This Week In Games, September 7 - 13: A Little Game Called Destiny Gets Released, Plus NHL 15, Velocibiox, Teslagrad, Fable Anniversary, The Keep, Worlds of Magic and A Weird 90s Bible Game Called Uriel's Chasm

Written By: Tyler

Hello everybody and welcome to another addition of This Week In Games: a weekly feature I do where I tell you why "indie" is not a genre.

Every week I go onto Gamespot and find out what games are coming out this week. Then I do a little write-up about the ones of interest, and ta-da, I get lots of money (or none at all). All release dates are North American because that's where I'm from. Sorry rest of the world.


September 8

Velocibox

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Action
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/317710/

Strap yourself in for this game. It is supposed to be incredibly difficult and the gameplay, from what I understand, is essentially running through corridors, dodging things and collecting items. It is fast and it does look hard.


September 9

Destiny

Coming Out For: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4
Genre: Greatest Game Ever, MMORPG/FPS
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUHCO-qyA1A

There's this little game that finally sees a release this week: It's called Destiny, and it's developed by Bungie. You may know Bungie from their other small franchise, Halo. If you follow games I probably don't need to sell you on Destiny but that's kind of the point of this part, so here goes:

It's a first-person shooter/MMO/RPG hybrid, that is supposed to be epic in scope. You play as one of three different classes, and there is competitive multiplayer that goes along with the normal campaign. It feels nice to shoot, it looks gorgeous, and it's Bungie... they have a good track record. Just get Destiny.



NHL 15

Coming Out For: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Sport
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbskn16gpQE

I haven't played an NHL game since '12, but hey... hockey games have come a long way since I started playing them. This looks more realistic, feels more realistic and I'm sure any hockey fan will be able to appreciate the depth of the experience. There was a time when hockey games didn't really feel like hockey games, but now you have to use the same kind of strategy that real players would use.


September 10

Nothing on this day.


September 11

Worlds of Magic

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Strategy
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=magRrO535gY

Worlds of Magic is hitting Steam Early Access on September 11. It is a 4X strategy game with randomly generated maps and big heroes. You have to kill enemies and expand your empire. There are over 300 spells as well!


Teslagrad

Coming Out For: Wii U
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYKEtHHyvgA

Teslagrad is a platformer coming to the Wii U. It was originally released on PC. The basic premise is that you have to explore a tower and you use things like a Teslastaff or Magnet Glove to solve the puzzles and defeat the enemies. It has a charming art style, and it looks like a lot of fun so if you're hankering for a game on Wii U -- which most Wii U owners are -- then maybe check this one out.


The Keep

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: First-Person Dungeon Explorer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puDJWHvcpVQ

The Keep is a first-person dungeon crawler, and although the footage above is only Alpha, it gives you an idea of what the game has in store. It's influenced by the classic games in this genre. Explore and defeat enemies on your 3DS.


September 12

Fable Anniversary

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/288470/

Are you like me and missed out on Fable? Well, if you're a PC owner, here's your chance to catch up on the first installment in the series. Everything is upgraded here, so if you want a good RPG to play, I've heard good things about the first Fable.



Uriel's Chasm

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Platformer/Action/Adventure
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/292630/

So.

I guess there was an unlicensed Bible game released in the 90s that I've never heard of, and Uriel's Chasm is it. It's... something. In this game you go on a quest that features the metaphysics of the KJV Bible, and you explore what God and Death means. The game seems to blend a couple genres, and the gameplay that I linked above makes it look kind of terrible and awesome at the same time. It's surely one of those games that may not actually be good but it's so insane it might be entertaining. Without getting too religious here, the Bible is pretty twisted and weird, so it needs a twisted and weird game to properly represent it.


That's it for this week people. If there was a game I missed, and you are able to pull yourself away from Destiny, then make sure to let me know in the comments below or tweet me @ArtBathednCrime. Or you could just write in the comments and say hi because it gets lonely over here. Peace out.

Fuck You Nintendo. Here Are My Thoughts On The New 3DS

Written By: Tyler

Sometimes it's hard to be a Nintendo loyalist. The Wii U had a botched launch, and they confused the hell out of more casual gamers to the point that they thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory. We're still waiting for a steady flow of Wii U games. Nintendo innovates in some ways, but then are so behind the curve in other ways, such as online gaming. Or there's the fact that in a game like Hyrule Warriors, they screw up the co-op by making one person play on the Gamepad while the other gets to play on a big screen (oh yeah, with no online co-op). There have been plenty of Nintendo blunders, both minor and major, but you get the point: Nintendo does awesome things once in a while, and once in a while they screw up. For every triumph, there seems to be a failure.

And yet I am a Nintendo fan, probably until I die. I have a love for Ninty that has been a gigantic part of my life for almost my entire life. I spent my youth playing games developed for the NES. I played these games before I even really understood what I was doing. In the immortal words of Brokeback Mountain, " I wish I knew how to quit you [Nintendo]."

My first blog post was a half-defense of the Wii U... one I still stand by. I enjoy the Wii U, and it sits firmly as my secondary console. I love the Gamepad. I love the exclusive titles I will see on the Wii U. The Playstation may be my primary console these days, but I will not go a generation without having a Nintendo console as, at least, my secondary. While I may play more Playstation, they don't have the loyalty from me that Nintendo does. No gaming company does.

After I got out of a movie last night, I had a message on Facebook from my older brother. It was a link to an article about Nintendo: more specifically, one about a new 3DS. I clicked on it cautiously. It turns out that they are releasing a 3DS with more CPU power, better 3D, more buttons, a new design, and more. It's really quite a wonderful release, and definitely moves the 3DS ahead.

The only problem is, they should have done this from the beginning. This is where I start to get angry.

The 3DS is a monster. I got one last year, and there were at least three games released on it that were among my top ten favourite games of last year. Animal Crossing: New Leaf won game of the year from me. Shin Megami Tensei 4 and Fire Emblem were high up there as well. While it doesn't see a lot of games, it certainly sees its fair share of quality games, and perhaps it isn't good for certain genres due to the limitation of only having one stick, but for things like platformers, RPGs, simulators, etc... it is wonderful.

Luckily Nintendo has decided to fix certain problems, by adding a C-Stick (among other things). Great. Why wasn't this originally in the plan for the 3DS? Or was it and they shipped an incomplete product to us originally? I am all for these upgrades, but they should have been there since the 3DS first shipped. They were painfully behind the times when they decided to only have one stick, and now they've finally decided to add one when people have already bought a fucking 3DS or even a 2DS, which came out less than a year ago.

