When I first had the chance to demo Injustice: Gods Among Us at E3 last year, I was almost sure this was Mortal Kombat with a mere DC superhero skin.
Boy, was I wrong.
Frankenstein! I thought you were a good guy!
There are so many elements to this fighter that make this one different than any other; and, with as many hours as you can spend with Injustice, the door is now open for even more fantastic sequels, or at the very least, damn cool-looking skins via DLC! (Blackest Night, Flashpoint and Red Son, said to be a few of the alternate skins among them.)
Yes. I’m craving a sequel already, and not necessarily because I feel the need for more characters — though Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Ra’as Al Ghul, Black Canary, Atrocitus, Constantine, Batwoman, Firestorm, Zatanna, and, uh, yes, Wildcat would be cool, too. While it doesn’t take very long to master each one of our in-game heroes and villains (special moves and combos appear to be pretty simple to pull off), there does appear to be a Metropolis amount of discovery had within each replay.
The most challenging discovery, perhaps, is pulling off ways to chain each hero/villain’s unique power mechanism. Batman can strike you with an assortment of his floating bat bombs; Flash can call upon the Speed Force for mega-hit combos; and Wonder Woman can even exchange her lasso for a big ass sword.
Hey, some ladies enjoy the use of a big sword every now and then.
Though you will enjoy the lengths of mastering each character’s special techniques, the most jaw-dropping moments in the game come from the — sure, the special move cinematic sequences and we’ll get to those — interactive environments. Every arena, be it the Wayne Manor, Stryker’s Island, or The Watchtower (no Jimi Hendrix included, sorruh) carries an enormous amount of wild objects to toss (lion’s head, anyone?), floors to stomp opponents through and triggers to pull. Get close to the right buttons in the Caped Crusader’s layer and you can literally zap the shit out of your foe. Larger dudes like Bane, Ares and Grundy will straight destroy you into another level — and yup, the fighting shall resume there.
Shit can get that epic.
All of the special moves are a joy to watch, but, unfortunately, there’s only one for each character, so watching Superman uppercut you to the Moon and back down again may actually get old the third or fourth time out. This, however, forces you to use an array of choices instead of being stuck on Raven. Cause I know you are.
Mr. O’Neal’s got nothing on me. SHA…
The single player story-line itself is sweepingly epic, focusing on the DC Hero of the Year, Clark Kent. Surprisingly, however, the story unleashes a Man of Steel who’s more of the broodingly heartless, more interested this time in ruling (think: Kingdom Come) than protecting. That can be a very dangerous scenario. So, there’s a reason why Lex Luthor is a good guy, Green Lantern goes yellow (and I don’t mean cowardly), and our favorite Justice Leaguers are double-crossing one another (Atlantis vs. Themyscira, oh my!).
Like I said, shit can get that epic.
The main drawback from the story mode are the silly QTE’s that nearly implode it. For example, these Quick Time Events try to give reason as to why your Deathstroke is about to confront Green Arrow (*Minor Spoiler* even though they’re currently buddies in the TV hit “Arrow,” this is what happens down the line, fools!). They force you to exhibit some arcade-ready fingers, either to hurl items at your opponents with repetitive button presses, such as Joker cards, or to fend off/dodge other incoming objects. These sort of grammar school scenarios appear foolish when you understand the true matter at hand (Superman wants to kill us!).
Thankfully, there are enough “oh shit!” moments that happen throughout the campaign that many loyal comic readers will enjoy, particularly one involving a Red Son. When you’re done the prime story and whipping many of your friends either online or in yo’ mama’s basement, nerds can then turn to S.T.A.R. Labs, which conditions your fighters to the most extreme of challenges. You know, half-health, the villain’s only club, etc. There’s plenty of unlockables to be found here, too. And lest we not forget: Kevin Conroy voices Batman. Kevin Conroy voices Batman! KEVIN CONROY VOICES BATMAN!!
Kev..
4.25 (out of 5) Bibles. Extremely cool graphics (other than a sort of ugly Diana Prince?), interesting Clone Wars campaign (by far the best story in a fighting game ever), great veteran voice acting (George Newbern is back as Supes), loads of cool combos and special techniques, epic in-fight cutscenes, loads of environmental play, and hopefully some more DLC along the way. A MUST buy for all fans of DC Comics and/or fighting games. If you love Mortal Kombat, then NetherRealm ensures you’ll love this.
The latest re-imagining of the beloved Tomb Raider fulfills all the promises of a sweepingly epic franchise. If you’ve played/defeated Far Cry 3, Uncharted 2, Darksiders II, and/or Assassin’s Creed III, this “reboot” may touch a little bit close to home. But, hey, hunting nature’s wildlife, searching for relics, solving certain puzzles, and taking on endless armored combatants are the expected forms of function for both Tomb Raider and the previously mentioned.
