When the bytes bite...

 

 

So guess what? Recently Treyarch has announced their Black Ops 3 DLC is pretty much coming out and ready via an update patch. News story can be found here (along many other places) on the matter. My response, I'm going to admit, is impulsive as can be. Take this article with a grain of salt (and expect it a little less organized) if you want, but this really just was the last straw for me. I'm actually deleting this game and possibly even selling it. Yes, selling it. I don't usually sell games, don't trade them, don't get ripped off on the deal, but as it is now I feel like my $40 (yup got it on sale, still feeling stung now) is resting barely spent with this game and now I may be looking at something I'll never play again because of this patch. To me, green paper looks like it'll get me closer to entertainment than this game could thanks to this latest move. Ebay looks like they can give me $30-ish or maybe even $40 if I'm lucky with it, and right now I feel like I'll take that over the slim chance that I'll set this back up as a fully functional game in the near future. So you might be wondering though, why am I so angry over an update? Why am I angry that they're giving us more content via DLC? Well its actually got nothing to do with the DLC existing, and very little to even do with Black ops 3 itself, its rather just about the way everything has unfolded into this one very, very, very inconvenient little situation. Its not about it adding to this game, but rather what its doing to take away from everything else by forcibly adding this in. The problem that possibly upsets me the most, is that this isn't something I'm just going to fix by selling black ops 3, rather its a problem because its happened to various amazing games and its going to keep happening unless just maybe more speak up about it. Black Ops 3 is just one that works extra hard to tick the boxes which upset me.

To make this more practical since I still haven't directly said what was upsetting me, we're talking about space, memory, convenience, installation, content, and just generally getting to the game you want... and the fact that with every single new generation, it would appear its getting worse. This update is one of a few cases where it just crushes things for me. I'm not big into COD. I like it, I thought for $40 I'd get a good kick out of it, there was a lot of content worth enjoying, and its something I know anybody around me can jump in and enjoy (I bought this around the time I replaced my stock controller, thus had co-op capabilities). After playing it for the first 4-5 days after the purchase, I mostly put it down. I still came back as recent as the 31st of January to play some dead ops arcade 2 and a bot match. I mostly do kind of that. I get on, I play some bots, I leave. That's typically my COD experience beyond the first week, but it really does scratch that itch of a good quick dumb fun bot arena. Unfortunately this one in particular is built poorly so that you need to be connected to receive a lot of even the most trivial of features, like gun painter (relevant later). I took a big risk this time, because now more than ever it takes up some big space. 50GB at launch, and I estimated around 6gb more for fixes. That's a huge game space. I could fit two ubisoft open world games, MGSV, tons of indies, or about three remasters within that space. However its just something that happens, occasionally one of the big AAAs throws a big 50GB at you, or so close that a patch puts it there. Typically, I have about two games per that size installed at a time. It just takes up THAT much, and obviously there's got to be room for capture footage from those games as well. I still want other games out there installed to choose from, so I don't have a PS4 full of 50GB games, and honestly I've been scraping by on space for a long time now. I usually have to delete something to put another thing on, even if I technically have the space for it (I'll talk more about that later, it is very relevant to some of the problems). I didn't get until about two years into owning the PS3 (120GB slim model) for this to happen to me, and that was also at a time where I got more games put on the system thanks to my dad also owning and buying games that we shared with each other. So... things are definitely harder on space.



This was supposed to be a better experience...

Naturally as a casual player of COD, I expected at some point to remove COD for an install later. I haven't yet, but knew it would happen one day. However... I didn't expect to load it up with a 14GB waiting time AFTER the base install. Sure I can still play whatever worked out of the disc without that, but there are two problems with that 1) Thanks you "known shippable" bugs and AAA for releasing more buggy games than ever into the public that almost need patches to play right. 2) Everything online related is shut down until you're patched up. For an online focused game like COD, especially with artificially constructed locked off features like the freakin' emblem maker of all things, you can't enjoy all of what you paid for until that patch is done. Even to a hardcore fanatic that never deleted this off their system and plays online daily, its 9GB worth the time wasted versus just downloading it off to the side after you paid for the DLC while you play some normal matches like you should be able to do in a sane world. So I'm complaining about a 60-ish Gigabyte game that tests your patience if you dare to delete it or get in on it late, is that all? Well no. In case it wasn't already obvious, people are pissed that teams like this are forcing this DLC content on everybody while still charging you for it.

 Furthermore, its worth taking a step back when looking at this. We've got an entire $60 game crammed with a ridiculous amount of content inside it ranging from 8+ multiplayer maps, a zombie map, dead ops arcade 2, a full campaign, a remix of the campaign, runner mini-game, cut-scenes, all the voice acting and sounds in the entire game, 30+ weapons with tons of attachments and skins, and of course all the base programing that works every single one of those things. It all comes in around the full force of a bluray disc at 50GB (I think technically 47GB or so). Now what are we getting from the DLC? 4 maps. I'm hearing conflicting reports that it might be 5 plus zombies, or 4 including zombies, but that shouldn't be a big difference either way. It ends up being 9GBs. That's nearly 1/5th of the base game. To be fair, one of those maps is a zombie map which definitely has a lot more content than just some normal MP arena, but its got no damn right to be declaring its about 1/5th of the base game in size. This isn't anything new really. By this logic, why are network patches now 2GB? Why did AC Unity need an 8GB patch near the first day for its fixes? And don't say its because it was just that buggy, because The Witcher 3 was fantastic before it patched some extra bugs and minor features with a size that literally doubled their whole game. This isn't reflective of the content they're fixing, its just that these patches are horribly optimized. When another one comes, and another one comes, and another one comes, they all add up. Then you're telling me you're forcing DLC we may not even buy on top of this!? Yeah, I get pissed about it. Oh and as for black ops 3, that means we're probably looking at the game ending at around 80-90GB of space. Yeah you thought I was just complaining about 4 maps? Nope, I got the future in mind to, but Black Ops 3 sure doesn't care about your future since it might easily eat up 1/5th of your entire console's harddrive without any care in what else you wanted to do with that space.

The little known team behind Hardware Rivals finally clued us in as to the optimization case when they decided to hurry a patch out near the launch. They remarked that it doubled the size of the (small) game because of its timing.... and like most patches, it didn't actually fix everything as they later patched it again to fix more matchmaking issues. However that patch was smaller and yet included more gameplay relevant content. It all came later after some resting time, feedback, etc. Unless the first one had some major overhaul deep inside it, this perfectly proves that optimization and patience goes a long way to trim this stuff down even if its new content. Killzone Mercenary on the Vita had a similar case, hurrying out a day one patch that took up over 1GB, and they apologized for it, updated it way more, and by the end everything (including added content) was compressed into around 500mb. Yes that's right, optimizing this stuff is the difference between a massive annoying download for little simple fixes, versus entire game changing content alongside fixes that rolls in at what could be just a little bigger than the save file of a modern open world game. Of course I don't expect that to always be the case, especially since we're talking about a vita versus PS4 game there, but you get the idea that optimization goes a long way. Again, Witcher 3 wasn't exactly handing you an extra copy when they decided to hand out a game doubling patch. Actually you know what, let that sink in. I pick on COD for breaking the straw, but Witcher 3 is another unbelieveable case. In the same world we have Killzone Merc rushing out a 1.5GB patch and apologizing for it with a massive compression later, we have a massive open world game like Witcher 3 that manages to make more patches in total that eclipse the very game size itself (mostly in one patch) without any of that being major gameplay content.

Got a potion for this mess Geralt?

The major difference though that upsets me here is that Witcher 3 is an open world RPG, and COD is a multiplayer FPS. One is a game you get sucked into, and then you're finished with by credits (I'm not that focused, but a major majority are and I'm still not settled with it yet). The other is something you may just wait to have friends over, or play to kill some time.... or are completely addicted to. COD is made from the ground up to be very accessible, appeal to a wide audience, but also kind of servers as the master of nothing. COD really isn't likely to be the blood and backbone of your gaming, and you'll want to be playing more alongside it, or may not even want to be actively playing it at all. A guy like me has other things I like to enjoy. If I decide an occasional dip is worth the money, and I want to play it occasionally, that should be fine and done. Its straight forward capitalism. Well guess who is suddenly locked out and feeling cheated of their money when we're looking at a future in which it might take me 30GB+ of download just to play a match with a friend, or to get a quick fix of some fast paced TDM fun, but I got to wait on a patch that downloads three expansions I don't even own. Its not just me though, it effects everybody. It effects the guy that just bought the game late and is finally getting in on it only to be met with a huge wall. It effects the people who have data caps. It effects fans who have had a tough day and just want to get home and play a simple match. It effects the milder fan who bought Witcher 3, runs home happy, and then is forced to sit in front of a screen asking him to delete one of his favorite COD games or else he can't enjoy this new game, then he has to sit there frowning in front of a download page as one game that does this scummy thing is deleted to make way for another that does this thing, converting the entire joy of getting a new game into complete frustration. This is bullshit.

