This Week In Games, August 10 - 16, 2014: Hohokum, Risen 3, Disgaea 4 and Some Weird Japanese Stripping

Written By: Tyler

Greetings friends, and welcome to another addition of "This Week In Games," the weekly article that I write where I discuss the finer points of surrealist art.

Each week I go on Gamespot -- you may have heard of it -- and I look at the new games that are coming out. I then write about them because this is a blog after all. I don't choose every game because to be honest, not every game is worth mentioning, but I pick some of the more interesting ones, whether it's good or bad, and I pick the bigger releases. Just because I say there isn't anything really coming out on a day, doesn't mean there isn't. It just means that there isn't anything that fantastic or worth checking out. That may sound harsh but there are so many games out these days that you have to pick and choose.

I also only talk about North American releases because that's where I'm from.



August 10

Nothing! It's Sunday after all.


August 11

It looks like there's nothing here according to Gamespot.


August 12


Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten 

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Strategy - RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1vN2TGKwns
 
It was released in 2011 on PS3 but now you can pick it up on the Vita. It's enhanced and expanded, including apparently 50 pieces of DLC. The Disgaea series is one of the few RPG series that have gotten a really good following that I haven't ever tried, and I know that's criminal, but fans of the series should check this out.


Hohokum
 

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, PS Vita
Genre: Adventure
Gameplay: http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/07/23/hohokum-launch-trailer

It's kind of hard to explain Hohokum but it is my most anticipated release of the week. It looks gorgeous, and I'm sure the soundtrack will compliment the visuals exceptionally well. From a gameplay perspective it's a bit of an oddball... even the creators try to avoid describing what it actually is, choosing to just let them play it instead. In an article on Mashable, I saw the idea of flying a kite mentioned a lot and that seems appropriate. In it you just fly around in a colourful and active world and things happen. I can't sell you on it; if you look at that screenshot and it looks like something that might pique your interest, then make sure to watch that I linked above and see what it looks like in action.


Risen 3: Titan Lords

Coming Out On: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vU42VAFzoE

Risen 3: Titan Lords is a medieval RPG that is promising a "classic RPG" experience, with a large, breathing world with a ton of side-quests and places to explore. It is played in a third-person view and you level up your character, use points to up your attributes and unlock skills, and do battle with various baddies using a combination of magic or melee. Use quick or hard attacks, mix them up, throw in some magic, be on your way to victory.

If this sounds like every other RPG you see, then you're probably right. Obviously I won't know until I actually play it, if I get around to it, but from the gameplay videos I've seen, it honestly doesn't look like anything that fantastic. It looks fairly generic. The visuals aren't exactly stunning, the battle animations don't look fluid (and some are laughable like what appears to be stabbing with a mace), and there's nothing here that screams "must-play." However, it doesn't look terrible either. I can't see Risen 3 standing up to the best in the genre, but it could serve you decently well as an RPG to tide you over until a better one comes... especially since, if you're like me, Sacred 3 has let you down (review on that coming). I imagine this ends up being a 6 out of 10 or maybe a 7, and people seem to forget that those scores aren't actually bad.



Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed 

Ima just leave this here and I'll be right back.

Coming Out For: PS Vita, PS3
Genre: Adventur/Action-RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btW9_L8d48U

Akiba's Trip is a game where basically demon creatures have taken over Akihabara. There is a conspiracy that you will unravel, but more importantly you have to strip the clothes off of demons and expose them to light. I imagine that line is going to either make you want to play it or avoid it at all costs. You have to appreciate Japan and their willingness to do stuff like this.



Surgeon Simulator: Anniversary Edition

Coming Out For: PS4
Genre: Simulation (Of Sorts...)
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYLPHa-4sUs

Ah yes, here we are, with a port of the wildly popular and comical Surgeon Simulator... this time for PS4. Fumble your way through a variety of operations this week, along with an exclusive PS4 mode that nobody seems to know anything about. Have fun and happy surgeoning!



August 13

Just a release of Hohokum in other places.


August 14

Gaiabreaker

Coming Out For: Wii U
Genre: Shoot 'Em Up
Gameplay: http://www.destructoid.com/the-wii-u-is-getting-one-shmup-richer-soon-with-gaiabreaker-273733.phtml

The Wii U hasn't had a lot going on since it was released, but this week there's a vertical shmup being released in the eShop. It doesn't do much that we haven't seen before, but since these games aren't as common as they were back in the 90s, it's still nice to see one. It could be a nice little game to play while you wait for something bigger to be released, like Hyrule Warriors or Bayonetta 2.


