It’s been a hell of a year for Xbox gamers. Whilst the 360 was still going from strength to strength, we also had the small announcement that a new console would be with us and indeed the Xbox One soon showed up. There were also games galore ranging from the super great big sellers, to the little known strugglers. TXH was also born and it’s only fitting that we have a look back at a couple of gaming milestones from 2013 and talk briefly about what we hope to see in 2014.
Best game (X1 or Xbox 360) of 2013 –
Neil – For me it’s quite a simple question really. From the very beginning I’ve been a big fan of the Saints Row series but SRIV took things on a whole notch for me. It’s always been a ‘fun’ version of GTA with so many memorable moments (honestly, the joy I had when playing the Insurance Fraud mini game for the first time will stay with me forever), and battering someone round the head with inflatable sex toys can only happen in Saints Row, but Saints Row IV was even crazier than its predecessors. It doesn’t have the outstanding graphics that we really should have witnessed but what it lacks in graphical prowess, it more than makes up for in terms of all round great gameplay. The addition of superpowers brings it much more in line with one of my favourite ever Xbox 360 games, Crackdown, and if you throw in the addition of the collectible ‘clusters’ we see Saints Row IV hitting all the right buttons for me. GTA V was good as was COD: Ghosts and on the Xbox One, Forza 5, but Saints Row IV beats them all hands down for sheer fun! There’s also an absolute shed load of cracking DLC pieces to pick up as well. If you haven’t yet picked it up, have a read of our Saints Row IV review and then get yourself down to your local games shop pronto!
James – I’m struggling to decide between two of the most entertaining games of this year so I reckon it’d be best to go for one on each console. Xbox 360 it had to be Rayman Legends for not only its natural artwork beauty but the large array of levels both old and new on offer. I wasn’t a huge fan before this; however the addictive nature of completing levels and replaying them with the same amount of fun as on your first attempt certainly stole the show. My Xbox One choice is a game I absolutely crucified for the online problems it faced in the launch weeks. Luckily for FIFA 14, EA eventually ironed out the issues to give football fans a simulation title that will be hard to beat next year. Nothing beats playing with mates in the same team versus other teams online in Pro Clubs, arguably the best feature in any football game.
Worst Game of 2013 –
James – I dare anyone who has played Farming Simulator to convince me they have played worse in the past year. There is little to be excited about in a bland world of slow moving vehicles, erratic egg laying chickens and riding across fields for what feels like days. I don’t know who would enjoy the endless boredom and watching your money drain away unless you make a long journey to the local shop to sell five hours worth of hard work for £10. Maybe it’s too true to life; in that case I salute farmers worldwide for doing what they do!
Neil – You see, at this point I could easily mention Cubicity as my worst game of 2013. But I won’t for three reasons. Firstly it’s an Xbox Live Indie title and with that tag you half expect games to have a problem or two. The developers don’t have the massive funding that the big AAA titles get (or even the bog standard AA games manage), and alot of them are for the most part ‘bedroom projects’. Secondly, Cubicity is broken. It was a title I reviewed and what I played I enjoyed, it’s just that I couldn’t play too much because of bugs and errors that should never have got it through the peer testing. We’ve been contacted by the devs and they are working on a fix, so with this in mind I’ll take another look at the game in 2014. Oh and thirdly, the final reason that Cubicity doesn’t get my worst game of 2013 award is because of a certain cycling title. Tour De France 2013 – 100th Edition is absolute tosh. There’s no other word for it (well, there are a few words but I wouldn’t want to use any of them in a family environment)! I’m a big cycling fan, having been hit by the bug 18 months or so ago. I love watching the Grand Tours and am frequently found participating in sportives across the southern half of this great country. I’m also a big gamer but even with all that in mind, the Tour De France 2013 is one of, if not THE, most boring mindnumbingly tedious game I’ve ever played. If you see it for 50p in a bargain bin, still think twice about picking it up.
Most important news article of 2013 –
Neil – There is one news article that stands out above all else when it comes to ‘importantness’ throughout the whole of 2013. Whilst the original announcement of a new console was quite pleasing, the news hitting the world on the 4th September would blow everything else away in my mind. It was the day we finally had a concrete release date for the new Xbox One console. It was the day in which we could finally start our countdowns until the next generation was with us. TXH was still in it’s infancy back then, but the excitement running through my veins when I managed to hit that ‘publish’ button only resurfaced when I got to switch the actual console on for the first time. 2013 was always going to be a good year for Xbox gaming, but come 4th September, the year turned great.
James – A good bargain these days is hard to find, so Games with Gold is a brilliant scheme that sees a set of titles released each month that have been hits or even just little time consuming XBLA games. Whilst it was brilliant to hear it’d continue on the 360 and in the New Year will be in effect on Xbox One in some capacity which is win/win for everyone. Despite all the moaners you really shouldn’t complain at FREE stuff……chances are you have enough games already.
Most looking forward to in 2014 –
James – For years I have yearned for a shooter to fill a CoD Modern Warfare shaped hole in my gaming heart which might become whole again in 2014 with Titanfall. Seeing as the developers once had a hand in the greatest CoD game ever, I’m hoping with a new IP they can recreate the magic. Titanfall looks like a Halo/Battlefied/Crysis/CoD hybrid and if done properly then destroying things on foot or in a mech Titan will be a blast. The hype is at an all time high and the more I see the more I believe it’ll live up to expectations.
Neil – There will no doubt be some big racer or sandboxer announced in 2014, but if there’s one game I’m looking forward to above those that have already been announced, then it has to be The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I must have played all the Spidey games on the 360 with the majority of them being pretty average at best, but that was until The Amazing Spider-Man came along, threw away everything we had come to expect from our favourite web-slinger and instead went the way of Batman and the Arkham series. There was for the first time, a properly decent swinging mechanic, a nice load of collectibles and just the right number of minigames and side missions to keep things interesting whenever you wanted to move away from the, quite frankly, superb main story. The second one is therefore right at the front of things I want to play in 2014 and I fully expect it to receive rave reviews the world over. Here’s hoping anyway!
What would we like to see in 2014 –
Neil – I’m quite easy as to what I’d like to see in 2014 but it won’t be long before I need another racer, preferably from Codemasters as they seem to have struck gold where four wheels is concerned. Something along the lines of the Dirt series would be nice with some proper hardcore rallying thrown in and as long as they give me more of that then I will be happy. Oh, and Saints Row V would be a lovely little surprise but I’m not holding my breath on that one.
James – I expect we’ll see a collection of Kinect titles that may actually change the negative opinions some have on the motion tech. For me I just want to go back to having a good old singing game that can bring joy to families and friends especially at parties. The likes of Lips and Rock Band faded out but I want these rejuvenated on Next Gen using more responsive equipment and a bigger catalogue of music. Let’s not lose sight of games that are fun, make you look a bit silly and are often ten times better after a glass of wine.
See you all in 2014!