Don't give me any of this "its the cost of higher technology" dribble either, a lot of this is in how things are being made or rushed with too many outliers and inconsistencies lingering for me to buy into that talk. Yes memory requirements get bigger, I know and accept that. However things are not going well from various angles, and unoptimized rushed patches for buggy games are just the start. A lot of the supposed excuses behind this fall flat when you look at those that come from outside the norm, or put in the extra effort. Nintendo is running PS3 grade stuff without any of the hassles PS3 went through at the time, but if you talked to devs and sony that made you install games its because the "loading speed needed it". This was also evident by the end of the life cycle, nearly every game just ran off the disc just fine like Bioshock infinite, big shock: they didn't need to install big MBs or GBs to run. Xbox one isn't able to run games before PS4 can, even though they're mostly the same systems, that's because of the way they were built rather than because it had to. I could go on and on, and I originally did, but I'm detracting from my main point by lingering on similar issues. My point is that I believe the tech is screwed up because of carelessness, its not a requirement for the future. This memory hogging comes from bad optimization, the DLC is forced on us because of idiot decisions, games leaped in massive sizes even from their superior computer counter-parts with no stated reason, and games are forcing installs even from the disc because the systems were made to do that whether it was really needed or not. Then there's the fact that the memory inside the very system itself is a false reading, as well as the required space to install a game. The space you need to install a game is double of what it says. So if you have a game that is 20GB, it needs around 40GB to even bother trying to put itself on your system... that even includes games that don't actually need that data but just install it by force. Its something in the system itself that just doesn't even bother to even begin copying over that data if there isn't WAAAAAAAY more than enough available. I could kind of be okay with this in downloads, but this is just stupid when its coming right off the disc. Then sometimes you have to restart the system before it can recognize the space was free if you actually delete enough. Again, that's not the cost of super sophisticated technology, everybody's computer can delete content with an active memory update. Then it changes (even if incrementally) a lot of times you check the memory storage, even if there's been nothing changed. While we're on the topic of incompetent design, lets not forget the fact that this are the guys that knew this was coming and yet choose to ship us 500GB in every model for a good length of time.

So forgive me if I'm not playing ball with the idea that this is the way things need to be. I'm pissed about this, and I either want solutions or at the very least honest explanations as to why consoles or games are being made this way. ...and heck, honestly if this truly, really is all a result of advancing technology... well, I didn't ask for it to this extent. Take Black ops 3 back down to lower textures, less particles, and 720p resolution if you must, I just want to be able to pop it in and enjoy it when I want to. It doesn't exactly use current gen for anything spectacular, its just more COD with a good mix of balances, tweaks, and lots of content. Its a shame I have to make room for a freight train just to play some Dead Ops Arcade 2 once in a while.



Looking at it in 1080p < Playing it at my convenience

Basically to try and bring this all to a close, I'm mad with how things have progressed, and I'm not sure why we wait until a giant clunky update to make a small complaint that gets lost. I'm done with that. Its literally to the point where memory space is a buying factor to my games. This happened some in last gen, but its far worse here and now. Now its actually to the point where its not just a buying factor, but a contributing factor to deteriorating a game I bought and want to enjoy. Meanwhile I have to look at a big AAA game and think to myself "Which game can I swear off for a while in order to play this one? Will that be enough?" ...only the problem is, I guess you also have to be a medium that sees into the future and knows what kind of updates they'll role out for it. That in mind, the bugs, the push for certain online games, and oh yeah maybe even the thread of episodic games people are talking about, it seems like games are using advanced technology and rising costs as an excuse to ignore proper releases. Convenient gaming that you just buy and enjoy is becoming very rare, and at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if the next game that you want to enjoy is forcing you to make a schedule just to enjoy it for a little if you're not already forced into that position. You'll need to number crunch each game's memory use, provide space for upcoming pieces of it, pay maybe double on the season pass just to make sure you don't get cut off from the community or friends, hope that you're able to keep good internet access day in and day out for when you want to play it, hope that PSN's servers didn't collapse playing red light green light with itself again, and that the random matchmaking puts you in a match that gives you what you wanted from the game. If you check all that off your list and it stays consistent, then maybe you'll be able to play the game the way you want it on your own time. Oh and you want to know what adds the sweet icing on this little issue? The fact that after I started this article, and before I finished it, the servers for the game went down around the new DLC launch. Its fixed now, but I feel like the point stands. Thankfully, I don't feel like I'm simply rabid mad anymore; I don't need to rock the boat when the captain of the ship is drunk and doing a fine job of that himself.

Don't take this the wrong way. I'm grateful for a lot of the great games out there on the PS4, a lot of the fun times I have had, and the true improvements made. My aim isn't to scare you away from newer consoles, but rather to ask why we're stuck on this crappy two steps forward and one back method of travel. Its not even just about the consoles themselves, but a multi-problem escalation of various poor decisions that don't respect the very market that's supposed to be buying this stuff for some fun time. Meanwhile the funny thing is that in the end, the one lot that is totally clear of all this flak are the same guys I expected to drag us further into this crap: Indies & indie-likes. They had to be sold through digital retail, which meant mostly fixed prices, full downloads, and you never really knew if they used the tech right due to resources. Now they're pretty much the only guys doing anything right, and even if its simply by comparison their download nature is a blessing when you realize their entire game is about the length of a AAA game's patch, or even less (actually, its almost always less in my experience). They've had more frequent sales, they release complete and polished enough, and they're usually games you can pile onto your HDD drive and just load up and play on your own time with no hassle. The very worst case is that maybe there's some small online integration with leaderboards that stalls you if your connection isn't working well. The way things are going, I'm kind of in the mood to ponder if another games crash on the AAA side of things would be good or not. Probably not, but again... its just one of those moments where you're just fed up with the way things have been going. I hope something changes for the better soon, because... well it really is a shame that I've actually got to think about selling a game to salvage its value, simply because its been updated into a situation I don't think I can handle.



My thoughts on kid-friendly games...

So I was doing some thinking on something. Its often you hear people make one of two complaints with kids video gaming in today's market. Either 1) There is not enough kids games out there. Nintendo and Lego are basically holding down the quality E rating market. 2) They're all gaming on mobile instead. I'd rather not think of either case too strongly. Mobile will fix itself when different standards come along, if the kid has any interest in true gaming overall. Fact is mobile just isn't going to run the proper controls for bigger more immersive or input filled experiences. As for the lack of games? I don't think its as big of a deal as people make it out to be. In part that's because I don't believe kids are idiots who have to stay away from T/M rated games for their own sake; I know for a fact many can handle that content well under the right supervision and upbringing (partially because I was one and had similar friends). Its also not a huge problem because there are still plenty of safe games for them to choose from in the wide market, whether it be the previously mentioned mobile games, reliable Nintendo entries, toys to life stuff, anything Media Molecule makes, or the many indie games (minecraft alone can keep a smart kid busy for a loooooooooong time). I know people want to expect AAA to cover everything in that area and I understand that concern, but I think kids are going to do just fine if they have the right know-how to get to the good stuff. However I don't want to simply talk about availability, but rather what I think is important design for a kids game. Obviously I'm not going to hit the mark for every kid out there, and I'm also not covering for the "funducation" crowd, I'm talking about kids who want a game that is just a good game. Something that appeals to their ideas of fun, their unique qualities, and doesn't sacrifice its quality with the assumption that kids are somehow less than the majority of the market. As a matter of fact, I want these games to be enjoyable for everybody in the long run.

My little story...

First I feel it may be important to know where I'm going to be coming from at this angle. Its important to know what I loved most as a kid and what got me into gaming in the fist place. As far back as I can remember them existing, games used to be nothing more than a distraction to little me. It was a basic novelty of controlling something on TV. It was nothing better though. I used to play Rampage and Mario bros on the NES and get about nowhere in them. Then on the SNES, where Mario paint was a neat novelty, and DKC was kind of awesome but tough, and there was some scooby doo adventure game I never really beat because of puzzles or something. The most fun I had was PC point and click stuff because at least then I didn't "lose" all the time and could enjoy animation much like the movies and shows that I enjoyed way more at the time. Then my dad got me Spyro to play sometimes on his PS1 and that was when everything changed. Something he got me out of the shallow excuse that "I like dragons" ended up being literally one of the best things that ever happened to me.

