It was hard to narrow down my top seven for 2019. I managed to finish more games in 2019 than the previous year—total games completed was 31. There were a lot of games just on the fringes, competing for a place among the stars. But tough choices needed to be made.

7. METRO EXODUS: The newest Metro is bigger and more ambitious than the previous game in the series. It has two main large open areas that play out more like STALKER than anything else. In between those open spaces are a few more linear moments, like the series has done before. I enjoyed exploring the snowy region around Volga because the pacing is relaxed. The story bits on the train in between the various levels, involving characters (e.g. Anna) were a nice way to tie everything together, and the different endings might make it worth replaying at one point.

6. AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL: Triumph studios have followed up Age of Wonders 3 with a great sequel. It takes the fantasy series into the sci-fi realm with a few tweaks. You can see the similarities in the different factions (space dwarves) and the game plays out largely the same with a bit more emphasis on world control and taking cover in turn-based combat. It is so easy to lose hours and hours playing one game against AI forces. Building an army and then steamrolling the enemy is satisfying, even if it takes a while.

5. RESIDENT EVIL 2: I only ever played the original RE2 briefly (on PlayStation), so most of this game was completely new territory. And for me it was a brilliant mix of managing resources, exploring creepy locations, and shooting various enemies. It even tosses in a few puzzles to change up the pacing. Looks superb and runs excellently. CAPCOM have been doing great things lately and RE2 is well up there.

4. A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE: Chalk this one up as a fantastic story-driven game from a relatively unknown studio. The developers have a lot of talent when it comes to pacing and taking players on an adventure. Plus it’s neat to have swarming rats be a main enemy and using light to prevent being eaten. Ultimately this game is just an enjoyable experience with quite high production values.

3. CONTROL: Remedy brought back the weirdness from Alan Wake in their newest game. Control is packed full of tremendously satisfying combat encounters where you use powers and a couple of weapon types. The way the environments crumble during battle just adds to the style and speed. Plus I really loved some of the characters (Dr. Darling gets a special mention for his Dynamite song). Looking forward to see what Remedy can handle next now they seem to have shifted back to delivering consistent and plentiful action.

2. THE OUTER WORLDS: Obsidian went back in time with this delightful planet-hopping space adventure. It’s a bit like Fallout: New Vegas and I loved that game. The worlds you explore are not huge but they are large enough and packed with interesting places and people. You take command of a small team of different characters that have their own backgrounds and skills. Slow-motion combat works better than the VATs style in the Fallout 3+ games. One of the greatest things about The Outer Worlds is how it bends and adapts to player choice. You can kill people, bribe them, sneak past, disagree, or just convince them to do something. It all adjusts so well that I was genuinely surprised by how polished it was versus the competition (Deus Ex, Bloodlines, Fallout). It would be fantastic to see a sequel or another game with a similar setup.

1. TRINE 4: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCE: No other game made me smile so much as the fourth game in the Trine series. Every new scene just had me grinning ear to ear and it was almost hard to leave to the next zone. It is a beautiful experience to traverse these stunning 2.5D environments and solve puzzles and meet fantastical characters. Going back through levels to find the vials I missed was calming and fulfilling. It’s even a bit longer than the second game in the series, so it provides good value at a budget price.

Trine 4 does everything it sets out to do and has whimsical fun doing it. Frozenbyte have recovered well after their unfinished and overly ambitious third game. Hopefully they can now continue making great platformers of a similar style. Trine 4 is technically top-tier, artistically accomplished, musically mesmerizing, and pleasingly puzzling. And that is why it gets my top billing for 2019.

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Honorable mentions

Apex Legends: Battle Royale games are not really my thing but Apex is probably the first one that I’ve really enjoyed. Part of this is because it gives you a chance of coming back after death and there are also a few other teamwork related features (like pinging) that cut a lot of the “fat” from the sub-genre that is pretty crowded. I have not played it much since launch, and the microtransaction side of things is bad, but I still enjoyed my time with it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: The latest COD is pretty solid. It’s not far off being one of the best in the series. The campaign was dependable and varied. Multiplayer changes some things just slightly, to bring back that feeling from the older games in the series. It needs a bit of work on performance and the spec ops mode is disappointing. I generally like the gameplay online though, aside from a few bad maps that don’t quite have the structure that I think works.

2020 looks to be pretty crazy with releases. The new consoles are probably going to be a bit different than previous gens because I can see them being more like PC “upgrades” which will mean more cross-gen hoopla and back compatibility. Hopefully developers can get the most out of the different platforms.

There are plenty of games I’m looking forward to in 2020: Cyberpunk 2077, Last of Us 2, Wolf Among Us 2, Dying Light 2, Doom Eternal, Atomic Heart, Vampire Bloodlines 2, and GTFO.

Thanks for reading (this is my 100th blog).

This list is one year late (sorry). I never got around to making a blog at the end of 2018, partly because I did not play many games and also because I forgot. But since this blog is now more of a depository for my “best games” it’s better late than never, right?

7. BATTLETECH: Turn-based strategy with huge mechs from the MechWarrior franchise that I’ve known since the early 90s. The game itself is a bit grindy (replace “bit” with “extremely”) but it is satisfying and rewarding in many areas. You basically just command various mechs over environments, through forests, and take down opposing units. Then you manage their weapons and pilots between missions and live off the rewards / salvage. Tons of fun.

6. VAMPYR: Dontnod have created a lot of different games and this is a solid and dark adventure about a doctor that becomes a vampire. As you navigate London, you have to decide if you will heal the sick, suck the blood of the sick (eww germs), or maybe both. Both ways are fun, by the way. If you get to know the people, their blood tastes better. Feeding off people makes combat easier but the moral questions (and search for action) runs in tandem with the doctor’s search for blood. It’s a clever game that needed just a bit more time to be great.

5. UNFORESEEN INCIDENTS: I don’t play a great number of point-and-click adventure games. This one came along at the right time and gave me something quite relaxing to play. I love the art style and thought the puzzles were very natural and substantial. It also has some great characters and an interesting story about a disease.

4. SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER: Lara’s third outing (of the new games) has a lot of great qualities. Her relationship with Jona is far more interesting this time around and he’s less of an idiot. It has some cool scenes, including one rather awesome sequence involving a tsunami. It puts more focus on exploring/uncovering than the previous games. It only needed more combat and a few more puzzles to truly excel.

3. SPIDER-MAN: This PlayStation exclusive is faithful to the series and a lot of fun. Swinging through the city does not get old. Plus it changes things up a bit with sequences where you play as Mary Jane or Miles. But the action is actually excellent, both in stealth and melee. It might actually best Batman Arkham games in both of these areas. When you get all the gadgets and really get into the combat, it is pretty sublime. Spider-man is a very game-friendly superhero and the implementation demonstrates that.

2. SUBNAUTICA: Survival games are a dime a dozen these days but this underwater adventure is one of the best experiences. Going deeper is absolutely perfect for progression. Using pipes to bring down air at first. Then setting up bases on the descent is so cathartic. And finally you get the Cyclops submarine and it becomes a home away form home in every sense of the word. Throw in a few hostile sea creatures, some alien ruins, some human settlements, and you have a great survival experience that is as fun in the shallows as it is in the depths.

