My Top 40 Games Of 2013 -- 40 - 31

Written By: Tyler Selig

                Well everybody, here it is, the moment you’ve been waiting for – my top 40 games of 2013. I will be posting up ten every day for the next four days, so let’s have some fun with this.

40: One Way Heroics

                The Roguelike is a pretty common genre within the indie community, and I can see why because it means there’s a lot of replay value. One Way Heroics does a kind of “forced progression” where every time you take a step, the screen moves to the right a little. What this means is that you have to make choices as you play, about where to go, because you may prevent yourself from getting somewhere if you’re not careful. It’s a neat concept and one that makes One Way Heroics stand out.

39: The Showdown Effect

                There’s this game named ZP2KX that I really like, but the online community is almost non-existent because it’s just an indie game. I love the side-scrolling death matches, though. The Showdown Effect is a lot like it… I don’t think it’s as good but it’s still pretty solid and a lot of fun.

38: Sluggish Morrs

                Sluggish Morrs is a surreal indie game (one of two with the title Sluggish Morrs). It’s short and free, and I just enjoy how weird and creative it is. It’s not for everybody though.

37: The Cave

                Ron Gilbert returns with another charming, funny puzzle-platformer/adventure title. It’s a lot of fun exploring the cave because there’s real personality involved in this game and the puzzles are logical.

36: Sense

                Sense is a short game made for Ludum Dare, where you basically have to use two senses in order to get through the game. It’s a quick, yet entertaining adventure, but what sets it above is the clear sense (ha) of atmosphere. It’s not that the game is graphically impressive because it’s rather simplistic… it’s that the one song that plays as you platform is, well, fucking incredible.

35: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

                I’m a big fan of the ARPG – action-RPG to those who aren’t as cool as me – and this was a surprise for me. It’s not the best of the best, by any means, but it was a completely solid experience and a worthy addition to the ARPG canon.

34: Monaco

                I think this isn’t higher because I played it by myself. It’s a wonderful game with a great art-style and lovely music. It also has a focus on playing with other people but for some reason I flew solo. It’s still an awesome game, though.

33: Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel

                Speaking of playing with other people, I have a bias towards games that are geared towards co-op. It’s why I’ve always been a fan of the Army of Two series and think that they’re a tad underrated. They don’t do anything that new, but they’re entertaining third-person shooters. Some of the criticisms I saw levelled on this game are ridiculous though. No air guitaring? The bromance shit was always stupid anyway. It doesn’t make sense for two men to take down an entire cartel? Guess what, it’s an action video game.

32: Shadowrun: Returns

                I believe I said this in my article yesterday, but I’ll repeat it. While this isn’t as good as the SNES classic, it’s still worth playing because Shadowrun is a rich and deep universe, and this game does it justice. The fact that they give you tools to make your own is also a plus.

31: Metro: Last Light

                I skipped out on the first Metro for whatever reason, but I played this one and it’s a tense, creepy and action-packed first-person shooter. It’s really well done.

                Well that’s it for today… make sure to tune in again tomorrow for my next ten picks!

It's Halloween Which Means... Time For A Top 15 Scary Games!

 Written By: Tyler Selig

I almost feel cheap putting up a picture of a kitty to get views... but not quite.

            

                It’s that time of the year, when children get candy, ghouls and ghosts are everywhere and women are dressing as slutty as possible. Every video game blogger or website puts up a list of scary games, and I’m no different because you have to be topical.

                I don’t consider myself an expert on horror games. I don’t have the desire to scare myself on the same level as some people so it’s never been a favourite genre. I’ve played a decent amount of them and enjoyed them, but because of this, there are a bunch of scary games I just haven’t played. I was hesitant to even make the list for this reason but it’s Halloween… you HAVE to do it.

My apologies to some games that should really be on here. Sorry to games I haven’t played like Penumbra: Black Plague, Condemned: Criminal Origins, the Fatal Frame series, the Clock Tower series, etc. I’m also sorry to games I didn’t play long enough to have a worthwhile opinion on such as System Shock 2 and Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Sorry to games like Dead Space that I own but haven’t played for whatever reason. Sorry to all games everywhere at all times.

But here is my list anyway. Let’s do this.

15: Blaster Master (NES)

That poor bastard doesn't know what's coming.

