Giant Sparkedcast 07-09-2013

The GameSparked Team

The GameSparked Podcast contains naughty words, and inappropriate content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The team gets together this week for a special Ryan Davis tribute episode of the GameSparked Podcast. Ryan Davis and the rest of the Giant Bomb squad have been an enormous influence on all of us here at GameSparked, so we thought no better send-off than to express our condolences in a podcast, right between discussion of terrible Oreo flavours and what we hate about the Pokémon anime. Also this week, Myles dove into the new Walking Dead: 400 Days, Mat goes in-depth with upcoming Nintendo titles like The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 as well as the first hours of Saints Row IV, and Joe enjoys a racing game for the first time in his life with Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing: Transformed! All this, and much more, on this week’s episode of The GameSparked Podcast!

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Original Intro/Outro by Cody DeBoer

The DubSparked Remix by Kevin Madden

[GOTY] Mat’s Super Ethical GOTY Climax 2012: Apocalypse Edition

Mat Paget
GOTY 2012

A Typical Day at GameSparked. Or the apocalypse. Whichever works.

After some long and hard deliberation with myself, I have come up with a list of my ten favourite games of the year. There were many more games that I enjoyed this year, though, and you can check out the rest of them in my Top Moments of 2012 feature. I forced asked the rest of the awesome writers at GameSparked to choose their top games of the year, so I’d be a bit of a dick if I decided to avoid the pain of cutting games from a list, right? So, without further ado, here we go: my top games of 2012.

10. Dragon’s Dogma
I didn’t keep a notepad full of notes on any game this year, other than Dragon’s Dogma. The game may be weird, silly, and even dated in spots, but that didn’t stop me from falling down the rabbit hole. I spent countless hours just walking around Gransys looking for a dragon, cyclops, or griffin to look at me wrong, and I don’t regret it at all. It sort of harkens back to a day where RPGs didn’t have autosaves or fast-travel systems. As much as I love those systems in today’s games, Dragon’s Dogma just felt right without them. Also, that title menu song… I LOVE IT!

9. Far Cry 3
I hate the story of Far Cry 3. It drives me crazy, it makes me sad, and it almost made me keep Far Cry 3 off this list. But I can’t deny that I had a whole lot of fun with it, whether I was sneaking my way through an outpost, or just going all out like Rambo against an onslaught of enemies. My only real criticism against its gameplay is that I enjoyed playing it so much that I ran out of stuff to do, besides the story missions, fairly quickly. BUT THEN I GO HUNT SHARKS WITH GRENADES AND EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT!

8. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead, for me, was all about Clementine. I did everything for her; she was the one thing I truly cared about. There were times when things “went down” and they didn’t hit me quite as hard because I just wasn’t as attached to those characters as I was to Clementine. My favourite scene (mildly spoiler-free) would definitely have to be the moment Lee teaches Clementine how to shoot a gun. To me, that was the scene of the year. And I’m not going to say it…

Alright, I’ll say it. FOR CLEMENTINE!

7. Lollipop Chainsaw
Now, it’s well known that I, along with many others at GameSparked, am a big fan of Suda51. Aside from a few (ie. No More Heroes), I can’t get enough of the titles he puts out. But Lollipop Chainsaw worried me; even up to the day it was released, I was doubting its chances of being a great game. Thankfully, with the help of James Gunn’s writing, Lollipop Chainsaw turned out to be one of the most memorable I’ve played all year. The game may be short, but pound-for-pound, it’s one of the most entertaining titles to come out all year. Also, it’s hilarious. I mean, running zombies — how stupid is that?

6. Journey
I won’t talk much about Journey, as it’s something that should be experienced. All I want to say is that becoming what felt like best friends with a complete stranger I had never even said a word to, let alone learned their name, was something that I’d only ever heard about, or seen, in Disney movies. I can’t deny that it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had the good fortune to be a part of.

5. Binary Domain

There are better third-person shooters out there, sure, but barely any of them can keep me interested like Binary Domain does. From a pure story standpoint, Binary Domain is one of the most entertaining games I’ve played all year. The characters and their stories are a big reason to I love this game, but there’s a lot going on in the gameplay that I find really interesting, too. Also, your A.I. companions are actually useful. Many people wrote this one off for a number of reasons, but those people need to give the game a chance. It’s got a lot going for it. Give it a shot.

4. Mark of the Ninja
There isn’t a game on this list that controls as well as Mark of the Ninja. It’s a shining example of how games should be made, and the AAA stealth titles that were released this year could learn more than just a thing or two from it. From its excellently-placed checkpoints, to its near-perfect gameplay, there isn’t a thing I can think of that Klei Entertainment could have improved. Also, there isn’t a thing in a game that made me feel so good as Mark of the Ninja did when I would terrorize guards — the way they reacted was empowering and hilarious.

3. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs was a game I had no hope for. Being a True Crime game at one point, who really expected anything? Well, I’m happy that United Front Games proved me wrong, because it’s the best open-world adventure I’ve had all year. The hand-to-hand combat, chase scenes, story, and everything else makes this one very complete-feeling package that everyone needs to try. Also, it made me watch a ridiculous amount of Hong Kong Martial Arts/Crime films. And a bunch of movies starring Jackie Chan, too (including, but not limited to, The Tuxedo).

