Blogger Listmas ’13 – My Top 5 Games of 2013

Merry Christmas everyone! 2013 has been one of the best years for gaming in recent memory, there have been some really awesome games released that will remembered for a long time after the year has ended. With it being Christmas and all I decided that the best gift I could give to you all would be my list for games of the year, and I doubt I’m the only one who thought the same.

I have a few rules here. First, I must have played the game. Your not going to see any indie games that came out of nowhere due to the simple fact that I didn’t play any of them. I have been busy with work over the last 6 months and haven’t had time to do any real digging. I still haven’t played The Walking Dead Season One for crying out loud! I have a mighty backlog. Also, I’m judging games on their resonance, not simply by their length of playtime. To get on my list your games has to have made me feel feelings that I wasn’t feeling outside of the game, if that makes sense.

5. Grand Theft Auto V

I can hear the fanboy hate rolling towards me like an enraged barbarian army but Grand Theft Auto V is only number 5 on my list. Don’t get me wrong, I had a hell of a time playing this game, with my time played clocking in at 67 hours, 1 minute, and 6 seconds. I played this game to the point of getting everything and doing everything in the game besides the gold medals. I achieved all the single player achievements, besides the 70 gold medals, and just felt done. This was my first Grand Theft Auto game and I had a great time, but there really wasn’t much resonance; there really isn’t a need to play it anymore. Sure there’s the online function of the game but I don’t really play many standard online games due to my stammer, too hard to communicate reliably.

Even through all of this complaining that I seem to be doing, Grand Theft Auto earned its spot on this list by the sheer quality quantity factor. I bought GTA on Black Friday for $35 and have played it for 67 hours, coming out at a blazing 52 cents per hour. When people hear complaints of how first person shooters aren’t worth the $60 standard fee due to short campaigns that ratio can be as high as $10 per hour, showing how much a value GTA is. It’s not anything revolutionary, in my opinion, but it is one of the best games to come out this year. Also, the environments of San Andreas and Los Santos are one of the greatest achievements of the Xbox 360 and PS3 console generation.

4. Pokemon X & Y

I used to be a pretty big Pokemon fan back in the day, but “growing up” had left me with just a passing interest. I tried to keep up to date with the franchise but the latest game I ever really played was Emerald, a generation 3 game, and I never even finished it. However, at this point of life I found myself with the ability to get back into the series. I had enough spare income to buy a 3DS and a game, so I invested in Pokemon X and a 3DS XL. Whew, now that was a great choice.

The sixth generation of Pokemon games actually do a lot to leave a lasting mark on the series. The introduction of true 3D battles seems like it would be such a small thing but it helps breathe life in the monsters. Gone are the days of pixellated sprites firing beams at each other and flashing to say, “Hey, I just got hurt.” The battle system of Pokemon X & Y harken back to the Pokemon Stadium games on the Nintendo 64, just with a lot more content in them. Also, the inclusion of the Fairy type makes a pretty big difference in battle. The Dragon type used to be really overpowered but now can be negated by a quality Fairy type on your team, from now own my Xerneas will be one of my regulars.

However, I do have a major complaint with X & Y; they’re too easy. The main story of the game offers up little challenge to anyone who knows what they’re doing and the revamped EXP Share item takes away the need to grind to strengthen new Pokemon. I do think though that, in the end, these changes offer up more benefits than negatives. In the end, Pokemon X & Y was able to real an old Pokemon fan into the modern age with relative ease.

3. BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite was, in one word, amazing. Irrational Games did a marvelous job in transforming the world of Columbia from an idea on paper to one on the screen. We as gamers are so used to the dystopia being a place of gray-scale and boring color palettes. BioShock Infinite is neither of these, it erupts with vibrant color and almost every part of the game is designed in a way that catches the eye. All of this makes the opening act of the game one of exploration and marvel, thus making the sudden violence even more disturbing. As Columbia is thrust more and more into war you can see the city crumble away from its vibrance.

