The title sums it up entirely. I would give the award to.... Well I have no opinion because my game library is A) Small, (like 6-7 games) B) Has no new games from 2013. So.... GOOOO!
Bioshock Infinite is my top runner. That or Assassins Creed IV Black Flag.
Bioshock Infinite's my pick. In retrospect it failed to deliver on many promises but it didn't matter too much because it was still an extremely solid title. Lots of really subtle storytelling along side a refreshing backdrop. I sat down and played it all in one sitting I was that immersed. Unhealthy I know but I felt it was worth it.
GTA V is my runner up just for its content value, some really cool missions alongside a very content heavy story plus an ever expanding online mode that can really envelop players.
I don't think it was intended to be impacting, it's rather nonsensical and that's not entirely a bad thing. On the online aspect, you're right about it not being fun without friends. Playing with friends online can result in some of the craziest hi-jinks though.
It's hard for me to pick one game that topped all of them, but I can think of a few very good ones.
Gone Home: This game had a story that was seemingly very simple, but it was presented so well and all of the details were so carefully crafted that it ended up being one of the best told through gaming I've ever seen. From being able to pick up everything in the house to see what significance it might have to learning about the character you play as through subtle descriptions and icons, this game was a big milestone for storytelling in video games.
Animal Crossing New Leaf: This game managed to vastly improve a long running and well loved series without breaking anything core to the experience, something that is difficult to do these days (looking at you Halo 4.) It stuck to the same core gameplay elements and values while improving on every little detail, creating a game that was unexpectedly better than any of its past iterations.
Bioshock Infinite: A strong, brain twisting story with great gunplay and a superb theme. While a few things were stolen from the original, it was another good step forward for storytelling in games and a great edition to a fantastic series.
None of these truly reach what I would consider a Game of the Year status, but they each did something very right. There were no games that IMO did something so outstanding that they soared above the rest, but there were still a lot of good games and it was the end year of a console generation.
Of course I haven't heard of 2 of these titles.MY TOP 3 PICKS:
STANLEY PARABLE
TOWERFALL
DUST: AN ELYSIAN TALE
(HIPSTER GLASSES INTENSFY)
The stanley parable was absolutely amazingMY TOP 3 PICKS:
STANLEY PARABLE
TOWERFALL
DUST: AN ELYSIAN TALE
(HIPSTER GLASSES INTENSFY)