2. Syndicate

First-person shooters rarely hook me into playing them obsessively like Syndicate did. The game’s firefights are exciting, and everything is done with a really great style — holding your pistol out while sprinting never gets old. The campaign is also excellently paced and choreographed; the music comes in at the right spots and it never feels like you’re just moving from room to room, clearing out all the enemies. Also, the applications you’re equipped with are fast and easy to use, assuring that the game’s exciting action never drops for a second. And don’t even get me started on the game’s online co-operative mode — because you’d never get me to stop. This game is just fantastically awesome. Now go play it!

1. XCOM: Enemy Unknown
There is no game that comes even close to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Everything it does, I’m in love with. There wasn’t a time this year where I was more devastated from a character dying than I was in this game. Even the small missions seem absolutely huge when you know you could be coming back without one of the soldiers you’ve unknowingly grown attached to. Everything else–from the gameplay and aliens, to the sciences and homebase metagame–is absolutely fantastic, and it’s never hard to spend hours upon hours defending Earth. If I had to suggest only one game from this year to play, I’d undoubtedly choose XCOM: Enemy Unknown, as even players new to strategy games have fallen in love with this fantastic game.

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To finish things off, my most anticipated game of 2013:

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We’ll see you in 2013!

GameSparked: Public Enemy Number One

[GOTY] Myles’ Top Six Picks of 2012… And More!

Myles Milligan
GOTY 2012

Hey there! I’m Myles. Most of you probably know me only for my striking good looks, as per the picture above, and by my award-winning personality on our weekly podcasts. However, one might be surprised to find out that I’ve been known to write a review, or even an article on occasion. It’s true — and since my early beginnings at GameSparked I’ve amassed a reputation for taking my sweet time with my written projects. But hey, just like Valve’s unofficial motto, I too am a firm believer that “you can’t rush art.” 

Anyway, this year has seen its fair share of great games. And for as many games that I’ve had the opportunity to play, I still can’t help but feel like I’ve missed a huge portion of titles that really hit-home for many others. Unfortunately for me, time is a commodity that I’m not regularly granted. So, for the limited selection that I have, I would like to share with you the 2012 titles that hold a special place in my heart.

Natural Selection 2

I remember walking by the booth for Natural Selection 2 at PAX Prime. Just a glimpse of it had me intrigued. I was eager to try it, but ended up having to leave and thought nothing of it afterwords. In later months, I was surprised when I activated a code for the game and realized that I would be doing the review on it. The game hit me with full force! Firstly, I was blown away with the aesthetic element of it. Just the overall attention to detail that radiated from the rendering was phenomenal. The concept, although not that original, was very refreshing, especially in a market that’s become saturated with zombies versus humans; with open arms, I will embrace aliens versus humans in a conquest for domination, any day. The fact that you can play either on the fronlines in first-person, or overlooking the battlefield as the commander is fantastic. If there is one thing that Natural Selection 2 does right among others like it, it’s the multi-surface traversal. It’s so fluid it feels like you’re sliding on butter on the ceiling.

As it stands now, Natural Selection 2 is a pay-to-play online multiplayer, and if you’ve been keeping up with our GOTY awards, then you know our feelings on them. It is my sincerest hope that Unknown Worlds eventually makes the decision to go free-to-play, so that this game will see its full potential.

Darksiders II

Having never actually played the first Darksiders, I came into the sequel with a feeling like I was swimming in unfamiliar waters. Luckily, I picked it up with a natural ease. Darksiders II has a great look and feel to it. It plays like a cross-breed between The Legend of Zelda, Prince of Persia, and Devil May Cry. I found myself quickly engaged in the story; it was dark (like the title implies), and very well-written. All the characters were memorable and extremely well voiced. Death is probably the coolest–easily the most condescending–protagonist that I played as this year, and he’s a straight up badass to boot! Also, this game was long. It took me somewhere around 35 hours to complete, so it is definitely worth the money when you consider the length. And even after completing the story, I found myself going back and still discovering places I had previously overlooked.

Vessel

Without a doubt, Vessel was my biggest surprise of the year– and that’s definitely not a bad thing. On the contrary, I was blown away by how such a seemingly mediocre presentation could reveal itself as a hidden jewel. The sense of wonder and fascination that I got from the world itself was great. I was particularly interested by the Fluros, which are these water-based machines built by your character to perform tasks for industrial purposes. In essence, these creatures are mindless drones, that can both serve to aid you, or even kill you whilst you strive to regain control over them. I like to tote about how the level of conveyance in this game is brilliant. And it is. By how it’s designed, it sets up the player to teach themselves how to play. “Man, I love that!” The puzzles were interesting and fun, and make the game seem longer than it actually is. Finally, reinforced by an awesome soundtrack by Jon Hopkins, this game instilled a sense of exploration that was so needed. With everything that Vessel had going for it, there was no way that it wasn’t going to make this list. 

The Walking Dead

“Hey look, another person who really enjoyed The Walking Dead!” Yeah, I know, this game has made so many GOTY lists, you kind of expect it by now. But it truly deserves to be here. In a saturated market, overflowing with zombies these days, The Walking Dead stood out as a cut above all others. Its story, coupled with the choices I made, affected me in such a way that every time I walked away from an episode a part of it clung onto me. Honestly, this is the closest thing to making tough choices as a vicarious father-figure that I’ve experienced in my life. It wasn’t easy, but, for Clementine’s sake, I needed to step up and make decisions that she sometimes didn’t like. Everything that culminated from all five episodes led to one of the most bittersweet endings in videogame history.