1. ASSASSIN’S CREED: ODYSSEY: Not many games get so much out of the size of their world. Odyssey is basically a much better version of Origins, with improvements to world design, stealth, and a whole bunch of targets to assassinate at your leisure. The world is packed with interesting corners and the melee combat is pretty fun. Plus it has great sailing combat / traversal. The story leads in an interesting direction as it concerns the family of the main character (male or female). There are a few different endings too, some are bad. It may not be the best game in the series but it is certainly a style of game that I would be happy to play again, if the next game in the series goes down the same path.

So there are my top games from the year. Honorable mentions include God of War and Forza Horizon 4. Life got in the way in 2018 and I did not play nearly as many games as I have in the previous years (only 27). For example, I still have not played Red Dead Redemption 2. My best of 2019 list should be up in the next week or so, hopefully.

Reverse order so I don’t spoil the surprise!

7. Sniper Elite 4: This franchise has been okay for a while, but hasn’t quite managed to put it all together. I think SE4 does that. It has the best level design in the series with large, open maps. It also has pretty good stealth, with new hiding spots and better ways to play with the enemies. Rebellion have tweaked everything just enough and the colourful Italian setting is refreshing.

6. DiRT 4: I liked this more than Rally for a few reasons, but the big one is that all the tracks are random. Sure you can see the pieces after a little while, but still you have to pay attention due to speeds coming out of certain corners and other factors. It has better mp and career modes as well. Just nailing a rally course is incredibly satisfying.

5. Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Initially my impressions of this sequel were poor, but with time it became more and more likable. I finished over 100 side quests (!) and most of them were actually quite good, without too much repetition. The world is stunning, with massive draw distances. Every area feels different and the atmosphere is incredible. Tasks can be completed quickly, which is a big reason the large world works so well. Stealth is a bit mixed but sneaking into forts and taking down captains or looting chests without being seen is fun. Biggest problem is that the actual main target assassinations are terrible, which is a bitter pill to swallow. If you get over that though, you should have fun. I rate it about middle of the series, but it is quite unlike the rest of the titles.

4. Prey: Destined to be a favorite due to the gameplay style. It’s little bit of system shock, deus ex, and bioshock mixed into one. Just being able to navigate the Talos space station and find codes or hidden areas is neat. It’s all about dynamic gameplay that adapts to your choices and actions. Would have liked even more depth, and it is not as good as those previously-mentioned games, but still the type of game I’d love to see more of. Plus it’s GLOO for YOU, too.

3. Darkwood: This is my dark horse in this list. To be honest I was pretty close to not even finishing the game, which speaks more about my laziness than the actual game. It’s a top-down horror/adventure/survival game that takes place in the woods (and yes it is dark). What makes it so great is how everything works together. It’s not easy, but you are rewarded for persistence. Every night you are assaulted by monsters and if you survive you get nice rewards to go out and collect resources and then survive again. It’s a slow and methodical type game where you creep a bit forward each time and learn the woods, but it nails the atmosphere.

2. Outlast 2: Liked this sequel far more than the original. It is less rigid and has more variety. The open environments just allow more natural hiding spots like in water barrels or in a corn field. It also switches the horror elements cleverly as you jostle back and forth between a dream sequence and the real world. Story could have been more prominent, but def one of the most improved sequels for me and a solid horror adventure.

1. Horizon Zero Dawn: Another winner for the PS4. There is so much to like about this game. The world is obviously wonderful, but the robots that inhabit it are great. They stalk the landscape and you are encouraged to fight them, or attack them from the bushes. The actual gameplay of firing arrows into weakspots, running around like crazy, and using different damage types seems quite polished. Then you have things like the ropecaster to hold them down and traps to setup. It’s a game that’s just quite enjoyable just to roam off in one direction and see what there is to find or what creatures there are to fight.

Plus the attention to detail is insane. It is probably the best looking game in 2017 because of how much work has gone into every piece. The characters look amazing and their lip syncing is among the best in the industry. Even their clothes and hair just seems so carefully designed. And what’s best of all is that almost none of the characters share the same face....that’s just an insane amount of model work. I found the story interesting, especially because of its post-apocalyptic setting, but the delivery could have spread out more. Lot of good games this year but H:ZD is one game that I think the developers pretty much achieved exactly what they wanted.

Honorable mentions

Star Wars Battlefront II: Yes it has loot boxes (paid ones were removed) and a bad campaign, but it’s the best multiplayer game in 2017 for me. Just fun arcade shooting with a great setting, awesome visuals, and much better balance (regarding heroes etc) than the previous game. Has a really fun starfighter mode too. With a bit more free content and support, the game might be even great in a few months. I’ve put in probably 50-60hrs worth online and still have great fun.

Observer: Blade Runner the game, better than Bloober Team’s previous game.

Resident Evil 7: The first 2/3rds of this game is pure gold in both setting and pacing. I hope they replicate it for a sequel.

Detention: Horror/Abstract point and click adventure with an interesting story

Mass Effect Andromeda: Much worse than the previous games but on the whole it isn’t bad. I still have a soft spot for sci-fi with interesting characters. With another year in the oven it could have been great.

***Not 2017 releases but played in 2017***

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Didn’t come out in 2017 but I played it early in the year and would say without hesitation that it would have made my top 7 list last year. Commandos-like game done with precision and loved every minute.

KOTOR – I am way way way late to the party on this one (2003). While I didn’t like the combat much, the actual story and characters is excellent. It practically consumed my thoughts when I was playing it. Finished KOTOR2 just recently which might be even better when it comes to characters and story, sadly the ending is a bit of a letdown even with the cut content mod.

Below are the 62 games I finished in 2017 (+ pubg)

Stardew Valley, Until Dawn, STAR WARS Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die -Season One, Gunpoint, Killzone Shadow Fall, Dishonored 2, Resident Evil 7, Phoning Home, Sniper Elite 4, Stories Untold, Night in the Woods, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Kona, Mass Effect: Andromeda, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity, Outlast 2, KOTOR, Little Nightmares, Prey, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, DiRT 4, Conarium, The Fan, Leaving Lyndow, Hue, Headlander, Aragami*, The Book of Unwritten Tales, Submerged, Aporia: Beyond The Valley, Scanner Sombre, The Fidelio Incident, Observer, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Peregrin, Tacoma, The Rodinia Project, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Beat The Game, Darkwood, Archaica: The Path of Light, Project Cars 2, Hob, Slime Rancher, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Call of Duty: WWII, Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series, Star Wars Battlefront II, Black: The Fall, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Rise of the Tomb Raider Season Pass, Destiny 2, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Finding Paradise, Last Day of June, Grow Up, & PUBG (mp only)

2017 was a bit under average for me in terms of gaming. There were no truly great games and most of my top seven, while good, would struggle to break my top seven in previous years. I played far more games this year than any other year, so my average experience is probably a bit lower because of that which might be the reason I found it under average. Certainly not a bad year, though.

Hope everybody had a good year and/or holiday break. Bring on the games for 2018!

