By: Katelyn Summers ~Copy Editor~

The top five games of 2013 range from major name titles to indie games as this past year was extremely broad in what it had to offer gamers of all types.

With a year full of diverse gaming experiences, narrowing this list down to five was a challenge. Regardless, these games have well earned their place in the top five.

5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo) Nintendo decided to change things up a bit with this new chapter of “The Legend of Zelda” franchise. The game is played as a top-down RPG, similar to the classic “The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.” The game’s major aspect is Link’s ability to become a picture on the wall, changing the 2D world into a 3D world that players can interact with.

4.Papers, Please (Lucas Pope) Indie game developer, Lucas Pope, has given gamers a new format for making moral choices as well as fun and challenging game-play. In “Papers, Please,” you play as an immigration inspector at a border checkpoint for your country, Arstotzka. While you look for discrepancies in immigrant’s paperwork, you must also choose to either separate families, take bribes and even assist an underground uprising. All of these choices impact you and your family, who you must keep fed, warm and healthy by earning money.

3. Pokémon X & Y (Nintendo): Fans around the world finally have the Pokémon game they’ve been dreaming for. “Pokémon X and Y” features an extensive amount of new gameplay features that have dramatically changed the way Pokémon is played. X and Y’s most exciting aspects are the battle animations and the interactions between trainer and Pokémon. Battles consist of fully animated Pokémon in a 3D plane, giving the look that we as fans have been wanting since the Blue and Red days. “Pokémon-Amie” is a new feature that allows you to play, feed and pet your Pokémon, building a stronger bond that eventually shows itself in battle.

2. Bioshock Infinite (Irrational Games): This game gripped most players from the very first moment. The gameplay is similar to the first two “Bioshock” games but the format of storytelling is drastically different, causing most fans to separate “Bioshock Infinite” and the other two “Bioshock” games into different categories.

If you’re looking for a game with fantastic game-play and a story that will have you thinking for weeks on end, this is the game for you.

1. The Last of Us (Naughty Dog): “The Last of Us” is not simply a zombie shooter. It is a story of heartbreak, struggle and survival told at its best. You follow Joel as he escorts young Ellie to safety. Most of the game takes place 20 years after the outbreak of a fungal virus that whipped out a majority of the population, turning them into zombie-like creatures.

Many players will tell you that “The Last of Us” had them crying within the first 10 minutes of the game and that they were emotionally invested from that point forward. The game incorporates different styles of gameplay, ranging from stealth to puzzle-solving. Most importantly, this game has changed the way stories can be told through the lens of video games.