The Darkness II

I will be as so bold to say that this was the most talked about game on The GameSparked Podcast. There are those who absolutely love this game, and others who don’t feel so strongly about it… one person in particular comes to mind. I obviously fall within the first category. Coming off as a big fan of its predecessor, I was thrilled to hear that The Darkness II was set to release in early February. It did not disappoint. Oh, how I so missed that creepy, demonic voice of the Darkness. Seeing Jackie Estacado again, was like seeing a long lost acquaintance — still internally tormented as ever. In fact, seeing all the old, and even the new, faces was refreshing. I just love the grittiness and supernatural element of the story. Digital Extremes took a few different approaches with the sequel that I think really worked for it. The presentation, with it’s graphic novel look; it’s linearity, which gave it good pacing; and then its combat, quad-wielding made me feel like a god! I could go on and on about how much I love this game, but for your sake, I will simply end off by saying, “The Darkness II is one of the greatest shooters ever made!”

Hotline Miami
I picked up this title fairly late into the year, and subsequently wanted to punch myself in the face for not picking it up earlier. This is seriously a goddamn great game! “Ahh, I’m going to gush now.” Everything about this game is amazing, and it’s really hard for me to find something that I don’t like about it. The main menu itself looks great with its strung-out/blow-out title. It makes me feel like I’m high and in a really safe place. The amount of pixelated gore that’s exuded is a real art form, and that sounds weird, but it garners such a visceral reaction that I love. The story is raw and gritty, and it’s such a mass of loose threading that it leaves so many questions in my mind about what actually happened. I think its open ending really works to its favour. The gameplay is extremely challenging, and for some reason it doesn’t bother me; it merely serves to make me try harder. For a standalone soundtrack, I haven’t heard anything better. Even now, the eclectic mix of retro-inspired beats has an active spot on my playlist. If there was only one game I could recommend this year, it would have to be Hotline Miami.


An honourable mention to…


Snuggle Truck
This is another title that I wish I had picked up earlier. It’s pure, simple fun at its finest. Next to Clementine, I really care about those adorable stuffed animals!


My most anticipated game of 2013:
Rayman Legends
Ever since seeing this game at E3, Mat and I have been teeming with excitement for its release. Even after recently playing the demo, not an ounce of that excitement has left.


Finally, some people I would like to thank…

 Mat Paget
Thanks for being one of the best friends/colleagues/editors/”bosses” a guy can ask for. 

Jonathan Tay
Thanks for being a fantastic editor and an inspiration for trying to incorporate a certain panache in my writing.

Stephen Loney and Cody Penner
Thank you for starting the Fraser Valley Game Developers meetup. I swear, I will fight tooth and nail to try to make it out to the next one!

You, the reader
Thank you for supporting my work and having read through one of the longer, if not the longest, GOTY lists on GameSparked.

See you all in 2013!

[GOTY] Who Won on Day Five? — Game of the Year Breakdown

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

Best Assassin

Winner: Corvo Attano (Dishonored)
Corvo is the classic tale of revenge — he was set up for the death of the Queen, and now he must switch roles from bodyguard to assassin. But that’s not all; he’s getting a little help. “The Outsider” is a mysterious figure that grants Corvo with supernatural powers that allow him to teleport, slow time, possess living beings, and even summon an army of rats. He is at the top of his game when it comes to infiltration, hand-to-hand combat, sneaking, hiding bodies, and almost anything else you can think of. This is why he is GameSparked’s Best Assassin of 2012.

Runner-Ups: Ninja (Mark of the Ninja), Jacket (Hotline Miami)

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Best “Holy Shit!” Moment

Winner: Lee’s Bite (The Walking Dead)

Lee’s bite in The Walking Dead meant a lot more than what it is on the surface. It’s a cold, stark reminder that everyone is vulnerable in the zombie apocalypse, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The entire moment is a perfect storm of everything going incredibly wrong all at once; Clementine is gone, Lee is given a time limit and a death sentence, and we don’t even know where to start. It’s this kind of crushingly dreadful “Oh, holy shit” that snapped this award up over some very, very strong contenders and even an entry at the eleventh hour.

Runner-Ups: White Phosphorus (Spec Ops: The Line), The Final Moments (Hotline Miami)

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Best Multiplayer Experience

Winner: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Like a game of chess, XCOM: Enemy Unknown makes you feel incredibly smart when you’ve outsmarted your opponent, and incredibly stupid when you’ve made a careless mistake that ultimately leads to your demise. The customization of one’s team–right down to the weapons and armour–is some of the best balancing we’ve seen, and it adds a whole other level to the strategy. For a game titled “Enemy Unknown,” it truly embodies the spirit of it.

Runner-Ups: Borderlands 2, Syndicate

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Best Level/Mission/Quest

  Winner: Ring Side (Rhythm Heaven Fever)

There isn’t a mission, level, or quest that quite got the same loving attention from us as Ring Side from Rhythm Heaven Fever. Since we first encountered it on the game’s release in February, we have gone back to the game regularly, if not only to play this level one more time. I think you’ll be able to tell it’s everyone’s favourite Rhythm Heaven Fever level by looking on YouTube. But for us, it’s our favourite level of any game that came out this year. You can see why in the video above.

Runner-Ups: Bride to Be (Sleeping Dogs), Temple Ship Assault (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)

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The Most Suda51 Game That Is Not A Suda51 Game

Winner: NeverDead

NeverDead is not a good game. But a game’s quality has nothing to do with winning this award. This award is won based solely on the game’s premise. And NeverDead’s premise is what wins it the award for The Most Suda51 Game That Is Not A Suda51 Game. And here is that award-winning premise: Wise-cracking demon hunter Bryce can never die. Cursed with immortality by a demon king five hundred years ago, he now hunts demons for profit, and his own personal vendetta. With the help of a private investigator, he must stop a demonic invasion before it completely destroys a city.