The face of happiness

I know I've told this story somewhere before, but it bares repeating for this article. I just loved this game to pieces, and not because it was an amazing game with a dragon. I loved it because it was a fully 3D world, very relaxed and light hearted, and was quite literally magical (had sort of an enchanted fairytale art style). If you'll excuse the pun, you could say Spyro really was the first game that let me stretch my wings. My little kid mind was enlightened with entire worlds of fun and well designed gameplay. Musical organ notes uplifted the spirit, goofy enemies gave me a laugh, and playing with the world was just so much fun. I've actually spent minutes of my life jumping up and rolling down that little hill you first see in the starting hub world. Just small freedoms like that were just astounding to my young mind. From then on things were clear, and I began enjoying my games through 3D platformers. Racing down slides in Mario 64, laughing at one liners and replaying that tank mini-game from gex, being awe-struck by countless imaginative Banjoe & Kazooie levels, and of course playing more Spyro until I touched every pixel of grass there had to be in the whole game. It was just perfect for me. Even if those games were too hard (and they were, only remember beating Spyro and nearly Gex 3), they were fun enough and fleshed out to the point where I could enjoy much of what I could accomplish for hours and bliss. As TV animation faded with the years, gaming had invited me in through the door with 3D platformers. Since then I also leached onto games like Worms where I could make my own stories with customization and a little bit of imaginative rule bending. Point is, exploration, options, and catering to a kid's imagination really made these games shine to me.

So how does this work for today's games?

Obviously I'd like to just say bring me more 3D platformers, but that's not quite the challenge I put my mind up to when thinking of a modern kid-friendly game. I want to think more of what's in line with today's tech, trends, and capability. I started thinking about this whole discussion thanks to one game: Grow Home. Its not a new game, I've played it before. I just thought to go back to it. However I think I'm a bit more in-tune to a good mood to play it in. Instead of rushing around between MGSV & Armello sessions just to say I beat it, I just wanted something to relax in and flipped through my library. I grabbed Rocket League and Grow Home, and out of the two... well Grow home won out pretty well. Its something I would have loved much more as that same kid that was introduced to Spyro. Still to this day I love the concept of a physics based game, and 3D platforming based exploration, however I'm just not all over this game. Still there's a lot about it that reminds me directly of Spyro. Even the ambient sounds you sometimes here sound exactly like that tranquil sound from Spyro 2's first hub world Autumn Falls. The skybox is enchanting, there's a gentle but nice underlying humor from M.O.M, the world is all chilled out, and there's a nice little progression system in place to drive you but not distract you from enjoying what's just there. Its a nice little idea of what I think makes for a great kid's game in today's market.

It even looks like you could change the robot with a kid in this pic

You've got all the right recipe to engage a person's mind and imagination with this game, all without going the totally aimless direction of a sandbox game like minecraft. Instead of calling for more minecraft clones, I think there is a way and a market for more carefully constructed laid-back linear experience that lets you move in your own pace and way. Something that you can accomplish and win across a good weekend, but something that can last an imaginative kid a month. That's almost the kind of value 3D platformers sold to me with their spacious worlds, playful move sets, and cartoon art styles. I think that's the kind of thing a game like Gone Home is good for in today's market. The game is made so that you almost can't fail it or mess up in any major way, but its not exactly hand-holding you either, its just really relaxed. You can trip up and "die", but you just get reset and are let loose in a massive world full of floating islands and toys. You can spend all day herding sheep around, collecting carrots, testing your jumps and freefalls, or monkeying around with everything that's climbable... and that's all without talking about any of the mechanical objectives. However a big part of those mechanical objectives come from playing like this. You climb around everywhere, and you'll begin finding all the crystals. You do enough jumping around, and you may accidentally stumble onto a cave with that rare bird to finish your databank. You're rewarded for engaging in this game with the pure heart of a child; an open mind, and a drive of intrigue and wonder, and then you'll find your treasures.

Wonder, imagination, and tranquility

Another lesser case I'd like to make, is the dumber physics games. The kind like Goat simulator. They're often dismissed from what I've seen as "youtube bait", which I think might be one of the dumbest things I've heard from otherwise smart critics. Of course it is helped by youtubers, but in the same way that any game is. The only difference is that these games are highly centered on unpredictable goofball laughs, and are obviously going to be played by famous youtubers, but its hardly just for them and their fans. Saying that is honestly a horribly cynical and overblown version of what the games really are. Just say the name: Goat simulator, and that's enough to know its purpose: Goofball fun. Its silly. Its for people that want to just goof off. Its the closest thing to a video game being an actual toy. Its simple, mindless, and hilarious. Its a non-stop goofball sandbox full of laughs. That's not something for screaming youtubers and obsessive fans, its for people that want to have that dumb toy-like bliss in short sessions, or for however long their mind comes up with wild ideas to do. I watched a tech news channel feature Goat Sim as their background piece for many videos (at least 10 or more), with him occasionally acknowledging how ridiculous and fun the game is in retrospect. Its not "bait", its just fun, and I would certainly think that games like that would be twice as fun to a young mind. I know I would have been playing those for quite a while if I were younger. Of course I think its still better to build something with an aim and goal in mind, otherwise kids are just going to go back to Minecraft if they just wanted a massive world to play and build endlessly in, but I think the dumb sandbox physics games are onto something that would be ideal for kids as well.

Of course that's not to say anything bad of kids market as it is today. I just thought it was worth discussing what probably works best amongst them. Looking at typical kid features, what I found interesting, and trying to look at a place in today's market where that could happen. I wanted to look and point to the games that seem like the best candidates, without falling to typical Lego & minecraft finger pointing (actually I think Lego has taken a big step backwards from their older games personally). I wanted to bring up a topic that isn't that much discussed. In both examples (Grow Home & Goat Sim) they're also games that don't sacrifice their values for kids, but rather just exist in such a way that kids would likely enjoy them more. Grow Home could be played and enjoyed by a kid's father just as much as the kid himself, its just more likely that the adult has less patience for when physics go out of control, or wouldn't spend more than an hour at best likely laughing at goat sim. These are games where kids can go further, but nobody in any age range is patronized or implied to back off. These are just great games that pair great with a common kid's traits. Just my 2 cents on the topic at least.

Imagination & fun, a great combination for everyone really

The extra 2015 awards...

Yeah I mentioned I had a little something extra or two in mind for this year's 2015 best of list. A new set of spots entirely separate off of the top 5 list. As such though I ended up thinking over adding it to or taking it out of the same article, and well... its just easier linking the two together and letting them read separately. The rules for this one is that there will be a much simpler 3 base (or less) structure of games following a certain award as set by the conditions of its area. That can even include going outside of 2015 unless stated otherwise, because that's a big part of the reason in separating this from the other list. No more worries over ports, remasters, or if that one amazing game I discovered this year just so happened to release at December of the year outside of the list. Without further intro, here's the list of rewards based on game experiences I had in 2015 rather than what came out of the year...

Favorite online experiences

These were my top 3 favorite sources of online amusement. With my connection being unstable, and my desire to play online gaming a bit dull, this list may not hold the most conventional of ideas. However I still do love online and try to give it a good try when I'm able to, and some game experiences are amazing that way. Oh and an honorable mention goes to Black Ops 3, as while it doesn't do anything too special, it is a really solid job of COD compared to its more recent entires. I really haven't enjoyed it enough worth buying ever since Black Ops 2 fell flat on its face. However I've been enjoying the new one casually, its just that it doesn't quite do anything special to make it among these 3. So without further intro....

3) Rainbow Six: Siege

Would you count this if I only spent a few matches of it across two whole days? Well I am, because while I only rented it and kept it mostly a solo affair, I loved the online transition I experienced in this game. The way the maps and tools are set up leaves every battle to feel intense, unpredictable, personal, and can at times also end up kinda funny as well. If I had a more stable connection and could rely on this game to be this much fun, I'd be $60 poorer. Blasting through walls, climbing up buildings, dodging around windows, playing around with RC spy cars, or stopping that all as you intensely wait and anticipate an attack with buddies is all pretty unique and good fun here. The maps are also very well designed. Just a great overall time online.