As is tradition, here is my top seven games of 2016 in reverse numerical order!

7) Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (DLC): Any year with Witcher content is going to be a good year. While I didn’t quite like it as much as Hearts of Stone, it did offer more value and a pretty great new area to explore. It’s practically a whole game sold as DLC.

6) The Witness: This is a puzzler that nearly frustrated me. I was actually close to stopping at a few points. I persisted though, mostly through chance, and I am certainly glad to have finished it. It’s a really clever puzzle game that creates its own rules and then teaches you those rules with puzzle boards. But the real trick is how the puzzles work with the environment itself. That alone is a mammoth effort that deserves appreciation.

5) Far Cry Primal: I’ve liked the Far Cry franchise since the first game back in 2004, but Primal goes back to 10,000 BC and the gameplay is generally better for it. Throwing spears, using arrows, lobbing bee grenades is all pretty satisfying as you take down outposts much like the other games in the series. It brings in hunting / resource collecting but doesn’t make it tedious. It’s fun just to roam about the different landscapes, using a tamed animal to kill enemies or overlooking an outpost with an owl.

4) Stardew Valley: Got this one late in the year and it’s not really an exaggeration to say that I played this pretty much constantly for a week. It’s an incredibly addicting farm management simulator where you plant crops, sell materials, make cheese/jam/wine, feed animals, collect wood and even search through a mine. It’s a game that never ends as the years keep going, but I chose to stop playing after restoring the community center which was into my 3rd year. Great music, smart resource design and appealing interaction with the community are the reasons it’s so high on my list.

3) Forza Horizon 3: Finally the series came to PC, and it’s certainly a great ride. Lots of races, solid AI competitors, and a slew of interesting side challenges (except drift which is horrible) all make sure it’s a game packed with content. It’s enjoyable to build up a car collection, and to slowly improve on existing records. It also has a great music selection and is an all round slick product.

2) Deus Ex Mankind Divided: This title seems to have received minimal credit this year, possibly because it had technical issues at launch? There was also the rumor that a second city hub was cut for a sequel. In any case, the game was really enjoyable. There are plenty of conspiracy themes and nods to the original. The city hub of Prague is quite interesting to explore and it changes as the game progresses. Gameplay of stealth/action/talk at a basic level is still more interesting than almost every other game on the market. If it didn’t feel so abruptly cut short, it may have taken my top spot.

1) Battlefield 1: This is probably not a big surprise given my predisposition for the series. But it’s a great throwback to the First World War that puts a bit more focus on infantry action than its predecessors. The map selection is pretty solid, same with balance across weapons and classes. The atmosphere of being in battle, watching people charge with bayonets, and getting brutally killed with a mace, is something else.

It’s a shame the French and Russian armies were held back for DLC though, hopefully they turn out better for it. Like most DICE games there are numerous issues, but comparatively (to BF4) they are minimal. I kind of miss the features of battlelog but the in game server browser is adequate. The game isn’t perfect, it’s not as good as other entries in the series (BF3, BF2142) but I think on the whole it’s the best I’ve played this year.

Honorable Mentions

HITMAN: Hate the episodic release structure, but the core gameplay is perhaps the best in the series.

Uncharted 4: Not as fun as UC1 or UC2, but it is better than UC3 and looks great + has strong action

Grim Dawn: Backed it in 2012, happy with the end product.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst: A game that has slipped into obscurity. I think it’s better than the first and great fun.

In 2016 I completed/played 47 games. They are (excluding the above games):

Gears of War 3, Remember Me, Fallout 4, Rocket League, Ass Creed Unity, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed Rogue, Unravel, Firewatch, Layers of Fear, Oxenfree, Zombi, The Division, ADR1FT, DOOM, Doom, Homefront: The Revolution, Doom 2, Dreamfall Chapters, The Walking Dead: Michonne, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Dying Light: The Following, Inside, Abzu, Obduction, The Turing Test, ReCore, Gears of War 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Titanfall 2, Quantum Break, Hitman GO, Batman The Telltale Series, Homeworld Deserts of Kharak, Lara Croft GO, Overwatch, No Man's Sky

It was an overall decent year for gaming, without any really bad games. There were no real standouts either, unlike previous years, so I guess you could call 2016 consistent in that regard.

Hope everybody had a safe and enjoyable Christmas break full of games, and hopefully I'll be back again next year.

Hey everybody, here is my top games of the year. 2015 was actually quite good for games, with plenty of variety across all genres. Not many disappointments and quite a lot of really enjoyable (and long) games.

7. Dying Light: This game is a much better version of Dead Island. Everything about it works well, the movement parkour system, the atmosphere, and even the story. The only bad part was the end boss QTE and the lack of world persistence (things reset). Dead Island was a co-op game you could play solo. I think Dying Light is a solo game you can play co-op. The competitive multiplayer is pretty basic but quite enjoyable too.

6. Rocket League: Thanks to Tim for giving me this as a gift late in the year. This game excels in its simplicity and depth. Drive rocket cars and hit a ball into a goal, easy right? It’s intensely competitive and fast. The difference between a new player and an experienced one can be huge. Teams alternate positions to attack the ball. In many respects the game is about making the least mistakes, or capitalizing on the other team’s errors. It has quick 5 minute matches and that helps make it easy to jump in and out.

5. SOMA: Frictional games still have the right stuff when it comes to horror and science fiction. Their world they’ve designed this time is much better looking and more interesting. Story is quite something once you get to the end. I do wish it had more puzzles, and some branching story choices, but perhaps that is asking too much

4. Batman Arkham Knight: At launch the game stuttered pretty bad on my PC at low settings. But despite this I completed the game and enjoyed it. The open world just felt right to me, like it was a proper city to explore and protect—the previous batman games did not give me that feeling. The Batmobile was used well most of the time, but I concede it was overused in a few situations. Some late patches improved performance (now playable on med settings). Definitely one of the better Batman games for me.

3. Tales from the Borderlands: Another fine game from Telltale that happens to be one of the funniest games I’ve ever played. The ending is amazing for many reasons, including the fight sequence and the narrative cleanup that the player can control. Some great characters and sharp dialogue bring this to the top of my list. The strange part is that I don’t even like the Borderlands games by Gearbox, they just never clicked. Hoping they persist with a second series (and same for The Wolf Among Us) or it will be a real shame.