Runner-Ups: Hotline Miami, Tokyo Jungle

[GOTY] Who Won on Day Four? — Game of the Year Breakdown

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

Biggest Buzz-kill

Winner: Larry (The Walking Dead)
There were a lot of different types of buzzkill up for the Biggest Buzzkill award. There were some annoying guys we would avoid like the plague, some real dicks, and then there was Larry. Larry is the most malicious asshole this year, with such charming moments as knocking us on our backs and leaving us for dead in a zombie infested room minutes after we saved his life. Really, you could argue some good things about Larry if you really tried, but this guy would still be a total buzzkill through and through, and we wouldn’t have anything to do with him given the choice.

Runner-Ups: Dr. Tan (Dance Central 3), The Prepper (ZombiU)

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Best In-Game NPC Dialogue

Winner: Hitman: Absolution

There is a lot to complain about in Hitman: Absolution, but the conversations that are held by the game’s NPCs are definitely not one of those things. With stealth games, there is a lot of waiting, watching, and surveying the area, and Hitman: Absolution makes those moments of patience-testing a million times better by filling the world with characters that can hold interesting, well-written, or downright hilarious conversations. Some of the most memorable In-Game NPC Dialogue came from Agent 47’s latest romp, and that’s why it wins this award.

Runner-Ups: The Darkness II, Lollipop Chainsaw

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Best Ending

Winner: The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead felt like a game that was impossible to end well. The bar was set so incredibly high by the events of preceding episodes that finishing off in a satisfying way would have been exceedingly difficult. But not only did The Walking Dead deliver a shocking twist and a mournful, but powerful, ending, it went above and beyond by teasing us in a way that left us chomping on the bit for more. We’re more excited than ever to see where Telltale will take us.

Runner-Ups: Spec Ops: The Line, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

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Worst Ending

Winner: Asura’s Wrath
Asura’s Wrath earned this “award” not only because of its crappy ending. It earned this “award” because it had a perfectly serviceable ending that it decided just wasn’t enough, and tacked on a nonsense, out from nowhere cliffhanger. Anyone who wanted to resolve the cliffhanger ending had to pay up for DLC. This is a real dick move that gave us all a very sour taste in our mouths.

Runner-Ups: Assassin’s Creed III, Mass Effect 3

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Thanks For Reminding Us

Winner: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

XCOM: Enemy Unknown brought back faint memories of a fantastic, imagination-inducing strategy game. Not only did it bring those memories back, but it was an infinitely better experience. It rekindled our love for everything extraterrestrial, and had us digging deeper and deeper into the game’s universe and sciences. It’s safe to say that we are more than happy with the return of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and we thank it for reminding us of a simpler time–when it comes to playing videogames–for all of us.

Runner-Ups: NFL Blitz, Retro City Rampage

[GOTY] Joe’s Deliriously Divine Half-Dozen

Joe Roobol

GOTY 2012

This year has been a blast for me. I joined GameSparked pretty late into the game, but the past few months have been a ton of fun, and I want to thank all the people who read what I have to write on the site and listen to what I have to say on the podcast, from the bottom of my heart. It’s been an interesting ride! I got caught up pretty suddenly and I’m only just now beginning to touch back down. As far as video games are concerned, this year has brought one or two games that are now on my all time favourite games list, as well as a few games that really stand out from the rest that got released this year. Here are my top six, in no order whatsoever, for your reading pleasure.

Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami is a total blur. Everything that happens in it, the gory murder, the amazing soundtrack, is all a whirlwind of blood and entrails. The game sports this hazy, dream-like aesthetic that really drew me into it’s clutches and it still hasn’t let go. It features my absolute favourite music of the year, and I’ll most likely still be listening for years to come. Hotline Miami is the kind of game that, even when every part of me was screaming at me to stop playing, I was incapable of doing so, and I just had to do “one more level” or “just a few more tries.” It’s fantastic from start to finish and I can’t recommend it enough.

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is simply incredible. I jumped into the game just after Episode 5 was released and I experienced the entire thing in two parts, so my experience is a little different from most people who played it. This game is the example of storytelling in video games that every other game should pay attention to. It has powerful, memorable characters that are incredibly easy to grow attached to over the course of the game. Talking about how great Clementine is, at this point, is basically a waste of time. Everyone knows how great she is and how strongly she affects players of the game. I’m feeling pretty good about Telltale going forward. They’ve released some less than stellar games leading up to The Walking Dead, so seeing how great this one is is very reassuring, and I’m personally looking forward to what’s to come.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

I’ve been a fan of tactical RPGs for quite a while. XCOM is one of the ones that does it so, so right. What I love about XCOM is how raw power will barely get you out of the gate as far as winning battles goes. The ultimate weapon the player has available to them isn’t even a construct of the game — it’s their own mind. Something about this really, really excites me in a way that none of the other games on my list do. XCOM also looks and sounds great, especially for its genre, where some of the most famous games are decades old, or on handhelds. All in all, it’s an all-around great game that I highly recommend to anyone who has yet to play it, especially so to fans of strategy games, tactics games, or RPGs.

Journey

If any game out there could prove that video games are an art form, Journey is it; it’s possibly the closest thing to a perfect game that I’ve ever played. The visuals are absolutely stunning, the music is incredible, and the gameplay is simple and engaging from start to finish. Meeting total strangers and becoming instant friends every time, despite no way to communicate with them, is an incredible feat to accomplish, yet somehow it happens. The story of Journey is a sad one, but since it’s capable of fostering these kinds of relationships, it kind of instills a feeling of hope. Either way, it’s an incredible game and deserves a spot on any list of the top games of the year.