2) Hardware: Rivals (beta)

Yeah, I know, another weird thing to put here since this is the beta. The real game releases VERY early next year (it might be out by the time this article has been finished). However out of all the online experiences on my mind, this was one of the better ones. More arcadey and yet in a way that's more sensible, this game had its beta go nearly around the same time as Battlefront did, and I managed to enjoy this one waaaay more. It was basically car combat at some of its simplest. Drive a tank or jeep around the map, tear each other apart with charged up weapons, and don't die so much. However within such simple rules and controls (you can't even aim up or down), it hosts some amazing fun. Cruising around the battlefield in a clunky vehicle pits you against people who are constantly trying to beat you by simultaneously trying to drive and aim, meaning its all about out-maneuvering and multi-tasking. Meanwhile classic map memory comes to your aid in this nice old fashion style, armor repair is needed, and the resourceful quick learners like myself tend to have an edge here. Had a lot of fun playing this, and I hope the real game continues to be this much fun. You'll probably be able to see yourself, its coming to PS+

1) Awesomenauts

While awesomenauts is a game I knew well and played outside of this year, this year was a monumental change of pace for Awesomenauts. I got the PC version cheap on sale giving me the best version and some DLC I had been missing off the PS4's version, and alongside me came a friend who finally activated his copy he got from a humble bundle. We played this thing almost ritually together, on a daily basis, for what had to be over a month. Its not a beta, it wasn't a rented game, and it wasn't some small casual session of Black Ops 3. It'd be stupid of me not to put this up on the top spot of this list. Even to this day where I can't play it due to my laptop situation, I'm still being told all the news, all the rebalances, community reactions, etc because it just made that much of an impact that my friend can't not talk about it with me months after seeing me play it. It was a pretty fun time trying out new character as they came along for once as well, whereas the PS4 version still lacks two characters that came out months ago. Definitively an improved experience, and a really fun one. Its just a shame that out of what I've been hearing lately, the updates are getting pretty stupid with such nonsense as the XP system completely overhauling and wrecking the balance of a game that's been doing just fine for two+ years without it.

Best obsessions

We all have those moments where we want something badly, or get into something really deep. Something comes along and it just ignites a spark in us that keeps us strongly in favor of it. We suddenly want it all over the place, all of its games, need to talk with the fans, need to make it more than a game, or... or we just at least really, really, really like that game. Games easily pull us into this because by being gamers, we're used to thick pages of lore and fiction building to get invested into, and gameplay that rewards us for loyalty in grinding or determination within something. Chances are, we're probably playing the game a bit more true to its form when we're obsessed with it rather than if we just merely sit there because its on our "to-do" list. Being who I am, these things sometimes take hold and merely come and go as something less than even a phase (which is probably good, because serious obsessions may not be healthy), but never-the-less whenever its got something to do with games, I usually get something good out of it because that's how games work. Here are some of the positive ones I remember when thinking back over this year...

3) Metal Gear Solid

I remember this first starting when I picked up and played MGR early this year. It was not only a great action game, but its kind of rapid and intense energy thanks to Platinum mixed with the silly but deep and interesting eccentricities of the MGS style narrative made for an absolutely incredible experience. When the credits rolled, I wasn't sad at the ending nor the mood, wasn't casually dismissing the game with its closure, or any of those normal reactions; I was physically excited, like electricity was shooting through my veins. My mind was racing, I wanted to get up and run up walls, and more importantly: I wanted MGSV to come out the next day because I was reignited and ready for more silly cyber-military philosophy to be spouted alongside absurd but amusing set-pieces. Without any of the core gameplay traits, I somehow managed to remember so much of what I had loved about this series. Its so easy to forget when its off screen, so easy to pass it off as a "great stealth game" and nothing more, so easy to say "I'll ignore the hype train and wait for a price drop", but then when it hits you again its like a tsunami of shock and awe. Even just the thematic alone had me wanting to play more. Of course, the funny thing is this died right back down as things sat off-screen once more, but it'd be ignited later this year. I knew of a youtuber who was really deep into the lore and analysis of this series, and they popped up in time to remind me of this series around about a month off of its release. I finally decided to peak at some gameplay, the 45 minute video of it to be exact, and was amazed by it (this time from the gameplay side). That was it. Ran out, bought the HD collection on PS3, grabbed a cheap copy of MGS4, and re-installed MGR. That month up until release was full of MGS fun, even if I didn't actually finish everything (or rather, just finished MGS3, but that's the best one). MGSV itself of course followed its way to the end of the cycle (though with the hype interrupted around its release funnily enough, but more on that soon), only the sad thing was.... it was actually found a bit lacking. Its hard to explain without going into total detail, but sad to say it didn't exactly deliver on the hyped up train of being a big conclusive MGS experience. Of course its still a ridiculously good game, no doubt about that.

2) Armello

A classic example of being somewhat obsessed with a core single game, or more importantly its anticipation. Long ago I had heard of this game as it was running kickstarter. A hex based strategy with small RPG elements and staring the role of animal clans who try to fight for a kingdom. Sounded great! But its PC focused release, and polished looking visuals, as well as the skepticism behind it reaching its crowd funded goal all kind of shut me out of the hype for it. Some months later, it was on its way to early access. "Oh cool, I remember this! Well hope it does well." Then... "PS4 release coming!" Awesome! Maybe I'll play it. "Vote for it on plus!" Okay, destiny is pushing me right into this thing. So I read up on it... and read up on it... and read up some MORE on it. I kept on looking this up, hearing of its features, trickles of new information seemed to surprise me every once in a while, and it just sounded awesome. I also kept hearing it compared to Game of Thrones and Redwall, and while I've seen GoT and didn't have it catch on (I ironically love things that are compared to it though. I guess its like the Zelda of TV for me), I ended up instead looking up and watching the 2nd season of Redwall on youtube to help kill the wait. I was so excited that a week before its release, it was actually set to come alongside MGSV and I was actually more "ready" for this than the big open world stealth conclusion to one of my favorite franchises. I knew MGSV would be better as a game, but Armello was the thing burned on my mind in the moment as something new and mysterious. When Armello finally released I bought it (and was actually kind of glad it "lost" the free vote), and played the heck out of it. I really got absorbed into the lore side of it. I guess its just one of those games that got story telling teases right, where you get just enough story and insight to entertain you, but lacked enough to keep you wondering and imagining more and thus coming back like a good mystery you haven't solved.

1) The Warriors franchise

I don't know for sure if I'd really count this as the most hyped or obsessed over thing for this year, but its probably the one that I not only remember the most in recent times, and I also know that it'll hold the most impact. Armello was a nice boardgame that had my attention strong and then diminished as a fun game. MGSV concludes MGS. Warriors was an entire new door opened, and one I am leaving opened. I had my eyes set to this series in the past, but never followed it up with anything. Hyrule Warriors came along and I said "One day, I'll have it!". Never happened. Dragon's Quest came along, and I said the same thing... but for later, and only just got it for Christmas. But at some point I snapped and said, screw it, I'm going to get a warriors game and not only that but its going to start with a real one, whatever that meant. I did some heavy research, listened to some reliable fans talk about how good the series was, and then concluded that there were quite a few games to go after. In the end, I wound up getting in on the franchise not with any one game, but with three: Samuri Warriors 4, Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, and Warriors Orochi 3 ultimate. Oh and I also ended up grabbing Dynasty Warriors 8 for the vita, because obviously I needed to take something of its nature with me. I played the heck out of SW8 and DW8 empires, absolutely loving those games. As I continued playing, I learned more about the series and where its going, and I can say that I'm definiately interested to stick with the ride and keep coming back and playing sessions of the games I've got. I'm into a brand new, and very big franchise thanks to this small explosions of fascination.

The Downhill Spiral

Not every game we played this year is going to live up to what we expect out of it. Games come along and either disappoint, or decline in the fun factor we initially had with them. This is a list dedicated to such games that I've experienced within the year.

3) Rogue Legacy

This game started out as a lot of fun. I even recall making an article praising the game to bend my expectations, and to come out as a blast of fun. It was nice having this colorful retro fantasy world with a couple diverse character types and combat options to let you hack away through a castle. You found lore, faced traps and surprises, and tried to endure yourself with a  clear and suitable penalty for failing. At least, that's what I thought, but the more you play the harder it is to tell yourself that with a  clear conscience. The thing is the metagame is too dependent on you magically getting better while the main game is still a reflex focused platformer at heart, only the edge of memorization is tossed out the window to make it even less about skill and getting better than it ever could be. Upgrades get too ridiculously expensive, the same castle is used over despite layout changes, and you either get luck or get stuck in an infinite loop of slightly altered bits and a grind to get out of it. It went from surprisingly fun to being everything I hate in a rogue-like in the matter of a few play sessions. It was what helped me define this category as not a generic "disappointing" list, but rather leave it open to a game that truly descends in quality no matter your initial expectations. That is just as bad as anyone "disappointed" with a game. That being said, it still gets off a bit easy on this list because... well I can still see that someone would have fun with this game. Its okay for what its supposed to do and I cannot call it a bad game like some of the others, but it certainly is a game that struck sour with me.