To put it simply, BioShock infinite is a beautiful game. If this was a list of most eye-popping games it would be number one, but it’s not. In the end BioShock Infinite is a first person shooter that has some actual depth to the gameplay and story, something that you don’t see much of these days. It was this combination that really grabbed me and pushed me though the game. The story just grew and grew in complexity without ever falling over on itself, and the ending just left me sitting there to think about everything that had just gone down. Almost immediately I begun my play through to get the rest of the achievements and had a blast doing it. 1999 mode is a real, fun challenge and it was enjoyable to see all of the subtle hints earlier on in the game about what was going on.

So why isn’t BioShock Infinite higher up on the list? In my opinion the gameplay could get a little stagnant during some of the later levels. The final fight on 1999 mode was just a pain in the ass and not fun at all. After I finished up the achievements for it I found myself, like in GTA, with no real urge to play it any more. The story was amazing, but once you know all that happened then there really isn’t much else that grabs you.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

This game… this game was just about perfect. I was a little wary about Nintendo making a successor to A Link to the Past, one of my favorite games of all time, but they were able to achieve greatness. A Lin Between Worlds offers up the perfect combination of nostalgia and newness, making players of A Link to the Past feel like it really is the same world that’s just aged since they last walked it. As I played through the game I found myself doing things through instinct rather than by being prodded. Yet, areas were just enough different to sometimes through me in a loop and realize that this was a brand new game unto itself.

The decision to offer many, but not all of, the items through the rental service was a risk that turned out well. For once your rupees had value and there were things to save up for that really helped you. I also applaud Nintendo that they went the extra mile in making Ravio, the merchant of the item shop, actually fit into the story. The story could have been something lazily written but was actually really engaging and rewarding to see.

Is A Link Between Worlds a perfect game? No, not at all. It is indeed the best Zelda game I have played since Ocarina and the best 2D installment since A Link to the Past, but it’s going to take a miracle for those two games to lose their thrones. A Link Between Worlds can at times feel a tad easy but I can’t say whether or not that’s due to me playing so much Zelda in the past. Overall, A Link Between Worlds was one of the best gaming experiences this year, bringing back so many feelings of nostalgia admits a game that was just fun to play, but it wasn’t the best game of the year.

1. The Last of Us

What could I possibly say about this game that hasn’t been said already? The Last of Us is simply the perfect combination of story, gameplay, and resonance. I think that it’s important to say that I’m not really into the survival horror genre, I never gave it a chance. However, when I say the reviews and talk about The Last of Us I had to play it. However, I ran into a problem… I didn’t own a PS3. I saved up my money and did my research and bought both and man was it a great choice.

The Last of Us is a game, that can’t be argued, but it is so much more. It is a story of a man letting go of decades old demons, the tale of a young girl finding her place in the world, and the epic of their trek across the United States. Along the way Naughty Dog, the developer of The Last of Us, paints a picture of America that is both breathtaking and deadly. Nature has had its chance to retake old land it once owned after the decades since the zombie causing fungus first made its jump to humans. The duality of life and death is done in a way that works so well, it’s amazing. This world is not one you would want to live in but it is one you want to witness through you TV screen.

The gameplay is smooth but has enough restrictions on the player to make the world the danger that it is. The game doesn’t pause when you open your bag to retrieve items or when you crafting items, making you have to prepare for almost any situation like you would in a real life situation. When battle does commence however, the violence is almost too much for even the most veteran gamer. The Last of Us earns its Mature rating and should not be played by anyone who doesn’t fall into that category. The game does a great job at showing that violence is never something to be done lightly and should only ever be a last resort. Violence is not fashionable or is it  pretty, fighting for your life is cruel and ugly.

I’m not even going to mention the opening to this game. If you own a PS3 and haven’t played That Last of Us, you need to buy it now. If you don’t own a PS3, you need to buy one and a copy of The Last of Us now. Don’t just watch a Lets Play of this game, you have to experience it. The ending just left me sitting there as the credits role, contemplating on what happened. The Last of Us is, to me, the epitome of what this gaming generation sought to achieve. It is my game of the year.

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So what were some of your favorite games of this year, and why?

Also, if you’ve read all my lists for Listmas you have my deepest thanks. I was reluctant to take part but it’s been a blast and I’m looking forward to it next year.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years and may clickers never be in your future!