These games just wouldn’t have it any other way.
Luckily, this Tomb Raider incorporates a riveting horror element that dissevers Lara Croft’s latest venture from the swashbuckling island adventures of past. Some of the tombs you discover — and deaths you acquire — are flat out gruesome. Lara is no longer a Wonder Woman right off the bat, either; it takes hours of gameplay ’til this Dora is able to fully destroy the “sodom and gomorrah.” In other words, she doesn’t pull her first strap for a hot minute. At least the shipwrecked student — who’s still extremely hot by the way, don’t get it twisted — displays higher levels of susceptibility, troubling awareness, and inner turmoil than Mrs. Pitt’s Last Action Hero.
The game is more realistic, but somehow I became prettier. Weird.
Camilla Luddington‘s Lara breaks down the walls with a genuine vocal performance. Her blurbs are filled more with modest self-doubt and youthful curiosity. These emotions help make the search more fun, with our youthful protagonist unsure whether the damn job can get done; of course, by the time she’s ready to save the world, those doubts are smeared away. The evolution of Croft is something that can be appreciated throughout Crystal Dynamics lengthy adventure, lining up more games to come in the near future.
The original Tomb Raider — with all its frustrating climbing challenges and damn wolves — is perhaps the one title that significantly led to this writer getting hooked to any game not involving touchdowns, goals, dunks and homers. Tomb Raider sent off that feeling of self-empowerment and sense of adventure, which meant a lot when trails of exploration weren’t exactly present in my backyard. And, yet, while games of this era focus more so on the rabid burst of a pistol, the frequency of a sniper rifle, and the tweaking of a bow, Mother Nature and all her solitary dangers becomes the ultimate obstacle in Lara’s latest adventure.
Thank God for that, as there are already plenty of and perhaps too many shooters on the market.
But 3PS (third-person shooter) fans shouldn’t be discouraged, as there’s plenty of weapon customization and tense Max Paynesque gunfights for Lara to indulge. Though finding enough scrap to give your fighting self is one thing. Learning the discovered ropes of mountain-hiking, ice-climbing, and coastal survival is another — and that much more enthralling.
So long as you don’t use too much of Lara’s newly found “detective mode” ala Arkham City ala every other game that allows you to discover items and foes a lot easier with a touch of the bumper.
No more toasted strawberry croissants! You mean.. I.. no.. nooo.. NOOOO!!!.
The island Lara explores on her mission of both rescue and recovery is an impressive one, as touchingly horrific as the war tales of WW2 and Old Japan are told through recorded docs throughout. Land activity is also sparse. You’ll feel a lot more abandoned and haunted than any other place Lara’s frequented since 1996, unlike the high activity of say, Far Cry 3.
And, yes, you guessed it: the game is as emblazoned with QTE’s as it is with ancient Japanese scripture. Those quick-time events I so bashed in Metal Gear Rising are actually a challenge here — never have I died so many times in a game during QTE sequences — and deliver top quality cinematic presentation to what’s already the best Tomb Raider movie yet. Sure, you’ll sort of wish the final foe was a lot tougher and more significant to the spiritual haunts, the ending a lot longer, and more of the other survivor’s stories more flourished; but, this appears to be the problem with just about any game not, ahem, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, so allow me to drown in my own bloody puddle of muddled hypocrisy.
Despite the excuse for this new TR being “more about the journey,” the best game to hit systems early this new year will certainly leaves gamers with the urge to go back and find more maps, explore more tombs, cash in more treasure and maybe just relive the whole damn thing over again.
4.25 (out of 5) Bibles. Really on the fence between 4 and 4.5 because of the middling multiplayer option and rushed end. Other than that, the game is basically Action/Adventure perfection. The graphics are gorgeous, the score is creepy, and your sense of danger never goes away. The voice acting is pretty bad for all of those not named Lara. Customizing your abilities throughout the game is terrific. A must buy, especially for TR fans of old.
My close friend — who happens to be couch surfing at the crib to get a taste of that Holly-Hollywood — just had to accomplish what the Rev didn’t: beat this damn freaking game. As if it wasn’t bad enough that I had to reset the game 2-hours in, after finding the “Hard” difficulty to be that much more extreme once I stepped up to LQ-84i, the asshole of a wolf that later becomes instant dogmeat once you change it up to Normal.
Even more humorous is that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance actually has the Konami Code! Yes, you got it: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make Raiden (nice, original name Konami — though you, thankfully, do pronounce it Rye-Den) any more invincible. Instead, the code allows gamers to try this already tough-as-fuck game on two harder (!!) difficulty settings, No Way Bro and Get the Fuck Outta Here.
