New Games |
- Trio of James Bond games disappear from Steam
- The Ship developers speak out on failed Kickstarter drive
- MAGFest: Destructoid Live panel was awesome
- The Network Roundup: MAGnificent
- The DTOID Show: The Walking Dead, Bioshock & Evil Patents
- Watch this amazing FemShep cosplay come to life
- Hope springs eternal: First look at MLB 13 The Show
- What's YOUR most anticipated game of 2013?
- This weekend on Dtoid TV: Leaving for CES 2013
- War for the Overworld brings back Dungeon Keeper gameplay
- Review: A New Beginning: Final Cut
- Destructoid's most wanted games of 2013
| Trio of James Bond games disappear from Steam Posted: 04 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST The folks at NeoGamr recently picked up on the fact that PC copies of three Activision-published Bond games have been pulled from digital distributors like Steam. The outlet says it has since confirmed with sources that this removal was due to the license expiring, though the company doesn't appear to have issued a statement yet. Either way, the three titles -- Quantum of Solace, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, and 007 Legends -- are currently unavailable on the aforementioned services. Regrettably, none of these are known for their quality, particularly not that last one, so you can't be too sad. It's a disappointing time to be a game-playing Bond fan, but maybe another publisher can pick up the slack. Activision loses rights to James Bond game license [NeoGamr] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Ship developers speak out on failed Kickstarter drive Posted: 04 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST And then there's the flipside of Kickstarter projects... If you'd told me that the developers behind The Ship would fail to get even 10% of their target goal for a sequel to the well-liked multiplayer game, then I would have scoffed. But it seems that even with a recognizable name, you can still fail to attract enough interest in your project. Developer Blazing Griffin seems to be philosophical about the situation: "We have put a lot of time, thought and energy into the project and will look for other ways to develop it whether its through another Kickstarter campaign at a later date or through a funding model like Natural Selection 2 / Interstellar Marines." I had thought that running a successful crowdfunded videogame project was to play on either the franchise or studio's history and hope people's nostalgia can carry them forward. That hasn't happened here but the devs are keen to still make The Ship: Full Steam Ahead but possibly do other projects beforehand. Best of luck to them and here's hoping other developers can learn from what went wrong here before launching another campaign. The Ship sequel changes course for Steam Greenlight Concepts after Kickstarter fails [Eurogamer] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MAGFest: Destructoid Live panel was awesome Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:30 PM PST Did you make it out to the Destructoid Live panel today at MAGFest? We had a great time filled with photos of corgis, name that tune, and a music video that you must absolutely see, "Fatty Boom Boom." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Network Roundup: MAGnificent Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST
Ah MAGFest. Every year I make myself a promise to be inside you, partying my brains out to a variety of video game cover bands and chiptune awesomeness. Alas, I'm sitting at home again this year, looking at images from the Modern Method Network of a seemingly amazing time. If you are at the fest, make sure to drop by the various panels, and harass your favorite Destructoid and Japanator writers about some review you disagree with. Everyone else can enjoy the above rendition of Castlevania by the Minibosses with me, and take in the compelling news developing around the network. Japanator
Flixist
Tomopop
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| The DTOID Show: The Walking Dead, Bioshock & Evil Patents Posted: 04 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST
We have a lot of news today, starting with that semi-legit fan-trailer of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct that probably made it look a lot worse that it'll actually be. Bioshock and Bioshock 2 are getting a big sassy bundle chock full of bonus stuff and Australians are now allowed to have games with boobs and drugs in them. Meanwhile, XBLA is getting Retro City Rampage, PSN is getting Demon's Souls, and Polytron says Fez might be coming to other platforms. Sony patented a thing that could block used games, and used Wii Us may be able to access previous owners' games. Video games, you guys. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Watch this amazing FemShep cosplay come to life Posted: 04 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST
Project Cosplay is a pretty great YouTube series that showcases cosplayers creating their outfits. This latest episode features Crystal Graziano who presents one of the best looking female Shepard outfits I've seen to date. What makes the series extra special is that Steve Wang, Hollywood effects master, gives a critique on people's outfits to help make the custom creations all the better. [Thanks, Tripp!] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hope springs eternal: First look at MLB 13 The Show Posted: 04 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST
It's a new year, a time for new beginnings. Soon the ice shall begin to retreat, birds and leaves will return to the trees, and each passing day will bring us closer and closer to the most joyous time of year. I'm talking about baseball season, of course. Sure, it's still January and Opening Day seems so very far away, but I'm sure it'll be April first before we know it. Ah, who am I kidding? This is going to seem like an eternity. In the meantime, here's a trailer for MLB 13 The Show. That'll help you while away a good fifty seconds or so. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What's YOUR most anticipated game of 2013? Posted: 04 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Earlier today, the Destructoid staff made our choices for most wanted games of 2013. Now it's time for you to share YOUR favorites! Hit the jump to cast your votes, and be sure to let us know in the comments what you're looking forward to! And if you want to see a game added to the list, feel free to sound off! Have fun!