Blogger Listmas ’13 – Top 5 Final Boss Battles

You’ve been put through the crucible and have been found worthy, yet there is still one more opponent in your path. Your entire journey has led to this moment and it’s do or die. Video games have, since their early days, revolved around the final battle with the boss. Whether he or she be a monster or man, these battles are designed to be epic and to test the player to utilize all the skills that they have learned. I figure that since Christmas time  is like the final boss battle of the year, this list would work quite well.

A few rules; I must have played the game to completion. I don’t have the largest repertoire of video game experience so don’t be expecting some old reference that most people wouldn’t understand and would only serve to make me feel good. Any of these games are worth playing and reaching their final fight. Also, SPOILER ALERT.

5. Wheatley – Portal 2

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, a line often used to help describe Wheatley. Wheatley begins Portal 2 as someone who’s trying to assist you in finally putting GLaDOS down for good, yet part of the process of doing that involves hooking himself up into the system GLaDOS used to occupy. Seeing the power in his control, Wheatley becomes an even more dangerous threat than GLaDOS ever was simply because of his ignorance and stupidity. Bumbling his way through the controls of the Aperture Science facility, Wheatley does his best to prevent the player from reaching him. Once the player does reach him with the assistance of GLaDOS (now being contained inside a potato battery) the final battle commences.

Wheatley’s largest weakness is his ability to think outside the box. He decides that placing bomb proof shields in between himself and you is enough to protect him, not ever considering the true might of the portal gun. The actual fight, in my opinion, isn’t much to write him about but the ending of the fight is what made me grin the most. As the facility falls apart and Wheatley has you on your seemingly last breathes a hole in the roof reveals the moon above. Realizing that the portal wall gel stuff is made out of moon dust, you launch a portal to the moon’s surface. The pressure differential begins to suck everything out of the room, including you and Wheatley. In the end it is GLaDOS herself who rescues you from the vacuum of space. After gaining control of the facility again GLaDOS lets you go, realizing that running her tests with co-op robots is much safer than trying to kill you. In the end, the last fight of Portal 2 is the inventive and witty clash that I think we all expect from Valve.

4. Metroid Prime – Metroid Prime

This boss fight has a special place for me. Metroid Prime was one of the first GameCube games that was wholly mine and I loved every minute of it. Looking back, I wasn’t as good at games as I thought I was. This battle was the first boss fight which truly stumped me and was a major roadblock.

Metroid Prime, the creature, is the source of the corrupting material known as Phazon that has been causing so much issues for Samus. The Chozo, a race of hyper intelligent bird-like people who were the ones who gave Samus her power suit, had once lived on the planet of Talon IV, were wiped out by this beast. Realizing that if this creature was strong enough to destroy the Chozo then it could be a plague on the entire galaxy, Samus faces Metroid Prime in battle. Metroid Prime is nigh indestructible; it’s only weakness being specific types of energy at specific times. Samus must use the visual clues given off of Metroid Prime’s body to determine what to shoot at it. Once the exoskeleton is destroyed, then the heart of the beat is revealed. The core of Metroid Prime turns out to be invulnerable to anything but Phazon, which it gives out when it attacks with a certain move, Samus must bide her time to absorb said Phazon into her suit to go into hyper mode. Only in hyper mode can she damage the worm.

Looking back at it, Metroid Prime does fall victim to the thing that Nintendo and some other game companies have tended to do too often; give the bosses single weaknesses that they coincidently highlight. I understand that this is a game mechanic what is tried and true but it’s not anywhere near realistic. However, who cares about realism when your playing Metroid Prime?

3. Pixy – Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

You’ve proven yourself on The Round Table, becoming the most feared ace in existence. You’ve played a major part in stopping a major war. You’ve saved the nation of Ustio. The last challenge before you is to defeat the man who was your shadow, your protector during all of those times. Pixy, previously your wing mate as Galm-2, has changed his allegiances. Allying himself with the terrorist organization A World Without Borders, Pixy takes the experimental warplane Morgan into the air as he manually launches the V-2 rocket with the intention to wipe the world clean of borders and start over. Having literally just laid A World Without Borders a final blow, you must defeat your old friend in aerial combat. He has experimental technology on his side but you are the Demon of the Round Table, you are the only one who can stop him.