The problem with many of these Japanese-made games — こんにちはカプコン、コナミ — is that many of them are still stuck in that Sega Original/Neo Geo mode of gaming. To many, this is a positive since many of their games are often more difficult than today’s very typical, movie-inspired next-gen games. Most will eventually beat the Halos, the Gears of Wars, and the Call of Duties on the normal and even more difficult settings. That’s no surprise. But these games from Japan?
Good luck.
Were you just using the Wu-Tang sword style against me? Then I feel bad for the RZA.
There’s a fine line between the fun and challenging, and the terribly frustrating, however. Borderlands 2 was a real ball-buster of frustration at times. But at least the game offered a wide-array of challenges, modes and solutions to many of the in-game migraines. There were more difficulty modes than just Easy, Normal, Hard and a lot of American games offer challenge sliders to customize your own difficulty. This button-masher of a Metal Gear, which certainly doesn’t reflect the Solid Snake-based paramilitary stealth of Metal Gear tradition, is a real treat on the Normal setting ’til you meet the Senator.
Almost too easy.
Rising‘s Senator — who you face three subsequent times — may be the most challenging, thwarting end boss in a long time. Sure beats the one-button finish of Halo 4. Certainly. Sure beats the final boss of Darksiders II, which took a quarter of the time to figure out after hordes of toughies throughout. The angry political monster (aren’t they all) also sizes up nicely with that morphing bastard of a boss in Borderlands 2.
Don’t get us wrong over here at GHG. Having a tough challenge is a good thing. And if you time the slice-and-dice of that huge debris the hulking middle-aged menace at you repeatedly just right, the rest of the final fight should be a breeze. It also shouldn’t take you the 1:59:31 it took Nick and I to can this Rush Limbaugh on steroids. So long as you handle those giant rocks, health-replenishing nanites will start to appear, and bam!
Smooth sailing.
Which, reminds me; didn’t the also recently just released Devil May Cry have a similar boss with its republic Anchor Man-iac?
Another comparison between the two games is the combat. DmC’s duel-wielding, whip-and-axe, shoot-and-slice techniques are that much more fun, especially since finding a secondary weapon in Rising means replacing combos with the original for something much clunkier. It takes more than button-mashing to slay enemies in that game, too; all the while, you can go full “beginner Street Fighter” in the much harder MGRR to run through the lot of ‘borgs. Rising‘s only harder on the Normal Difficulty due to its “cheating” AI, when the DmC Hard Mode gives you the feeling like you accomplished something more than mere mashing.
It’s all relative, I know.
So why should you actually buy Metal Gear Rising? Because it’s a solid, high-octane tour through the cybernetic section of the Metal Gear universe, and offers a fun alternative to all of the shooters out there on the market. Just in the last 2-weeks alone, peeps could purchase Dead Space 3, Crysis 3, and Aliens: Colonial Marines.
All three of those games have to do with shooting aliens.
Someone booked him a half hour call-time past crew lunch.
In Rising, you get to tear down, combo kill and “Blade Mode” slow-time choreograph (think: Max Payne/The Matrix bullet-time) through rocket-launching cyborg ninjas, stalking robotic cow towers, and transforming, metallic grandstanding baddies. Sounds much cooler than aiming at extraterrestrials, right?
While that’s arguable, the primary reason your favorite Rev chose to play/review MGRR over the others is the back-story: I’ve got none. And since I deserve extreme punishment for not yet getting through the first two Dead Space or Crysis games, this review made a tad more sense.
Even if the constant parrying, spine-ripping and Zandatsuing (that’s the close-up horizontal and vertical slicing sequences) opponents over and over for 6 hours won’t make gaming history.
Metal Gear Rising‘s graphics and music definitely amp it’s replay value on those surface statistics alone. In fact, Konami did such an astounding job at maximizing the most of this last gen’s look that if you told me this was from a PS4, I wouldn’t argue. Rising is downright gorgeous. The traditional, enthusiastic Tokyo Pop-induced tunes won’t fail to hypnotize either, though this reviewer is not quite sure all of that makes up for the game’s piss-poor camera angles. It becomes incredibly irritating when you’re specifically aiming your katana at limbs and miss by inches, or when you can’t quite get the camera to find the boss before they do.
The story itself is also a bore. Nick and I didn’t even care to listen to the ending narrative because we could instantly predict it. Throughout, the cutscenes take over much of your 4-6 hours, look nice and say little. Also, be cautious that many of these lengthy animations require you to be involved ala QTE’s (quick-time events), so you may miss an X button alert while the lackluster voice acting throws you in a trance.