Borderlands 2

I love Borderlands 2 almost entirely for how much fun the co-op is. I have a history of enjoying RPGs, despite being downright awful at them, so games like Borderlands are basically perfect for me. Throw in great co-operative play and you’ve got a recipe for getting on my list. Those that are reading this after listening to our Game of the Year debate podcasts will know that I’ve actually argued for Borderlands 2 in one of our negative award categories. This is because Borderlands 2 is one of several games this year that is honestly more than the sum of its parts. A lot of what makes it great isn’t the game itself, but your interactions with other players. Teaming up to shoot stuff with huge guns has never been more fun. Combine it with some amazing randomized weapons, and some awesome skills, and you’ve got yourself a game of the year.

Tokyo Jungle

Tokyo Jungle is the most absurd game I’ve played all year, and I have a special place in my heart for games with dumb or ridiculous premises like this. While the gameplay and graphics aren’t phenomenal like some of the other games on this list, it’s still an incredible blast to play with a co-op buddy, and it’s probably the most charming game here. I can’t stress enough how much fun it is to roll through the post-apocalypse, with a couch full of friends, to enjoy the weird ride and see the strange sights together. I struggled with deciding if this was a game that deserves to be on my list for a long while, but I feel like I’ve made the right choice. Tokyo Jungle is just fun, especially so with a partner.

[GOTY] Who Won on Day One? — Game of the Year Breakdown

The GameSparked Team
GOTY 2012

BEWARE! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

Best New Character

Winner: Clementine (The Walking Dead)

Clementine winning this category will come as no surprise to a lot people who played The Walking Dead. A lot of us grew very attached to the adorable eight year old, and with good reason. It’s a kind of emotional connection to a character that (almost) never happens in videogames that won Clem this award, and we’re cautiously hopeful to see where she goes next.

Runner-Ups: Tiny Tina (Borderlands 2), Johnny Powell (The Darkness II)

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Biggest Surprise

Winner: Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs surprised us. For a game that had such a long, troubled development cycle, it turned out amazing. Also, for a game that was once called “True Crime,” it turned out amazing. We couldn’t be happier about the success of Sleeping Dogs, and we can’t wait for the future DLC, as well as any sequels that may come to be.

Runner-Ups: Dust: An Elysian Tail, Vessel

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Best Looking

Winner: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Dust: An Elysian Tail is a beautiful game. It doesn’t take much time to be astounded by its stunning visuals, surprisingly-good lighting, and art-style that we can really get behind. The fact that there was only one guy working on it makes the feat of creating such a beautiful-looking world seem even more impressive. There’s no doubt in our mind concerning Dust: An Elysian Tail deserving this award.

Runner-Ups: Fez, Sound Shapes

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Best Use of Dubstep

Winner: SSX

While some of the other nominees in this category might have better dubstep tracks in them, none other can truly match what SSX does with the musical genre. Landing enough dope tricks lets the player enter Tricky mode, and the game thrusts them into a world of dubstep. In this existence, the Earth itself is made of purest dubstep and shakes with the force of a thousand wobble basses with each landed trick, and we couldn’t be happier about this.

Runner-Ups: Borderlands 2, Syndicate

[GOTY] Marcus’s Videogame Stuff He Liked In 2012

Marcus Estrada
GOTY 2012

With a wealth of games out in a single year, a man can only play so many. For me, it was an especially grueling year. Instead of fluttering to each and every triple A release as is my habit, I instead veered toward independent endeavors. For some reason, many of them seemed the most appealing! As such, most of these games will probably not make the big Game of the Year lists. It doesn’t matter if the games are easily recognizable or not, anyway. It only matters if they’re fun.

Analogue: A Hate Story

The first “visual novel” released on Steam (before Greenlight, even!), Analogue: A Hate Story managed to capture my attention from start to finish. Some may ask what fun it is to play a game where reading is the main component, but if you have to ask, then this game is probably not for you. However, as good stories are something apparently many gamers yearn for, this should be worth looking into.

In Analogue, you are someone hoping to gather evidence from ancient space station/ships. You enter into one and boot up the AI, who seems very taken with your company. As you interact with it, they reveal ship logs from various inhabitants who have long since passed. Their stories are cruel, sad, and all hugely engaging. As you play, you can choose how you treat the AI, as well as how much you want to delve into these past lives. It may not be the best introduction to the visual novel world, but it definitely has a strong voice.

FTL: Faster Than Light

Roguelike-likes are certainly in vogue these days. So too are Kickstarter projects being fully funded. When you put the two together, it seems like the expected result. Who would have guessed that a game with such a history would actually end up being incredibly addicting?

FTL is such a game which was born of Kickstarter and turned out very well. It never attempts to do things beyond its capacity, so there are no fancy graphics or orchestrated songs. What there is, though, is a game which will keep you coming back again and again. You control your ship, upgrade it, and engage in space battles. Then you will die… continuously. No matter how many times you die, you will want to get back in and try again.

Katawa Shoujo

Yes, there are going to be two visual novels on my list. If you had to choose one to play, though, this should probably be it. What exactly is this game? It’s hard to get the description down without sounding like I’m making something up. Basically, it is the story of a teenager named Hisao who enrolls in a school which specializes in teaching disabled students. From there, you befriend your classmates and may eventually fall in love with one.