What I love most about this battle is the mood that’s been set in place. Up to this point all you know is that Pixy went missing at the end of the Belkan War and hasn’t been heard from since, then reappears as he kills you new wing mate, PJ, just as PJ was realizing that the fighting was over and he could propose to his girlfriend. The irony dawns that Pixy, becoming tired and jaded over his hate of war, is using violence to achieve what he sees as an end to violence. Added on to all of this is a frankly amazing and perfect choice for a soundtrack piece to play over the fight. Truly, a monumental ending to a really great game.

2. Ganon – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Call me a Zelda fanboy, you’d be correct, but there is in my mind no battle more epic than the end of Ocarina of Time. Having just defeated Ganondorf and saved Zelda you escape the crumbling ruins of the evil tower in classic Nintendo fashion. You reach the bottom, thinking that your task is done. Then, amidst the rubble, a sound is heard. Ganondorf erupts from the ruins, obviously dying from his wounds. In his last act he releases the evil inside him and transforms into Ganon, the Demon Lord himself.

Ocarina of Time was one of the first games I really every got into. I would actually play others but I never became nigh addicted to them like I did to Ocarina. In my youth Ocarina of Time was what made me a gamer, and a lot of his had to do with the superb ending to the game. Ganon is nothing to shake a stick at to the unprepared. Ganon towers over you, and his first swings knock the Master Sword itself away from you. This leaves you to improvise with your other weapons in order to weaken him enough to let you retrieve the Blade of Evil’s Bane again.

Ocarina of Time is able to achieve the perfect tone during this fight. Darkness looms over, making it hard at times to judge Ganon’s true size. To a first time player Ganon is truly a force of nature and one of the best boss fights ever, but not THE best (in my opinion)…

1. Gwyn – Dark Souls

Oh Gwyn, how you have fallen from grace. Once the magnificent lord of sunlight, Gwyn has become the lord of cinder by the time of the events of Dark Souls. The first flame which had originally given the lords their power had begun to fade, so Gwyn decided to try to give it more strength. Paying his own power as a sacrifice to the flame, Gwyn has slowly lost his intelligence and has become only a husk of his former self. The player, the chosen undead who has the power of the Dark Soul, has to relieve Gwyn of everything else he has; his life and body. When the player enters the Kiln of the First Flame no words are spoken. Gwyn charges the instant he sees you, swinging his flaming great sword that he wields in one hand in order to kill this intruder.

One of the great things about Dark Souls are the boss battles. These fights are often against large and menacing creatures and are truly awe-inspiring. Gwyn however is just what’s left of a god who has lost all of his power. The music of the battle reflects this almost perfectly, almost making you feel sad about the fate that has befallen him. You’ve battled your way through this beast of a game, you’ve faced every obstacle and monster and have persevered. You were expecting a climatic battle with a god, not this. In essence, the feeling you get fighting Gwyn is the capstone on the entire Dark Souls experience. Almost a perfect ending.

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What are some of your favorite boss battles? They don’t necessary need to be from the end of a game, that’s just what I used for this list. Also, if you want to listen to an amazing bit of community art for Dark Souls then check out this video. It’s really awesome to see some of the stuff that the Dark Souls community has been able to do.

Dark Soulsong: “Lordvessel” by Tanooki Suit

Thanks a ton if you’ve read all of my Listmas lists so far, this has been pretty fun to do. I’ve had to actually think about what I’m going to write about, which I haven’t done in a while, and I’ve been reminded how much I really like doing this.

However, there’s one more day of lists to look forward to and I think I’ll give you a little hint at what it’s topic is going to be…

 

 

Blogger Listmas ’13 – Top 5 Manly Men in Video Games

Video games are full of people who can get things done and look good doing it. Sure, there are plenty of strong woman characters but they deserve their own list by someone who could do them justice. It’s easier to me to  come up with a list of men in video games who d are fountains of courage and bravado. Wether the world needs saved, a rouge political state needs stopped, or you need half a dozen tacos from Taco Bell right now, these are your men to enlist.