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| This weekend on Dtoid TV: Leaving for CES 2013 Posted: 04 Jan 2013 10:35 AM PST I'm getting ready to head out to Vegas this Sunday to cover a bit of CES 2013, so, I don't really have anything big planned for this evening's show. However, we'll still be doing our regular Friday night thing at Mash Tactics, where we get together, and play a variety of multiplayer games with the live crowd. You'll just have to tune in and find out what's going down! We also have a full weekend of awesome live gaming content going down as usual this weekend. Check it out! As well, don't forget to keep an eye out for the TigerDirect Charity PC Race 2013 finals, being broadcasted live from CES 2013 in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, January 8th. If you're in the area, be sure to come say hi, otherwise don't miss the event on Dtoid.TV! Check out our full schedule for the weekend:
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| War for the Overworld brings back Dungeon Keeper gameplay Posted: 04 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST
If you're looking at the current batch of Kickstarter projects as a way for people to bring back genres and titles that have fallen from favour over recent years, then War for the Overworld might interest you. If you've been hankering for an updated version of Dungeon Keeper then this game might answer your prayers. It's got the top-down dungeon building of old and also an interesting first-person "possession" mode where the player can take control of an imp and can challenge warriors or just mine to their heart's content. Developer Subterranean Games reached its Kickstarter goal with plenty of time to spare for some stretch goals. While you're at it, you can vote for War for the Overworld on Steam's Greenlight service. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Review: A New Beginning: Final Cut Posted: 04 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST I've just saved the planet, and I couldn't be less enthused about it. A New Beginning is a self-styled eco-thriller with a spot of time travel and science fiction thrown in for good measure. It launched in Europe a couple of years ago, but more recently it received the translation treatment and was added to Steam in the form of a new version, Final Cut. This final version doesn't exactly live up to the name, unfortunately, and clearly needed a lot more work. 2012 was a pretty wonderful year for the adventure genre, and this only makes the title's glaring flaws all the more obvious and hard to swallow. There are occasional bright spots to be found within it, however, though it's unlikely they will help anyone to overlook the numerous faults.
A New Beginning: Final Cut (Mac, PC) The future is bleak. Isn't it always? Mankind is on the brink of extinction and a solar flare is about to wipe out the few remaining humans. Living underground, the residents of this apocalyptic world have come up with a zany scheme to save the world. It's time they took the "final step. The step back... to the past!" And with that cringe-worthy line the game chugs along, spewing out atrocious dialogue like it was going out of style. The plan, known as the Phoenix Plan (subtle), is to stop climate change and to get people to use algae instead of oil and nuclear power. A scientist from the '80s, Bent Svensson -- rocking a groovy porno mustache -- is roped into helping, and players are treated to ten or so hours of terrible pacing, energy mogul caricatures, and a lot of moaning. Oh yes, and they will have to hear the word algae repeated over, and over, and over again. Algae can bugger right off, at this point. Characters generally fall into two camps -- detestable, or just plain stupid. There's some exceedingly forced character development, but it's quite hard to spot amid the dozens of schizophrenic, inconsistent buffoons that litter the game. These inconsistencies are noticeable almost straight away. During the prologue, Bent Svensson -- who has dedicated his entire life to developing a clean source of renewable energy -- laments the rise of pollution. He doesn't even like to kill fish, yet kills a bird with a machine that essentially poisons the avian bystander. His reaction is to not care at all, and he even mocks someone for feeling bad for the wee, dead fella. What a guy! He's the hero of the tale, by the way.