August 15

Another day where there isn't really a whole lot going on.



That's it for this week folks. Make sure to comment in the little box below (is it still there? Who knows?), or follow me on Twitter by clicking here here here. See you next time.

My Destiny Beta Impressions -- MMOHalo? Or Is It Something More? Find Out Here!

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PS4

If you own a PS3 or a PS4 and have pre-ordered Destiny, you have the ability to play the beta. Many people have jumped in to see for themselves what Bungie has in store for us after they left the Halo franchise -- the series that evolved the first-person shooter on consoles. It's their first game since Halo: Reach in 2010, so is it any good so far? Obviously it's not the full version, but the point of this post is to give my impressions of the beta.

I don't normally play betas because I generally just like to experience the full game on day one of its official retail release, but Destiny feels special so I thought it'd be a good time to do this. I won't make a habit of it, but here we are. I originally had gameplay footage of the first level, but I was having a hard time uploading it so unfortunately I can only have pictures.

Finally the Destiny beta is live!

I, like many others, are excited to play Destiny. It's one of the big releases of the year, and it's getting the kind of hype that only Watch Dogs can claim. Many people waited with bated breath to play it so there was some real excitement once the title screen, in all its simplicity, showed up for the first time. Finally, let's do this!

And this happened for hours.

Let's skip ahead until I could finally play it because I'm not one of these people who are going to complain that I can't connect to a beta... you know, the thing that is meant for this kind of problem. It annoys me when people rant about not being able to connect when a game is in beta because doing a stress test is literally the point of the beta.

Yay I connected! Dammit now there's the long installation.

Once the installation was complete, I was able to choose one of three classes. I went with Warlock, but as is in most games, each class plays different. I can't comment on the other two, but Warlock has a neat melee ability where you basically blast them with a bunch of energy. It looks like we'll be able to customize their abilities quite a bit so you won't be tied into one framework. Mind you, I wish there were more classes, but I guess this is the norm.

The leveling up isn't incredibly deep, but it's serviceable. You put points into your abilities, and you do have some statistics like defense, strength and whatnot, but don't expect to put points into attributes unless it's with your equipment. With that said, there is a fair bit of armor that you can wear, so it does have lite-RPG elements down.

This is the first time I see other players. They leave me... just like everyone else in my life.

As I stated at the beginning of this article, I couldn't upload the gameplay footage of the first level. I didn't take any pics of it either so we fast-forward a little bit. This is the game in action, and this is what matters the most. Once you see all the bells and whistles, a game is only as strong as its core mechanics.

I'm happy to say that Destiny plays well. Guns feel great to shoot, and the glide mechanic -- where you can essentially double jump and hover through the air -- is a nice touch. I'm surprised it has taken me this long to say it, but the game feels like Halo in a lot of ways. It's not a carbon copy by any means, but it's clear that Bungie hasn't abandoned what took them away from making games like Oni and thrust them into the big leagues of gaming. Anybody who likes Halo should enjoy Destiny because the guns shoot like it, you move like it, the atmosphere is similar and even jumping takes influence from it.

All this excitement made me tired so I sat down.

Before I played Destiny, I wondered how the online mechanics would operate. Bungie insisted that their MMOFPS -- massively multiplayer online first-person shooter to the uninitiated -- wasn't really an MMOFPS... but in my experience it's an MMOFPS.

You can play the game by yourself. There are public events where you'll need people to ease the burden, but there are always other players running around. There weren't many, but they existed and occasionally I'd be in a firefight only to have another like-minded player swoop in and aid me in laying waist to the enemies. Then, more often than not, said person would leave and go off to complete their own objective.

Destiny is social in the same way Journey was social, but Journey was truly something special and meaningful in the way it handled the social aspects. You can communicate with other players by pressing the directional pad; you can wave, for example, or sit if you're lazy like me. At one point I stood on top of a high ledge and waved at a player below me. It made me feel good about myself.

Ultimately though, it's your fight, and the thrill is going to be other players randomly dropping into your battles. This isn't revolutionary in any way, but it is solid.

This is the Tower.

The Tower is the hub. You turn in quests, get rewards, shop, etc. It's typical stuff.

Then I went back to battle.