2. Fallout 4: My most played game of the year and if other things were different it would be my GOTY. Absolutely loved exploring the commonwealth and discovering the stories found across the world. People trapped in bunkers, or families separated when the bombs dropped. There are so many things to find that are not always linked to quests. The settlement building aspect is quite interesting and I spent a bit of time building up my settlements and going to collect salvage so I could build more. Shooting felt good (slow motion woo), so did the progression via modifications and collectibles. Didn’t use the power armor much, but used it on the final mission with much satisfaction. Found the story quite interesting too, with some factions that had conflicting motives. Companions were great, although they still need to be better with orders and navigation. Would have liked a bit more chatter from them, but there are quite a few good ones

The main problem with FO4 is the bugs and lack of polish. Simple things in some cases, like not explaining how settlements work or helping you do basic tasks. Then you face more technical problems like giving you the same radiant quest three times in a row, or not letting you build stuff due to a crazy small build limit that could be increased by dropping weapons (yes seriously). Or silly design things like telling you to defend a settlement even though it has 20 turrets already. Six more months of development time would have cleaned it up almost completely and that is why it’s #2

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Once again Geralt comes out on top, this time with the ashen-haired Ciri by his side. So many amazing characters and quests are found in this game. Even just those initial areas of White Orchard or Velen with Keira Metz and the Baron were truly sensational. And then you get to Novigrad and later Skellige which offer plenty of intrigue. It’s a mature story with funny dialogue, intelligent themes and an interesting world. The combat is quite good too, better than the last game because of some smart design decisions. And fortunately the difficulty is quite balanced. I can’t really think of another game that does this much story and content without skipping a beat. Barely any bugs to be found, runs amazing and looks even better. Another important factor is that CD Projeckt Red provided excellent post release support, many patches that actually changed the game based on feedback (e.g. inventory and storage chests) plus they gave us 16 free DLC packs which is the perfect slap in the face for the rest of the industry. My only wish is that we got to spend more time with each of the amazing characters.

The Hearts of Stone Expansion was also released in 2015, offering more than a dozen hours of some of the best DLC I have played. They created a new story with a few amazing characters (Man of Glass, Shani, Von Everec) and it perhaps used them better than the main game. The wedding was absolutely hilarious and made sense in context. Then it followed up with a completed shift in tone that was almost heart breaking. W3 didn’t need this DLC to be GOTY, but the DLC itself could have been in my top 7. Witcher 3 flies high above anything else this year in all respects and clearly deserves its scores of GOTY awards.

My Previous Winners:

2014 - The Wolf Among Us

2013 - Metro: Last Light

2012 - Mass Effect 3

2011 - Battlefield 3

2010 - STALKER: Call of Pripyat

2009 - Uncharted 2

2008 - Fallout 3

Honorable mentions

Good or great games in their own right, recommended.

GTA 5: It was a great game, although not sure it reaches the heights of previous GTA games. Actually did not play much after the story was complete which is unusual for me.

Life is Strange: A great adventure about a time-bending high school student. It is wonderfully composed and quite genuine with one tremendous character in Chloe.

Ori and the Blind Forest: Hard, but certainly rewarding. Fantastic music and good visuals

Battlefield Hardline: Will be remembered as a bad entry in the series, but I thought it was pretty enjoyable online and played ~100 hrs. Some good new modes (blood money / hotwire) and a focus on infantry combat.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3: Pretty solid multiplayer game, with fantastic maps and great movement system. The single player is not as good as its predecessors though.

DiRT Rally: Great driving and some brutal tracks. Side content is shallow though and no rally mp

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Not a big Resident Evil fan but this sequel surprised me in the good way with some great characters that work together to get through an island of monsters.

Minor Disappointments

Nothing really sucked this year, but some games could have been so much better

Stat Wars Battlefront: Frustrating! Some maps are bad and balance poor. Horrible spawn system. Connectivity via matchmaking is horrible. Looks great though and occasionally plays good in smaller modes.

Trine 3: Still a fairly decent game, but the move to full 3D took away more than it gave

Van Helsing 3: Final chapter in the series was a letdown, story fades, Katarina underused, classes are messy and the lack of tower defence hurts. Still a decent game

Summary

So 2015 was quite good for gaming with lots of titles across all genres. 2016 also looks like it will be solid. Some games I’m excited about include Uncharted 4, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mass Effect Andromeda (probably be delayed) and Homefront: Revolution to name a few.

I am not visiting Gamespot much these days. With Kevin Van Ord gone, I’m not sure there is any written content that is worth reading. The site is pretty much all video content these days and that is understandable although not something I’m drawn towards.

Hope everybody had a good year this year gaming wise or otherwise.

Another year down and it is time for my top games list again. “2014 was not a good year for games.” That is what I would have said back in the middle of September. Fortunately half a dozen games in the last few months (the last few days even) have propelled this year from mediocre to almost as good as last year. Here are my Top 7 games of 2014:

7. BioShock: Burial at Sea DLC - The second part of this DLC came out this year and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Rapture is one of the best game worlds ever created. Up there with City 17 or anything in Deus Ex. Infinite was not a great game for me, but this DLC pack is fantastic because of the setting and the return of some mechanics that were lost. One of the longest DLC packs too, and worth every cent.

6. Age of Wonders 3 -The last strategy game I enjoyed was probably Starcraft 2, but I used to love the genre. Somewhere during the 3D transition my love was lost and infrequently rekindled. Age of Wonders 3 brings me back to the early days where I would play a strategy game for hours. A five hour session in Age of Wonders 3 was nothing out of the ordinary, nor was restarting a campaign mission after 3 hours just to improve my situation. It has gorgeous landscapes, wonderful music (just listen to this: http://youtu.be/ve2RgrC3OMA?t=47m57s) and addictive mechanics. The original gave me much the same feeling, so recreating the fantasy world was one of the pleasant surprises of 2014.

5. Last of Us: Left Behind (DLC) on PS3 -This DLC pack is so clever and well constructed. It details the back story of Ellie and transitions between a missing part of the original game. Playing this DLC and the full game in chronological order would be amazing. The juxtaposition of the two scenarios plays a key role in why this DLC pack is amazing. Everything feels handcrafted and important to the world and the characters. When naughty Dog is at their best, they produce something like this. It is so good that it makes me appreciate the original game even more.

4. The Talos Principle - Would anybody have guessed that Croteam are better at puzzles than shooters? Not me, but here is the proof. Talos gives you genius puzzles and a complementary story that is almost as thought provoking as the hardest tests. Pacing is up to the player as they decide which puzzles to complete and think about higher concepts regarding life. There is even some replay value as you solve side puzzles or choose alternative endings. It has some really clever puzzle designs that require almost no reflexes.

3. Shadow of Mordor – Assassin’s Creed meets Batman in Middle-Earth. But this is no sloppy imitation; it adds plenty of charm and style that suits the setting. The gameplay is excellent whether in stealth, fighting orcs or riding a Caragor into battle. Everything is so slick that is it easy to play for hours just killing the hilarious Orcs who make comments as they drink grog or get eaten by graugs. It introduces a procedural nemesis system that provides plenty of replay value as you battle varied captains. It is also one of the best performing and looking PC games this year. Monolith are back.

2. Dragon Age: Inquisition - Many games are large in scale, but few have massive scope. Inquisition is a huge game that overwhelms you with tasks and sucks you into the world of Thedas. The brilliant companions seem to have longer story arcs, the world is fun to explore and the decisions you make feel substantial. Between sessions it was hard to not think about my Inquisition and my next moves. On top of that it is one of the best looking games of the year. It has flaws, but they are pummelled into the ground by ambition. Up until December 25th, DA:I was my clear GOTY, but then I played...