Honestly, I'm the sort of lazy "idiot" the game criticizes frequently. I don't bother to recycle, and I moan a lot about expensive energy-saving light bulbs, but I am interested in intelligent adventure games and hard science-fiction, which A New Beginning purports to be. It is neither of those things. The game's message is utterly inane and deals with the complex issue of climate change with the sophistication of an infant. It is very clear that the developers think that their message is important, and they go so far as to break the fourth wall and point out that a science-fiction thriller can make a difference. Maybe it can, but not this one. There certainly isn't a requirement to be environmentally minded to play the game, though, since even environmentalists will find the experience to be incredibly oversimplified.
When I think of time travel and adventure games I get all flustered. It's a combination ripe with possibilities and creative solutions to puzzles, thus I couldn't wait to see what Daedalic had in store for us. Not bloody much, apparently. It's employed twice in the whole game, but mentioned a hell of a lot, usually by Fay, one of the game's two protagonists, as she tries to tell everyone that she's from the future, so she knows stuff. World shattering stuff. There are no Day of the Tentacle-style puzzles here, that's for sure. In fact, there are no puzzles at all which involve the use of time travel. Baffling. Utterly baffling. Compared to the dialogue, the terrible story is award worthy. Daedalic needs to fire their translation team and their QA testers, because anyone with even a basic understanding of English would have been able to spot countless errors just within the first fifteen minutes. Sometimes it seemed like there was a mistake every time someone uttered a word. More often than not, the same mistakes reappear constantly, and the text frequently fails to match the audio. In a genre unfortunately known for poor voice acting, A New Beginning takes the cake. Without fail, every single character proves to be incapable of sounding like an actual human being, or even a believable facsimile. I don't know if it was due to the poor writing, bad direction, or just doing it all in one take, but the whole thing just ends up being an auditory crime.
Fay is one of the worst offenders, in great part due to her being the most vocal character. In a ruined archive in the middle of a decaying San Francisco of the future, Fay manages to sound like she's having an orgasm not once, but two times. This would have been fine if the game had turned into a more blue adventure, but sadly this was not the case. In one instance it is the voice actor's interpretation of someone falling down mid-sentence, the other is just her trying to say "umm" when she's confused by an irritating computer program. Call me childish, but I found it hysterical. I suspect that this was not the reaction the developers had hoped for. In the puzzles there is some respite to be found, thankfully. Some verge on convoluted, but overall I found them to be organic, logical, and sometimes even quite clever. I must confess that a few stumped me, and I was really forced to wrack my brain for a solution. That doesn't happen very often in modern adventures. Lamentably, they do become somewhat repetitive, often devolving into twisting something and sticking it somewhere; the result is they aren't as satisfying or imaginative as they could have been. Regardless, they are a breath of fresh air at a time when puzzles often get far less attention than the narrative among A New Beginning's contemporaries.
The biggest issue with the puzzles is that I didn't really feel motivated to figure them out. I didn't care about progressing through the story, and I dreaded having to listen to any more offensively bad dialogue. If I hadn't been reviewing it, I'm sure I would have either skipped some of them (the trickier ones have this option) or tried to find a walkthrough. Actually, if I hadn't been reviewing it, I would have stopped playing after an hour. If I'd given up, I would have missed a lot of the absolutely gorgeous artwork, though. The hand-painted backgrounds and pleasing character art are by far and wide the best thing about A New Beginning. Detailed, striking, and full of color -- it's hard to believe that the rest of the game appears to be such a half-arsed effort. I'm afraid to say that this highlight is marred by extremely poor animation that makes the stop motion animation of The Lost World or King Kong look completely fluid and seamless. The cutscenes also compare very unfavorably to the regular art work, attempting to mimic a confused comic strip. These comic-style scenes are also rife with hilariously awful lip syncing that leads to most characters doing curious impressions of fish.