On a side note, sorry if this list comes across as lazy. Lost my cat last night and it’s been hard to concentrate on any one task. I had other lists made up ahead of time but they were just kinda crappy. Also, I don’t at all intend for this list to be sexist in any way, if anything I’m just playing up the male stereotype.

5. Nathan Drake

Yeah, there are dudes in gaming who are more physically impressive than Drake but not all of them have the brains. Not only does Nathan Drake take on gangs of pirates and yeti hordes single handily, but he just has that way with the women that any stereotypical video game male has to have. Nathan Drake’s brains and wit put him on this list but the lack of anything that makes him special, in my opinion, keeps him from being higher up. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the character and think he’s really cool, I just think that there’s more impressive specimens.

Nathan Drake’s ultimate challenge: breaking into the Disney vault.

4. Master Chief

I don’t really need to explain why John-117 deserves his spot on this list. The Master Chief was able to stop an alien invasion almost single-handedly, never mind his dealing with a galaxy threatening fungus scourge. Master Chief is like the galaxy pest terminator; just with a battle rifle instead of an insecticide spray. Does Master Chief ever get the woman? Well… technically he doesn’t, but he does have an artificial intelligence that is represented by a half-naked female living in his head. The ending of Halo 4 revealed that, even if Cortana was artificial, Master Chief was still able to form a bond with her.

Master Chief’s ultimate challenge: defeating Deathwing solo.

3. Captain Price

The Price family is a lineage that has stood the test of time, at least until Call of Duty: Ghosts came out. The grandson of another Captain Price from World War 2 who also served in the Special Air Service, Price is a man who does not take insults lightly. If you were to, let’s say, place the blame for World War 3 on this man’s shoulders while killing some of his best friends, you’d have an issue on your hands. Price and Soap (what kind of name is Soap, anyways?) become a dynamic duo worthy of any high budget action film. Price’s manly factor is also increased by the fact that he has one of the most classy beards of all time AND makes his entrance and exit from the Call of Duty series by smoking a cigar. I’m not saying that smoking is cool, but I think you know what I’m getting at.

Captain Price’s ultimate challenge: clear a double-decker aircraft of terrorists in under one minute.

2. Commander Shepard

There’s a reason that his first name is Commander. Shepard has saved the entire galaxy 3 times and has yet to complain about it. When the Council decided that the humans were ready to have their own Spectre operative, is there anyone else that could have done what Shepard did? At the end of his mission Shepard does the most manly thing of all: sacrifice. In fact, Shepard sacrifices himself TWICE! Not only is Shepard one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy, but his epic manliness crosses between species and allows him to hook up with some truly foreign personalities. However, looking past all of this, there is one thing which makes Shepard one of the most manliest men in any fictional material: he’s best friends with Garrus.

Commander Shepard’s ultimate challenge: choosing between Liara and Tali.

1. Mario

Now, let me explain this one. Yes, the majority of Mario’s games are covered in a film of color and happiness but if you peel that back you can find, in my opinion, the manliest man in gaming, Look at it this way, this man can jump truly amazing distances (great at sports), has the muscles to sling the shells of giant turtles at a lethal velocity (crazy buff), and regularly rescues his gal from dinosaurs (courage of a lion). Yet, even with all of these qualities, Mario is still satisfied with the humble occupation of being a plumber. Mario doesn’t have to be a space marine of epic adventurer, he’s just a guy doing whatever he has to do to save the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario is able to keep the known world from falling into chaos without a special ops team at his back. Also, Mario often rides a dinosaur into combat. CHECKMATE!

Mario’s ultimate challenge: saving the entire video game industry in the 1980’s.

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So, in your opinion, who are some of the paragons of video games (male or female)?

Blogger Listmas ’13 – My Top 5 New Year Resolutions

With the coming of the new year comes new resolutions. I have to admit that I usually end up being one those types of people who sets resolutions way too difficult to reach. This year I have decided to have a mixture of resolutions that are easy  and that are more difficult. I don’t want to make things impossible for me but I want to challenge myself. I think that part of the whole reasoning behind new year resolutions is to give you motivation to improve yourself.