2) Legend of Kay: Anniversary

Oh this game. On one hand I still got some good fun out of it. I still found it worth playing through, and I still think the world needs more games of its kind, but still... damn is it just bad on an objective level. I went in okay and accepting that the writing and voice acting would be silly at best, and amazingly awful at worst. Even with that expectation fixed in place I was shocked to find some of the bad quality where it held through. The game has a bunch of unusually contrived moments, showers you over and over again with cut-scenes that serve no other purpose than to give you trashy dialogue that delays the gameplay, doesn't even know the species of one of its own plot important characters, has a horrible last boss battle, one of the worst secret systems I think I've ever used, inconsistent unlocks, no way to replay the game without replaying the entire game, and is just.... sooooooooo badly written and voiced and contrived. However its still got some great elements within it. Its from that era of fun PS2 platformers, only it tried some unique stuff. It combined some hack and slash spectical fighter stuff, it a great setting with some interesting story bits, its got a nice shop and upgrade system, and got a great extra menu to unlock if you are able to. In general I'm glad I played it, but its certainly not a 3D platformer I'll be holding in high regard, and may even never play it all the way through a 2nd time.

1) Never Alone

WOW! I... I don't really know how well this fits over kay, but I've got to say I can at least redeem kay as a game I'm glad I played. This game I went in thinking it wasn't that great. I knew not to expect much, I knew it wasn't aimed at me, and yet I wanted to give it a chance. It had a nice cultural theme to it, evil spirits as an obstacle, you controlled a little fox companion, yeah it could be fun right? Besides, so many people praised the game like crazy, even though the one reliable critic I trusted had the same feelings as my expectations and even said as far as puzzle platformers go it was bad. He was so right, and I cannot even begin to imagine how everybody else saw anything more than a broken platformer in Never Alone. The jumping was clunky and off putting, physics felt a little funky, the AI was terrible to the point where it would kill itself (literally, more than once the AI actually jumped off into a bottomless pit or for whatever reason just failed a normal platform hop that I just successfully made myself) or go against the level design and fail you even if you did everything right yourself. ...and yeah, I get the game was made to be best played with a buddy, but even then we have clunky controls to deal with.

Even if everything in the game worked perfectly right and well, the game is just amazing in how pretentious it is hyping you all up about this under-represented culture while doing absolutely nothing to make its gameplay any special. There is no reason what-so-ever to play this game outside of unlocking DVD-like documentary bits on the culture. The obstacles themselves, the way things play out, they all felt like they boiled down to basic and familiar generic puzzle platforming. Nothing stood out, and in fact because they choose such a colorful genre that is oversaturated and filled with interesting worlds, even the culture itself is sort of outshined by its competition. Glowing evil spirits, and [SPOILER] a fox that reincarnates into a ghost boy that flies around poking at contextual objects [/SPOILER] is about as far as the creativity and interesting use went in what I saw, so it was fairly boring even as a basic platformer. The premise behind this game deserves so much more than what it got. I had low, low expectations and it still flopped bad on them. Its one of the few truly bad games I played this year, and even the other "bad" one I played was still functional in what it aimed to do. I got practically no redeeming quality out of trying this game out, and so it lands the first place on the list of disappointing games or those that spiral down from more cheerful expectations.

Best reworkings to have my attention

Whether you've accepted it by now or not, remasters are a decent sized part of the industry now. Not only that, but there's remakes, ordinary re-releases, premium emulation, and other similar stuff of that sort. I'm fine with them myself because I love the option to get in on stuff that's been made better if you're a major fan or still haven't played the games yet. Some games really deserve the treatement of being upgraded. If you find one that you think is worthless, money grabbing, or silly, then... well you just don't touch it. That's all there is to that. However despite showing support and seeing some good remasters exist, very few have gotten my support by purchase. This is mostly due to the stupid price hike where suddenly $30 for 3 old games isn't good enough anymore, and you can charge one game on its very own for damn near the price of a brand new release. The people sitting there pretending Uncharted collection at $60 with a mode chopped off is a "steal" have me completely lost. So for the most part I sit and wait for these games to hit dirt cheap prices. Sometimes it goes smoothly, other times I look and see GTAV, Last of Us, and Windwaker still hugging a $50 tag. Here are the two remastered games that managed to capture both my attention and joy this year.

2) Dishonored

I've spoken before about how Dishonored is not only a game worth playing, but one of my favorite games ever. Naturally I was a bit excited when even a simple remaster was announced... then it slid under the $40 tag and I said "nope, not even for you Dishonored". Thankfully it dropped to $15 fairly nice around a black Friday sale. To be honest though I haven't really played it all that much. The opportunity to enjoy it came around the same time I was busy experiencing Warriors for the first time. On top of that, as reviews have dictated, this is a poorly done "remaster". I'm not expert at noticing it, but it supposedly runs at 30fps, and the graphics can't go but so far above and beyond its Unreal 2 frame. Still I've seen effects that have been improved, noticed even a couple little details I wouldn't before, love recording the gameplay and re-achieving trophies, and just having the full game and all its DLC on the disc without even installation required for the extras. Its still the "definitive" console version of one of my favorite games ever, and I've loved what little I did with it so far. Oh and this also marks possibly the only game I've ever bought 3 times. Got the original game and tarot card set, got the GOTY edition with a poster when that actually went cheaper than the DLC itself, and now I've got the PS4 version and I just need the art book to complete an unintentional collection of everything Dishonored. If they by any chance do a CE for Dishonored 2 I may just have to aim for it just to keep the tradition going.

1) Metro Redux

Now this one definitely wins hands down not only for being in such a small category, but because it was also a big brand new game that I loved playing around the beginning of this year. It wasn't just a fun distraction, a fun re-trek through familiar territory, or even simply playing an old game that was slightly juiced up. The original Metro was completely reworked into the skin of Last Light in order to make it a better overall game, meanwhile actual models and textures were bumped up in a big way, resolution and framerate met their good standards, bugs were fixed, and generally the core games were still amazing. Then there was all the last light DLC I never bothered to get. The journey for the first time through the original game was an amazing 12 or so hour campaign, and then there was new DLC content to enjoy afterwards, and then Last Light to replay once again in better form than ever. For $15 that I also waited this one down for, this game had a great amount of value and might have been one of the better games I played in this year even if it truly came out way back when the Xbox360 was still new. I love Dishonored, but this game gave me a lot more than just a "remaster" even if that's still what it really is.

Catch-up games of 2015

Look even all the self-ran critics out there are sitting there telling you they didn't have the time or money for everything that came out. I certainly miss quite a lot of games every year, especially on the basis of the games releasing that year at a full price. Sometimes my top 5 lists are of a very narrow selection to begin with where those 5 may have been 5 out of perhaps 7 games of that year I even had. This category are games I never played much in 2015 or never even touched at all due to expenses and tough choices. These games had my strong interest for some reason or another though, and so I feel its worth mentioning (especially with the new year in mind) what games probably seem like they'd be most worth going back to pick-up. Oh and quick honorable mention to Dying Light, which I wont put on here because as much as I'd like to have it, I'm now looking for the enhanced edition that is technically not even out in this year. Then there's GTAV remaster that I keep hoping for a good enough price drop on at just the right time, but oh well. So I'll just briefly mention them here, while the following 3 games are a bit of their own case...

3) Mario Maker

Mario maker is something I literally asked for years ago. Potentially over a decade ago. I can't pinpoint the exact time, but I was just a bit bored and fed up with reflex based linear games that just move forward until you're stuck... exactly the nature of 2D platformers really. Looking at the 2D planes of games like Mario (which was exactly the game I was playing when I thought about it) I wondered, isn't it possible to let us make our own world and path in the world? Wouldn't it be so easy to make a tile based design where you plop down grass, dot the map with coins and hazards, and play your own levels from start to the end? The game will be amazing! Endless smiles, laughs, enjoyment, and the game never ends whether you're stuck on the main path or just finished. Its a win-win for every player! Of course cynicism later developed to say, they don't want to risk that, or else then what would they sell you? Of course that's not true, but that's what I assumed Nintendo thought, and so I settled for the games that did come along with that idea. Finally Nintendo does it, and naturally, they do it with quite a lot of surprises and tricks packed in with it. Its not perfect by any means, but it still sounds identical to my basic wish. However the fact is that was also years ago. Now I'm more experienced, know more about what I want and how I react to things, and I know that... well, even with a map maker its still just a sidescroller and I've got better things to play. So I spent money on MGSV, and Dynasty Warriors instead. However I can't stop looking at this game and thinking... "You did good Nintendo, and I really do want to play this dream that was finally reality.". However fair is fair. Nintendo was a bit late with this idea, and I'll be a bit late in supporting it.