If the plot sounds like something that could go horribly wrong, then you’re not alone in thinking so. I approached the game with trepidation as it did not seem the themes could be handled respectively by the developers. However, it turned out to provide terribly gripping stories. Each character is effortlessly interesting and never does the game attempt to insult or demean their various disabilities. Then there is the fact that there are so many dialogue choices and branches to go down that you can play this game over dozens of times and still see new content. Katawa Shoujo is an incredible effort made all the more impressive once you realize it is available freely to download.

Silent Hill: Downpour

If you listen to the fans, Silent Hill has been on the ropes ever since the third game came out. Being shuffled around between developers has not done the series any favors. That, along with the changing face of horror, has made each game far less scary. This is all what you hear from the fandom. If you’re able to put that all aside, though, you may find that Silent Hill: Downpour is the best Silent Hill game in a while (as well as a coolly competent horror title).

The game is not afraid to take risks. Although it provides only dull monster design, it makes up for it with a good dose of creepiness elsewhere. Controls are spruced up, but not enough so to allow your character to be a powerhouse. What Downpour does best is simply stepping out of the shadow of its history and experimenting with some effects which have never even been seen in games before (or very rarely). Such an atmosphere is great, and the story is better than some previous efforts, too.

The Walking Dead

Until Telltale got into the game, adventure games had become a very niche genre. Once they got into the act, though, gamers outside of that realm began to take notice. With their latest release, The Walking Dead has managed to intrigue a lot of gamers by being enthralling without having multiplayer skirmishes, Hollywood-caliber graphics, or sex appeal.

Although it isn’t a classic point and click adventure game, it still has all the hallmarks of one. There is limited control, puzzles, and a distinct focus on narrative. Quick-time events, much maligned by gamers, work in the game’s favor as well. For once, it seems that casual and hardcore gamers both are looking toward a game they can both enjoy. Here’s hoping that Telltale will bring The Walking Dead back for a second season.

[GOTY] Christopher Sheridan’s Top Games of 2012

Christopher Sheridan
GOTY 2012

Sequel fever was in full swing in 2012, but this was not necessarily a negative thing for the most part. Many sequels drastically improved upon concepts and mechanics introduced in the original games, and delivered bigger and better experiences than their predecessors. However, 2012 also saw a number of standalone games that on their own provided stellar, unique experiences. While some of these might give way to great franchises, others will work purely as singular experiences that will be memorable simply for how completely unique they are. This list comprises a mix of some of the most eclectic releases of the year, as well as some of the more emotional picks, and a couple that were just plain fun.

Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2takes the winning formula of the original game and perfects it, expertly weaving solid shooting mechanics, RPG elements, and loot into one terrific package. It then ties the bow with an attractive aesthetic and the most ludicrous sense of humor you’re likely to find in a game. That’s not even to mention the heap of DLC, lengthy single-player mode, and robust cooperative mode. It’s a feature-rich, hilarious, and incredibly fun game, and perhaps the most flat-out entertaining game of the year.

Diablo III
Diablo III was a game that I wasn’t following terribly closely up until after release, when a good friend managed to talk me into overlooking my fears concerning that pesky online connectivity thing and pick it up. Almost a hundred hours later, I’m still finding myself diving back in to mow through the legions of Hell. The simplicity of the combat, the depth of the skills, and that sweet, omnipresent drive to find better and better loot (which scales at an absolutely perfect rate) make this one that will always be a part of my rotation.

FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL is another randomly-generated roguelike (I love those) in which the player is tasked with manning a ship on the run from rebels across a massive galaxy, navigating hazards and hostile aliens, managing resources, upgrading the ship, hiring a crew, and keeping track of the ship’s energy levels to be able to power every room so that things such as oxygen and thrusters work correctly. The randomness can be frustrating sometimes, but the always-fresh mentality of the situations and text-adventure-lite side missions make this a great buy for indie-hungry gamers.

Hitman: Absolution
I was one of chief voices against this game during the lead-up to its release. I don’t actually even remember why, though I think it had something to do with the mission structure I was seeing in the trailers. I got to eat my words when I finally played the game, finding it to be one of the most intense and well-crafted games of the year. A handful of new features, beautifully-crafted controls, clever environments, and the best use of the “Inception sound” since the movie started it make the game a great experience. Few games this year made me feel like more of a badass, and the extremely well-designed Contracts mode that allows players to create endless contract options from any level in the game gives it very strong legs.

Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami is a breathlessly exciting indie game about speed and efficiency. Moving through each floor takes only a few seconds to a couple of minutes, and that time frame is filled with split-second decisions and a requisite razor focus on the environment and enemies to be able to react to dynamic opponents. And as much as I’ve mentioned soundtracks in this article, the fact remains that Hotline Miami is yet another entry with a memorable score. The game also features a startlingly brutal edge, with blood and guts splattering and pooling across the floor and walls when a character dies, and occasionally showing nastier bits like ruptured skulls and brain matter. It’s gross, but it contributes to the overall style, which is colorful, unique, and vaguely foreboding.

 Journey

The hype is real. thatgamecompany’s immersive title is artistically beautiful and remarkably emotion in its allegory for…well, I won’t spoil it, though you may be able to guess it. Regardless, it’s the ending that really hits home and may elicit tears from the strongest of people for its elegance, peace, and beauty, aided by Austin Wintory’s absolutely fantastic soundtrack (which has been nominated for a Grammy). Additionally, the experience of traveling with a nameless companion (the player’s PSN ID isn’t revealed until the end), and them becoming your best friend and source of support over two hours is an ingenious mechanic. There’s really nothing that’s not fantastic about Journey—it’s a must-play.