5. Never work a night shift position again

There’s worse jobs out there, but I am ready to finish my night shift position. For far too long I have been a denizen of the night and have been robbed of pretty much all social interactions. It’s gotten to the point that if I’m outside in the sun for any prolonged period of time I end up feeling flush from the sunlight.

I think that once you find yourself in a position where you have to do something that you don’t like to do, you gain more appreciation once you move on to something better. It isn’t that i hate my job, I just miss having a life. It’s really hard to find motivation to do much when your body is so out of whack. Luckily my last night of work is the night of January 9th, I’m almost there.

4. Streamline my blog

I’ll be the first to admit that my blog is not professional. I don’t get paid a cent, and I probably won’t ever get any monetary reward. That’s ok with me. However, I do know that my blog itself has not been updated in way too long. Part of my plans for when I start the next part of life next month is to not only write more but to also fix issues that my blog has.

I would like to reach a point where my opinion matters to some people out there and I know that first impressions are vital on the internet. If I look like someone who has no idea what they’re doing then people won’t give me the light of day. I am also looking into expanding to some other types of content. I like to do reviews when I have time but I’m interested in doing something to go with a written article. Whether that might be some crappy video or crappy audio is yet to be determined.

3. Play and complete any Zelda game I have yet to finish

The Legend of Zelda is a series that is close to my heart. One of the first memories I have concerning games is when my older brothers rented A Link to the Past. The first game that I ever really got into was Ocarina of Time. I absolutely love these games. There used to be a day when the goal of playing every game in the lineup was feasible and I’m finding myself in that position again after years of it being a futile dream.

Through the magic of the Wii’s Virtual Console and the eShop on the Nintendo 3DS I can finally play some of the classics that I missed. Obviously there are entries that do not count and others that are still going to be too hard to play. I will not tough any of the CD-i games and it’s nearly impossible for me to play any of the Four Swords games. This leaves me with the classic Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2, Link’s Awakening, Majora’s Mask, the Oracles, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword. That’s only 9 games, I think that’s pretty doable.

2. Complete Dark Souls

I haven’t even tried to hide the fact that I love Dark Souls. I already am on track to finish all of the game;s achievements, given the necessary time I would need to put into it, if I could only pass one small challenge… Orsntein & Smough on New Game +. Since I defeated Ornstein first the first time I fought the duo, so now I have to defeat Smough first in order to get the other boss souls. I need the other boss souls to finish making all of the rare weapons and to proceed in the game.

The first time I played through the game I had to get an Xbox Live Gold account in order to enlist other players, and that’s what I’ll have to do this again. The problem will be getting across the message of whom to kill first. It shouldn’t be difficult, I just need to get off my lazy butt. After I finish everything else I’ll take on the DLC. I really want to finish this game before Dark Souls 2 come out so that I’ll be a little more ready.

Really, play Dark Souls if you haven’t. It’s an amazing game.

1. Finish the first draft for my book

I really like stories and I like writing, so I’m going to write a book. The problem is that I tend to be a very visual person. I can imagine events and images in my mind but I’m not the best and organizing these images into a cohesive narrative. All because I’m not very good at this doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. I have some really interesting ideas in regard to plot and characters and I’d really like to share these ideas with the world.

My main resolution for this year is to finish my first draft, at least. With that being the biggest challenge ahead of me out of any of my resolutions, it takes the top of the list.

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So, what are some of your new year resolutions?

Blogger Listmas ’13 – My Top 5 Most Anticipated Games of 2014

We all love playing games, and if you don’t then you’re obviously playing the wrong ones. One of the great joys in being a gamer is that there always seems to be that next game that you’re looking forward to. Luckily, 2013 was a great year for games and many games that had built up expectations actually succeeded in bringing the goods. It brings me great joy that 2014 seems like it will also be a good year for great games. However, there are certain games that I am looking forward to most.