So now we're expected to buy a new one, or potentially miss out on great games. There's a remake for Xenoblade Chronicles coming, and while I don't need it because I still own a Wii copy like a boss, that's a huge release. What other games will come out?

This shouldn't have happened halfway through its life cycle. They should have just rode the 3DS train until it was time for a new handheld, then implemented a lot of these features because unless everyone is just more understanding than myself, this is bound to create resentment.

Before anybody declares me as some whiny cunt, I'm cool with the 2DS because that was smart: release a version of the handheld without the unnecessarily 3DS shit and charge less. I'm cool with larger versions of the handheld that end up being a little more expensive. What I'm not cool with is segregating the audience by adding things that should have been there from the get-go.

This isn't an article about the confusion that the name may cause, even if that's true. This isn't an article filled with me hating on the advancements of technology. This is simply me ranting about the timing of a release like this. It isn't a money issue, because while I don't have an amazing job, I do well with buying games and consoles. I'm not being cheap, but it's stupid to expect us to buy a new one when the old one has only been out a little over three years.

Another thing that bothers me is that they are fixing something that isn't really broken. While it's true that it could benefit from a a C-Stick, more buttons, stronger technology, whatever, the 3DS is fine the way it is now. Nintendo should be focusing on the Wii U at this point, because they've already performed a magic trick with the 3DS and turned it around. It's time to concentrate on the console that has been a massive failure financially and critically.

Nintendo has not lost my loyalty. I'll get one of these when they're released in North America because I love games and am weak, but I will do so begrudgingly, because at the end of the day I feel like I'm being nickel and dimed. Not that it matters how much resentment I have when I buy it, because they will still be getting my money... but that doesn't make it morally right.

Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct And My Hyrule Warriors Impressions

Written By: Tyler

Watch here: http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/08-04-2014/#/video-ndirect

Today Nintendo hit us up with another Nintendo Direct. If you know me in person or follow this blog, you may be aware that while the Playstation has been my primary system since the first one, I'm a Nintendo fanboy in my heart and always treat their systems as my secondary console. Nintendo gives us games that no other platform will -- quite literally because they own and develop their most legendary IPs -- and they're just damn good. I also respect the fact that Nintendo goes off and does their own thing, even if it isn't always for the best. I actually love the Wii U and love the Gamepad.

They may be horribly out of touch in some aspects of their business model and plan, but in others they innovate. I always look forward to Nintendo Directs -- they're an event for me. They're usually about half an hour of showcasing new footage and breaking news. The only problem with the Directs is that they quite often disappoint. I, like many others, hope for certain things that we never get. Some of it is our own fault, but some of the blame rests on Nintendo.

This one focuses on Hyrule Warriors, which is a game I am looking forward to but it's not one of the big games of the year for me. I quite enjoy Dynasty Warriors but don't follow it religiously and I'm not a fan of Zelda at all outside of a few games that I mildly enjoy. So how did the Hyrule Warriors Direct fare? Read on for the news that matters.

Hyrule Warriors is looking like a good time with just enough change on the Dynasty Warriors formula to make it fresh. Don't get confused though, because this is still more of a Dynasty Warriors game with a Zelda skin than the other way around, but I'm okay with it.

The boss battles should be of interest in this. Though it will lack the legendary Lu Bu, it will have bosses from other Zelda games, and it will require the items that you find throughout the maps in order to defeat them. This should keep battles relatively unique and inject some strategy into the button mashing formula that Destiny Warriors is known for.

You will also need to use the items to open up different areas much like in Zelda. 

There are tons of things from the Zelda series brought in, such as the Cucco. They will come after you if you hit them and you'll see them mingling with the enemies on occasion. However, in some situations you can actually make them your allies. Other characters such as the Bombchu or even the Moon from Majora's Mask will also be included. It's safe to say that there will be plenty of fan service involved but it's interesting how they incorporate some of these. For example, you can hookshot the Moon to have it fall on enemies.

You'll have things like grass cutting, which seems silly, but it is part of the Zelda charm. Apparently they were going to have a stage that consisted solely of grass cutting but they didn't include it. I think that might be a good thing because I can't really see that being enjoyable. Sometimes Nintendo makes a bigger deal out of certain aspects of their IPs than they deserve, and I reckon the grass cutting is one of them.

These are the characters that they talked about in the Direct: Link, Zelda, Impa, Sheik, Ruto, Darunia, Midna, Agitha, Zant, Fi, Ghirahim, plus some new characters like Lana. They will all have their own attributes and weapons, such as a sword, a giant hammer, etc. This is typical Dynasty Warriors fare.

This isn't really news, but expect to see a bunch of stages based on places that you know and love within the Zelda universe, such as Skyloft, Lake Hylia and Twilight Field.

You can fill a bar by defeating enemies that will power-up your character when used. It is called "Focus Spirit."

In terms of character progression, it's light but it exists. Your characters level up as you slaughter your foes, and some materials drop in battle that you can use to craft badges that enhance your stats. You can also acquire weapons that enemies drop... some of these also have skills in them or if they have an empty slot you can fuse your own skills in it, such as more attack damage or a better chance of finding hearts.

There's a mode called "Adventure Mode," which basically slaps you on a NES-inspired map and you can move around to the different stages and play them. Each stage will have its own victory conditions and once you achieve them the level will end and more spaces on the grid will open up around you so you can progress to the next stage. It's not mind-blowing, but it's something.

Like any Destiny Warriors game, the core gameplay consists of spamming attacks until hundreds of enemies fall to your might. You can take over bases in the middle of combat to help turn the tides of battle, but mostly it'll just involve you laying waste to enemies yourself.

One sore spot for me is the lack of online co-op, and how they handle the local co-op. I don't know why but for as forward thinking as Nintendo is in a lot of ways, they have some problems with minor issues. Instead of playing on the same screen, which is completely acceptable in local co-op, especially since most people have bigger TVs these days, one person will use the Gamepad screen and the other will use the TV and Wiimotes. Not only that, but the screen resolution will go down when playing in local co-op. I don't know why they felt the need to do this to use, but it's a bit of a downer. I normally play Dynasty Warriors with a friend but I'll be playing this one solo.

As the Direct ends, we are shown Ganondorf. Of course he is badass, and of course you will want to play as him. If you're a Nintendo Club member then you can get the Demon King costume set, and like most games, there are pre-order bonuses from select retailers.