In order to proceed to the next area, it's as easy as holding triangle and going up to orbit. This is pretty straight-forward stuff; you unlock areas and they are of a certain level. You click on them and you go there. As you progress, it unlocks different types of areas. If you don't want to play the story missions, there are areas that you can explore and do bonus missions.

Speaking of story missions, as of now I don't care about what's going on in the plot. It seems like pretty generic Sci-Fi stuff, but that doesn't necessarily mean its bad. I seem to be one of the few that don't think Halo had a great story, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Obviously its early yet and the plot could open up and become something memorable so I don't want to down on it too much yet.

I do like that you essentially are dead at the beginning and a little machine, called a Ghost, revives you and off you go. It was a nice little touch, being raised from the dead, and the game does a good job with its visuals to engulf you in its world.

I got in my vehicle and I zoomed away.

One thing I love is that the game allows you a certain degree of freedom from the very beginning. Early on, you are able to summon a vehicle at will -- with a few exceptions -- so traveling is easy. You won't have to grind for hours in order to unlock this feature. That's definitely welcome.

Another thing I noticed was the music. The title screen theme sounds so much like Halo, but in a good way. The music in-game often kicks in and is mixed quite loudly. While there weren't any truly exciting moments in the beta, I am lead to believe that there will be moments -- like in Halo -- where music and action blend together to create a thrill ride that we will remember forever. 


Overall, the way that Destiny handles single-player and integrates it with the online aspects is well done so far. I'm going a little easier on it then I would an MMORPG because the MMOFPS is not as common, so even doing quests that are familiar to people who play MMOs doesn't seem like a drag because the genre is somewhat fresh. At the same time, there is nothing here that we haven't seen before. Take Halo, throw in a little bit of Borderlands (though without the excessive amount of loot) and you have Destiny single-player thus far.


The Multiplayer

Halo has always had a solid campaign, but it arguably is more known for its multiplayer. That's a lot of hype to live up to, as many people will flock to the multiplayer mode -- the Crucible -- once it's unlocked at level five. But can we gather from the one mode that's available whether it will be the next Halo or just another solid shooter? Or could it be a terrible experience?

Here we go, my first ever multiplayer match.

The PvP is directly influenced by the story mode. You keep the equipment, abilities and levels that you have attained elsewhere. You literally keep things like your grenades, or even your special power. This will undoubtedly lead to some frustration as some people will just have more fire power than you and balance, like in any competitive game, is going to be key in the full release.

The beta only offers one game mode -- Control. It is a mode we've played a million times before. You and your team have to capture one of the three areas while shooting down your opponents. I only played a few games but they were fun. Things got intense, especially with vehicles driving around, but even though I saw other sites venting about how imbalanced it is with vehicle play, I didn't really run into it. Obviously vehicles can be an advantage, but they weren't a problem for me in the few games I participated in.

And this happened to me. A lot. Because I suck.

When you're choosing multiplayer, you can see there are numerous modes locked, but it doesn't look like there's going to be a lot of variety. Certainly not as much as there ended up being in games like Halo, Call of Duty or Battlefield. Only time will tell what these are going to be, but I hope that there are some interesting ones.


The Verdict

Though the beta only goes to level eight, we can gather a few things from it. It plays and handles well and the foundation of a good shooter is there. Yes, it does feel like Halo, but that's not a bad thing. It does enough with the genre that it can't be seen as copying Halo, which would be silly anyway considering Bungie's history.

The online aspects aren't a big deal to me. I saw someone from either Gamespot or IGN gushing about how amazing it is -- indeed, I did like the Journey comparison that I used above -- but I don't see it. To me it's just another MMO in that regard. People will show up and help you, then they'll often disappear.

Destiny looks beautiful, and a lot of care has been taken to craft a fantastic looking universe where we can travel to the Moon, to Earth, and beyond. There's a lot of attention to detail, and the different environments and maps look wonderful. It should be a joy traversing the different places that Destiny takes us to.

The multiplayer should suck some hours from my life, but I don't know at this point if it'll be the next shooter that I dedicate a good chunk of my life to. It's fun and there's no denying that, but the beta hasn't shown us anything that we haven't seen a thousand times before. Ultimately though, like any shooter, it's going to come down to what you prefer. If you prefer games like Call of Duty, this won't appeal. If you're into Battlefield, this won't cut it. I'm a Killzone guy, but my back-up shooters are games like Halo or even Titanfall. It's all going to come down to what kind of feeling you like, and if you're into Halo, I stress that you should like it.