2) Fallout 4

I wasn't a fan of Fallout 3. I respect what it did, but it just wasn't for me. Fallout 4 on the other hand was amazing! I rented it and just kept finding reasons to enjoy it. Collecting scrap to contribute to the settlement, finding the next big gun, exploring that abandoned building to find awesome loot, and... well that's actually mostly it. For such a big world, I shockingly got a ton of fun essentially playing a wasteland robin hood roll. Find scrap, fight bad guys, and take things back to my settlement to share and make their lives better. Everything in between was just sweet icing on the cake. There was plenty to discover, learn, and be surprised by on its own, and whenever I got tired of aimless side-quests or looting I'd aim hard at the main campaign. However looting for a purpose alongside all that exploration was just amazing in its own right thanks to the solid gameplay for it. Oh and the gunplay is a huge improvement over the 3rd game! In general I just had a lot of fun with this. However it was all a rental, and now I'm just left staring at the case on store shelves wondering if I should go back to the wasteland.

1) Undertale

Truth is, I don't know if this is really #1 material. My brain fought hard wondering to put this or Fallout 4 in the spot. On one hand I know fallout 4 is a great game. Its fun, I was fully immersed into the world, it was full of surprises, refined gunplay, and the future for it looks even better. Now Undertale... I want to trust it, but I just can't completely give it all my faith that it'll be a great game. The demo spelled it out for me as well. Its hours of random JRPG encounters, puzzles, and... well more puzzles. The story has so much heart, and the gameplay is very cunning, but that's about where my excitement ends. However I then asked myself... which one would I really be more likely to get? Fallout maybe if it drops to $40 would be an easy buy, but then I'm still fighting hardrive space to keep it on there as well. I'll probably be preoccupied with other stuff. Undertale? $10s for a massively acclaimed work of heart and soul, and a unique experience. Yeah, this is probably the game I'd most easily catch up to.

On top of that, I just can't get it out of my head. I didn't play it in 2015 because I have no computer. I'm still blogging off of a half-buggy hybrid tablet as my sole source for PC interaction. If I had a computer, I would have trusted this game as soon as I watched my first video of it. The first time I truly found out what this was, had me hooked. Watching somebody play a tutorial has never been interesting, never the less THAT interesting. $10, on steam, literally rated as one of the best PC titles all-around to release in recent memory, and its full of heart and soul in a way that seemed so good. Its been following me in social sites, its been GOTY to some credible critics, and its done enough to make me think its synonymous with getting a new computer. I actually think of it every time I'm reminded I want (or kind of need) a new laptop. I want to play this game. I want to see this world, hear its characters, and to witness them overcome their struggles. There's a part of me that has my doubts, and I fear it could potentially fall to tedium, but its still been burning on my mind to try it. Its one of those adventures where the ugly side is showing, but that's just the perfect analogy for it. The bugs will bite, the vehicle may not be prepared for the drive, and there will surely be foreign people you can't understand, but damn those mountains look so beautiful, and something unique and magical is bound to happen at least once on the way there. This isn't some expensive plane ticket or road trip though, this is a $10 game on steam. I think the good is worth that much to say the least. Unfortunately I lost my car keys, I mean laptop, and so I've got to figure that mess out before any adventure can begin. But you bet this is a big priority on that list.

__________

And that's my extra awards list. I hope it was just as entertaining to read if not maybe a little bit more than what the main list will be like once that's finished (still a delay based on backlog gaming progress). I originally planned to release them together-ish, but I think its worth giving something to hold things off a bit more.

New year, new hype (top 10 2016 wishlist)

2016 looks like a beast of a year

So 2016 is definitely here by now. Instead of typing out some new years resolutions that I barely have related to gaming (just get a new laptop. That's kind of it) I have more to say on trying to organize the ridiculous amount of games coming out. Besides, that'll help me sort out laptop savings versus game savings. However there's too much for just the 10's, so lets also branch off a few for a "wait" list instead of simply a wishlist. As usual though this is not a list to be taken too seriously. As the year goes on, things change, and stuff happens, and expectations are also a bit of a bad thing to look to as they can tear us from the reality. This list isn't concrete, things could fall flat, or just not look that interesting as they come close. Meanwhile other things might seem even better over time. However as I see the year now, this is what has my attention.

10) Dying Light: Enhanced edition

I've been meaning to get this game, but its price has stayed higher than I'd want it to be. Scavenging around, flying through the air doing some minor FPS platforming, and the fact that I actually liked Dead Island made me look up to this game fairly positively. However I just didn't really care to get in on it so soon, and with such a generic open world format. Now when I was about to cave in on a $35 ranged deal I found for it, there's suddenly this new storm of info on a total revision. Its not just that it combines the DLC, which I don't feel a huge need for, but rather its the fact that it'll have advanced AI enhancements and completely revamped and improved gameplay right on the disc. No 10GB+ downloads as I'm sure other have to do every time they put the game on their HDD. As bad as that sounds, I'll pay a $40-60 price range for that convenience rather than simply for the combined DLC. Also I'd just like to support a dev that actually does this super edition enhancement stuff for free, as a content update after about a year since the game's launch is rare. That's some good support, while most companies try to make you pay for a brand new game.

9) Starfox Zero

Ugh, this one is a weird one. I can't figure out whether or not I truly want it enough to put down the money. I don't like rail shooters, and similar reflex based arcadey junk, but at the same time Starfox is just one of those games that does its story right in that awkward way that truly grips you. The quality of what it does is high, the story is there but shallow to the point of curiosity, the community surrounding the games and story are awesome (there's an animated series I've been patiently awaiting through last year), and its... well, its starfox. There's just something special about it, but not something special enough to totally erase the stuff I don't like about it. Meanwhile Nintendo's typical bullshit means this game wont dare move to compete for your money, and 2nd hand market wont help out with that either, so it'll be around $60 for the next 8 years or so. To its more positive credit though, the gameplay looks a bit more open, supposedly has been partially developed by Platinum (who are awesome), and.... well, its starfox? Yeah I dunno, this game is one of the shakier ones on the list, but ever since it was announced I couldn't help but think of it on my "to-buy" list moving forward. Its the kind of game I might be happy to pull out and play for an unsual burst of arcadey on-rails shooting fun. If Nintendo really wants to be awesome, they'll help me out deciding with a demo (and hopefully one that you can actually put on your Wii U instead of playing awkwardly at the store).

8) Yooka-laylee

...and I barely know squat about this one. I don't think I need to either. As it edges closer to release I'll give it a better glance, but as of now I know its 1) Made by former people of Rare's team that stands by B&K as one of their golden creations. 2) is a 3D platformer riding hard on the "B&K was awesome, so lets do another" idea. 3) You're reading the blog of somebody who grew up on, treasures, and begs for these kind of games. So... basically the concern comes down to how true to form it is (no jump-less Tinker BS), and if it can truly survive and be good enough based on crowd funding efforts. Outside of that, I can see very little going wrong. This should be a game to look forward to without necessarily sticking my nose too far into information fetching. Wait for it to come out, listen to fans, and if they say its on par with the 3D platformers of old I think I'll have no choice but to give this game so well earned support and welcome an entry into one of my favorite genres that AAA just forgot about.

7)Moon Hunters

I still remember the first time I saw the trailer of this. "Moon hunters coming to PS4 and Vita? What's that? A... myth based RPG?" ...and watched the trailer. The music struck a cord, the visuals were beautiful , the promises of a digital dream concept realized, and the entire thing together just shot an unusually strong sense of energy through me that had me physically feeling a sense of excitement. This was all lining up perfectly at first sight and I wanted to throw money at the screen and have it materialize on my vita right at that second. So why 7 out of 10 on the list? Well... since that time, there's been room for doubt. The team has been wishy washy with some of their original plans, scrapped a couple features (though also added some others to be fair), and haven't sounded the most reassuring on the Vita port (EDIT: But its still confirmed to be in the plans, by around summer. I haven't given up all hope for them to do this). On top of that, the prototype game they said to try which was an influence for their direction was kind of bad to the point of having me analyze the trailer and actually develop worries like how the combat accuracy actually looked horrible at the time (isometric fighting with only 4 straight directional input, it feels awful compared to 360 rotational dexterity). Despite the concerns though, we're still talking about a game that lets you play a mythical hero, develop that hero, fight legendary monsters, save the moon goddess, and is built for small sessions of replayability with stories that add on top of each other. The game has some amazing potential and still seems to be made just for me with a true RPG focus on mythology, folk tales, and adventure.