I think the variety and whatnot of the enemies, mixed with the Zelda characters and atmosphere, will make it a little more exciting than just a normal Dynasty Warriors. I enjoy this idea as a one-off, but if it became a series I think the novelty would wear off. After seeing the Hyrule Warriors direct, I don't know if I'm more excited for it or not, but most of my fears have been put to rest, and the problems I had with the game I already knew (such as the co-op).

Resisting The Urge To Dig Myself A Grave With A Shovel Joke (Dammit) -- A Shovel Knight Review

Written By: Tyler
Platforms Available On: PC, Wii U, 3DS
Platform Played On: Wii U

The first of many badass encounters.

Rating: 9/10
Verdict: A love letter to the past, but also a game that forges its own identity, Shovel Knight is an 8-bit inspired platformer that reaches beyond its humble roots and gives us a game that mentions the past but doesn't rely or get lost in it.


Releasing games inspired by the classics of the 8-bit era isn't anything new within the indie community. The indie scene is flooded with nostalgia, and you can't go five seconds without tripping over something that harkens back to the past. Shovel Knight is no different in that regard, being a game that is very much entrenched in the days of yore, but not trapped in them.

Let's just get this out of the way, because this is what you're here for: Shovel Knight is awesome. There will probably be very few games this year that bring me greater joy than this unassuming little platformer about a knight with a shovel who is trying to save Shield Knight from the evil Enchantress. Mario, yes, but that's not where it ends. The levels look like Mega Man, you can use your shovel and bounce off enemies and objects like in Duck Hunt. The world map is ripped right from Mario 3. The references are numerous, but like I said in the first paragraph... Shovel Knight owes to them but isn't defined by them.

Despite how obvious the influences are, the game forges its own path ultimately, and that's something a lot of indie games lack when calling to the past. It's one thing to make us go "aha" when we spot a reference, but that overstays its welcome. The better route is to make us go "aha" but then follow that up with making us go "wow" because the game has its own identity.

Shovel Knight has simplistic controls. Use a button to jump and another to swing your shovel. Press down while you're in the air and you can use it as a pogo stick. Press up and the attack button and you use your spell. If you're playing on Wii U you can either press a button to call up your inventory or use the screen on the gamepad, which is what I do. That's about it, but the game doesn't need anymore because the foundation is so solid, the levels so well-designed, that what might appear as a limitation these days is a strength. You don't get bogged down at any point.

All games need clever world/level/stage design, but platformers need it more than most genres, and Shovel Knight has it in spades. Every level has its own motif, whether it's something a little more trippy, or it being dark with only lightning lighting the way, or a level that uses air in interesting and dynamic ways, the game is always throwing something new at you.

Enemies are placed in interesting areas, and if you're not careful you might jump over to a ledge only to get hit off because that particular enemy is placed for that sole reason... the game assumes you'll get careless and make that jump without thinking, and a lot of people probably will. There are times that your platforming skills are truly tested, as the game consistently throws new types of jumps at you. The game is hard, but -- to the dismay of some retro-gamers -- it's not impossibly hard, which I'm completely fine with. I had a nice challenge throughout the whole thing.

Each stage ends with a boss, of course, and like the rest of the game there's a lot of variety to them. Since all the characters are knights with different specialties, such as the Tinker Knight, Specter Knight, Polar Knight, etc, they all have their own method of attacking and you have to adapt to that. The battles are fast, and if you sit back they will probably eat you up. I tended to lose on the first fight but won on the second more often than not. 

I have a confession, and yes I've chosen until the middle of the review to say this: I actually am glad we've moved on from the past in a few ways. Namely, I hate redoing levels over and over just because I died. I welcome checkpoints. I did my time, so now once I beat a section I beat it and I don't want to go back until my next playthrough. Shovel Knight has a bunch of checkpoints throughout each level, and each time you die you lose money where you died and you can go back and collect it. This is an interesting play on what we know and love.

Part of the identity of the levels is the excellent soundtrack. Each level has its own, and the soundtrack itself has 48 songs. All of which are great. As I write this review I am listening to it, and each song fits the mood of the stage, transporting you into that world with its usage of chiptune. Yeah, it's another homage to the 8-bit era, but it's extremely well composed with a variety of different moods and atmosphere. Some of it is victorious, some of it is darker, some of it sounds incredibly urgent.

You don't level up in the game, but you can buy different spells such as a fireball, a green orb that bounces around, a powerful blast, and much more. There's a good variety of spells in Shovel Knight, especially when you consider that it's not an incredibly long game. More on that in a second.

You can also spend your money on giving yourself more life, upgrading your shovel with a few different abilities like an homage to Zelda where your shovel shoots something across the ground when you have full life. There are also a bunch of armor upgrades, all of which with their pros and cons, except for the gold armor which I don't think really changes your stats but makes you do a flip when you jump. Plus you look stylish and that's all I really want.

As of writing this review, the game is $15 and I feel like I got every penny nickel worth. I completed the game in roughly five and a half hours but I didn't get everything. Besides the main stages, there are side stages and side boss battles, along with the many dream sequences in which you fight enemies until the Shield Knight drops and you catch her. I don't know why I love this so much, but I think the numerous campfire scenes add to the experience. It's a nice touch. There's also a new game plus after you beat the game, which allows you to keep your old equipment but ups the difficulty.

Shovel Knight is special. It's one of the best platformers of the last ten years, at least, and it's a good price. If you're looking for a retro-inspired game that offers more than just nostalgia, then pick up Shovel Knight because while it does have the novelty of you playing as a knight with a shovel, it has an abundance of excellent level-design, lovable characters, great boss battles and amazing music.

I Won't Mention The Lack Of Gay Marriage, Oops... A Tomodachi Life Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: 3DS

Oooooooh!

Rating: 8/10
Verdict: It's pretty light on the "life simulator," but in small bursts it's an extremely funny, silly game that is sure to make you laugh a bunch of times.



Tomodachi Life is another Nintendo game that tries to go beyond the social norm of gaming and offer us an original, memorable and quirky experience. In my opinion, people should go out of their way to try to play these types of games because you often find the diamonds in the rough this way. But is this game a gem or a dud?

In Tomodachi Life, you are tasked with creating Miis and looking after them. You help shape their personality and even their voice -- the voices are robotic and silly but it fits perfectly within the context of the game. You have to feed them, clothe them, help them cultivate relationships, and watch them do plenty of strange things. Yes, it's like Sims meets Animal Crossing, but it's not really as deep as either or compelling. With that said, Tomodachi Life is not at all a bad game and there's a lot to love here if you're willing to give yourself over to the weirder side of things.

This is probably the biggest laugh I had in the game.