 Max Payne 3
An excruciating, almost unbearably long development cycle gave way to an incredible action opus from Rockstar. Inheriting development duties of Remedy’s classic noir action series turned out to be a successful gamble, resulting in the year’s best shooter. Max Payne 3 refined the mechanics that made the game popular, added a great multiplayer aspect, and mixed in excellent, visceral production values and a great soundtrack from the band HEALTH. Intense, classic noir storytelling cleanly carried the torch from Remedy and make for what is certainly the best action experience of the year.

Sleeping Dogs
If Square Enix hadn’t picked this game up after Activision decided to cancel it, the game formerly known as True Crime: Hong Kong never would have seen the light of day. It would have been a shame, since Sleeping Dogs is one of the best open-world action games to come along in quite a while. The multiple pieces work together better than anyone could have hoped, and the impressive vehicle controls and tight shooting mechanics make the game a blast to simply play around with. 

 Tokyo Jungle

Tokyo Jungle is kind of awesome. You take a post-human Earth overrun by animals, add in randomly-generated roguelike elements, a finely-crafted combat system, and a subtle, odd sense of humor, and you have this game. The wealth of playable animals ranges from the carnivorous and adorable Pomeranian, to the nimble herbivores such as deer, to wilder choices such a robot dogs and dinosaurs. There are a ton of choices here for a downloadable game, and it’s way more fun than it should be.

  The Walking Dead

Telltale’s adventure game based on the popular graphic novel series is now the adventure game to beat. It’s a storytelling and emotional powerhouse, with each episode delivering tense zombie violence, an incredibly tight script, and ruthlessly difficult choices. Its genius is in the fact that many choices involve incredibly tough decisions under a ruthless time crunch in life-or-death situations.

[GOTY] Callum’s Top 5 Games Of The Year

Callum Petch
GOTY 2012

2012, in all honesty, has been a good year for gaming.  As good as 2011?  No, don’t be ridiculous, but it’s been good all the same and a very noteworthy one, too, for one simple reason: quality, single-player focused experiences came back with a vengeance.  Yes, we’ve had several moves towards an always-on, socially-connected, online focused medium (look at the Wii U for how such a thing has been done right), but the bulk of the best games were, at heart, single-player focused.  And lemme tell ya, as a preferred fan of quality single-player experiences, that pleases me to absolutely no end.

Which is why my Game Of The Year list almost entirely comprises of single-player focused games.  Games that put the value of a well-told story above all else.  Games that put the benefit of precision design of outstanding and tightly crafted set pieces and arcs over the blind panic of trying to shoot someone in the face whilst simultaneously battling lag.  Games that remember that, sometimes, you just want to play a game without having both your sexuality and your mother’s sexuality questioned every five seconds whilst somebody blares obnoxiously awful hip-hop music in the background.

Now, before we get into the list, a brief disclaimer.  I have not played every single game that came out this year.  In fact, I haven’t played too many games this year and even less far enough to gather a conclusive opinion on them.  There are a lot of gaps in my gaming year, for I am a poor British young adult without the money to experience them all.  Ones that I’m particularly gutted to miss out on are Lollipop Chainsaw and Far Cry 3, in particular.  Nevertheless, I stand by my list and definitely don’t see anything unseating the Top 2.  So, in descending order, here are my Top 5 Games Of 2012.

5. Catherine

Getting its UK release in February of this year, Catherineis a highly-flawed game, but one that I am extremely happy and satisfied to have played thanks to, above all else, its story.  Yes, you could easily mark it down thanks to neither of the two titular characters who lead character Vincent has to choose between being particularly well-defined or, for the most part, likeable; but I choose not to dwell on that.  Catherine tells a simple story, but it tells it well with a very mature tone (especially shocking considering the provocative box-art) and well-drawn, likeable, and relatable characters who are great to hang out with.

The game tackles weighty themes with a surprisingly deft hand (it says a lot that the scariest and most unsettling part of the game for me was the scene where Catherine mercilessly beats Vincent in the bar toilets) and builds to a great series of conclusions with a set of multiple endings where each one feels, for once, acceptable and earned.  Plus, Catherine doesn’t skimp on the gameplay either with a unique and fiercely challenging puzzle set-up that is also fair and rewarding of patience and thinking.  Catherine is flawed (making the game be about choosing between two women and having neither of them be particularly desirable until the final third is a major issue), but it’s unique and I’m really glad that I played it.

Plus, it’s made me want to get into the Personaseries and, in the end, isn’t that worth giving this a spot on the list all by itself?

4. Rock Band Blitz

Fun Fact: I still play Rock Band.  I still play it once every week, in fact.  I still spend crap tonnes on DLC for it every month, in fact.  It is probably the defining game series of my life.  So, naturally, you would assume that I would hate Rock Band Blitz because it’s different and plays so little like the series it spawned from.  You would be wrong, because Blitz is the Amplitude sequel that I had been waiting all of my life for.  Yes, it’s a lot simpler than Amplitude and it’s even less of a game than Amplitude (you can’t fail and there’s nothing to unlock after the first 45 minutes), but it still works.

The game’s lack of structure and overarching goals work to keep its focus to the barest essentials: “just one more song!” and “Must beat friends!”  And those essentials work.  Blitzis fast, frantic, fun, and a great game to blow a few spare minutes with… before those “minutes” turn into “an hour” without you knowing.  Months down the line from its release, I’m buying my Rock Band DLC based on how well it’ll play in Blitz and not just for how well it’ll work for regular Rock Band.  It’s as much a part of my weekly gaming routine as the parent series it spawned from and is probably the game I have sunk the most amount of time into this year.