But, hey. If you’re tired of shooters and looking for something else to jump in and out of, it can’t be much worse than this month’s other “splash,” Aliens: CM — easily the biggest disappointment since Resident Evil 6. In fact, it’s getting some of the worst reviews in years and, you know…
Ain’t no gamer got time fo’ that.
3 (out of 5) Bibles. Looks and sounds better than it plays. A decent alternative to the constant array of shooters flooding the market. DmC is better, and fairly new… Will confuse long time Metal Gear fans, especially those of Solid Snake. You could Red Box this game and beat it in an afternoon or two. But, if you’re looking for a challenge and don’t mind breaking 6 or 7 gamepads…
…’cause he’s sure as shit thirsty for chainsaw-smokin’ skeletons and migrated chemical goliaths.
To think, Capcom might also shed a tear or two come next Christmas, when they realize one of the year’s best titles might get lost among the typically huge blockbuster game shuffle come awards time.
Don’t scythe this messenger.
Just another Hollywood douche with a sword.
Devil May Cry was, in fact, my surprise game at Comic Con — thanks to the Hard Rock Hotel’s XBOX Lounge — which allowed this gamer a whirl at the lengthy demo. Thankfully, it’s final release (out tomorrow 11/15) has everything gamers would ever want in a platformer: mega-responsive, intuitive combat; outstanding widescreen visuals and talented voice acting (especially Robin Riker’s slithery pregnant witch,”Lilith”); a compelling arsenal and lightning-pumped score. The key to victory for the folks over at Ninja Theory in this cross-pollination of Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania, however, is just how pick-up-and-play DmC.. well.. plays.
The game is by no means an easy one, as there was a point or two where it took over an hour of deaths just to get through a battle. Rather, the left and right sticks are nifty enough to switch between “Angel” and “Demon” forms that separate faster sickles and blades — that are better suited for taking out larger swarms of ghouls — from heavier axes and scythes that will be needed for far more hellish warrior-demons. Particular weapons work on particular foes too, so there is indeed a learning curve; but, with more focus on action than exploration, it shouldn’t take long for players to fully immerse themselves into battle.
Now, that’s not to say there isn’t already plenty to explore. In fact, there were several missions (of the rough # of 15) that this monsignor only completed at 25 or 30%. That’s due chiefly to skipping out on several of the “Secret Missions,” which at first appeared a quick way to make a buck (yes, you buy upgrades and items just like every other platfomer, yo), but then proved a bit time-consuming and jarringly difficult. For example, kill these 20 floating enemies in less than 30 seconds, but only by using blah-blah-blah. Yeah, it’s a pain in the ass. I’d say try ’em all, but you don’t want to distract yourself from the main story too much.
There are also plenty of keys to be found in the more difficult regions of DmC that help unlock more areas for bloody doe and fiendish worship.
You’ll be cracking literal skulls.
And thankfully, the story of this Devil May Cry reboot is damn good too. It fleshes a beat of the arcane underworld with current political structure and social reliance. One of the damnedest — and coolest — bosses in recent memory comes courtesy of a god-fearing Rush Limbaugh newscaster type, who sends our Dante through a cluster of neon television signals and stock red-white-and-blue telekinetic lasers. Some of these bosses are tough; but none of them are as fun to battle as the normal stock. DmC also does something pretty damn cool with its fights, as it cinematically introduces each new foe via a 3D Street Fighter or Tekken (or vs.?).
To think of DmC as an action/adventurer and not a fighter is one of its finest feats. Each battle relies on time, style and an almost hypnotic dexterity to it all, especially style. You need to mix in your Ebony & Ivory (gats double-deuce) in with the Rebellion (big ass sword) and your other merchandise. The longer you play, the more at your array. Soon you’ll find a way to whiplash tug on flying baddies all the while tornado dicing ground foes while leaping yourself with some insane combos– and then blast the last reeking dude with a one-hand shottie.
With the Skrillex meets Killswitch Engage-like soundtrack, perhaps some Bud and some bud, you’ll have around 11-12 hours — without death — to kill these ghastly gunk-sneezing bitches. Then you’ll do it all over again and again until the day something a little more riveting comes out.
Good luck.
4 (out of 5) Bibles. DmC won’t change the gaming industry, but it’ll surely have them rethink it. Maximizes the pixels and resolution on these system’s last wheels, with wondrous post-apocalyptic landscapes and lavish, contrasting colour schemes. Yes, colour. The best fighting combo’s in the business, which would give several of the game’s best fighters a run for their money…with thankfully enough story and exploration to make it a full package.
You know, the Rev’s had a pretty decent New Year’s. Was able to completely make an ass out of myself in the Happy Ending Employee World Shuffleboard Championship at.. uh.. Barney’s Beanery on Sunday night (after viewing a great Patriots shutout over the ‘Phins); made some good money watching a bunch of hipsters make asses out of themself last night (and had some champagne too; more than I expected. Shh…); and today, watched my Wolverines make a valiant effort in the Outback Surprisingly Not A Cagey Rugby Bowl. My BLUE lost, but we had no QB accuracy or pass rush all game. And it was fun to watch.