The main complaint that you'll hear almost unanimously across the board is that the game is repetitive and it loses its novelty fairly quickly. I can't even argue that, because if you play the game more than fifteen minutes per sit down, you'll often find yourself wondering what you can do next. The game isn't as demanding as Animal Crossing, and the experience is light. You have very little control over how your town develops, outside of creating Miis or solving problems, but the requisites for how to attain everything in town is clearly laid out for you. There just isn't a lot to do at any given time, but it's actually not a bad way to kill a few minutes a bunch of times a day.

There is a level progression system, which is a nice addition but what it offers is minimal. You level up your Miis but giving them gifts, feeding them, clothing them, giving them life and relationship advice, and when they reach a new level you have the choice of giving them a new interior for their apartment, a catch phrase, a song, a gift or pocket money. That's really about all there is to it but I'm still glad they put it in there because even though it's simplistic, it does give you the feeling that you're doing something with these people.

On the flip side, if you give Miis bad advice and they get their heartbroken, prepare to do the materialistic thing and give them gifts until they feel better. A black cloud will literally appear above their head as they mourn their broken heart. The Miis seem to proclaim their love for one another on a fairly regular basis, so be prepared to deal with them. My main Mii kept proclaiming his love for a girl that was already taken... oh how art imitates life. I mean, what?

The music is there, but there's not a whole lot to love. If you're anything like me, you'll keep the sound up because you enjoy listening to the Miis talk. For example, in the photo above, I have a Mii named jake and I could listen to him talk all day because his voice amuses me. 

So you may be asking yourself, how could I possibly give it an 8 when the game gets repetitive so quickly? There are two main reasons for that. The first is that it's okay to have casual games where it's just a quick pick up and play. It helps ease and relax the mind, and sometimes it's nice to not play something complex.

The other reason is the main one. The game is hilarious and will most likely be the funniest game I play this year, and it positions itself nicely in the history of amusing video games. The comedy is the real winner here. Though the game does often get repetitive, there were times when something new happened that would make me crack up. This could be something as simple as watching a Mii do something strange in their apartment because they don't know somebody's watching, only to turn to you, eyes wide open, when you choose to enter their apartment. Or maybe it's the most random conversation you'll ever see in a Cafe. Perhaps it's the first time you watch a song (that you can write) get performed on stage. It could be watching the comical events that take place each day in the Mii News. Or it could be taking a vacation -- with selfies -- in space. Maybe it's the joy of doing something like this:

Making a Ninja who lives in a jail.

The game breathes and encourages odd. That's why it's okay that the game isn't as deep as it could be. Sure, in time this novelty will wear off as well, but that's the nature of games: eventually things become ordinary. It's cheesy and doesn't take itself too seriously, and may not find a real audience among "serious gamers," but it would have been a blast to develop. It's not the deepest life simulator, but it's important to note that in my time with the game so far, I have yet to feel like the game has gotten entirely stale. Give it a chance if you want something different.

I leave you with one last memory.

The Game With The Lame Name -- A Bravely Default Review (Finally)

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: 3DS

Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: Bravely Default is a wonderful RPG in a lot of ways, but there are some things later on that dampen the experience and keep it from being a masterpiece.


"Oh man, I can't wait to play Bravely Default... it's finally out!"

I turned on my 3DS and cleared off some space and started the download. After it was completed, I laid down on my bed and fired it up. "Oh, this is a pretty song on the main menu, I'm getting into this already. This feels like an RPG."

I press New Game, and I do all the things the game requires me to do to set it up. All of a sudden I'm looking at my room through the top screen on the 3DS -- a feature that has always existed on the 3DS but one that I haven't really seen used in-game before, but I only bought my 3DS last year and have mostly played RPGs on it anyway. A woman comes onto the screen (the screen that is still showing my room) and she's in a panic. She's screaming and rambling on about saving things, but I'm swinging the 3DS around following her as she walks around. All of a sudden the ground gives out and there's a giant hole in my room. This woman, Agnes, is now scratching and clawing for her life. I tilt the 3DS down and look at her as she is at my feet, her body dangling down into the hole. She falls.

"Wow, that was actually a really awesome beginning." From that moment I was hooked. It wasn't until later that it all tied in, and as of writing this review, I can fully appreciate what they were trying to accomplish there. Very cool stuff.

From there I play as Tiz, and while I wished I could change the names (I come from the old school of RPGs), it's not a big deal because at this point in gaming it's understandable, with voice acting and whatnot. I watch Tiz loses his family in the same way I just lost Agnes. "This game is dark," I say to myself, continuing on.

Once I become familiar with Tiz, and end up meeting Agnes again, I realize that at this point in time the story is nothing fantastic. I meet Ringabel, who doesn't remember who he is, and Edea, who was a villain but left the Eternian forces (Sky Knights) because she starting seeing things differently than them. Ringabel is a pervert. Edea is hardheaded. Bravely Default has been called a Final Fantasy by many reviewers, and I'm no different. It has all the trappings of a good Final Fantasy/JRPG, with its cutesy character models, perversion, Job System, and a story that involves crystals. I find out that Agnes is trying to reactivate all the crystals, and that's pretty much how the story goes for a long time, while I see how the characters grow and change towards each other.

Ringabel and Edea, in particular, are the most interesting to watch interact. There are legitimately some times where I laughed out loud and how they talked to each other. While Tiz and Agnes are more serious and predictable in where they will go, Ringabel and Edea keep the mood light and entertaining as often as they can.

A man modeled after my own heart.

As I walk through the different lands to each of the crystals, I am treated to a beautiful World Map song. It helps make walking feel like a real adventure, as any RPG should. As I hear more and more of what the OST has to offer, like the fantastic boss battle themes, or the music while I'm in my menu, I think to myself about how wonderful the soundtrack is from top to bottom. This is another reason why Bravely Default can favorably be compared to a Final Fantasy because at its best, Final Fantasy had amazing and awe-inspiring soundtracks. Bravely Default is no different.

I also am treated by the gorgeous visuals. The art and visual design on this game is on point, with every location feeling distinct and different, and beautiful rendered. It truly feels like a fantasy world, and allows me to get lost in it.

I am never forced to listen to the small talk between the characters, because the developers were smart enough to realize that a lot of people don't need to hear every single thing that a JRPG character has to say. Instead, I find it refreshing that "Party Chat" pops up on the screen and you press a button in order to access it. I always eavesdropped on the characters anyway, but it's a small feature that's appreciated.