1. The Wolf Among Us – After finishing this game in the last few days of 2014, it scratched around in my head until I could not ignore the call of the Wolf. The call was so strong that I replayed it again, with different choices, and went to read the comics. Telltale put themselves on the map with The Walking Dead, but there is something about this new series that captures my attention far more. Perhaps it might be because all the great characters are alive at the end of the first season. Or maybe it is because many of the main characters are intriguing, funny and likable. Or perhaps the setting and comic style plays so perfectly into the hands of Telltale. Of course I cannot forget that the story, involving murder, fairytales, ribbons, glamour and a toad has the best narrative arc of the year.

This story of the Big Bad Wolf treats characters with respect and allows many of them to survive to the final credits, although not necessarily unscathed. It centres on fairytale characters that have come to the real world after their land was taken. This creates a back story that is both familiar and fresh when some of the tales have been changed. The story ratchets up the stakes and introduces you cleverly to the world of the Fables as you uncover the secrets. The recreation of the source material (comics) is worthy of much praise, both artistically and contextually. You investigate crime scenes, talk to characters and decide where to explore next. Its narrative is exceptional with hilarious dialogue and a clever ending. It’s very much worth playing twice just for the different decisions. There is so much potential in this series and I truly hope they produce another season in the next few years.

My Previous Winners:

2013 - Metro: Last Light

2012 - Mass Effect 3

2011 - Battlefield 3

2010 - STALKER: Call of Pripyat

2009 - Uncharted 2

2008 - Fallout 3

Honorable Mentions for 2014

The Walking Dead S2 - Just as good as the first season with a bigger emotional finish (I cried)

Far Cry 4 - More of the same, which is good. Unfortunately it seems to be afraid of fun, damn eagles

South Park: The Stick of Truth - Like a long episode of South Park with enjoyable turn-based combat

Valiant Hearts - Clever puzzle/platformer mix with a helpful dog set in WW1.

Disappointments of 2014

Wolfenstein: The New Order – When I look at this game I do not see an old-school shooter. I see a mediocre shooter with tacked-on stealth mechanics and fetch quests. The bullet shooting is barely passable and the laser weapon is overused in the last half. The AI is awful and I just did not find it all that enjoyable.

Alien: Isolation – While this game has good mechanics, it fails to use them well. Pacing is the biggest problem for me as the game drags with the alien and stumbles without it. The standard weapons were not needed, the back-tracking is dull and the story is weak. The artificial intelligence flaws also compound some problems with human and the alien.

Thief – Where to start with this one? On the surface you could probably be fooled into thinking this is a good remake but there are so many things wrong with the design. AI problems, circuitous city hubs, no jumping, bad sound design and escape sequences just to name a few. There are moments where the game is decent, but they are few and far between. At least the visual package is quite decent.

GRID Autosport – Codemasters have lost it, more specifically they have lost their desire to make a fun racing game. Instead they give you a tedious slog with terrible rubber-banding AI drivers. Even without those issues, this game recycles so much content that there are barely any new tracks. It takes out some of the best features from the original GRID, like team management and actual monetary income, and fails to replace them with anything of worth. Codemasters needs to refocus.

So there you have it, the highs and lows of 2014. Not a horrible year thanks to the last few months. Quite frankly it was not easy to pick my GOTY out of DA: I and The Wolf Among Us, it could have easily gone to Dragon Age. I think the main reason why I gave Wolf Among Us the GOTY was because it feels nearly perfect in terms of what Telltale wanted to achieve, yet DA:I is not quite there. One could argue that is because DA:I has far greater scope and that would indeed be true. In any case, both are amazing games and come highly recommended.

Hopefully everybody reading this blog is doing well. I spend most of my time with friends on Steam these days; there are quite a few Gamespot users there that keep in touch via the activity feed. I do still visit the forums from time to time, but nowhere near as committed as 2 years ago. So feel free to add me on Steam, under the same name as here, and I might catch you there. Hopefully 2015 is packed with gaming goodness.

Another year is over and that means it’s time to list my best games of 2013. This has become a little tradition and something I enjoy compiling. It gives me a chance to express my views on the year and it’s always interesting to look back on what games I considered the best. At the very least this might be interesting to read when I look back on it years from now.

7. Skyrim Dragonborn – A great little expansion that creates a small island with all the same mechanics as Skyrim. Bethesda clearly loves to give people lots of rewards for buying these DLC packs - one of the enemies drops gemstones on death. But this expansion also allowed me to revisit Skyrim and the areas that I never explored with renewed vigor. There is so much amazing content in Skyrim that it deserves another mention this year. Dragonborn is how you do DLC packs.

6. Antichamber – This excellent little puzzler has almost nothing to do with Portal, yet it incurs the very same moments of elation. Antichamber is a game about a device that” fires” blocks that can be placed anywhere. These different blocks allow you to solve puzzles in strange ways, like creating a bridge or ladder. Antichamber is also a game where things are not what they seem, inside might be larger that outside and backwards might by the only way to progress forwards. Antichamber trains you almost perfectly and it’s a rewarding / challenging experience.

5. Rayman Legends – The original Rayman got a lot of praise from gamers and reviewers. I was one of the few that enjoyed it, but was not wowed by it. Legends improves almost everything in the original. Levels are more pleasing to explore without the tedious challenge. You aren’t forced to finish specific levels; you can pursue any level that is unlocked. There are daily challenges, music levels and you can speed up the end level countdown. Everything works better and it’s just more relaxing.

4. Splinter Cell: Blacklist – Conviction was not a good entry into the franchise, but it had a few interesting mechanics (mark and execute) that kept it from being a disaster. Blacklist takes some of those mechanics and then mergers them with the stealth aspects of Chaos Theory. Blacklist is not consistently excellent, but there are a handful of great stealth missions and there is quite a good amount of content within. The main reason for the success is the effective and broad range of gadgets that allow a lot of freedom when taking out guards. It’s a game that certainly rewards stealth/ghosting over brute force.

3. Last of Us – A brilliant post-apocalyptic story of a broken man and a young girl. Joel and Ellie are core reasons this game is so excellent. Ellie is the best AI companion in a video game to date, and she takes the title from Alyx (HL2). It’s the little details that matter most to me in Last of Us and there are hundreds of them. One example is when Ellie is distant, crossing her arms, after an argument with Joel. The story is intriguing because these characters change, there are definitely learning processes and trust issues. Just take a moment in vacated suburbia when Ellie tries telling one of her jokes, some of the most memorable bits are when there isn't any stealth or action.

2. Assassin’s Creed 4 – Wow. What a turnaround for Ubisoft. Although AC4 still has some of the problems of AC3, it manages to wash them away with some great open-world piracy. The ship sailing and combat is enjoyable and the change in setting is refreshing. It doesn’t spend 6 sequences forcing you through pointless tutorials. Edward Kenway is an extremely likeable pirate too, even when he is plundering ships for all their cargo. So much to do on land or in the open sea, but it’s all achievable if you have hours to spare. I really hope that Ubisoft consider doing a few more entries into the Black Flag Universe because it has a lot of potential.

