Path of Exile – Most Surprising Game 2013
Platform: PC
Publisher: Grinding Gear Games
Developer: Grinding Gear Games
Where the hell did these amazing games come from? Every year, there's a slew of titles that hang below the radar and don't gain much attention until they're officially released much later in the year. The vast majority of them are indie titles or new IPs. Both Brothers and Blood Dragon came out of left field, amazing us in almost completely different ways. The Stanley Parable's existential twist on gameplay knock us off our laurels, and BandFuse was a more than legitimate answer to Ubisoft's Rocksmith series.
On top of the list, though, is Path of Exile. While it's been in development for many years, it fixes nearly everything that fans didn't like about the initial release of Diablo III, particularly its real-money auction system and lack of endgame content. It introduces innovative concepts from FF7 in its gem system, has a ridiculously expansive skill tree, supports the competitive community with a season of events, and effectively brings the gameplay from Diablo II that many hardcore fans wanted from a sequel in the first place. And it does this all while being free-to-play. From an indie developer in New Zealand, Path of Exile is an incredible feat and one of the best surprises this year.
Runners Up:
