Hi guys! Well, it’s December, the month of Christmas (Hanukkah, if you’re Jewish), and the end of the year. Last year around this time, I did a bunch of content to conclude 2012, and I thought I had achieved some success with that. This year I plan on putting up some content to finish up 2013, but this time around I plan on posting up only 6 posts. I rushed somewhat to post the 9 articles/reviews last year, so by limiting myself to 6 posts will give me a little more time to flesh things out. To start things out, let’s me tell you about my top 5 video games of this year that I played & enjoyed. Last year’s was pretty interesting, and I how you find this one to be interesting also.
5) Max Payne 3
Most of you are probably scratching your heads on this one. “Uh, wasn’t this released last year?” you’re more than likely asking. Both of these reactions are very legit, but let me explain my reasoning. I requested this game for my 26th birthday, along with my number 4 spot on this list. I haven’t really gone back to do a second playthrough of it yet (Since I finished it around mid-April, I believe), but I’m planning on it.
In the meantime, I thought Max Payne 3 was a blast! The singleplayer was quite riveting. There was a good story (Filled with plenty of twists & turns), great cast of characters, and familiar yet different gameplay. I didn’t try the multiplayer, but from what I’ve heard it was a nice experience. You know what, I’m gonna go back & play it again! See a review for this in a couple months!
4) Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm
If I enjoyed Wings of Liberty, then I really enjoyed Heart of the Swarm. After waiting for almost 3 years after the conclusion of WoL, HotS was well worth it!
Heart of the Swarm is something of a different creature when compared to Wings of Liberty. Whereas Wings of Liberty was a typical war story, Heart of the Swarm tells the tale of Kerrigan’s rebirth into humanity, and her path of vengeance & reunification into the swarm after Raynor “died” early on. HotS is also different from Wings of Liberty in that it feels like Warcraft 3 from 2002/2003. In just about all of the missions you get to control Kerrigan, and by adjusting her skills in between missions & leveling her up, her role in battle changes. You can also adapt certain species within the swarm to have special abilities, like jumping up walls or widened explosive radius.
Heart of the Swarm brought to the table all of the things that made Wings of Liberty great, and added it’s own positive qualities to create a great product. Now, time can only tell on the final installment of the epic trilogy, but I’ll let you know, I’ll be waiting for it to come to my doorstep.
3) The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
Of all the games I played this year, this was the most surprising to me. A dark & gritty RPG in the vein of Diablo 1 & 2 (Sorry Diablo 3, for while you are/were a blast to play, you didn’t quite have the look as you used to), The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing was also a game in it’s own realm. Using the stories & mythology of Dracula, mad scientists, werewolves and such, the in-game world was full of danger, darkness, and ancient secrets that mankind shouldn’t attempt to unearth. Not only that, but you also have a battle companion that follows you throughout the campaign, and she can fight in either melee or ranged (Much like yourself, but I’ll cover that in the eventual review), and use special abilities (You also gain special abilities, but again I’ll cover this in the review). There’s also a bunch of Easter eggs, many of which apply to classic horror literature & horror movies, not to mention some Easter eggs that reference real-world things as well. There are some small flaws with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, but they don’t weigh down the experience in any way!
2) Borderlands 2/Duke Nukem 3d: Megaton Edition/Shadow Warrior Classic Redux
I couldn’t really choose between any of these, and so I gave all of these games their own spot. With Borderlands 2, the game’s lifespan has been increased tenfold with all of the update & downloadable content. You’ve got the two downloadable characters (Gaige & Krieg), the four story DLCs, various skins & heads, and the two level increases (Which also included other goodies as well). These updates really make playing the game multiple times viable, with each run through giving you better & better loot. I’ve gotten four characters up to the new maximum level of 72, and I got two more to go.
With Duke Nukem 3d: Megaton Edition, we get something a little different. Right away, you’re given the original game (Plutonium Pak: First 3 episodes & 1 mission pack episode), which is all well and good. What really makes this a worthwhile purchase is that you also get the three official expansion packs of Duke Nukem 3d (Duke It Out in DC, Duke Caribbean: Life’s a Beach, Duke: Nuclear Winter), which are now almost impossible to locate physically. These three packs are a blast to play, each of them providing a different experience (Even Nuclear Winter, which is the worst of the three, has a fun moment or two). If you’re a fan of Duke Nukem, or at the very least interested in Duke Nukem, then I suggest you go & buy this edition.
As for the Shadow Warrior Classic Redux, it’s pretty much in the same boat as the DN3D: Megaton Edition. The mission packs are hard to find online because they were never released physically (Granted, that was due to controversy when the main game first came out, but that’s for another time), but with the Classic Redux release, they’re both included in the package, along with the original game. If you want a change of theme, but not a change of pace, then give Shadow Warrior a go!
1) Rise of the Triad: 2013 Edition & Shadow Warrior 2013**
Back in the early/mid 90s, Rise of the Triad was a fun shooter. Wacky weapons (Split Missile & Excalibat anyone?), bizarre powerups (Dog Mode?), complex & weird level design, and goofy/interesting enemies (Magical monks) created for a memorable experience. It was memorable enough for Interceptor Entertainment to recreate the game for the modern gaming audience, and a couple months ago released Rise of the Triad: 2013 Edition. Although shorter than the original game & coming with some small graphical problems, the game very much reminded me of the source material. It was fast paced, full of tense gunfights, deadly traps & puzzles, and some of the goofiest humor ever seen in a game (Although they seem to have laid down more humor in this iteration). If any of you are tired of the current state of First-Person-Shooter, then I suggest you give this old-school inspired game a go!
In regards to Shadow Warrior: 2013 Edition, I can only say that it is a game that everybody should play, or at the very least try. Despite some of the small troubles it has (Emphasis on the word small), it has some of the best gameplay I've ever seen! Visceral melee combat & fast-paced gun battles against some of the most unique & imaginative monsters in gaming, and Ki-based magical powers complement one of the most original & competent stories ever written for a video game. I won't spoil it for you, but if you're not shedding at least a single tear by the time the game is through, then you have no emotion or feeling.
See you all this Friday, when this Christmas gets a little twisted. Until then, stay Otaku!
**
Updated on December 12th, 2013 on 8:01 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)
No comments:
Post a Comment