1. Metro: Last Light – This exceptional, atmospheric shooter secures my GOTY for 2013. The underground cities, such as Venice, are unmatched for detail. These civilian areas feel so real, not just attractive 3D backgrounds. Visuals are outstanding, especially when you venture onto the surface. Last Light also makes stealth a viable option when dealing with human soldiers. There is more variety to the mutant population than in 2033. There is one sequence in the game that I will never forget: When you take control of a rail car and are left alone in the tunnel. Here you can proceed almost directly to your objective, or you could stop and explore each side tunnel for supplies – a lure that was far too strong for me to resist. Last light certainly succeeded in bringing me into a game world and holding on tight until the very last mission (which was unfortunately abysmal). It is the best game I have played in 2013 and deserves many accolades.

Other good games: FC3 Blood Dragon, CoJ Gunslinger, State of Decay, Brothers, Beyond: Two Souls. Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3.

Disappointments for 2013

Unfortunately there were quite a few games that failed to reach the potential I had anticipated. These are by no means bad games, but they should have been better.

Battlefield 4 – I am still playing this game and I am still enjoying it very much so. It’s a 9/10 game hidden in a 7/10 technical package. It released in an abysmal state. I’m not talking about the usual DICE issues, they are still present. I’m talking about major issues like servers or clients crashing every hour and players losing progress. The sound was broken on some maps for over a month. They released 5 client patches and over 14 server patches in less than two months. It still has many issues, but thankfully the worst seems to be over. BF4 should have been on my best games list, but it’s relegated to disappointing because of all the issues.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs –Unfortunately getting the Dear Esther guys to delve into Amnesia did not work out. Interaction, puzzles and even scares suffer greatly. Almost nothing is interactive and the puzzles are so basic they might as well not exist. The sanity mechanic has been changed to give you a flickering lantern. It’s just a very poor Amnesia game.

BioShock Infinite – To me this felt like a lot of shooting galleries wrapped around a convoluted story about dimensions. Shooting is ok, visuals great. But I completely lost interest in the narrative in the last third of the game. I was only making my way forward so all of the weirdness could be wrapped up in a neat little bow. It was, and I appreciate the effort to create such a story. But Infinite would have been so much better if it stuck to one Columbia and approached it much like the other BioShock games. Infinite is just an infinite waste of potential to me.

Gamespot Rant

It’s been months since Gamespot was changed. Unfortunately the change has been rather terrible for many reasons. The community is a fraction of its former self. The forums I visit are not as popular as they were before the change. PC games and PC hardware forums were merged, which was awful to begin with but actually a good idea given the reduced user base. Very few of my friends are writing blogs anymore which is certainly one of the main reasons I enjoyed this place. One good change is being able to add screenshots to reviews. The other improvement is probably uploading and sharing images. The rest is just no better. Here is a list of some problems with the new Gamespot

1. The forums and main site is still horribly slow compared to the older site.

2. No way to see which threads I posted in or which posts I have not read

3. Signatures in forums are small with no text allowed. This means I cannot use my raptr sig anymore and have text with links

4. Stacks are still broken. I used to use Gamespot to track my collection but that is impossible at this point and I’m probably a dozen games behind

5. Feeds seem broken or inaccurate. No game updates, blog updates only recently added, ratings are listed as reviews.

6. Search is awful. Search for Battlefield and the first title you will find is an iPhone game from 2011. The second title is a game on the commodore 64 from 1987

I don’t particularly like the new website layout. Reviews are just one continuous stream of text. I guess they are targeting tablet / phone users. I’d take the old site back in a heartbeat and would even praise them for going back. They won’t though, so we are stuck with what we have. Over the past few months I have come to tolerate the site. I’m just posting a lot less than I would normally be and that is because of the site change.

I hope everybody (anybody) who is reading this had a good 2013. Gaming wise it was alright, with a variety of ups and downs. 2014 looks like it will have some good games including: Evolve, Dragon Age 3, Witcher 3 and Watch Dogs. It remains to be seen if I will blog again in the future on Gamespot. If I do not, I would like to thank Gamespot and all of my Friends for the good times we shared. It has been a great journey.

ONE: Xbox One hit fans with DRM and online checks at  E3 2013. The crazy fallout from this mess has been entertaining. Including all the wonderful gifs it has generated. MS did very little to squash the problems they caused at their launch even. Their best feature, 10 person family share, is barely talked about. The Xbone boss said that people should just use the 360 if they have no internet. For me the Xbox One doesnt have anything big to make me want to rush out and get it.

TWO: Two new FPS IPs from big shooter developers. Firstly you have Bungie with their social co-op shooter Destiny. Then you have Respawn, ex call of duty guys, with their mecha shooter Titanfall. Titanfall looks to be the more interesting of the two for me, partly because of the competitive nature. Huge Titans moving about as nimble soldiers parkour over the relatively constrained arenas. Destiny presentation seemed to be pushing the social aspect more, joining up with buddies to take down mobs and boss mobs, sharing the spoils of war borderlands style. Even The Division looked like it pushed the social deal more.

THREE: Witcher 3 has already won a few awards and if they were for graphics then its easy to see why. Its one of the best looking games of the show based on screenshots and the video released. It sounds ambitious too, being many times larger than Witcher 2 and open world.  I sure hope they can pull it off with a mature story-driven experience. They need to work on the combat and balance from Witcher 2 and leave the rest.

FOUR: Battlefield 4 is adding a ton of community requested features onto the core of BF3. Spectator, Commander, bigger squads, reduced suppression etc. As with any new DICE BF game there is a twist in the class gadgetry and some new elements. Huge destruction events change the maps (levolution), like the building collapsing to cover the level in thick ash for the remainder of the match. The presentation of this game made it my  best of the show, although no real surprise since Im a big fan of the series.

FIVE: Watch Dogs is just five months away from release and recent gameplay vids have been impressive as usual. Admittedly I have kept myself in media blackout for Watch Dogs (as I do for most games) because I want to see it all for myself when I play. It certainly has a very ambitious design and it appears to be reaching potential. Integrating games with tablets seems to be the next big thing for gaming and Watch Dogs does this by allowing you to call a tablet user in to help you flee from the cops.

So there you have it, E3 offered a lot of videos, screenshots and gaming news. For that reason, it made it a pretty interesting week and introduced a few games that have piqued my interest.

Other Gaming Stuff...

I started playing Team Fortress 2 fairly regularly, which I havent played in years. Initially I played some games to get the Steam cards (gotta catch em all), but kept playing because of the entertainment. Im only playing Mann Vs Machine, which is co-op / tower defence mode. There is something very addicting about taking down scores of robots and beating the waves. However, after a few dozen hours, I might be losing interest in the mode.  

On a side note: I managed to sell most of the TF2 items I have accrued from special game editions on Steam Market (e.g. Hitman, Quantum Conundrum, Sleeping Dogs). I have made about $35 from that which is quite nice bonus and there are a few more items to sell.  I would advise people get in and sell stuff, prices seem to be on a general decline.

360 XBLA games:

Got access to a few keys for FC3: Blood Dragon and CoJ: Gunslinger on Xbox 360. Both have been quite impressive shooters that kept me entertained. Blood Dragon is a great themed reskin of FC3, taking about 10hrs to finish and explore everything. Gunslinger is an arcade entry into the CoJ franchise. Gunslinger has some great combat in between the awful boss battles. I will likely get both games on PC when there is a good deal. Probably during the awesomely inevitable Steam summer sales.