With that, I got up, got angry, and finally decided it was time to present a piece many of our followers have been craving for. Because it’s video games, and video games don’t suck.
One thing to keep in mind, however, friends, is that we own a XBOX 360, nor were we initially high proponents of the new Pii-U. So, yeah, we’re sorta biased over here. Sadly. And when I say “we” I mean me. Which means — despite having the audacity to almost complete every major blockbuster game of 2012 — I didn’t get to play ALL of them. So there’s more than a share of favorites this fellow wasn’t able to include, or just barely registered.
Honorable Mentions:
–Hitman: Absolution – Hey, at least my roommate loved this. And apparently a shit-ton of gamers from E3 and across the net. I, for one, have never been big on Hitman games (just never got into the franchise; don’t ask), so it may be a while before I give this a twirl, but there’s no doubt the reviews are really good.
–Prototype 2 – Just didn’t get enough of this game in.
Afraid of somethin’ a bit too long, do ya?
–Need For Speed: Most Wanted/Forza: Horizon – Didn’t have time to do much racing other than from my prior experiences at Comic Con in the XBOX Lounge. Both games rock, though.
–The Witcher 2 – I was enjoying this sadistic sequel to the role-playing PC hit nearly as much as the Elder Scrolls series until less time-consuming games were released. Oh, and that bad-ass Skyrim DLC, “Dawnguard”. Sorry, Witcher. the Rev shall return someday.
–Madden ’13 – The game blew me away initially, but as the season progressed the flaws became more apparent. Still, it’s great to know this franchise is well on its way of becoming legit once again. Bring on custom arena music! And — obviously — offline multi-team careers. Here’s the review. 3.5/5
–Transformers: Fall of Cybertron – Not sure what went wrong here. Got really hyped for a franchise I’ve always been a big fan of in terms of comics, cartoons, toys, and movie (yes, movie – singular), and now, finally, a game worthy of the hype. Then, during my time with Activision’s multi-platformer at E3, the graphics sorta putrid. The gameplay sorta boring. The hype sorta wearing out. So the game comes out to.. excellent reviews!? The hail!? Fall of Cybertron also comes out during a mist of Darksiders II and Borderlands 2. Never hadda chance.
This listtttt is most preciousssssshitttttttt!!!!!!
–Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes/Lego Lord of the Rings – Playing with the Justice League — especially Superman! — in Lego form in an open world game was a lot of fun! I even went lengths to label the game, “Grand Theft Lego!” But, something just appeared to be missing from the game, or maybe just smashing blocks for coins got a little wearisome. As for Lego’s newest installment, which is catching on to some stellar reviews, this player just hasn’t played it yet, playas. I do read comics, watch movies, watch TV, watch sports, work, and have an occasional social life, too, ya know.
–NHL 13 – Last year, in NHL 12, I played all 82 games and had many deep round series going on to win the Stanley Cup. It was easily the finest hockey game playing experience ever. This year, NHL 13 made the skating a little more realistic and then… the lockout happened. I honestly lost all my interest for hockey from that point on, and haven’t been able to explore the depths of this game like I wanted. That, and I don’t believe EA Sports has put enough thought into their overall game presentation. Where are the highlights from around the league between periods? What makes your season games feel like a season? Hopefully, those fixes will come to an already excellently played game physically.
–Darksiders II – Nearly cracked my Top 10 for no better reason than spending so much time with it! It’s a hellish long game, but it’s rather good. Now, while DS2‘s story had its share of flaws — and there’s a hell of a lot of travelling and mistake-making up going on — there’s no doubt in its place as one of the Year’s Best Platformers, perhaps only this side of an Italian plummer. Here’s the review. 3.5/5
So, one of you’se is ‘a banned from XBOX Live. Step right up.
–The Walking Dead – This monthly episodic game, which was released in five separate 2-3 hour increments, has been the talk of the town among the Year’s Best Games. But if it’s indeed an XBOX Live exclusive, wouldn’t that sorta disqualify it from the list, anyway? That’s sort of like not allowing mixtapes on a Best Album list. Oh, who am I fooling — just trying to make excuses because I haven’t played it yet– and, you know, it won the GOTY Award at the Spike TV VGA’s, among a ton of other media outlets. Not having XBOX Live for a few months killed, and from what I hear, this game that’s more so like the comic than TV show (that one is coming soon, don’t you worry) killed, as well.