6) Stories: The path of destinies

...and then came Moon Hunters V2. Okay well the games are quite different, but they both have one very awesome thing in common: It feels like they're checking off my wish list and making a game I'd want to see. A swashbuckling fox rogue up against an empire, a love interest from the enemy side, sacred treasures and curses, a world set in the skies with air ships, and a narrator who tells your fairy-tale type adventures in the many ways you can take it. Oh please, please, please turn out as good as you sound. All 3 of these last places are all indie games that could easily become some of the best games I could ever play if they just do their job as ideal as they sound... which is admittedly unlikely. I'm fairly reasonable and don't expect pure 100% expectation matching, and with the details being as they are its hard to get an accurate feeling for any of these games. However what I do know has my excitement, imagination, and intrigue all fired up and I think I can place these games around the upper parts of this list as a side of cautious optimism... with a lot of great hope tucked away. By the sound of it, this particular game is also releasing early into the year, possibly even next month. So hopefully we'll be seeing if the first of three indie games is a worthy purchase very soon.

5) Rise of the Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider 2013 was pretty awesome if you weren't stupid enough to think it was like an Uncharted game. I never get the comparisons beyond their shallow view of archeology hero 3rd person shooter game. That shallow premise aside, that's all they have in common. I loved how Tomb Raider played out like a 3rd person shooter with a heavier emphasis on exploration and soft puzzle solving. It had an extra element of gravity and character adventure to it that really tapped into something fairly intuitive and fun in me once I got in the right mindset for it. The sequel to the reboot sounds like its doing everything right to be way more than what the already great 2013 entry was set to be. Thanks to the stupid deal with Xbox though the game is doing poorly, and is out of my access. However when it does get here it'll probably be improved, come with the unique sounding DLC, and will of course still be a great adventure game if critics are to be believed. I really look forward to this. It sounds like a safe bet for a great shooter and adventure.

4) Horizon: Zero Dawn

Now for an unsafe bet, but one I still feel really damn good about. When this game first showed its face at E3, I was amazed and loved every single thing about it. The premise, the character, the gameplay, the environment, the fact that the trailer fooled me into thinking it would be CGI trailer crap but instead turned out to be one of the most impressive and re-watchable footages of gameplay in the whole show. It was so good I had to run and get someone else to show it to regardless of their lack of PS4 just to ask them if they thought it was just as ridiculously good. It was so good that I can't possibly see or let Sony live down the idiotic idea to get these concepts focus group tested. Oh, and uh, this is an open world adventure RPG game developed by the same guys that make my favorite FPS franchise, so that's also kind of a big deal. In the end that E3 trailer was enough to bottle up my hype, and with Guerrilla's reputation I'm almost certain to buy this game. I expect flaws in this new IP and new genre for Guerrilla, I expect some harsh critics that dare to give it a dreaded 7 (yeah, number scores still suck), and I expect to not care as I take a chance on this amazingly ambitious game and tear its scrap apart gawking at every positive detail that may lie under it. I really think they have something special, and contrary to Killzone hype I may just stay in the dark and let this nice little thing be a surprise. I don't think I can see myself backing down from this one, its just got so much ambition and my own personal trust in it. I'm hoping it ends up well

3) Doom (4)

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM to the rest of FPS, because Doom is coming out and looks amazing! Well, okay, I've got to be honest and say there are some concerns. Something about the trailer just didn't... gel right about the asthetics. I think it was the health pick-ups spilling out of bodies like popcorn and sucking into your system like tiny little digital cubes. That weird disconnect aside, this game seems spectacular. Timesplitter style map making, amazing multiplayer, old-school FPS gameplay, and a promising action packed campaign. This should be a safe bet for content packed FPS this year, and is a game I am certainly hyped for.

2) Dishonored 2

Oh Bethesda, few could land two spots in a row this close to each other on excitement, but you could pull it off. You've got great open world games yourself, and in the mean time also hold in some of the best single player linear developers in the industry. Well played, you still have my attention and my urge to throw money at you in return for your hopefully consistent high quality entertainment. Oh and as for specifically discussing Dishonored 2? Why would I do that when you can go look at it yourself. Go on... look it up, read the interviews, watch the CG trailer that manages to still impress, and then go play Dishonored 1 again. That's all it takes. Dishonored is such a great game, and does so much right. If you asked me what game represents what angle I come from and appreciate in known gaming, I would instantly point you to it.

Treasure, sneaking, open linear level design that is full of surprises and deep replay value, fascinating eccentric characters that just ooze style, dark mystic tones mixed with the right amount of silly cheesiness, spying on people and snooping through letters, environmental story telling, that "just one more try, I got this!" hook in trial and error, so many gadgets to play with, a revenge story that has dynamic endings with different character reactions, subtle side-objectives that influence the world, FPS platforming, physics manipulation, and melee combat. Pretty much everything interactive and tone based that I've ever loved in gaming is found right here, in this amazing stealth action game set in a naval steampunk English world where you play as an assassin out for revenge. Now imagine a sequel that is doing all of that AND more. By more I mean a brand new character to choose, more complex leveling system, and entire new set of powers as chosen by the character, and of course its on more advanced technology (duh). Oh, and the fact that one of those two characters is a matured Emily, the little girl you rescued and presumably raised from last game, blew my mind and sets a perfect premise for a sequel and gives you a potentially amazing character to build off of. There's still so many details left untouched, gameplay yet to be seen, and yet if they announced a CE of this tomorrow it would be painful for me to resist it. I am thrilled for this game, and I can't imagine it not delivering.

1) Ratchet & Clank

You knew this was coming if you pay attention to this humble little blog. You knew this would be here, you knew I would make a big deal of it, and you know this doesn't even have to try hard to be my GOTY. It just has to show up, does what it does best, and be great. Its Ratchet and Clank, one of my favorite franchises ever, one of the only 3D platformers left on the market (even if its not a pure one), and its last two true adventure releases (crack in time/Nexus) were nothing short of spectacular. This game is a remake of its low point start in the series, ties the story in better with furture games, introduces early Dr.Nefarious (AKA: Best video game villain ever), and has a movie to go alongside it. Oh and its built for the PS4 and looks almost exactly like you're playing a Pixar film based on what I've seen. Oh, and its coming out with a movie that actually looks good and has been partially written by the game's writer. Oh and its only $40. Oh and its.... going to suck hours of my life away as I play through it again, and again, and again, occasionally stopping to play with extras, revisiting my favorite cut-scenes, and digging around that last planet for just that extra bolt so I can unlock that cool looking alien skin on my hard mode NG+ playthrough. That is of course, if it all turns out to be good, but I really have little doubt. Maybe I could be concerned with it being the remake of the weakest link, and thus it may not have say... arena battles? But that's still not enough to dampen my optimism for this game.

At this point I'm fully on board with hyping this game. There isn't a month that passes by without me remembering to check the news, scan the internet for new stuff related to it, and just retrack through some fond old memories, wallpapers, and fan commentary on thinking back to just how grateful I am for the better parts of this franchise. This franchise is like the definition of fun incarnated into an image of a cartoony looking cat with an oversized space laser gun, and that's what you get to spend 10-15 hours playing as (and that's just one round of it, you've got to play it again on NG+ to truly beat it). To say I'm excited for this and disappointed with the rest of the net for downplaying it (even PlayStation focused sites outright forgetting it) is an understatement. Most people just see this game as existing, if they even know that much about it. To me though, this is that special game that truly clicks with me and ignites a sheer joy that comes from a long lasting franchise that goes way back, and fills me with that "this is why I game!" levels of excitement. This game just needs to show up, be itself with all the formulaic valuables a fan could want, and introduce a couple minor tweaks and new story bits. Do that, and it could easily be one of the best smiles you can get from a disc that I have all year. In the mean time... well, I still play Crack in Time annually and find myself still feeling like its one of the best games and 3D platformers ever made. Up Your Arsenal and Deadlocked are very close beside it. Looking at this game, its the next actual full length Ratchet & Clank adventure since early 2009, and we more than deserve this to be a good one that releases this year after that kind of wait and after putting up with some bullshit spin-offs that just didn't work. This is by far, my most anticipated game of this year and something I have a locked $40 saved up for. I'm also planning, similar to wolfenstein, a few well themed articles leading up to its release.

Just... look at it!

Now what about those other games that couldn't make the list, but still have me anxiously waiting the 2016 results for? What other incredible games are coming out this year that have my attention, despite being well out of likely budget range for their immediate release? Well...

Wait-list...