The German-language version -- which was the original -- is meant to be better, but alas I know about ten words in German so I really cannot confirm or deny this. It does strike me that the worst aspects of the game are due to the terrible effort made by the translation team and English-speaking voice actors, though. If you are truly desperate for good puzzles and sumptuous art, then you could do worse than play A New Beginning, but I found it impossible to look past the many issues and really enjoy the few things it manages to do right. There are too many superior adventure games to count, and it's not even one of the better games with an environmental message. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Destructoid's most wanted games of 2013 Posted: 04 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Everyone basically says this at the beginning of every year, but I'm going to say it anyway: 2013 is going to be the best year in gaming! That statement turns out to be a hit or miss depending on a number of circumstances, but it's hard to deny that we're in for a killer year thanks to what's on the horizon. Forget about the more than likely new generation of gaming consoles that might be released this year. We're at the prime of the current-gen life cycle, and if you doubt that for one second just look at the games we've listed below. This time around, the various editors at Destructoid went about and picked their ONE most wanted game of 2013. We're all obviously looking forward to multiple games, but these are the ones each editor wants so bad that it hurts. HURTS!
DmC: Devil May Cry (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) It's been a long and bumpy road, but Ninja Theory and Capcom's new take on the much loved Devil May Cry series is right around the corner. After the now infamous debut trailer and the immense fallout from series loyalists, DmC's chances seemed tenuous from the outset. Though the series was already known for changes in direction and tone, this new game from a Western studio seemed hard to swallow for many. As time went on and with every trailer and gameplay footage released thereafter, the game began to look better and better. Now, the game flaunts style and attitude that will even make classic Dante blush. Who would've thought? A reboot and an origin story -- DmC looks to be a familiar, but also a more mature and exuberant take on the old, while seeking to shape a new identity of its own. Though a number of skeptics still scoff and revile this reboot, it's hard to deny Ninja Theory's gumption and tenacity in the face of mounting pressure from fans. Speaking as a fan of the series who was a bit put off by Capcom's last entry, I'm more than happy to see a fresh take on the old. The recent demo has not only helped affirm my confidence in the developers, but has also won over people on the fence, and helped introduce new players to the stylish action the series is known for. With its release approaching, and the PC version (60FPS!) following the week after, only one question remains: will this reboot be able live up to the series' name? Well, you can be the judge of that. Dead Space 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Co-op? Human enemies? Dodge-rolls? A cover system? It's almost as if EA and Visceral wanted us to doubt Dead Space 3's creds when the news started pouring in. And yet, in spite of all its unnecessary gameplay "advancements," I still find myself rock-frickin'-hard for this game. Tau Volantis -- the icy planet we've been shown since the early gameplay videos -- wisely channels John Carpenter's The Thing with its harrowing, limited visibility and Necromorph-friendly piles of dusty snow, and the game's oft-touted weapon-crafting system should add a new level of variety to Isaac Clarke's classic arsenal. Who knows, maybe we'll even find a reason not to use the Plasma Cutter 100% of the time! Likewise, the addition of dungeons should make subsequent playthroughs all the more enjoyable, and, believe it or not, I'm actually excited for the optional co-op mode. At the very least, it should be fun to see the campaign through a whole new lens; but only after we finish our solo playthroughs, of course. So yeah, critics be damned! I cannot wait to revisit the Dead Space universe.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) There's a big part of me that wants to say I'm utterly sick of Metal Gear. The overblown story, picking through minutiae to try and find the next secret that Kojima teases out interminably, slowly creeping my way from one plot twist to another; these elements and their persistence within his games have made me feel like Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 upon the realization that all of it has been done before. That's why I'm so keen for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Granted, some of those elements are going to appear because that's just who Kojima is. It just wouldn't be Metal Gear otherwise. But with the introduction of the Platinum Games team to handle the gameplay mechanics, I'm hoping that what we see feels fresh and frantic and encourages combat instead of sneaking. That could be just enough of a palate cleanser to prepare us for Ground Zeroes (and, presumably, The Phantom Pain).
Rayman Legends (Wii U) If Rayman Origins saw the return of the armless and legless hero to the hearts of all true gamers, Rayman Legends looks to be the experience that puts him into the limelight. This is especially true in relation to offering Wii U fans what will surely be am amazing cooperative platformer to the new system's still paltry exclusives library. After getting some time in with Rayman Legends at PAX Prime and then being even further blown away by the awesome demo level Castle Rock, my excitement for the next Rayman game is more than palpable. It offers some really neat touchscreen implementation with Murphy, from cutting ropes to release bridges to collecting special lums for Rayman throughout certain levels. The art style is still as beautiful as ever, and even sharper thanks to 1080p output on the ol' HDTV. Rayman Legends already seems to promise the same level of difficulty and addictiveness as Origins did, just with those beautiful graphics notched up to 11. If there has been any singular reason for me to invest in a Wii U, it's because Legends will be available for it soon enough.
