Reviewers Hayden Meikle and Simon Bishop reflect on the best and the worst of gaming in 2013.
GAME OF THE YEAR
Meikle:Bioshock Infinite.
I just knew this game was going to be good - and it was even better than expected.
Gripping, original, beautiful and smooth as silk.
Bishop:The Last of Us wins it for me this year.
An emotional experience that is completely unrivalled in games.
Outstanding and gripping throughout and also my favourite game of this generation.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Meikle: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag covered familiar territory but did it extremely well.
Tomb Raider was just a whole lot of fun.
Bishop: Grand Theft Auto V wins my runner-up award this year.
It's very difficult to find things wrong with it.
A flawless, hilarious and deep experience that will give you hours and hours of entertainment.
XCOM Enemy Within also built on the superb experience Enemy Unknown offered last year.
PLEASANT SURPRISES
Meikle: Diablo 3 worked really well ported to console.
And, whisper it quietly, but Farming Simulator was quaintly well done.
Bishop: Metro Last Light was a game I had barely heard of prior to release and it blew me away.
An atmospheric and great-looking shooter, set in a completely believable post-apocalyptic world.
A underappreciated classic.
Devil May Cry was also surprisingly good.
HARDLY WORTH IT
Meikle: Gears of War: Judgement was a pretty disappointing addition to a great series.
And Star Trek was basically awful.
Bishop: Aliens Colonial Marines.
If you look in the dictionary for ''missed potential'', you'll see this game.
Could have been so much better with the addition of some little things.
GAMES WE WISH WE'D PLAYED
Meikle: Still haven't played Grand Theft Auto V - and, yes, I'm a little embarrassed to say that.
Also need to try The Last Of Us.
And Battlefield 4.
And Injustice: Gods Among Us.
And God of War: Ascension.
Bishop: I played almost everything I wanted to play this year, but games like Rayman Legends and Tomb Raider will be ones I'll check out in the future.
BEST SPORTS GAME
Meikle: Always a tough decision for me.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, Madden 25 and Fifa 14 all had their moments.
NHL 14 was impressive.
MLB 13: The Show was extremely well made.
Rugby Challenge 2 was a real mix of excitement and infuriating awfulness, but the game to rule them all was NBA 2K 14.
Just stunning.
Bishop: Madden 25 for me, especially on the new PS4.
Looks unbelievable, and plays just as well as it looks.
BEST DRIVING GAME
Meikle: I'm sure it WOULD have been Forza Motorsport 5 if I had got an Xbox One.
So I'll have to go with Gran Turismo 6.
Nothing radically new but it looks impressive.
Bishop: It's been a slow year for driving games, I'd say Gran Turismo 6 is the winner.
It's far from a perfect experience but in my opinion it's better overall as a package than Forza 5, which just feels like an upscaled demo.
BEST CHILDREN'S GAME
Meikle: Animal Crossing: New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS.
Bishop: Ratchet and Clank Nexus, a return to form for the famed franchise.
Hoping they build on this for the inevitable next game.
MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES IN 2014
Meikle: Watch Dogs. Looks very nice.
And hopefully Don Bradman Cricket will honour the great man's name.
Bishop: Watch Dogs, Titanfall, the new Uncharted PS4 game, whatever Rockstar Games comes out with (a new Red Dead maybe, or a Bully?).
It is looking like another blockbuster year.