5. Tom Clancy’s The Division (Ubisoft) Q4 2014

To be perfectly honest, this game may not come out this next year. The Division seems like the type of game that developers love to dangle in front of our noses in order to make us buy next generation hardware. To bad for them that I am waiting till the last moment to buy that Xbox One or PS4, nevertheless that moment will probably be when a game like what The Division has the potential to be comes out. The Division is an open world online role-playing game that takes place in a New York after a calamity has hit. It is up to you and your buddies to restore order to the chaotic streets.

This concept has appealed to me since I first saw the trailer during E3. Usually, MMOs are more fantasy based and are trying to sap people from the World of Warcraft juggernaut, yet The Division is trying something different. I can’t say whether it will be good or not but I am looking forward to giving it a try.

4. Destiny (Bungie) September 9, 2014

Another MMO that is trying something new, Destiny will most likely be another game that will absorb a lot of my time. Taking a Borderlands weapons model and mixes that with  a compelling story involving aliens, space magic, and humanity taking back what was taken from it. I am excited for Destiny, but not to the point that I’m freaking out to every bit of news. This is the type of game that I want to go into more or less blind. As a science fiction fan, this world is one that I will gladly spend time in.

Really, do I need to convince you of my reasons for wanting this game?

3. Tales of Symphonia Chronicles (Namco Tales Studios) February 25, 2014

Now I want to put this out there now, I’m usually not a fan of most anime. However, I enjoy myself a good game. Back when my cousin and I owned Nintendo Gamecubes we were in dire need of a game to play. We made a grand adventure to a game store not knowing what we were in search of. Sadly, there were no titles that jumped out until we picked up Tales of Symphonia. To be honest, we were attracted to the game solely because of the dragon on the back. It wasn’t a dragon, but we didn’t know at the time.

Man, did we make a wise choice! Tales of Symphonia was and is the best RPG I have ever played. I never played its sequel that was released on the Gamecube and the original game is really expensive to come by now so I was ecstatic when I heard that there was a HD rerelease coming out for the PS3 next year. Sadly, I have pre-ordered the collector’s edition since there’s only so many of them and it comes with statuettes and the game’s soundtrack (which is amazing). If you like solid RPG games with a meaty length, then this is a wise game to keep in mind.

2. The Elder Scrolls Online (ZeniMax Online Studios) April 4, 2014 / June 2014

ANOTHER MMO, yet this one is special. Yes, The Elder Scrolls Online is set in the typical fantasy universe but it is this universe that makes this game different. I am a really big fan of the Elder Scrolls universe and just the idea of being able to explore all of Tamriel gets my blood running. I love all of the lore for this world, to the point that I kinda predicted the plot of Skyrim months before the game was announced.

The Elder Scrolls Online will most likely be the main MMO that I play in 2014 and the best reason to buy a next generation console. I could play it on my computer but I am more enticed by being able to play it while relaxing on my chair. I want to be able to just lose hours in Tamriel while exploring every nook and cranny. I’m not expecting this game to have the breadth of a traditional Elder Scrolls game, they’re not being made by the same people, but it’s the world that matters to me.

1. Dark Souls II (From Software) March 11, 2014

The Spike Video Game Awards are never really all that exciting. When I do watch them, I’m never expecting anything to blow my mind. However, last year… the trailer to Dark Souls II rocked my world. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Dark Souls that you will ever find, but I loved it nonetheless. Compared to pro players, I’m not very good. I have beaten the game though, stuck at Ornstein & Smough on my new game plus, but that’s more than most of my friends can say.

After getting into Dark Souls, I found the game rather difficult. Because of this I looked online for Dark Souls material to help me. I found this help in the Dark Souls community, which is huge group that is still active today. Through videos done by EpicNameBro and VaatiVidya I was able to learn more about the world and it’s lore. As I played through the game again with new knowledge I noticed more and progressed through the game. My eyes were opened to how amazing Dark Souls really is. The original Dark Souls has become one of my favorite games of this past generation, even if I’m not very good at it, but because of all of this Dark Souls II is undoubtedly my most anticipated game of 2014.

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So, I must ask, what is your most anticipated game(s) of 2014?