                An NES platformer about a boy in a jumping tank going after his frog. I haven’t ever seen this talked about in lists, but as a kid it scared the hell out of me so I feel it warrants an inclusion on this list. The game does a pretty good job of making things feel claustrophobic but I wouldn’t really argue with anybody who says it’s not scary. It’s on here because it scared me as a kid and it’s nice to have nostalgia picks.

                The thing is, when I was little I saw that opening cut scene and I had a hard time actually playing the game. Laugh if you want but five year old (or however old I was) Tyler couldn’t handle this scene: 

                That music creeped me out. Mix that with the fact that you’re some guy exploring unknown territory trying to find your radioactive, huge frog, and little Tyler pee pee’d himself.

14: Yume Nikki (PC)

 

Nope, this is completely normal.

            Due to the graphics and the type of game it is, it’s not really about jump scares with Yume Nikki. It’s about the weirdness, the creepy and unnerving atmosphere. For that reason it may not scare many people but it is a memorable, odd experience. Scary in the same way as a David Lynch movie, really. It may not have things jumping out at you very often (does have the creepy mutant girl), but it deserves to be on this list.

13: OFF (PC)

Well at least we can agree on that.

                Two weird RPG Maker games in a row, but damn there is some creepy shit made with it. OFF has similar elements in style to Yume Nikki but I find it creepier. Don’t let the simplistic graphics fool you, this is some fucked up stuff. There are some enemies that are just scary looking and the game has an incredible atmosphere, where the oddity of it all really makes you feel out of place.

                Plus the music. Oh man. Some of the music is just terrifying.

                Though I consider it a scary game, there is certainly some oddball humour thrown in as well.  It’s not a game with jump scares, but I’m a supporter of creepy atmospheres more than jump scares, though a game with both is the best.

                The world in OFF operates on its own twisted logic and that in itself makes it worth playing.

12: Metro: Last Light (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

This can only end well.

                A tried and tested formula for horror is to shove you into the darkness and throw some weird creatures at you. Metro does both. You aren’t powerless by any means, but there are jump scares and the darkness of it all puts you ill at ease most of the time.

11: Alan Wake (PC, Xbox 360)

This too. I should explore the creepy woods.

                Alan Wake is a game of mystery, a classic story told in video game format. It uses the darkness not unlike other games in the genre, gives you limited firepower.

                It’s yet another game in my list that operates successfully but making you feel tension the entire time. There are certainly a few terrifying sections, but it’s at its best when it’s just making you feel creeped out. Any jump scares during that period just make the jump scares even scarier.

10: Lone Survivor (PC, PS Vita, PS3)

                 

               Some people may not get scared due to its throwback graphics but it’s scary. It’s survival horror in the truest sense of the word, and it’s a mixture of Silent Hill and Twin Peaks, meaning it’s very psychological but let’s be honest, it’s weird as hell and sometimes the tone shifts unexpectedly.

                But the fact that you are unsure of what’s going on, you’re totally isolated, and you may be going crazy, makes this an extremely scary experience.

                I’m not sure if the fact that the main character actually looks like he’s always smiling makes it scarier or not, but I’m just throwing that out there.

9: S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC)

He just needs a girlfriend. That's all.

                It’s not lost on me how much I’ve repeated this sentiment, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a post-apocalyptic world and it’s because of how great the developers were in realizing this vision that it’s just straight up sinister. You walk around, and while there are definitely moments where it shows you what’s what and tries to make you pee yourself, this is another example of atmosphere done right.

                Really, there’s nothing better in this genre than being in an environment that pressures you the entire time. You don’t need monsters jumping out at you all the time, you need a convincing world first and foremost… at least in my eyes.

                I’m also bias because it’s based on Stalker, the movie (which I adore), which is based on Roadside Picnic.

8: Parasite Eve (PS1)

"Nah, that bitch is cray-cray."

                Parasite Eve is my favourite RPG of all time, and I’m not sure why I don’t see this on lists for this kind of thing. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an RPG or what, and it’s not constantly trying to scare you, but I’m not sure how a person can’t be at least a little scared when you see some of the video scenes, or listen to the music that is straight up scary at times.

                I don’t know, maybe I’m alone here but I think Parasite Eve is scary. What makes it better is that it takes place on Christmas.