As I progress, I keep myself busy with a few different things. Throughout the game I am reconstructing Norende, the town that Tiz is from that he saw get destroyed. When I am going to save the game, I can choose to update and the game will find villagers for my town. I can do this once a day, and when I do, I get optional monsters sent to me along with the villagers. I am the boss now, and I choose where to place my villagers. I realize it's smart to just focus the villagers on one thing at a time, because it can take hours upon hours to complete one task, especially later on. I get rewarded for my fine managerial efforts in various ways: I can buy more powerful weapons and armor, sometimes I get gifts in the forms of items, or I can get abilities to add to my special attacks. It's a simple concept, but it is important to remember to constantly have construction going so you can get some of this cool stuff. After all, it's as easy as simply clicking what you want to focus on next and when they're done you'll get a message on the screen saying they've completed it. It takes no time at all and is a huge benefit.

But as I play with the complex Job system I am filled with the most joy. Like Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy 5, the main pitch for me is the existence of said Job system. Each Job can level to 14, but not only that, you can have a sub-Job and special abilities from whatever jobs you've unlocked stuff for. What this means is that there are a ton of ways to play the game. Do you for some reason want your Black Mage to also have the Martial Arts ability (a Monk ability)? Well you can. You can also select buffs from all over the spectrum, if you've put in the time to unlock them. The combinations are endless, and as I progress through the game I kept getting more and more jobs and kept re-thinking what I wanted to do.

I grind so I can level-up my jobs and see what they have to offer. I do this again and again and again, but it's never boring despite the repetitive nature. Every time I level up a job I get excited to see what I will gain. When I master a job, I jump to another job to see what it has to offer. It's an obsession for me at this point.

I do the side-quests because they aren't really side-quests at all. It becomes clear early on that in order to unlock at least half of the jobs of the game, you have to complete these side-quests. I think to myself, "Why wouldn't anybody do these? The main crutch of this game is the Job system." Some of these side-quests are long, but I knew what was coming so I anticipated it like a child on Christmas Eve.

As I travel through the world, activating the crystals and seeing the melodrama unfold, I never get bored of the battles because Bravely Default does some neat things with the JRPG formula. For one, they created "Braves" and "Defaults." I think having that as the title is dumb, but it makes sense because it is a main point of the game.

The game has Brave Points, and you can have up to 4 at any given time. When you start the battle you have 0, and when you do an action you lose one. You gain one each turn so what this means is you can always attack once per turn. That isn't anything new, but if you Default, you gain a BP and it's like defending in other RPGs so enemies do reduced damage that turn. There are abilities in this game that require BPs instead of MP, so the battles are a constant struggle between managing your BP and risk and reward. It's a refreshing take on a tried, tested and true system because theoretically you can demolish your enemies in one turn... which cuts down on the grind time. So does the fact that you can fast-forward through a battle at two different speeds. You also get rewarded at the end of the battle for winning in one turn, along with other things. The battle system is still turn-based but they tweaked it enough to make it interesting even today.

There is also the SP, which allows you to interrupt your enemies for another attack. You get more by leaving your game on Sleep or paying for more, but I never needed them. They're just a way to make things easier if you need help. "I don't need no stinkin' SP," I say to myself triumphantly, with the only time I used it being when I accidentally pressed the button on the screen.

The game also uses Street Pass effectively, but I live in a small town and I never get to fully experience Street Pass features. You can use it to acquire friends to summon, a feature that allows you to summon your friends for powerful attacks in battle, or you can just get more villagers for your town. I cry a little bit inside because I cannot experience Street Pass.

I'm having a blast playing this game, listening to the music, leveling up my various jobs, switching abilities around, watching Ringabel perv on every girl he sees... this is a JRPG I can get behind. "This is one of the better RPGs I've played in the last ten years," I say to myself.

Then I get to, I believe, Chapter 5 and the game goes terribly, terribly wrong in some ways but awesome in others. A smorgasbord of blue exclamation marks -- which represent side-quests -- shows up on my touch screen. "Wow! There's a lot of content thrown at me," I exclaim so loud that my entire neighbourhood hears (okay it wasn't really like that). I eagerly travel to the nearest side-quest, and it turns out I get to fight a boss from earlier in the game again. It is important to note that from this point on, there are spoilers. I don't intend to give specifics unless I include spoiler tags, but depending on how sensitive you are to this sort of thing, you should proceed with caution.

I go towards another side-quest and again I fight a boss I've previously defeated. Something is different though, and I am intrigued by how the conversation between myself and the bosses have changed. It turns out every side-quest is like this.

I stop enjoying doing the side-quests because I've already done this. I don't care if they're harder, but I do appreciate that the encounters between my team and the bosses have altered in little ways. I can get behind that, but it's a sin to make a player replay sections. With that said, they are technically optional and they give you a lot of Job points and experience. It's still a crappy time.

However, with this, the story has kicked up a notch.

It's become genuinely interesting for me because it has done its best Bioshock: Infinite impression. All of a sudden there are parallel universes and realities, and the story has gone from simplistic "save the crystals Final Fantasy style" to "what's going on?"

 I can get behind where the plot goes, and I do, because I start truly loving the story, even if it took a lot of hours to get to this point. I'm just glad it happened.

"But I hate doing this," I say to myself, because I feel like they mishandled the situation. Bravely Default sends me to re-activate the crystals, so now I'm running through dungeons I've already run through enough, beating bosses I've already beaten, and this just puts a damper on the entire experience. I stop enjoying the game play. I try to justify it by thinking about how it makes sense from a storyline perspective, but I can't forgive it. "How dare you take a dump on my Bravely Default experience, Bravely Default!"

In order to get the true ending, you have to do the crystal thing again and again. Which means you beat a boss and then mangle your finger pressing X repeatedly (an idea I actually enjoy because it makes you feel the stress and pain that Agnes does, just like Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4). I respect the immersion much like I did in the opening scene in the game. Rinse, repeat, yawn. I start playing Bravely Default less and it takes me longer to complete than it should.

Finally, I trudge through it and complete the game. It's a satisfying conclusion and there is a plot twist thrown in there. The normal ending is decent but not amazing, and the true ending is significantly better. I lay on my bed and think about what I've just played, and what I'm going to write about it. "What am I going to score it?" It's something I struggle with because when Bravely Default is on, it's on like Donkey Kong.

"But after Chapter 5 is kind of ass," I say to myself. I decide on 8.5 because even though the story does get better and less generic, the developers have committed a cardinal sin. It is because of this that Bravely Default only gets an 8.5, but I strongly recommend it regardless.

Sega Dreamcast Launch Party - Livin' Like It's 1998

Written By: Tyler Selig

Ooooh you can see my sexy pajama pants.