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) Once again, South Park makes my shortlist of most anticipated games, one season and one terrible, terrible game later. One is a reminder of South Park’s legacy on TV; the other, a reminder of its history of abysmal attempts at translating the show’s topical, scatologically-minded humor to videogames. One thing stands as true in 2013 as it did the year before: Videogames could use some more poop jokes, especially in a lengthy RPG developed by Obsidian. An E3 and two trailers later, not much is known on how Stick of Truth’s design or narrative is structured. Despite Obsidian’s hit-and-miss history, I remain optimistic about this one. As long as mechanics and faulty programming don’t get in the way of the world and story, Stick of Truth should be an obscene adventure full of literal shit storms, politically incorrect jokes that you can’t help but laugh at, and commentary on role-playing games and their ridiculous tropes. South Park always manages to walk a thin line between making fun of the things we love while still celebrating them in its own twisted way. The show has focused on videogames a couple times, but an entire uncensored game focused on parodying the role-playing genre may lead to a high as memorable as the classic Bigger, Longer & Uncut. I look forward to beating the hell out of kids with a stop sign while leveling up my “High Jew Elf.”
BioShock Infinite (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) I always wanted BioShock to adopt the Final Fantasy approach to sequels (because Square Enix got stupid) and have a series of games set in new worlds, with new stories, with shared themes. BioShock 2, in its avarice, spoiled that idea, but BioShock Infinite has come to set things right, and I couldn't be more excited. Set in a new sky city, the huge bright environments couldn't be more different from BioShock's murky Rapture, yet the core aesthetic of the series is unmistakable. Add to that a range of outstandingly freaky enemies and inventive weaponry, and you've got a game that's looking set to turn heads. Mixed in with what's sure to be solid gameplay is a narrative that lays the political commentary on a bit more blatantly than BioShock did. This could come across as tacky or bold, depending on how well it's done, but I trust the folk at Irrational Games enough to believe their story of jingoism gone wrong can entertain without having to brow-beat. In any case, its themes are certainly pertinent in an era where even the slightest disagreement with certain people can earn accusations of being "un-American." In fact, this game itself could infuriate certain members of that certain demographic. Certainly! BioShock Infinite has been a long time coming, and has seen its fair share of trouble in the development process, but it speaks of Irrational's pedigree that nobody's seriously called the game's future into doubt yet. It's almost assured this will be a good one, and I can't wait to see whether or not Irrational's able to match our expectations.
The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) It's been exactly one year since Naughty Dog revealed their first teaser trailer for The Last of Us at Spike's VGA broadcast, but I still remember how it immediately captured my imagination. While their games always look and sound fantastic, this seemed like it could have a story that would be much deeper than any Uncharted game we've seen. An unlikely pair of survivors from a disease outbreak sent endlessly running for their lives at the end of the world -- even from the first tease I knew that this game was going to suck me in. Over the past year I've seen much more of The Last of Us, and it's sure to kick down genre walls with its mix of action-adventure and survival horror, as characters Joel and Ellie have nearly nothing in the way of supplies and even less in the way of places to hide. And Naughty Dog promises that it's done away scripted events in favor of a balance-of-power system that has enemies dynamically reacting to the way that the duo is armed. And that incredible setting -- the world is desolate, gritty, and often violent, but at the same time so beautiful that it's almost unbelievable. We already know that Naughty Dog can do graphically impressive, cinematic action games, but the star this time around is story and characters. We're in for a treat this spring.
Total War: Rome II (PC) The original Rome: Total War (Yes, they did change the naming format) is arguably Creative Assembly's best game, and one of the greatest strategy games of all time. Well, it would be had they not made Total War: Shogun 2. I'm incredibly hyped-up to see the studio's planned changes, which involve a dramatic increase in scope for both its turn-based strategic and real-time tactical aspects, while reducing the amount of late-game micromanagement overload. And let's not forget that Total War games have consistently been gorgeous graphical powerhouses, matching even the AAA shooter market in scale and fidelity. Creative Assembly has even promised to finally merge naval and ground combat, allowing for real-time amphibious invasions and even more units on screen than ever before. I'm totally looking forward to finding out just how Total Rome II will get.