I think Destiny will be a great game. I predict that I'll end up giving it an 8.5 or a 9, but that's basically because it's just really good at what it does... even if it's mostly been done before. It does enough to keep you coming back, and the gameplay works. I look forward to September, when we can finally sink our teeth into the full thing.



So what did you think of the Destiny beta? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Mildly dislike it? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @ArtBathednCrime. Thank you for reading.

This Week In Games, July 6 - July 12, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Welcome again to another edition of the cleverly titled, "This Week In Games." If you can't tell by the title, each week I tell you what movies are coming out. I check the release dates according to Gamespot and the "video games in 2014" page on Wikipedia to get my games, so blame them if the dates are wrong. I refuse to take any accountability for my actions.

These are only North American release dates because that's where I'm from and I try to keep it to new releases as opposed to games that are just getting ported, unless I feel they're a big game. I have rules that I probably consistently break, but oh well.

A final note is that it's not every game released in North America: it's only games that I think are of interest, whether that's because they're a huge release (even if I don't care) or if they're games I'm interested in myself. Let's get to it.


July 8

The Wolf Among Us Episode 5 - Cry Wolf

Coming Out For: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (July 9), iOS (July 10)
Genre: Adventure
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umw8QPW5tiw

I actually forgot to play Episode 4 so I have to catch up, but I will say this... from my experience this has been an excellent series with a great story. I always criticize the lack of gameplay because I'm not real into these games where you mostly watch, but to its credit, it does allow you to make quite a few choices in conversation and when you're fighting someone. But anybody who is into this type of thing, this is a must-play because really, it has been a suspenseful thrill ride so far.



One Piece: Unlimited World Red

Coming Out For: 3DS, Vita, PS3, Wii U
Genre: Action-RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uohkYxCcgvQ

Truthfully I'm probably not the best one to sell you on this, because I know zilch about the One Piece manga and anime, but I will try purely from a game-fan perspective. This is an action-RPG from the looks of things where you have real-time battles and you can catch bugs and go fishing. It looks like there's some decent freedom when you're walking around too, since you can grapple hook your way up to places and whatnot. It doesn't look like anything original, but it looks like a nice blend of some cool things, and if I didn't have Episodes 4 and 5 of the Wolf Among Us to go through, while also being knee deep in Divinity: Original Sin (review coming at some point), then I'd probably give this a go.



Mousecraft

Coming Out For: PS4, PS3, PC, PS Vita, Linux, Mac
Genre: Puzzle
Gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/d4lal6/mousecraft-debut-trailer

Want something cheesy? This may be the game for you. Basically what you do is help your mice get cheese by moving blocks to allow them to proceed. The game is described as Tetris meets Lemmings, and that sounds about right.



July 9

The Escapists

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Action/Adventure

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpF3LFlXgSc#t=25

Unfortunately this is only hitting Early Access July 9, and I don't think I'll make a habit out of including Early Access games in this feature (because I don't like including unfinished games), but The Escapists looks fascinating, and when I know there's a really interesting game hitting Early Access I'll include it. Think of all the great prison-break movies that you've seen... now think about playing in them, only with pixel graphics and no Morgan Freeman. The Escapists sets you in a prison and you have to escape. There's a reputation system where the cons will react differently to you depending on what you do, a crafting system because every game needs one since Minecraft (just a joke), light RPG elements and apparently gang warfare. Count me in, honestly, because this game seems neat.






July 10


The Red Solstice

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Action/Shooter

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1c8AayNhY

The Red Solstice is a top-down shooter where you choose from 8 different classes and fight hordes of monsters, whether in a single-player story mode or with 7 friends in the co-op mode. The levels are randomized and resources aren't unlimited, so each playthrough will be different and you have to manage your ammunition or y'know, you will die. I'm always up for a top-down shooter because we don't get AAA versions of these types of games anymore and they're one of the genres I grew up with.




July 11


Terraria

  Coming Out For: PS3

Genre: Action/Adventure/Platformer/Builder

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGo7iMUcxLc

I guess Terraria isn't out for every system yet? Like Minecraft, it appears that we get a port every few weeks. That isn't a criticism because it's a good thing. I played it on PC and it's a great game with a little more focus on combat and exploration than Minecraft. If you are into mining and building things, then this is the game for you because it is seriously awesome.

On a final note regarding Terraria, it has a perfect main theme. It's so dinky but makes me want to explore and dig for hours.



Any games coming this week that I missed that you are into? Yell at me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime or just leave a comment in the comment box below. Thanks for reading!