Review of FC3: Blood Dragon

Review of CoJ: Gunslinger

GRID 2

Loved the original GRID game, but GRID 2 just did not hit the high mark set by its predecessor. Its actually rather bland and full of minor problems that add up. Played most of the game on Hard, ramped down the difficulty near the end because I was losing time trials by fractions of a second and races got long and tedious. Normal mode is easy, but it also seems to have way more rubber banding than Hard. Drivers are very fast for the first 4 corners of a race and then stupidly slow to let you pass. It just felt like I was playing a role in a predetermined script.

Drift races are horrible; in fact most vehicles drift anyway. My enjoyment level was inversely proportional to my vehicles sliding ability. Some of the Hong Khong tracks are mediocre, the visuals really did not impress me (the Sun is horribly overdone).  The game is still entertaining from an arcade driving perspective. TheAbu Dhabitracks have a decent flow. Overtake is a fun mode and time trials are a nice relaxing way to play without needing to put up with bad AI drivers. 

This will be a shorter blog than last time! Q1 has been fairly busy so far and I've been able to play a few newly released games. Here are my impressions of some 2013 games.

Dead Space 3 came out in early February and thankfully it is pretty good. It's not quite the atmospheric, tense and well paced experience that both its predecessors managed. But its still an enjoyable game with more action, longer campaign, excellent weapon crafting and co-op. I played the game entirely through with co-op after single player. It introduces some minor changes here and there. Like Carver having visions, or short cut scenes with Clarke and carver. It's very easy to play in co-op and I replayed a some of the chapters many times.

My review of Dead Space 3 (external link)

Awakened just came out, not a bad little DLC although does reuse areas of the main game and doesnt introduce much new. The cult leader fight and last puzzle are fairly good though. It continues the story of Clarke and Carver with quite a bit of dialogue, sadly no Ellie. It's only just over an hour long but good quality. It ends on a big cliffhanger.

Aliens Colonial Marines is a game I wasn't going to buy. My love for the movie series, especially Aliens, forced my hand. Luckily I got it fairly cheap, because Aliens CM is one of the worst games I've played in a long time. About the only thing I liked about it were the constant references to the movie, Bishop perhaps the standout. Everything else was so below par it would have me shaking my head. Even the shooting is quite poor. It's so disappointing to see an awful game come from an intriguing universe.

Just to give you an example of how bad the game is. One sequence has you unlatching three fuel nozzles from a drop ship on the planet surface. The area is fairly open and of course Aliens come. Once you enter the nozzle animation (press E to unlatch) the aliens will run up behind you and slash at you multiple times. Because you are in the animation you cannot be damaged or killed. So rather than watching your surrounds for aliens and picking a moment to unlatch, you just run to the nozzle and press a button. After you remove each nozzle, you can turn around and see 3 aliens lined up behind you who have been slashing at you.

Crysis 3 also released in Feb, it took the graphics crown pretty easily. It is simply stunning in places and looks as good in multiplayer. C3 is my least favourite of the series. It's still a decent sci fi shooter, just nothing great or spectacular. I had a lot more problems with AI than before, spawning enemies annoyed me esp with the visor. The bow seems overpowered and other weapons felt imbalanced. There really isnt a good sandbox vehicle experience either. Story wasnt that interesting and it just felt quite underwhelming by the end (aside from graphics). The multiplayer is great fun, as in C2, although I havent played much because I feel like Ive done it all before. Cevat may call it gamer fatigue. I think Crytek could try harder.

My review of Crysis 3 (external link)

Tomb Raider is a reboot to a franchise I have enjoyed in the past. It changes a lot of things, most notably the combat. It also reduces puzzle and platforming so it's just a fun game to play. There are problems with the survival stuff they introduce early on. More puzzles would have been nice too. Once I ignored the pointless attempts at survival realism, I enjoyed the rest of the game very much. Actually I've been playing more and trying to find all items and having great fun. Love how the game repopulates the area with a few enemies so I can stealth them or just play with the combat. It has certainly brought a fresh new spin to the series while leaving room for improvement.

My review of Tomb Raider on gamespot

Bioshock Infinite in 10 days, looking forward to that! Keep watching the skies!

2012 is over and it wasnt exactly the best year for gaming. Still there were a few good games that deserve some recognition. I have decided to single out 7 games this year but there were a few others that were great games and worth mentioning

Honorable Mentions:

• Black Ops 2 - A surprisingly good single player campaign
• Botanicula - Another great puzzler from amanita design, best music / visual combo
• Darksiders 2 - Solid follow up to the original action / rpg / puzzler
• Tribes Ascend - Great free to play multiplayer game
• Prototype 2 - More of the same yes, but more of awesome is great!

The Top 7

7. Torchlight 2 is a great sequel, improving almost every aspect of the original. There is much more variety to environments and enemies. Once again it has a satisfying progressive loot system that isnt concerned about a global market. Combat is great fun and can be very involving when you bring together skills and spells. The coop left some to be desired but I had a great time with the single player and map works.

6. Sleeping Dogs is a solid open world game which takes inspiration from many games including GTA and Batman. The melee combat is awesome with satisfying combos that break arms or tackle people to the ground. You slowly learn these moves by collecting statues. It's the type of melee where I'm happy to see another fight scene, not just wanting to breeze through or avoid it. Driving action is fun because you can shunt into cars and also do some Just Cause 2 moves to switch cars. The shooting is rare but underrated; I wish they had more of it. The post release support was excellent, they fixed some PC things with a few patches namely car camera and mouse controls. The nightmare on north point DLC was short but relatively good too.

5. Black Mesa (Mod) just happens to be worth the wait. A mammoth effort for a team of unpaid volunteers to recreate, improve and tweak the Half Life formula. It was almost fully released this year. All pre Xen levels were launched and it was glorious aside from a few annoying crashes in the second half. I loved the little changes they made, helping flow and just making the play through feel fresh. I must have played the original ten times now and Black Mesa was every bit as good. It proves that not all so called vaporware titles turn into a mess like DNF. Hopefully we get Opposing Force remake after the Xen levels! I also need to replay HL2 but I'm waiting for Gabe to spill the beans on HL3.

4. Mark of the Ninja is an exceptional stealth game. Dont let the 2D viewpoint get in the way of what is a collection of amazing stealth mechanics combined with good AI scripts. It's satisfying to be sneaking about, dragging bodies, knocking out lights, ducking through laser fields or hiding in containers. It has more refined stealth ideas than the big stealth games of 2012, which I shall not mention for fear of retribution from the gaming gods. Now if only somebody could capture all the stealth ideas from MoTN and transport them into a beautiful 3D world....