Over the past year we have seen the 3DS become an absolute mammoth of a system, the release of the Xbone and PS4 and we've also seen the Wii U fall into a downward spiral so bad that Trent Reznor should re-release his album and call it the Wii U Experience... but I'm playing the mother fuckin' Dreamcast. Okay, I'm also playing my 3DS, Wii U, PS4 and PC (sorry Microsoft, I don't have the money), but I recently bought a Sega Dreamcast. Before I go into what that entails, let me quickly explain why.

When I was younger, I owned the Nintendo systems and got into the Playstation 1 (see how bad the Xbox One name is Microsoft? This would be really confusing had I said Xbox 1), but I had this friend who had Sega's last system -- the Dreamcast. To this day I've only ever played a handful of games from when he let me borrow it or I'd go to his house and play games like Powerstone 2. I was in a retro gaming mood so I opted to buy a console that I never owned. I originally considered the Saturn but the price of a bunch of the games I really wanted were ridiculously high so I decided on the Dreamcast because while some games I'm intrigued by, such as illbleed, are also pricey, there are some games I want to play that are reasonably priced, at least for retro games.

Shenmue is in the agenda once it gets back in stock on Lukie Games, and there are some others I hope to get, but I bought MDK2, Slave Zero and Jet Grind Radio. I heard great things about MDK2 and Jet Grind Radio, and I've never heard of Slave Zero and it was cheap so I took a chance.

I am looking to do this article which is just basically an "unboxing" type article, followed by reviews of the games I bought. Now, I will still be doing reviews for new games and other articles so this party is being scattered throughout the year. All year baby!

So what is the Dreamcast and why did I want it? Simply put, it is the Sega swansong, at least for consoles. After this they became the software only company that we know them as now. It was a very innovative system, pioneering online gameplay on consoles for example, and the influence is clear in the first Xbox (just peep that controller). It is actually held in high regard by a lot of people who experienced it and the games I have played for it have been pretty awesome, like Crazy Taxi or Powerstone 2. Hell, I first played Virtua Tennis on it and I fell in love with a Tennis game of all things.

I originally intended on just having a quick introduction but shit I'm wordy today. So let's get on with the show.



The first thing I actually did was try to put my VMU -- the memory card -- into my controller. I have never come across a more confusing memory card in my life. First of all, the thing reminds me of a Tamagotchi (not a criticism), and then went I set the date, I thought, "Okay, now it's time to put this bad boy in." This is where the readers probably end up thinking I'm stupid, and I've made peace with that, but it confused me. I thought you would just put it in right-side up but boy was I wrong. I didn't even realize that you had to take the top off of it and when I did it just confused me because I couldn't fathom a world where you had to put the memory card -- which has a screen you can look at -- in upside down because that would mean your picture would be upside down. Or so I thought.

So when I finally accepted that the Dreamcast is weird, I put it in upside down.

THE WAY YOU THINK IT WOULD GO IN.

The bottom picture is when I actually put it in correctly but I turned off the screen. It's been a long time since I messed with a Dreamcast and I forgot how silly the whole thing is, in the coolest way possible. The memory card has buttons like a controller. You set the date on the memory card. The memory card has a life of its own and is going to become Overlord of the entire planet and/or universe.

So having made me feel like an inadequate man, I decided that once I had the controller matter under control that I'd actually turn on the Dreamcast and play this shit. But first I took a second to admire the supper that my little brother was eating as he watched me hook up the rest of the Dreamcast.

I couldn't get a signal on my TV but it turns out I just hadn't pressed the cords in hard enough. That's good because had this not worked I would have been like:

Unfortunately the guy on the right would have been my little brother just enjoying his BLT.

So finally, after a close scare and WTF VMU, I got to this screen:

I considered leaving it on 1998 because maybe it's a secret way to time travel and I wouldn't have had to deal with the movie Shutter being released yet, but alas, I put in the real date and continued on with my life.

My life took me to this screen, which strangely felt like home. It filled me with such a beautiful feeling in my soul. A warmth in my heart that was so intense it could heat up the coldest areas. I saw the Sega screen, and remembered the Sega Genesis, a system I was quite fond of back when Little Tyler was me and I hadn't yet conquered the internet with a video game blog.

So where do we go from here? Well, here, silly people:

 To be continued.

The Gamecepticon Awardicons -- Misc. Video Game Awards

Written By: Tyler Selig   

These are my Miscellaneous Awards, where I give awards based on things such as music, multiplayer, etc. You’ll notice that there’s not a lot in terms of negative awards, and that’s mostly because I believe end of the year awards should celebrate the good because the bad makes me want to kill myself. With that said, I will cheat death again and include a couple negative awards.

                This will be a long post, and yes I may have a lot of “Other Nominees,” but this is my blog and the end of the year is important to me so there you have it. It also only includes games I’ve played so, sorry, no Battlefield 4 – from what I hear, nobody can play it anyway – or Grand Theft Auto 5. 

               Winners are in bold, let's do this.

Best Soundtrack – Starbound

Other Nominees

The Last of Us

Bioshock: Infinite

Animal Crossing

Super Mario World 3D World

Beyond: Two Souls

Monaco

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

                Starbound wasn’t technically released this year, so maybe it shouldn’t count, but the soundtrack was given out to people who pre-ordered it. And let me tell you something, this soundtrack is special. It’s so emotional and beautiful that it hurts. Try listening to Mira and not feel something. The Starbound soundtrack will be even better in context of the game, but even solo it’s incredible.

                If you don’t want to count Starbound, then I’d give it to The Last of Us, which is brilliant enough by itself with songs such as Vanishing Grace… but when you see the game in action combined with the music it’s a whole different ball game.

                Bioshock returned with another great soundtrack of old tunes and original content.

 Animal Crossing is a completely different type of OST compared to the others, but it isn’t any less effective in creating tone and mood. It’s just not something I listen to a lot of outside of the game, outside of a song or two, which isn’t a criticism so much as a comment on how ingrained in the game it is.

Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D World had some of the finest music Mario has ever had, with a mixture of original content and remixes/remade versions of the songs we know and love.

Beyond: Two Souls had a wonderful OST that compliments the themes and storylines of the game perfectly.

Austin Wintory can add this to his list of achievements. After almost winning a Grammy for his work on Journey, he released another great soundtrack – that isn’t quite as good as Journey – that perfectly fits being a thief.

It’s hard to argue with Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch from a musical standpoint, because it is quite an accomplishment. You’ll see this nominated on most sites that do these awards, and there’s a reason for that because it’s one of the better RPG soundtracks of recent years.