GHG’s Best 10 Video Games of 2012:
10. WWE 13 – This would have more or less been the same game as last year’s great surprise, but then there was Attitude Era. The new, classic match-based seasonal mode is perhaps the best of its kind in a wrestling game…perhaps ever…and I’ve still yet to download CAWs and fully explore the Universe mode. (But blame some XBOX Live issues for that one). Here’s the review. 3.5/5
Now, Cortana, I’m telling you; there’s absolutely no way we allow Moody to play our games 5 months in advance.
9. Halo 4 – Perhaps the year’s biggest disappointment — this side of Resident Evil 6, of course — was Halo 4. There’s still many fans and critics alike who label this as “amazing,” “great” or their year’s best (see: IGN, or rather — don’t). It’s just hard for this player to place a game beat with a pal in around 8 hours up towards mega-classic status. Uh-huh, the surefire winner of the mega-franchise this year was “Spartan Ops,” but that also requires a weekly episodic commitment to XBOX Live. Maybe I’m just one of the few critics who didn’t play enough of the multi-player and online modes this year to hand Master Chief’s “crowning achievement” his righteous due. If you remember the original starring point of Halo: Combat Evolved, however, then you would have known it was the sickly epic campaign. Sadly, for some, that’s no longer the case. Here’s the review. 3.5/5
8. Sleeping Dogs – The biggest gaming surprise of the year. Did anyone really expect much from this former True Crime-sequel-slash-Grand Theft-wannabee? Sure, the whole buy stuff/race stuff/punch&kick stuff/kill stuff cycle of undercoverdrugbuster does get a tad bit repetitive. But, who’d a thunk it’d be this much fun? Plus, outstanding voice acting from the cast, which included the likes of Will Yun Lee (Total Recall), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), and Emma Stone (duh)! And don’t forget the wacky Hong Kong karaoke and rib-cage shattering moves straight from UFC champ, GSP. Here’s the review. 4/5
7. Dishonored – My newest video game review. So just read it, kids! 4/5
*tie* 6. Assassin’s Creed III / Max Payne 3 – Both of these games came awfully close to the 4.5 Bible level. AC3 thankfully proved more than a mere “Revolutionary War” skin to previous games with some incredibly addicting Naval Warfare, all the while Rock Star made up for its lack of a GTA V showing this convention season with the best Max Payne to date. Those levels in lower Brazil, including that immensely scary soccer stadium were insane. And I take it I’m not the only one to learn more about US History from Assassin’s Creed III than countless hours of time in the classroom. AC3’s review. MP3’s review. Both, 4/5
EA took a reported 3 weeks to ensure the beauty of David Beckham would replicate as well in the video game as in real life.
*tie* 5. Call of Duty: Black Ops II / FIFA 13 – A lot of lists are going to flash FIFA 13 as their Best Sports Title of the Year, but there’s no doubt that the franchise is more or less the same as 2012. That’s actually quite an accomplishment because FIFA 12 was great! The graphics somehow found themselves some more polish; the pass-handling and ball-dribbling got even better; and we can promise you won’t be kicking too many balls up to the 40th row. Scoring was even more fun this season — and that’s truly hard to believe. And just when you thought you’ve witnessed it all in the billion dollar Call of Duty franchise, here comes the destruction of Los Angeles. Not that we wouldn’t mind seeing a Lakers game get called for a generator issue; but this international journey actually surprised a lot of longtime players and noobs alike with its intense next-gen gadgetry, stunning widescreen environs, and our favorite video game villain of the year, Raul Menendez. Don’t accomplish enough during the new “Strike Force” missions, and America is going to be fucked anyway. Next up after the super-charged, grind ’em out campaign: more of those juiced-up military zombies! COD: BO2’s review. Both, 4.5/5
4. Borderlands 2 – Made a huge mistake. This siren didn’t take on any of the addictingly absurd side missions that are nearly essential to beating the game. Swooped all the way to end-boss, Handsome Jack, only to receive a massive reality check. A very Madrox the Multiple Man-like massive reality check. So, here’s to going back to conquer many of the levels I’ve skipped in addition to some word-of-mouth good DLC. This second journey through one of the year’s most awesome games — with improved skill progression and weapons galore — should be just as fun, I bet. Not to mention, there was no better game to play with a pal all year. Just make sure you begin your campaign together from the get-go, or you’ll be lagging ass — or dying fast. Cheers to such a great, great game! Here’s the review. 4.5/5
No, not another tie! But you replayed us and not them. Ahh SHADDUP!