3. Alan Wake technically came out on the 360 two years ago but that doesnt count. After so long Remedy was finally allowed to bring their magic to the PC and it was worth waiting for. I love how quirky this game is, the setting is alluring and it's a really well crafted single player experience. Playing one episode at a time and coming back to it yielded great results. The combat is all about light, juggling enemies and also shooting. I personally really enjoyed how it works together. Placing flares to reload or turn the tide. Using flasblangs to clear out groups or even shooting a flaregun into enemies like a rocket launcher. I'ts not quite as amazing as Max Payne 1 or 2 but its one bright spark in a gloomy year.

2. Far Cry 3 was a very close to winning my GOTY because I just love it. FC3 developers looked very carefully at the previous games and smartly chose things that worked in both games. They used the tagging system and rock throwing from FC1. They continued with the open world and fire propagation of FC2. There are other things too, and they even got some ideas from the lesser known Far Cry instincts. But they didnt stop there; they added some great things that fit well into the franchise and make it fun to get around and take down pirates.

I found it really enjoyable to clear each outpost, and they stay captured this time. This is essentially the essence of the original small areas of combat that lets you approach how you wish. From the jungle in stealth, from a mountain with a sniper rifle or up close with bullet proof vest and shotty. Most importantly it's the player who dictates when and how the action occurs, if their preparation is inadequate then the difficulty is greater.

FC2 had this to a degree but I could not stand the respawning checkpoints and never finished it (I may go back). FC3 introduces some dangerous animals that add a delicious amount of unpredictability without being annoying. I found the story was generally enjoyable although it fades towards the end and misuses some of the best characters. The AI is very good, allowing effective stealth play and I never thought they cheated. A return to a tropical island is appreciated and the only thing missing is the Trigens! Bring out the monkeys mutants!!!

1. Mass Effect 3 is my top game in 2012 and also the most controversial of the year. That ending! Yes it was rather short and not really fitting for such a great series. I like to think the whole of ME3 is the ending to the series, not just the final 15 minutes. The extended cut DLC offered a better conclusion and it was good to see Bioware release it without changing their vision. What I liked most about 3 was how it elegantly brought back characters you forged friendships with from the previous games. It wrapped up some long running story threads involving the genophage and geth for example.

ME3 also did combat much better, mostly due to the action pacing, level design and enemy variety. There were a few difficult decisions to make throughout although I wish there were more. I can't imagine playing through the series without bringing your saves over. Playing through these games mere weeks after each other would be even more rewarding. Also slightly impressed with the multiplayer; it has pretty good legs for a single player series and many free maps. I will not likely forget the ME series and the controversy surrounding it. But I will remember it as an amazing journey above all else.

Over at newgamenetwork.com we recently finished up our Game of the Year awards for 2012. Although I dont agree with all of it, I'm happy with the variation we have this year. Check out our awards by clicking this link!

Games I'm excited for in 2013

BioShock Infinite has the potential to slap gaming in the face with a perfect blend of narrative and gameplay. BioShock was an excellent game and Ken Levine is passionate and knowledgeable about the medium. He is already hyping the ending, which is a little odd given how the first games ending was so good because nobody expected a good ending.

Dead Space 3's development direction has me worried but I still love that universe and want to go back to dismember more necromorphs. This time they are going with coop which certainly could result in something like FEAR 3 (not scary). They are adding random visions in coop, so one player will be attacking something that the other player doesnt even see. I just hope single player preserves the strengths of the previous games and is not Gears Space 3.

Battlefield 4 (beta?) could make it out next year. Nothing much has been confirmed about BF4. Clearly EA and DICE thought BF3 was a huge success so I expect it will follow a similar structure and setting. Perhaps we might see the return of commander, battlerecorder or a third faction? Russians have had a good run. Access to the beta is the only good thing I got from preordering MoH Warfighter.

Last of Us is another game with the potential to elevate gaming as a medium. Naughty Dog are pedigree developers and if they put their collective skill together they could pull off something amazing with this game, just like they did with Uncharted 2.

GTA 5 might not make it on PC next year but it should be close. Its fair to say that there has been no GTA game I havent loved and this bodes well for the next game which looks great so far.

Crysis 3 aims to split the difference between the original and the sequel in terms of level design. This is a good idea and could result in a big pay off assuming they dont botch the PC launch again.

Recently Playing

BF3 Aftermath (DLC) is getting a lot of play hours, as well as regular BF3. I just ticked over 300hrs in game time not too long ago. Aftermath is the best of the DLC packs. Premium has offered great value but the previous DLC packs have been at the extreme ends of the scale (except for B2K). Aftermath is the earthquake themed pack that splits the middle ground (glorious puns). It includes vehicles in midsized maps but keeps the equilibrium and ensures there is plenty of variety. The map layouts are exceptional and fit perfectly with the best in the vanilla game.

Binary Domain is a third person shooter with robots made by a Japanese development team. It's also a surprisingly good game. The shooting mechanics are enjoyable because the robots break apart and this also happens in the mostly good boss battles. The story is very hammy, as there are bound to be issues when things are translated. Still on the whole I found some of the characters interesting, the protagonist likeable and the story of Hollow Children intriguing. I found it to be a very decent port, as controls worked well, visually looks quite good and runs extremely well. Campaign is full of rather well made action cut scenes too. It's even the type of game I'd like to play again when I clear out my backlog.

Saints Row The Third was selling for cheap on steam a while back and I picked it up but only added it to my steam library after playing it during the free weekend. Finished it just recently and it was a whole lot of fun. There are a lot of laughs and mayhem along the campaign even if some of the missions structures were repeated. No doubt it borrows things from grand theft auto games but it ratchets up the crazy to 9000. Being able to throw yourself in front of traffic to get insurance is just one example. Anyway SR3 is a good port and a fun game.

Space Marine is a third person shooter / melee game in the WH40K universe. I dont know anything about that universe so I would assume fans love playing as an Ultramarine? I did not. Space marine is an incredibly dull and lifeless shooter. I found it so boring that my challenge was merely making it through as quickly as possible. It doesnt seem to have any character and 90% of the game takes you through brown corridors, elevators or grey war torn buildings.

The first half of the game is ok, with Orcs that fall nicely to melee attacks and weapons. Then the game introduces a new enemy that takes 10x more bullets (10 headshots). So the free flowing shooting / brawling turns into placing your ultramarine behind walls while you chip away at the health of enemies. The only change up was the jetpack sequences which make you overpowered so you can stomach another hour of gameplay. Interestingly enough there is not a single sequence that takes place in Space. Why call it Space Marine and not WH40K: Ultramarine?

Thief Gold has been a very different experience for a number of reasons. Firstly I have had to relearn everything about quick saving and how to abuse it. It's also surprising me how little the truly primitive visuals are having an impact on me. Good use of sound helps make for this very unnerving atmosphere, even when absolutely nothing is happening! It's hard to describe. In any case there have been some truly sublime missions. The mission "Assassins" has some of the best design in terms of level structure. If there was one thing I'm not fond of in Thief Gold, it would be the zombies. Hopefully there arent too many of them in future missions.

Anyway that is my little yearly summary with a bit of a blog tacked on the end. Hopefully somebody out there finds some use from it. Otherwise it will just have to be useful to me in the future. Also if anybody has a good recommendation for a long running relatively new sci-fi TV series I would be happy to hear it. Hope everybody is having a good 2013.