As we look back at 2013, overall it's hard not to judge it as an incredible year. We saw the launch of two next generation consoles in the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. We saw the release of over 300 cooperative titles including several monster games like Diablo 3 on consoles, PAYDAY 2, FUSE, and several others.
But overall it's hard not to be disappointed with the crop of AAA games in 2013. There were very few if any original co-op titles released, with most being sequels that ended up being a little more than expansion packs. That's not to say titles like Saints Row IV or Dead Island Riptide aren't great games, they just didn't rise to the top for us. Of course stinkers like Aliens: Colonial Marines, as big a deal as the release was, the game was one of the worse in recent memory.
Thankfully indie games have once again filled the void left by the major releases. Filling us with joy for under $20 we saw the release of Monaco: What's Yours is Mine after years. Newcomers like Risk of Rain, Hammerwatch, and Foul Play all managed to charm us.
So once again we split our Game of the Year awards between the two - AAA and Indie. We've got two winners this year of the coveted Golden Fitty award as chosen by the staff. Alongside those picks comes our community picks as well.
Community PicksThe way we picked the list of games the community could vote on this year was driven by the staff. Basically there were 20 slots for games. 20 possible choices to be on the list. Each staff member nominated two games and those got put on the total list of possible games for the year. The end result for both AAA and Indie were less than ten games each. It's obvious there were fewer memorable co-op experiences this year than previous.
AAA Community Vote WinnerIt was a close one but Diablo 3 edged out PAYDAY 2.
This was another close one, but Monaco edged out Risk or Rain for the community pick.
Diablo 3 was an easy choice for the staff as our co-op Game of the Year. Blizzard took what was a rough start for a PC game and turned it into a masterful couch and online co-op experience. The tweaks and changes made this an almost entirely different game.
Diablo 3 was the only game that just about every staff member nominated to be on the list. It really embodied everything that makes a great co-op game - character building, story, teamwork, trading, and customization. All while being available in your living room with family, online with friends, or both.
Indie Co-Op Game of the YearOur indie game winner for co-op game of the year was a little less clear cut, but not by much. Monaco: What's Yours is Mine had a long path to release but once we got our hands on it earlier this year we knew that Andy Schatz had delivered on his promise.
Monaco embodies not only what makes a great co-op game, but what makes a great indie game. It does well to set itself apart from other titles out there, offers a unique visual style, and keeps gameplay memorable. The staff had many great play sessions with Monaco and I'm sure there will be many more.
So there you have it. Another year in the books. Looking into 2014 it looks like it might be another quiet year, but we expect a big showing at E3 2014 this year to give us a glimpse into the Fall release schedule. Our fingers are crossed!