubt a good time killer, with some comedy mixed in!

Number 9: Path of Exile

 I never played Diablo, but I did play Torchlight 1/2, both of which I really enjoyed. Path of Exile was completely different from both, in my opinion. With a pretty good story, number of side quests, and massive array of abilities, Path of Exile is a must for anyone who loved Torchlight or Diablo. I had a core group of friends who I was playing with for a few weeks, and it was a blast working together through the game. This is one no one should miss, that skill tree is amazing!

Number 10: Card Hunter

This was really a niche game that I'm sure not a lot of people played, but that I enjoyed quite a bit; especially when I was travelling. As a easy to jump in/out browser-based game, Card Hunter gives you the ability to play both Magic the Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons at the same time! I really enjoyed being able to play the game in small chunks of time, and the light humor was a great mix with the challenging single player and multiplayer modes. As stated in my review, the game had the ability for microtransactions, but was far from broken by them, causing a great and worthwhile experience.

Worst of 2013 goes to... Star Trek

This game was flat out terrible. Look, I'm a long ime Star Trek fan, but when your story is so bad that it was likely randomly generated from a website...you shouldn't release the game. On top of that, if your game is so buggy that players continually have to restart checkpoints just to fix the bug...you're still in Alpha. It wasn't that the game was unplayable, it was just extremely frustrating at times, and you would just be yelling at the characters to do what you were actually telling them to do. I've never hated a game before, but this one is the first.

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Well, that's my list for the year 2013! It's been a great year for me personally, both in gaming and life, because I couldn't be more proud of how TechRaptor is growing, and I have all of you, our readers to thank for that. Let's have a great 2014!

Do you agree with my list? Should it be ordered differently or have something removed? Leave a comment below!