Pikmin 3 (Wii U) Fans of the Pikmin series have been waiting a long time for this sequel, and from what I can tell, the wait has been worth it. With new four-player co-op, new enemies, new modes of transportation, a new evocative camera system, and of course, new Pikmin, Pikmin 3 appears to be the greatest expression of the Pikmin concept to date. I was once bitter that the game was put on hold until the release of the Wii U in order to capitalize on the console's capacity for HD output. But now that I've played the game, I see that it was worth it. Pikmin has always been about a place where the cute, iconic surrealism of the Pikmin meets the harsh but beautiful "real" world that they live in, and the HD display does a lot to make that idea hit home. Though many may not see it on the surface, the Pikmin series is some of the most horrific, heart-wrenching survival games ever made. Your time, control, resources, and more are all limited. Only through managing all these limitations and making the most of every opportunity can you come out on top, which makes that feeling of victory that skilled Pikmin players have grown to love feel all sweeter when it finally comes.
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) Realistic open-world sandbox games are some of my favorites to play, and of course that means the Grand Theft Auto series is high up on my list of favorites. GTA paved the way for the genre, and I've immersed myself in every experience ever since the original. In the downtime since GTA IV, titles such as Saints Row and Sleeping Dogs have been capturing the spirit of the last-gen Grand Theft Autos. Grand Theft Auto V is looking to come back on top, though. The new game looks to be delightfully more lighthearted, promising a mix of serious and offbeat, much to the pleasure of old-school fans. What's really got me wanting to get my hands-on GTA V is the fact that you are in control of three main protagonists. Each will feature their own fleshed-out story, and certain missions will allow you to swap between characters on the fly, each offering a unique and different perspective. It's an exciting new mechanic that won't be easy to pull off, but if anyone can it's Rockstar.
The Elder Scrolls Online (PC) I know a lot of people aren't that excited for an MMO Elder Scrolls, but hear me out. Although the term "MMO" may turn people off immediately, I think there's a lot of potential here to maximize the enjoyment of the franchise. Simply put, exploring the entire continent of Tamriel wouldn't be possible in this current era unless it was a project as massively scaled as an MMO. Being able to set foot in Morrowind at any time will be an amazing experience, rich with lore built up in previous games. If Skyrim is your fancy, you'll be able to enjoy that, as well as treasured locations such as the Summerset Isles, which haven't been seen since the very first Elder Scrolls game -- Arena. The Elder Scrolls Online already has five years of development behind it, and a lot of ideas, like the design concept of a more "single-player MMO" intrigue me. There will be more instanced play and story-based sequences than pretty much every other MMO before it, which may be a huge hit if it actually works out playing like a multiplayer Elder Scrolls game.
SpyParty (PC) I am no stranger to competitive games, with many hours poured into games like Team Fortress 2, Street Fighter IV, and Dota 2. When I play SpyParty, however, something is different. There's a feeling of intense anxiety that permeates my being. You see, one player plays as a Spy at a party, while the other plays the Sniper. The Spy must accomplish a set amount of goals like swapping statues or bugging the Ambassador without getting caught by the Sniper. In other words, acting just like an AI while simultaneously accomplishing objectives. The Sniper has one bullet to take out the Spy before time runs out. Here are some examples of what runs through my head in just about every three-minute match of SpyParty: "Oh god. Did they notice that slip up?" And that's the pure beauty of SpyParty. One versus one. You against them. You have no team to fall back on, no one but yourself to depend on, and no one else to, eventually, blame. I've spent hours studying the mechanics behind the game, yet all the planning in the world cannot prepare you for the sensation and tension that fills each game of SpyParty.
Dark Souls II (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) I don't know if From Software itself could have foreseen the remarkable journey the Souls games would take. From humble beginnings to cult status to genuine success story, there's no stopping the franchise now. With a new director on board for Dark Souls II, there is some cause for concern, even if series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki is serving as a supervisor for the sequel. While it's unclear how exactly the studio will balance staying true to its roots and simultaneously reaching entirely new types of players, chances are that even if not everything is executed flawlessly, the game will still be an instant hit. There's simply nothing else like Dark Souls out on the market today, and the number of people who want to partake in its particular brand of gameplay is only growing. Forget in-game screenshots or videos -- we're hanging on every translated word when it comes to the game. Whether it ultimately fails or succeeds to meet expectations, Dark souls II will be an exciting one to watch, and hopefully play when it finally releases.