• Uncharted 4 - Yeah I know, PS fanboys would love to hang me for putting R&C on the #1 spot and not having this on the entire top 10 list (or worse, TR, which idiots think is a poor clone of Uncharted). However fact is, I'm just not that uber hyped. Maybe that will change, but as I see it I can really wait here and rent it instead.
• Rime- If this comes out this year, I'll probably have to kick something else off of this list. Rime just looks like my idea of an Ico game done right (I'll uh... explain that again soon). However I don't think I've heard from this game for a while, to the point where I forgot about it while already starting on my top 10 list. Maybe... it really isn't top 10 material? I dunno, I want to see some more from it, but I've got hopes and a wish to grab this game when it comes out, but I've got a decent amount of caution as well warning me that perhaps... it is just another Ico type of game done like an ico-ish game.
• Tekken 7 - Love Tekken as far as fighters go, but its still a stupidly simple and restricted game where its basically about two guys punching each other until health is out. I cannot possibly see how this genre gets by on $60 launches, but whatever. I'll wait it down.
• Zelda Wii U - Yeah I'm excited to see what this supposedly hyped up "open world-ish sorta" Zelda is all about. Show me something cool, free up the mundane formula, and you may have me on board with this.
• Warriors stuff - Look there's just going to be a lot of warrior stuff as usual, and now that I actually care this stuff is on my watch list. However I have plenty to enjoy right now, plenty coming up this year, so there's really no rush for even one of these.
• Warhammer Vermintide - Awesome rat creatures swarming over gothic medieval towns, great melee combat, and bots... sounds like my kind of game, and the PS4 version releases soon. However the multiplayer focus has me questioning its buy-ability out of the gate in such a big year.
• Far Cry Primal - Heck yeah! Love far cry, love weird themes like this, and love melee combat. Well.... good melee combat, which may not exactly be present here. This... this looks, um.... yeah, I might wait and see I'm kind of scratching my head on this one.
• No Man's Sky - Nice premise, but it seems like it could easily be shallow and forgettable. I'm just not on the hype train for this, but I've got a close eye because I really do want a good relaxing yet adventurous space game, and it may deliver on that. ...that is, assuming its supposed to happen this year.
• Dreams - What the-!? How the... what is this thing!? It sounds amazing, but I just have a natural skepticism that it'll work so easily. I hope it turns out great though, and if it does then it'll instantly get me attention. Until then, its just loosely on my radar.
• Dark Souls 3 - Love the souls series, but I have yet to finish a single one, and Dark Souls 3 just... hasn't done anything to get me beyond a blissfully ignorant shrug. I believe it could be awesome if not spectacular, but right now all I feel is that I don't need it and there's way too many other interesting things coming out. I think I see myself waiting on a GOTY edition for this one.
• Mirror's Edge: Faith- A very weird and hard to explain choice, but this game does look... curious. I'd like to hope it recaptures or even perfects what made the old one good by its cult fanbase's standards, while also doing something interesting with its new approach. I think it could be a good game, but... as much as I hate to say it (and I know it'll upset the fanbase that knows EA has ridiculous standards and are ready to can the franchise), but I just can't see myself paying $60 for it. I'd love to rent it, wait for it at $40 or less, and it may just be something shockingly good. Lets hope for that. Meanwhile I have a friend who has it under a microscope analyzing it for everything it does right and wrong from the original. Since he's a super fan, I hope he's happy with it as well, but he's definitely got different expectations than me.
• The Last Guardian- Look, I really don't think this one is for me. Linear design, push puzzle = do thing, and then "Feel stuff" moments. There's better things out there that do this for far less the price. I'm really not a fan of Team Ico's stuff. I can see the appeal, kind of, but I can't say I'd put down big money for any of it. Despite all that though I always watch onto their stuff with curiosity, and in the long run I don't think I'll rule this title out for the right sale.
• Firewatch - Son of a- I was nearly done with this article when I remembered just how amazing this game appeared to be. There's just way too much to keep up with honestly. So this game puts you in the weird yet intriguing situation of being a forest ranger. The premise then takes off to do just about everything it can to wrap you up in drama, suspense, and mystery. Along the way there's a lot of dynamic chatter and some silly looking physics fun, so it looks like a great experience-based sort of game to enjoy. May certainly look into it. 

So yeah, with this many upcoming releases, 2016 looks to be a ridiculous year full of interesting stuff. Lets hope most of the desired experiences deliver. Just be cautious even when optimistic. Anything can fail, including even my super-hyped R&C release that should be easy to get right. Be careful, look into mechanics and not pure emotions to spot the bad ones, but also be ready to have some fun. Whatever you're hyped up for, I hope it ends up doing well.

Look to the stars, wish upon them, but don't try and fly into the sun.

Now Playing: EDF 2025

I'm actually playing quite a variety, but at this point I really need to get another one of these articles out and this is probably the best talk-ative game fit for one that I'm currently playing. Somewhere along the path of working on Dragon's Quest Heroes, occasionally nibbling at some fun replays on Transformers Devastation, working on Yoshi's woolly world when I can, laughing at the silly and dumb but kind of fun for it Cabela's African Adventures, AND also enjoying Hardware Rival's launch I've also worked up the desire to go back and played an old game I've barely touched: Earth Defense Force 2025 for the PS3. That's what's been truly on my mind these past two days, and its a good deterrent from running out and paying $50 for its newer counter-part that I don't actually need but have been hearing so many good things about.

EDF started for me with Insect Armageddon, which is funny because people hate that one and I still have a hard time seeing why. IA was the first to truly advertise itself for me at the right time, show up in the press, and impress me with trailers promising tons of raw destruction, jetpacks, and giant monster alien bugs. Sounded perfect. I picked it up one day by chance when I was able to get whatever and only thought this looked good out of the new releases, and was told how lucky I was to get just the last copy at my local gamestop. Never been told that (except later last year where Witcher 3 had the same effect), so I felt like it must have been a really good game to have sold out despite its limited marketing. I'd love to talk all romanticized on how it truly was a lucky sign and things were meant to be fantastic, but it didn't mean much in the end. I was initially kind of disappointed. Instead of being this masterpiece of cheese and destruction that felt like a good old crazy shooter, it was just kind of... barren. It sacrificed EVERYTHING for that mentioned premise of big bugs, destruction, and unlimited ammo. All the other systems in place were just so shallow. Gunplay was spray and... well spray. Just hold the fire button down, and occasionally reload or switch weapons. Classes really just weren't appealing (which included the very limited jetpack class, essentially tossing that fun out the window), destruction felt kind of flat along with the guns themselves, and the bugs didn't do a whole lot except for a few that were just plain annoying. Still I played it and kind of went dull to the sense of what value it did offer. I embraced the excitement in boss fights, loved the hilarious intel chatter, and kept pushing on the next level daring the game to show me a city that would truly fall apart by an amazing show of collateral damage between me and the bugs.

Word got around that a better EDF was coming soon. The "real" creators were getting in on it, PC fans were begging for a port to replace the "crappy IA version made by bad western devs" and whatnot. So I thought to myself, wow I have no clue what went wrong with IA, but if these guys invented and know the concept better than I really have to get in on this game and see how its really done. To this day I still don't see hardly any differences, and in fact IA still has some superior features. I ultimately understand two key things at best: IA's objective based gameplay was a step back, and their game was very short by comparison. That much makes good sense at least. However it seemed fairly the same in general so I just waited for a fair price for this one. By the time I finally got it, I just... really didn't do much with it. I fought up to about level 6, experimented a tad bit, but felt like the spiders annoyed me way too much and I'd rather take a quick break... which turned into leaving the game cold for months. Now with word on how 4-1 looks, runs, and plays I would actually really like to try it out. However its just a re-imagined and better 2025, so... *boots up the game*

I'm really now in a better mindset for this kind of game right now. You enjoy the mindless rampage, laugh at some goofy dialogue, and treat difficult replays of past levels like a chance for ARPG style loot drops. Its a fun, even if highly repetitive, mix and the game so far has been paced just right to introduce some crazy scenes in at the right moments. I just now made it to the 12th level where space ship drones fill up the entire map to a near crashing point and just wreck everything, and its crazy. They zip around so fast, and fall so hard that its like watching alien bumper cars play out over your head... only to end by bringing the building beside you to rubble. Moments like that are just awesome. With the framerate going into practically 10fps range, and the bad PS2-esque graphics, I know the PS3 can do better (and no the count and destruction isn't THAT good) and I wish the game had been better optimized, but its playable enough to be fun. I will definitely be happy when the 4.1 version is more easily accessible and runs smooth on better tech, but until then I've got a lot of work to do on this one. Going to try out some of the other classes soon as well, I think I have the hang of this enough so that I know what to do with them. I think I finally found the right mentality to get back into this game, and so hopefully with Yoshi and DQ balanced in mind, I'll be enjoying some good 'ol bug smashing for a for some time. Can't wait to see the part where dragons come into this.

EDF! EDF! EDF!