This Week In Games, June 29 - July 5, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Hello and welcome to another edition of "This Week In Games," a weekly feature where every Sunday or Monday I give a quick preview of some of the games releasing this week that are of interest to me in a good or bad way.


June 30

Divinity: Original Sin

Coming Out For: Windows, Linux
Genre: Role-playing
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDaYWfqJD3g

This is the big release of the week for me, and it's strange because I didn't know anything about it and I only played Divine Divinity briefly years ago... so I'm not a series fan. However, this prequel to that looks incredible.

It looks like a dense (as the gameplay video says) RPG, with a neat robbery system that actually affects your reputation if you get caught. You can cause a distraction with one character by talking to somebody and then use another to steal. The crafting seems simplistic but it appears that there are a lot of things you can craft. The combat is turn-based but I like the idea of your action points carrying over to the next turn so you can have a big turn. It looks like there's a lot of variety in your attacks.

The leveling system looks like it has depth, with the different perks you can put points into and all the other things that you can level up, and there's a lot of story to read and things to do. My only complaint from what I know is that there isn't a marker telling you where to go so questing will be extremely difficult. NPCs will tell you, but then you have to remember. There is a dialogue diary but it looks like it's hard to filter through.

If you're playing co-op, you can make decisions together and depending on how you interact with your partner your stats will be affected.

There's also an RPG kit to make your own adventures! The game isn't even full-priced but looks huge. $40 on Steam.


July 1

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 

Coming Out For: PS4 (July 1), Xbox 360 (July 2), Xbone (July 2), Wii U (July 2)
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVQbAtAQzj8

Guacamelee! sees its debut on the systems listed above in an enhanced edition. I'm not really sure why I never played the game because I love luchador wrestling, and the game is zany and colourful. I reckon now is probably a good time to try it out, and if you have Xbox Live Gold it is the free Games With Gold for July, so pick it up.



Child Of Light

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Role-playing
Gameplay: http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/05/20/child-of-light-psvita-trailer

I really enjoyed Child of Light because JRPGs are where my heart is. They're my roots.

You can fly around in this game, which is different, and the turn-based combat has a spin on it with the fact you can use your companion to slow down enemies and just generally interact with things. The story is told entirely in rhyme, and the visual style is gorgeous. It looks like the Vita version hasn't suffered so if you haven't played Child of Light, here is another chance to do so.



Sniper Elite 3

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, X360, XboneGenre: Third-Person Shooter

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1yg9jffjxI

It's already out on PC, but it sees its console release. Here's what I said about the PC version.

This one doesn't interest me at all, and since I don't get paid to do reviews I'm not sure if I'll get around to this one or not. It's not that it looks terrible, but it doesn't look like it brings anything to the table that we can't get a million other places. The kill-cam idea doesn't really make me feel like I'm seeing the damage I'm doing, it just seems annoying, and the action looks okay but there are so many shooters it just doesn't stand out.

Reviewer Douchebag -- A South Park: The Stick of Truth Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

Rating: 9/10
Verdict: If you're a fan of South Park, then this is for you. I can't imagine people who don't like South Park getting the same amount of enjoyment because it relies fairly heavily on the South Park charm.

When the television show South Park first came out, I was a teenager and I would stay up until midnight to watch it. I would laugh at things like aliens probing people, and I would watch the show for years to come. Out of the blue, I stopped watching for whatever reason. A couple years back I got back into it again and it's amazing to me that it's just as hilarious as before. This story is important because I'm important... or something. In all seriousness it's important because you pretty much have to be a South Park fan to really enjoy this I would imagine, though honestly that should have gone without saying.

South Park and The Stick of Truth is about the children of South Park and their epic role-playing game. They literally dress up as humans or elves, and they battle each other for the Stick of Truth -- an object that pretty much makes you the ruler of everything. You play as Douchebag (the game lets you put in a name but you are never called it), and I was going to say "what starts as an innocent child's game" but then I realized what game I was talking about -- the game starts offensive, but with a simplistic story, and in true South Park fashion gets more and more absurd as it goes on.

If you've come to this game it's probably because you're a fan of the series. So with that said, the story here is the main reason to play. Watching how everything unfolds, from humble beginnings as kids just playing, to a giant Taco Bell, is a treat. There was so much care and attention put into the story that every detail is spot-on, and you may spend a couple hours just wandering around seeing everything that the town has to offer, like I did. When you do the story, you meet the large cast of South Park characters and a lot of the time it's hilarious and incredible. It's been said a million times but it does sincerely feel like you're just playing an episode -- or even a season or two -- of South Park. I would imagine this ends up being the funniest game of the year. 