3. Far Cry 3 – To think I almost didn’t get this in until just a few days ago. Where in the hell did this come from? Maybe it’s because I had never played a Far Cry game before (hey, they never really got rave reviews). Maybe it’s because no one seemed to care about the game when it was on display at E3. Maybe it’s because it came out after several blockbusters that left many gameplayers screaming broke. Maybe we’re all just stupid. If your favorite geek priest didn’t have such a hard on for those franchises just below this, Far Cry 3 could very well be the best game I’ve played all year. Look, no game proved more challenging without all of that insane frustration…kinda. Okay, so there are times when FC3‘s difficultly is downright painful. One mission in particular, “Paint It Black” — righteously named after the Stones’ credit-scene smash in Full Metal Jacket — when your Matt Leinart-lookalike protagonist, Jason Brody, must infiltrate an above-and-underground base camp, smothered with laser-pointing snipers, heavy gunners and sickly-difficult flame-torching baddies in order to C4 a satellite dish to smithereens. Getting past those guys is one thing — or 3 hours of dying for one thing — but making sure a whole horde of these sinners don’t deactivate the bomb is another…hour of sure death. But that’s what makes a really good game so great. The hunting is far more fantastical than, say, AC3‘s (just when I got far in the aforementioned mission, initially, I was then killed by a fricking leopard), with some kills required in order to carry more weapons and loot. That can be a pain if you realize you need to travel pretty far to slaughter some goats, deer, or even wild dogs in order to pack more gats and carry more drugs. Yes, you’ll pick up a lot of random joints, heroine needles and cocaine packets along the way — unfortunately not for recreational use, but to sell. Even when you want to take a break from the hardened missions for a few minutes, feel free to 4-wheel a quad through the splitting jungles, or para-sail above the wondrous views. So amazing. Hey, we also know the story gets a little far-fetched with our Santa Monica-born surfer bro becoming Rambo Plus over night; but the game is entirely, inexplicably thrilling, challenging, and engrossing, nonetheless. The graphics are also among the year’s prettiest, the acting work is among the highest level for any video game, and the music is certainly a nice “moody” mixture of Mass Effect and FIFA(?). There are even some boss battles just about halfway through the game that would cream the difficulty of most game’s “big baddie.” One word used to describe Far Cry 3 in its entirety: intense. Just make sure you don’t select the “alternative” ending situation in front of your grandmaw, please. 4.5/5
2. NBA 2K13 – Best. Sports. Game. Ever. To quote new Executive Producer of 2K’s latest basketball opus, Jay-Z, “cigarette boats, yachts / ain’t nowhere we can’t go.” An already great game just got a whole lot meaner, and cleaner. Even if you don’t care for the NBA or basketball in general, there’s no denying how frighteningly realistic or fantastic this game is. You can also play as either of the Dream Teams this year, in addition to more classic teams. Jordan, Shaq, Barkley, Pippen. Yup! They’re all here. Just make sure you hit up Operation Sports for mkharsh’s slider settings, The Truth for his rosters, and YeLLz for his amazing custom arena music. Takes an already great game to a heavenly level. I mean, come on, really.. how insane is hearing “Warriorrrssss.. come outtt and playyyaaayyy!!!” during 20-second timeouts from Marc Jackson? Here’s the review. 5/5
If we don’t figure out something, “Maybe Later” will be an epitaph on a mass grave of eleven billion…or at the very worst get me a job cocktailing in Studio City.
1. Mass Effect 3 – Say what you want about how it all ended (to this player, the epic, 15-20-minute ending was good enough), but the Mass Effect trilogy is the greatest video game playing experience of my life. Let me repeat that: the Mass Effect trilogy is the greatest video game playing experience of my life. Yeah, period. Mass Effect 2 may have been the perfect mesh of RPG and 3PS a few years ago, but ME3 couldn’t have been any more perfect a journey to the end of it all, either. Hell, Mass Effect 3 is also one of the few games to which I completed all of the side quests and missions. It’s perhaps that particular difference as to why I chose Mass Effect 3 over Far Cry 3; simply put, ME3‘s extra quests were incredible and imperative to the missions. FC3‘s side shit was merely just cash n’ grabs, or elongated backstory. Trust me, it wasn’t easy. But this essentially deserves the top slot for creating a brand new “Star Wars”-level trilogy alone. And, just can’t damn wait for the fourth installment. It’s coming. It has to.Right?Game of the Year! 5/5
There. Whew. And the anticipated list for 2013 is THAT MUCH SCARIER. Imagine. The poll is up for the congregation to select the game that may tickle their pinkie toe the most, and that list is longer than Snooki’s ex-smooshes. From genuinely great film franchise IPs, such as Star Wars 1313 and Star Trek, to the sequel machines of Dead Space 3 and Grand Theft Auto V, to wacky violent comedies like Deadpool and South Park: The Stick of Truth, there’s more than enough choices to make anyone and everyone who’s ever played video games happy. Yet, with my favorite franchise this side of Mass Effect going to be represented next year with its first prequel in Gears of War: Judgment, it’s going to be tough to take that away from…
Bioshock Infinite is GHG’s projected Best Game for 2013. Yeah, so was Halo 4.. JUMP!