Best Multiplayer – Killzone: Shadow Fall

Other Nominees

Super Mario 3D World

Path of Exile

Anarchy Reigns

Bombermine

                Killzone wins because it’s my online shooter. It’s the same as a Call of Duty fan giving the award to Call of Duty. Whenever one of these games come out, I absolutely adore it. It doesn’t do a whole lot new, except having shields and whatnot, but it’s another amazing Killzone experience.

Super Mario 3D World is a great game by itself, but it becomes even more fun and chaotic when you introduce another player or three. It gets nuts, and for that, the game should be praised.

                Path of Exile isn’t anything new, I just like playing the ARPG genre with a friend.

                Anarchy Reigns is probably the more original of all the nominees, offering a brawler experience combined with things such as death match, capture the flag or even a rugby mode. Except you fight, y’know. Unfortunately the online community is probably non-existent at this point, but it does allow you to use bots.

                Bombermine is Bomberman but on a large scale. I’ve always considered Bomberman as one of the amazing multiplayer games, and it’s nice to see it so big.

Most Memorable Moment – Dat Moirai Ending

Other Nominees

The Last Of Us – The giraffes

Year Walk – The “Fake” Ending

Bioshock: Infinite – The end part where everything ties together

                Admittedly I often forget great scenes in things I like, so it’s kind of a poor showing on my part here, but these are the four that popped into my head.

Some may scoff that I chose Moirai over heavyweights like The Last of Us and Bioshock: Infinite, and believe me… it was a difficult choice. I chose Moirai because – spoiler alert – when you find out that the conversation you previously had was impacted by the player before you, that’s a “holy shit that’s cool” moment. It’s not that emotional, it’s not complicated, it’s just really, really neat and plays with the medium in interesting ways. I chose it at number one for that reason and that reason only, even though all of the other nominees are more powerful and conventionally memorable.

                That’s not to say that the other nominees aren’t also fantastic, because the giraffe scene in The Last of Us was the prettiest, saddest, most beautiful moment of the year. I just sat there and watched them walk as Vanishing Grace played over it. It’s such a simple moment that ends up being so much more.

                Year Walk had a fake ending, and when “I don’t love you anymore” flashes up on the screen, that’s an incredibly melancholy and tragic moment as well.

                The whole last bit of Bioshock: Infinite is memorable because up until that point, you’re playing a great FPS, but it’s not much different than the others in the series. Then, all of a sudden, things start getting messed up and weird, and somehow all three games are connected. It goes from fun to mindfuck pretty quick.

Best Character – Peck from Animal Crossing

Other Nominees

Bioshock: Infinite – Elizabeth

Bioshock: Infinite – The Lutece Twins

The Last of Us – Ellie and Joel

Batman: Arkham Origins -- Batman

Beyond: Two Souls - Jodie

Killer Is Dead – Mondo Zappa

            I like when award shows/articles have their own identity, and I like to think mine often do. That’s not to say every pick of mine is original by any means, as there are a bunch of awards that I need to follow the grain. However, the joy of doing these are discovering your own oddball choices, and Peck is probably one you won’t see anywhere else (unless maybe on an Animal Crossing forum or something).

                I love Peck because I cared deeply about Peck. I cared about all my townspeople, but I was sad when I was away from Animal Crossing for a while and when I came back he was gone. He made me laugh, and he gave me a picture to remember him by. Animal Crossing is great because even though they’re all AI, you build a bond with them. There was no one else in the game that I built a bigger bond with than Peck.

                The more I do these awards, the more I realize that Bioshock: Infinite is a complete and utter mammoth when it comes to everything plot or character wise, so that’s why I put both Elizabeth and the Lutece Twins in here. Elizabeth is obviously a more straight-forward important part of the game, but the Lutece Twins swoop in there in their own little way and end up being memorable… just more confusingly so.

                Ellie and Joel are one person to be in context of these awards because they are so important to one another. Joel is the grieving father, Ellie is a young girl in need of guidance and support. They fulfill the needs of each other (ew, I didn’t mean that way fanfic writers).

                Batman is on here because regardless of how many times he shows up, he’s still fucking Batman.

            It’s a good thing that Jodie from Beyond: Two Souls is a good character because the game is so story-based and Jodie is obviously the center piece for it. Also, Ellen Page gives a powerhouse performance and brings the character to life in ways most games can’t.

                Mondo Zappa isn’t complex, but I have a thing for weird badasses, and Suda51 often populates his games with interesting characters in that sense. Like Asura from Asura’s Wrath in years past, he’s just fucking cool and that’s why I pick him. Not every character worth remembering has to have incredible depth.

Best Story – Beyond: Two Souls

Other Nominees 

Bioshock: infinite

Shin Megami Tensei IV

The Last of Us

The Wolf Among Us Episode 1 -- Faith

                Beyond: Two Souls is focused on story, and it succeeds. There are a few moments where it gets off the rails a bit, but ultimately it ends up being an extremely satisfying paranormal story.

A good story isn’t just about the pacing and depth of the plot, the characters and their relationship are a crucial aspect of it sometimes. Nowhere this year is that more apparent than in The Last of Us. It’s a simplistic, but well told story.

                Or do I go for the more confusing, intriguing tale that you get in Bioshock: Infinite? Yes, Bioshock has that mindfuck element to it that appeals to me, and it does create a world that’s fun to explore and learn about.

                Shin Megami Tensei IV gets a nod here because I like how it mixes a bunch of different elements and genre to make an experience that isn’t unique, but is different from the other games this year. Samurais in the modern world, with the supernatural? It’s told well.

                Faith is also focused on story, and being able to change how it goes a little bit definitely made me consider it. It goes for similar things that Beyond: Two Souls does, but I just think Beyond: Two Souls is more emotional and well done.

                

Best Visuals – Killzone: Shadow Fall

Other Nominees 

Super Mario 3D World

The Wonderful 101

The Night of the Rabbit

Crysis 3

               

It’s important to note here that when I say visuals, I don’t just mean what is the best from a pure, technical, graphics standpoint. A game like that can certainly win, but I am more biased towards interesting art-styles and visual design.

                Killzone has an interesting world and the technical prowess to back it up. Normally I tend to go towards more original art-designs, but I’ve always loved how Killzone looks, and the fact that it’s a little more colourful sets this apart from other games in the series.

                Super Mario 3D World is the first of two Wii U games. I know the Wii U can’t manage some of the more technically demanding games on the levels that other systems can, but tell me that this isn’t beautiful Mario. It’s good looking in a different way because it nails the art-style so perfectly.