It's a good thing that the game is so damn charming, because the actual gameplay is more RPG-lite than RPG. Some people have said that this should have been expected because South Park is simple, which is a point I don't agree with. South Park, for all its farts and crude humour, is actually an intelligent show. It deserves a more complex, but not needlessly so, role-playing experience, much like the elaborate game that the kids play themselves.

It's not that the game is bad, because it really isn't. A lot of the time in battle you have to time your attacks to make them efficient, which means it's not just a mindless game. There is a certain strategic element to the combat, since people have armor and shields that you have to break. There is also the status effects, and I haven't seen an RPG that makes use of these things as heavily as South Park does in quite a while. The characters all have unique abilities in combat and this makes it interesting to switch back and forth between them to see what works best. The abilities, and also the animations, are a blast to watch because they're so different and South Parkian. The game also allows you to use an item each turn and it doesn't take a turn. It's a fun combat system, but there aren't really a lot of abilities to choose from so you end up using the same tactics a lot of the time. Hence an RPG-lite in that regard, because most battles end up being the same thing after a certain point.

It's a little thing but I played with a mouse and keyboard and the game would be better with a controller due to the button mashing and whatnot. I had no major issues but it's worth mentioning in order to get a smoother experience.

I also find the leveling system to leave a little to be desired, but again, it's not that bad. Gamespot made a huge deal out of how simplistic the game is, and while it's a tad simplistic, it's not as bad as Kevin said. You gain Facebook friends and when you gain so many you get a Perk point, which allows you to upgrade yourself in various ways, such as revival potions (ha) now healing people to full-life. There are a decent amount of choices, and it gives you a reason to do side-quests and meet people... something I don't want to do in real life!

You also gain an Ability point every level. The Fighter class had, I believe, five different abilities though I really only used two. That might be more me than a general consensus though. Anyway, you just level up which every ability you want. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's still something to do every level. Again, RPG-lite, because leveling up never really felt as good as it should have. It's decent, though.

A lot of people are going to complain about the length of the game, and it took me between ten and fifteen hours. I have no problem with this, and I don't expect games to offer me reasons to come back. It's appreciated, but I remember the days when "replay value" meant "play the same game over and over because you loved it." I understand that coming from the old-school conditioned me to be this way and current, or newer, gamers may not feel the same. I tend to prefer a game that gives me a shorter (though I don't deem ten hours as short) but amazing campaign over a long, dull one.

But it's true... there's not a lot of reason to come back to the game unless you just want to play it again. There are different character classes, but I don't think that's enough. The character classes are mostly generic types -- Fighter, Thief, Mage -- but Jew is an interesting one and definitely at home in South Park.

Equipment isn't as complex as some RPGs in ways, but the customization is a lot of fun. You can really only equip a helmet, armor and gloves in terms of armor, but you can constantly change your hair, face paint and facial hair. You can dye your equipment at any time. All of this means that it's fun to change yourself around once in a while. You can also put patches on your armor, which gives them various bonuses of your choosing.

The weapons consist of a ranged weapon and a melee. They both have their bonuses, and for the most part that is self-explanatory. Sometimes you need to switch to your ranged weapon if someone is in the back or defending against melee attacks, and sometimes up close and personal is the best route. Like the armor, you can modify them and make them more dangerous.

The game also doesn't offer a huge, Elder Scrolls world to explore. Don't go in thinking it will, because it doesn't. Okay? I don't even care about that, but some people seem to think that every RPG has to be Skyrim. It's not linear, but most of the game is spent in South Park (outside of a few moments... one of which being an extremely memorable trip to Canada).

Speaking of Skyrim, I love the music. There's actually a song that plays a lot throughout the game that very much sounds like one of the epic songs from that game. The soundtrack is great all-around, but that's to be expected because South Park has always had entertaining music. Hell, the South Park movie is one of the better Musicals... a contentious point that would piss off a lot of serious Musical fans I would imagine.

If the game was a little deeper this easily would have gotten an 9.5 because ultimately, I wanted to keep playing it. When I wasn't playing, I would think about it and be a little critical of it... but then I'd realize I just wanted to go back. It's that South Park charm, and seeing all the references and jokes makes it a game that is hard to put down.

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.