by Matthew Milewski
Opinions Editor
5. Little Inferno (PC, Wii U): What seems at first like a shallow match-two game gradually transforms into both a critique of social games and an uplifting meditation on mortality. The gameplay of Little Inferno is rather simple – you burn a variety of objects in a fireplace – but it contains some great social commentary. For example, when the game makes you wait minutes for more objects to burn, it asks if this is really the way one should be spending their time. I’d rather not spoil other aspects, but suffice to say that Little Inferno is one of the year’s smartest and most interesting games.
4. Mass Effect 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U): A disappointing ending aside, Mass Effect 3 serves as an excellent capstone to the acclaimed trilogy. Mass Effect 3 does well to provide satisfying conclusions to each character’s story, in addition to a smattering of highly memorable moments. This is not to mention the much-enhanced gameplay, which improves the more action-oriented focus from Mass Effect 2 while bringing some of the nuance in customization back from Mass Effect.
3. Spec Ops: The Line (PC, Xbox 360, PS3): Initially appearing to be little more than your standard military shooter, Spec Ops turns into a brilliant subversion of the genre. The game has Delta Squad, a three-person team of soldiers, descend into the madness of Dubai, where a series of sandstorms has damaged much of the area. Delta Squad (and by proxy the player) deteriorate both mentally and physically over the course as they perform a number of atrocities that I refuse to spoil here. Suffice it to say, Spec Ops: The Line changed my perspective on modern military shooters in a big way, and also features no small critique of imperialism and the military as well.
2. The Walking Dead (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, iOS): The Walking Dead game is superior to the show in every conceivable way, and has one of the most engrossing zombie stories I can personally recall. It also is deserving of special mention for how it effectively allows the player to craft a distinct personality for its main character over the course of five episodes, providing a personal element that only games are capable of.
1. Hotline Miami (PC): Similarly to Spec Ops: The Line, Hotline Miami’s differs in that its topic is more broad – violence in games in general. Presented as a top-down shooter soaked in 1980s hues and excess, Hotline Miami is unflinching in its depiction of violence, which is harsh and unrelenting. With its emphasis on multiple retries and it’s pulsing, fantastic, but ultimately distancing soundtrack, Hotline Miami pulls up the current on your swath of carnage at the end of each mission, with your terrible actions staring you directly in the face.
Honorable Mentions: Mark of the Ninja (PC, Xbox 360), Halo 4 (Xbox 360), Max Payne 3(PC, Xbox 360, PS3), XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PC, Xbox 360, PS3), Fez (Xbox 360)