Star Wars 1313 (Platforms to be announced) Star Wars 1313 was announced right before E3 2012, and was shown off during the show with a promise of a more adult and gritty Star Wars than we're used to. Well, the demo showed us that and a whole lot more. Simply put, 1313 has some of the best-looking lighting, shadows, and particle effects I have ever seen. It looked suspiciously next-gen, even. That, mixed with the fact no targeted platforms have been announced and the game has been shown running on DirectX 11 has me thinking this might be launching on the heavily rumored next Xbox and/or PlayStation this year. Either way, 1313 is already looking like the most interesting original Star Wars game since the first Knights of the Old Republic. It's the bounty hunter game we've always wanted, and never got even when, well, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter happened. The clearly Uncharted-inspired gameplay looks fun as hell with a focus on gadgets, tools, traditional weapons, and quick-thinking. Those are things I've truly always wanted to see in a Star Wars title, and that easily makes Star Wars 1313 my most anticipated game of 2013.
The Wonderful 101 (Wii U) I wasn't too thrilled by the Wii U's teaser reveal at E3 2011, and the full reveal this past year did little to sway me. For the first time ever, I wasn't totally on board with the idea of owning a new Nintendo console. Of course, all it takes is that one game to catch a person's interest. And the Wonderful 101 was that game. It's basically Viewtiful Joe meets Pikmin. You are a superhero who recruits other heroes then leads the throng against alien invaders. Simply issue a command and watch as the heroes link their bodies together to form giant fists and swords. But even though in the demo you could only manipulate the crowd with the analog sticks, I see great potential in using the stylus to draw the appropriate forms for battle. This is the kind of colorful whimsy that made fall in love with the late Clover Studio, and I'm so glad Platinum Games has recaptured that ol' spark. I only hope other companies pay heed of Platinum's creative initiative and find ever more creative ways to use the Wii U's GamePad.
Watch_Dogs (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) As someone who loves cyberpunk and gadgets, that first trailer for Watch_Dogs really intrigued me. A man armed with nothing (for the first part at least) but a cellphone taking advantage of the interconnected strands of our digital lives, to take revenge on an unsuspecting criminal. Whilst the combat looked fairly standard, the idea of taking some of the elements of Deus Ex and Dishonored and putting them into a contemporary setting was really appealing. What's even more interesting is the tease of co-op, a second player in the E3 demo appeared to be given the role of an escort or protector. The idea of executing these sting operations as a team is really exciting. I have some concerns, though; the idea of an urban-based surveillance game seems like it might be really similar to parts of Assassin's Creed. The combat elements in Ubisoft games seems to have become fairly homogeneous, where games like Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon have ended up so similar. Will Ubisoft's "all hands on deck" approach to game development stifle any individual vision? Despite my concerns, Watch_Dogs is one of the games I'm really looking forward to in 2013.
Killzone: Mercenary (PlayStation Vita) It's been nearly a year since the PlayStation Vita first hit shelves. For all its potential, support for Sony's little machine has been pretty dire to date. That sentiment applies especially to first-person shooters. A pair of marquee franchises have made appearances on the system, but they've been dreadful. And now Guerrilla Cambridge has stepped up to the plate with Killzone: Mercenary. As a fan of the series and someone who'd like the Vita to succeed, I dearly hope they're swinging for the fences with this one. Now I'd be excited for this if it were just another Killzone game, but Mercenaries at least partially fulfills my greatest desire for the series. For the first time ever, players will have the opportunity to play as the iconic Helghast in the title's main campaign. Granted, the Helghast are almost certain to still be painted as the villains of the tale, rather than the heroes that they truly are. I'm not going to bemoan progress, though. I'm incredibly stoked to see how this turns out. ---------------------------------------------------------- Like I said before, these are just our one most wanted game. There's obviously a ton more games we can't wait for, such as Tomb Raider, Ni No Kuni, SimCity, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Fortnite, Metro: Last Light, ARMA 3, LocoCycle, Starforge, Monaco, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Guacamelee, and so much more! What game are YOU looking forward to the most in 2013? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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