7: Imscared (PC)

Sure, you don't THINK this is creepy.

                Imscared came out around the time Slender did. I’m not sure how close they were together but I think Imscared came after. I could be wrong. It COULD be seen as a clone of sorts but to believe that is to miss what makes this wonderful.

                Yes it takes the element of just walking around looking for something, like Slender does, and there is something chasing you, but it’s the gimmick here that does it for me. The game shuts down and puts files in the folder it’s installed in, like little messages about the game. Then you start up the game again and you’re somewhere else.

                It’s this constant sense of dread, like you’re being chased in and out of the game, that puts this above Slender, or a lot of games. It’s a neat little idea, and it works wonderfully. The ending is fantastic as well.

6: Resident Evil 2 (PS1, N64)

Don't worry guys, the po-po GOT this.

                I was always more of a Silent Hill guy but the first few Resident Evil’s are legitimately scary. I try to only pick one game in a series when I make these lists, so I went with Resident Evil 2 because it’s the one I spent the most time with.

                The music does a great job of setting the mood, and of course there are zombies. The series was never afraid to throw unexpected shit at you, and nowhere is this more obvious than when the licker bursts through the mirror. It’s such a scary scene.

5: Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (Gamecube)

          

Halloween is the time for love and he just wanted a hug. Or a rear-naked choke. I'm not sure. Same thing.

              One of the gems of the Gamecube, Eternal Darkness is a cult classic because the game does anything and everything to fuck with you. I have to respect a game that is willing to completely play with gamers like Eternal Darkness does. I really hope there eventually ends up being a sequel but it’s been a hard go so far.

4: Bioshock (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Something seems off about this area, but I can't put my finger on what...

               While Bioshock: Infinite kind of ditched the horror of the first two, it’s hard to deny that the world of Rapture is… not one you’d want to go in. Being underwater is scary enough (for me), but this place is populated by maniacs who can attack from all angles at any time. Did I say they’re maniacs? Oh yeah, I did. They’re psychotic, and while you can do all kinds of nasty things to them, it doesn’t really help in making the place any less fearful.

                Bioshock is my number 4 because not only is the atmosphere/environment one of the best ever in games, and the story is impeccable, but it’s got a healthy dose of jump scares thrown in there as well so there isn’t really a moment where you can breathe unless you just pause it. Don’t be a smartass.

3: Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PC)

          
 

I can't be the only one who thought PENIS when I saw this.

                Amnesia is one of those games that has to be here. It literally is one of the scariest games of all time and it does it with simplicity. Puts you in a dark, gloomy area and haunts the fuck out of you with scary environments and messed up monsters. The Dark Descent definitely fits here. In fact, it sums the game up entirely (good job people who named it).

                You got yourself a lamp and legs. And your sanity is not havin’ sitting in the dark for too long. There’s also something chasing you. That’s probably an important thing to make mention of.

                This is terror at its finest.

2: Silent Hill 2 (PS2)

               

Fair 'nuf.

                Silent Hill 2 literally made me scared of my own shadow in the game. I don’t think I can give it any bigger praise than that. If you like scary games you know Silent Hill 2. It’s iconic both for how easily it scares you and it’s story. And Pyramid Head.

                There are a bunch of Silent Hills that could get on here. Hell, I’d say 1 – 4 could get on here. They all offer something.

1: F.E.A.R. (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

"GET OUTTA THE WAY, BATTLEFIELD 4 IS OUT!"

                They fucked up and just made a decent first-person shooter with F.E.A.R 3 and F.E.A.R. 2 didn’t scare me half as much as the first, but I think that’s because they came at me with the same tricks as the first one and I was used to it. Or maybe it’s just impossible to live up to the standards of the first.

                F.E.A.R. gave me nightmares of walking through halls that are on fire. It’s a solid first-person shooter with great mechanics, but it’s not above putting you in some surreal moments and messing with you.

                Hell, even when it’s not Alma coming at you or other paranormal things, the game manages to scare you with a truck driving at you.

                F.E.A.R. succeeds in atmosphere and jump scares. Like I’ve said before, when a game does both well, it truly is an experience.

                Well there we go. Got any games that make you unable to sleep at night? Let me know in the comments, and until next time, Merry Christmas!