                Which is the same for The Wonderful 101. It does a fantastic job of offering a silly, colourful comic book/superhero world. It accomplishes what it sets out to do.

                The Night of the Rabbit is the only game on this list I haven’t played, but have watched, and I really enjoy the style.

                Crysis 3 would probably win had I been able to play it on a high-end PC. I couldn’t, I had to play it on 360, so that’s why Killzone beats it (though to be fair, I enjoy the art-design more in KZ than Crysis anyway).

Biggest Disappointment – Ni No Kuni

Other Nominees 

Sacred Citadel

Dust 514

Dead Island: Riptide

Fuse

Project X Zone

               

I’m not sure if there’s a game that has pained me so much to be disappointed by. I’m not even saying it’s a terrible game, because it’s not. I rate it a 7 or a 7.5, so you may be wondering, “then what the hell? How are you disappointed?”

                I’m a JRPG guy, always have been, and this was supposed to be an insta-classic, basically, but I just couldn’t get as into it as I wanted to. I went into it expecting to sing its praises, and there are great things about it, but I just don’t think the game stands-up to my own expectations, even if I didn’t give it a crappy rating.

                Sacred Citadel almost won because I love Sacred, but I also knew that it wasn’t Sacred 3 and it was a different experience so while I expected quite a bit, my expectations were tempered a bit. Now, if Sacred 3 ends up being average? That could easily win this.

                Dust 514 is an interesting case for me. The first day I played it I thought it was a 9, but then the game started to fall apart. It’s a disappointment because within the first twenty-four hours, it was going to be one of the games of the year. I had heard of Eve Online and loved the idea, and this game has so much potential it hurts. The fact that it ended up being a 4.5 for me is a tragedy. The only reason this doesn’t beat Ni No Kuni is because the FPS is not near and dear to my heart like the JRPG.

                Dead Island: Riptide is an okay game. The first one wasn’t a masterpiece but it was a helluvalot of fun, yet flawed. All they had to do was polish the first game, add a few things, and Riptide could have been awesome. But they didn’t. It has the same flaws and bugs. Why???

                Fuse is a disappointment because even though it just looked like a third-person shooter, I love the developers and their penchant for giving us odd and crazy guns. There is an interesting gun or two here, but while Fuse is a solid game, it should have been more.

                Project X Zone is a game that has gotten great reviews, and with the crossover appeal I should have loved it. Unfortunately it is the only RPG that I played on 3DS this year that didn’t leave me in awe.

Best Rehash of a Game Year Over Year – DRAW!!! CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ASSASSINS CREED 4: BLACK FLAG

                This is the only co-Award I give out. My brother and I each picked a game – I picked CoD and he picked Assassin’s Creed – and so this is the first ever Draw in the few years I’ve been doing this.

                These games don’t change. They’re yearly and you know what to expect. It’s kind of a complaint but it’s kind of not. You know what to expect.

Best Free-To-Play Game – Path of Exile

Other Nominees 

Neverwinter

Sluggish Morrs: A Delicate Time in History

Will You Ever Return: in da hood

Resogun*

                Path of Exile is an accomplishment in the free-to-play world. It’s legitimately an awesome game, and it’s not pay-to-win. Some of the prices are ridiculous, but they’ve crafted such a wonderful game for free… it’s hard to hate on it.

                Neverwinter may just be an MMO, but the idea of making your own quests for people to do is what makes me like the game as much as I do. It’s got issues, and I’m not a huge MMO guy, but it’s one of the better ones I’ve played.

                Sluggish Morrs: A Delicate Time in History is a short freeware game, and it’s one of the best free games of the year, period, if you want a quick, weird, surreal, odd adventure.

Will You Ever Return: in da hood is the same type of deal. I’ve loved the other WYERs, and this is great too.

Resogun was/is (I haven’t checked) free if you get Playstation Plus, which you have to if you want to play online anyway. It won’t be free, but when I played it, it was still free so I’m including it here. It’s a wonderful, beautiful action-packed side-scrolling shooter.

Biggest Surprise – Anarchy Reigns

Other Nominees 

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Shin Megami Tensei 4

Shadowrun: Returns

                Anarchy Reigns is not the best game in this category, but it’s the biggest surprise to me because I had no idea what to expect and actually got a game that will end up being in the discussion of “most underrated games” for years to come.

Van Helsing was a game I expected to suck for whatever reason, but it ended up being a solid action RPG.

                Fire Emblem: Awakening is only a surprise to me because I never actually played one before so I was blown away by how good it is. The reason it doesn’t win Biggest Surprise is because it’s not the type of game that comes out of nowhere like Anarchy Reigns did. It may be a better game, but not a bigger surprise.

                Same with Shin Megami Tensei 4. I managed to try out two cult-classic series that I only knew existed, and I loved both.

                Shadowrun: Returns is on here because I’m surprised it even got made. It’s not as good as the SNES classic, but after a disastrous foray into the first-person shooter world, Shadowrun has, um, returned to goodness.

The Official 'Don't Play This Game, It sucks... You Suck" Award For The 5 Worst Games of 2013 

5: Dust 514 – There isn’t a game I’ve thought about this year more than Dust. It just… it sucks. It isn’t there yet. Maybe someday it will be, but not now.

4: Apocalypse One – I hate picking on indie games, especially when they were quickly made but this just wasn’t fun at all and was buggy.

3: One Night at the Space Opera – This is a decent idea that didn’t pan out.

2: Tekken Revolution – This just reeks of bad free-to-play. This is the reason people hate that term.

1: Dark – Should have been great considering it’s a stealth game where you play as a vampire, but nothing about it works.

Best System – 3DS

                I won’t list all the other nominees because obviously it includes every other system in existence. The 3DS wins because during the year it has amassed a great collection of games – especially RPGs – and it really wowed me.

                If you want a first-person shooter, I wouldn’t go here. If you are an RPG nut, this machine is a monster. It has other great games in other genres, but I used it mostly as a way to play great RPGs (and Animal Crossing).

                The Xbox One and PS4 aren’t on here because they just launched so they haven’t had enough time to build their libraries. The Wii U has started on the comeback trail but it’s not there yet, and the PC had another solid year… but nothing impressed me as much as the 3DS.

             And that's it for these awards. Next year, if Gamecepticon is around, I may try adding more of a comic flair to these awards and at least give them funny names, but the end of the year came up on me pretty quickly (may have been the drugs, I dunno).

             Starting probably tomorrow, or at the very least the next day, I will be counting down my Top 40 Games of 2013, then I will disappear into the darkness where I came from.