The fact that Cult Of Personality is on the soundtrack has absolutely nothing to do with this game’s position on the list…

3. Mass Effect 3

I liked the ending.  Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, Mass Effect 3 was, for me, most everything that I wanted from it.  Other than the slow start and the really sloggy time back on Earth (until you get to the last “defend this position” objective), the game constantly had its hooks in me.  It told an extremely good story with a literal army of well-written, interesting, and lovable characters.  It managed to make seemingly minor decisions that I had made throughout the series come back to both reward and bite me in both major and subtle ways.  It had super funny scenes (“eeeeemergency induction port!”), super awesome scenes (suck it, Kai Leng!), super heartbreaking scenes (farewell, Mordin), and super heart-warming scenes (“I wish we had more time…”).  It’s pretty much a how-to guide for writing character-focused games.

And to top it all off, the combat was better than it had ever been.  Challenging but fair and very tactical on the higher settings; when everything is going right, it truly made me feel like Commander Shepard, Ultra Badass of the Galaxy.  Sure, a lot of the game involved going through a routine, but I didn’t care.  Until I reached the finale, I just wanted to spend even more time in the Mass Effect universe, with its interesting mythology and unique worlds and amazing characters.  But when the credits finally rolled, I was satisfied.  I don’t want to go back because I was satisfied with how it wrapped up.  It’s over and to return would be to risk sullying the memory.

Mass Effect 3 was most everything I wanted from the game and, in the end, that is what makes it one of my favourite games of the whole decade.

2. The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is not a fun experience.  But it didn’t need to be, for The Walking Dead managed to do the impossible multiple times over.  Over the course of five episodes and 6 long, torturous months, it crafted an exceptionally well-told story that hooks you from the word “go” and almost never lets up.  It wrote a collection of amazing characters who you felt for and rooted for in the face of overwhelming odds.  It shocked by having its “shocking moments” actually mean something rather than just be in there for shock value.  It managed to revitalize the episodic gaming format as a genuine outlet for releases.  It showed that you don’t need to make a zombie game be about endless slaughtering of said zombies to be entertaining.

But, most of all, it managed to pull off the legitimately impossible feat of writing a genuinely strong female child character who you cared for more than anything else in the whole world.  Clementine is, quite simply, the absolute best character that I have ever interacted with in any videogame ever.  She is smart, naive, cute, precious, and in the hands of literally any other developer would be the usual insufferable, know-it-all nitwit that children usually are in videogames.  But Telltale pulled it off (do not ask me, because I haven’t a clue how) and, consequently, the entire final episode is one long, emotionally-draining endurance fest on your heart.  And it is friggin’ perfect.

But you don’t need me to tell you any of that.  Hundreds of other journalists will have said what I wanted to say about this game and they’ll have said it a thousand times better than me.  Most of you reading this, yourselves, will understand thanks to having played the game already.  Acquaintances who are casual game players, people who only play shooters, even partners who don’t play games and just sat next to you experiencing it… they know what I mean.  The Walking Dead is 2012’s breakout hit and proves, beyond all reasonable doubt, that a quality single-player focused, story-driven game can succeed in today’s market.

For Clementine.

1. Spec Ops: The Line

I have already written a good 2,100 words on Spec Ops: The Line.  I could write a good 12,000 more.  Easily.  Much like The Cabin In The Woods (incidentally, my favourite film of 2012), Spec Ops: The Line is a game that presents itself, on the surface, as the most generic videogame to come along since Bodycount.  And, initially, it is.  You take cover, you issue orders to your two squadmates, you shoot at men in turbans who yell at you in a foreign language…  Until you don’t.  As pretty much everybody on the frakkin’ planet has told you by now, Spec Opsis all about the rug-pull and, once it pulls that rug, there is no going back.

However, Spec Ops does have a lot of negative points about it.  Graphically, the game is not in the slightest bit pretty to look at with textures looking extremely muddy and animations being particularly rough (upon further reflection, this actually adds to the brilliantly oppressive atmosphere!  Gorram, this game is amazing).  The difficulty has some extremely unfair spikes at certain points.  It’s short.  Really rather short, the campaign should last you barely 6 hours on Normal.  And the multiplayer is hot, steaming garbage that directly flies in the face of everything that the single-player stands for.

So, even in the face of all of those fairly hefty flaws that would sink any other game’s chances at being the Best Game of the Year, why am I giving GOTY to Spec Ops?  Three very simple reasons, folks.  1] It has now been 3 full months since I played and finished Spec Ops and I am still thinking about it.  That never happens to me anymore.  2] As soon as I finished playing this game I immediately hopped online to have a full discussion with as many people as I could find who had played it to the end.  I needed to talk about this game.  And I kept insisting to all of my real-life friends that they needed to play it (none have taken me up on the offer, because all of my friends suck).  This never happens to me anymore.

3] Spec Ops gave me an experience that I had never gone on before.  I had never felt the way that I had felt on my first run-through the game (I played it in full three times the week that I rented it).  This game hit me and it hit me hard.  And the more that I think about it, the more I love it and the more that I want to write about it (Fun Fact: I had to physically restrain myself from writing and adding more to my original article).  Spec Ops: The Line is an imperfect masterpiece that everybody needs to experience from start to finish and is one of the top five best games that I have ever played.

Go and play it now.