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Guess it’s that time of year for GOTY blogs…. Seriously, kind of snuck up on me this year!  (may also have a separate blog for anime/streaming anime of the year. We shall see).

I’m in a bit of a weird spot this year, hesitated to post a GOTY blog altogether in fact. Let me explain (briefly) why- as a gamer, my taste has evolved quite a bit over the past 2 years. So much so that I’ve started to prioritize visual novels and imports over what one might consider to be ‘mainstream’, or I guess even a better word would be ‘recognizable’ games. Seems I’ve gone through a bit of an evolution, part and parcel the reason why I don’t blog as much anymore, I suppose, since I’m sure some of the games I’d blog about, no one would care about much less recognize.

Anyways. When it comes to making a GOTY blog, I’m a little confused I suppose- is it better to list my ACTUAL GOTY top 5, or should I post only games that are console/handheld, localized, and that everyone might have a chance in heck of recognizing?

So I’ve come to a decision. This year I’ll still post a GOTY blog ‘like usual’, as in- only localized, at least partially recognizable games will make this list.
I have decided to include a separate section of my favorite import games, and a separate section for my favorite visual novels (which are either PC/IOS) just to satisfy that other part of what I’ve come to describe as my ‘gaming personality’.

Ok, explanation done, let’s get to the good stuff.

GOTY Top 5

5. Time and Eternity (PS3) aka Toki Towa

Yes, I know this game gets a pretty bad rap, but I quite enjoyed it. Enough to get platinum, in any case. For the record- Towa > Toki. *nods* (Status: 100% complete, platinum)

4. Phoenix Wright- Dual Destinies (3DS)

My first foray into the Phoenix Wright series, and want to thank those of you who pushed me to give it a shot, knowing my pentient for the visual novel genre. Definitely need to go back and purchase the previous games in the series, in fact, have already started doing so. (Status: 50% complete)

3. SMT IV (3DS) TIED with Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS)

Admittedly not my favorite SMT/Persona games, but definitely good enough to make my GOTY…. I mean, how could an SMT/Persona NOT make my GOTY list? Would be blasphemy. Yes indeed. And NO its not a cop out putting them together, they truly did ‘tie’ :D *shifty eyes* (Status: 30%ish complete SMTIV, 100% complete SMT Soul Hackers)

2. Pokemon XY (3DS)

Surprised me a bit, how much I still enjoy Pokemon. Something I’ll never ‘grow out of’, I suppose :) Favorite pokemon of this gen- bit of a hard question, but I give it to Meowstick (above), ha :) (Status: Defeated Elite Four, currently completing pokedex/doing ‘extra’ stuff/training my ultimate team for tourneys etc)

1.Tales of Xillia (PS3)

I have spent 450 composite hours on ToX (import), ToX2 (import) and ToX (localized). My favorite Tales game of the series so far, and definitely could NOT be beaten this year. So looking forward to ToX2, tis not even funny. (not to mention: ToS/ToS2 remaster, and ZESTIRIAAAAAAAA). *coughs* (Status: 100% complete, platinum)

Honorable Mentions: Disgaea D2 (if only because I’ve only had a chance to play a bit of it)
                                         Project X Zone (surprised it got localized, extremely ambitious)

(Special section- games that likely could’ve been GOTY candidates IF I HAD GOTTEN AROUND TO PLAYING THEM….)

Guided Fate Paradox (PS3)
Rune Factory IV (3DS)
Hometown Story (3DS)

 

Visual Novel section

PC visual novels. Since January 2013, one of the mainstays of my gaming library. So much so it’s pushed out other genres, such as the JRPG, which remains near and dear to my heart… yet I find myself having less and less time to actually dedicate to those games, since my foray into the PC gaming library. Of course, delves into my love for otome games, marketed towards female gamers in particular; but the visual novel genre is vast, and have a few other mentions as well.

Definitely my favorite of this year- Nameless, a Korean import otome by Cheritz. You would NOT BELIEVE the amount of time (and money I’ve spent buying extra merch) I’ve invested in this game.

Also have to mention I played Dandelion this year (although it was a 2012 release, so technically shouldn’t be mentioning it here, picked it up at AX)… which was an absolute delight to play- again, a Korean import otome by Cheritz. Might’ve even just been the game to push me over the edge into the realm of visual novels (and otome games), and thus commencing my betrayal of JRPG/console games. Yep, blame Dandelion folks.

Also absolutely LOVED If My Heart Had Wings, a translated Japanese visual novel (from Moe Novel, originally by PullTop). Just completed it a few days ago, in fact. NOT an otome- this one’s a harem type, more your typical visual novel (keep in mind the localized version my Moe Novel had all the H scenes removed, although there is a fan patch somewhere out there which I didn’t even bother to download). Anyhoo. Really good, would highly recommend despite the grumblings about censorship blah blah blah (I prefer my visual novels with some of the more explicit scenes removed. I know, call me crazy. Just how I am; maybe more common with girls in any case).

Amnesia V and Diabolik Lovers V, two more otome games for the Vita by Otomate which are Japanese imports- just got these two on the 24^th so I cannot comment as of yet… but. I absolutely cannot wait, despite the crazy translation process mumbo jumbo I’ll have to attempt to understand the intricate details, ha….

Other mentions- X Note and Area X by Zeiva Inc (although X note and Train of Afterlife is older, again a title I played this year) and a bunch more which I have yet to even play :D

Imports section

Hard to believe ToX was my first import game, way back in 2012, and ToX2 my second import game. DEFINITELY got me hooked on importing, as my Japanese has improved GREATLY- what with a constant deluge of anime and said import games, I couldn’t help but learn the language. Add to that the correspondence course I’ve taken, and well. Although still not absolutely stellar, my Japanese is what I’d call ‘game and anime worthy’. As in- I can get by.

This year. Exstetra (Vita). Definitely would have should have and could have been in my GOTY this year. Although I’m only about 10-20% through it (just came out in November, don’t yell at me :D) I adore it.

I count all of my import visual novels in this section as well, although I’m not going to summarize them again- see above if interested.

 

Seems I have come to the end of my GOTY 2013 blog. If I had to pick my favorite game this year, from any of the above categories…. I can definitely say, it would be Nameless. VERY CLOSE runner up is Xillia, as both of these games made me feel like I never wanted to put them down. Play for just one more hour. Get to the next dialogue option and then I promise I’ll quit. Just to the next save point, I swear. It is this feeling, ladies and gentleman, that sense of total immersement, that loss of sense of time… That is the reason I continue to play games, and will likely never, ever, quit (despite potential changes in favorite genre, the aforementioned ‘evolution’ of my gamer self).

Have not quite decided yet, but may choose to do an extra 2013 blog on my favorite streaming anime… but just in case, next blog…. Looking ahead to 2014. Stay tuned….