No, guys. Not Sgt. Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos. But, rather, three castoffs from World Wrestling Entertainment’s NXT division:
-Dean Ambrose
-Seth Rollins
-Roman Reigns
The Who?
And that’s for trying to place those black long-sleeve t-shirts on backorder.
Trust me, these guys are impressive. After their unbelievable Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at the.. well.. TLC Pay-Per-View versus Team Hell No (Kane & Daniel Bryan) and Ryback (a.k.a. New-Berg), The Shield may prove the most vicious stable to hit pro wrasslin’ since the N.W.O.
Even cooler, these new guys even denounced any sort of New World Order intentions; The Shield have instead placed their destructive dominance for “justice” over pure comedic rebellion. And it couldn’t come at a better time, with Triple H and the boys in the back turning their most prevalent villains to babyfaces: the aforementioned Kane & Bryan, The Miz, and even Alberto Del Rio.
When Chris Jericho’s scheduling woes deterred his umpteenth comeback (look for him at January’s Royal Rumble, otherwise do they really need him when they already have a Y2Jish “good guy” Miz?) and Brock Lesnar did what Brock does (quit before he begins), The Shield couldn’t arrive at a better time, as their performance at TLC proved this will be no flash-in-the-pan situation, either.
People, people, people. These newbies beat down ECW legend Tommy Dreamer! They pummeled, without hesitation, the ever-stubborn “Nature Boy” Ric Flair! I mean, the “Nayyyy-ture Boy!”
Yes, that same guy who had only been growing older by the second over at TNA/Impact — with that same wonderful golden flowing hair — had returned to the WWE.
At least for one night.
“Millions of Dollars” my white ass, Titus!
Let’s face it: WWE fans have been clamoring for an NWO for quite some time now, and yet while these young thugs might prove “no-names” to some, they certainly proved worthy of that ultimate threat status. Now, if they keep adding worthy members to the stable each month– that’ll be something.
Hmm…this reminds me… Why have Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins threatened the rest of the WWE with “The Sword”? I mean, this pastor highly doubts these dudes were referring to the good folks over at the Sentient World Observation and Response Department. We’re well past midnight on 12/21/12, Abigail Brand and Lockheed won’t be needed to conquer any extraterrestrial terrorist attacks in the WWE. No, “The Sword” could very well in fact be.. Brock, especially since The Shield has steered clear of Lesnar’s manager Paul Heyman and anyone associated with him (WWE Champion CM Punk).
But I’d still put money on Les’ content enough nesting up his kidneys with Sable over in Minnesnowta.
If not Brock, think maybe Agent Phil Coulson is available? Vic Mackey?
I beat Dishonored. While Bethesda’s latest IP was certainly a standout over at E3, I couldn’t help but feeling a little mixed about the end result. With that, I mean ending. Before I dig into yet another end-game-disappointment (see Halo 4), Dishonored ended up a tad differently than expected — in both positive and negative ways. Firstly, this reviewer swore the publishing developers of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — arguably one of the greatest medieval role-playing games ever — would make Dishonored the steampunk skinned open world version of Skyrim. While the first person gameplay certainly reflects 2011’s GHG Game of the Year, Corvo’s missions playNew Bedford, Massachuetts in 1862. Ain’t a damn thing changed.
much more linearly than that. With that said, there’s typically several ways to accomplish these goals. Also, it’s far easier to remain stealth in Dishonored than say Assassin’s Creed or Goldeneye, particularly when you can save your game at will. Saving your game whenever you want proves a huge benefactor if you’d rather choose to hide in the catacombs for most of the game. If any of those assholes find you and alert the rest of the other sissies, you can just reload to your last game point and try to hide-and-sneak again. As the game progresses, more soldiers will become abundant, and there’s a huge twist that sends the gameplay into a freakish horror-show with BAMFing ninjas. Yes, Dishonored certainly flips the menial tasks towards a higher level.. only to crack like a wooden plank. I’m not quite sure if its publishing deadlines or lack of thinking the story through the whole way before creating, but a lot of games these days have been more about “the journey” than “the destination.” Thankfully, Dishonored is a uniquely exciting journey through a mid-1800’s Victorian seaport with top-notch art direction and arousing power augmentation. That, I can certainly recommend.
4 (out of 5) Bibles. Would have received a higher score if the story was more flourished and the “big baddy” existed. If you loved Skyrim and are fond of those strange days of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, you’ll love this game’s look and feel. There are 9 very distinct missions, despite the redundancy of its intentions. A top 10 game of 2012, fa sho.
