Electro UK
Can't all be for nothing
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The top ten games for the coming year list has always been a favorite of mine. It's fun digging through the (seemingly) overwhelming pile of titles on the horizon, as well as revisiting the list later to see what was great, what wasn't, and what didn't come out.
A few guidelines:
- Try to avoid stuff that likely won't hit in 2013. I'm not going to flat out say "no" to such games, but Ground Zeroes won't be making it into my list, for example, because I really, REALLY about it'll hit in 2013. However I'm still cheating this rule a little bit so I will allow it... not that I'm any sort of authority figure on this matter.
- No 'the next game from...' unless we've been given some sort of clue on what said game will be about. I want the next game from Valve too, but we don't know what it is and when it'll be out.
- Don't make up sequels. Again, it would be lovely if season 2 of The Walking Dead hit next year or even the next Souls game, but they make for boring choices when they're not realities.
So without further ado, here's my list...
10. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs - Silly me forgot about this one. The Dark Descent was a brilliant experience that tried new and innovative things in a genre that's had a pretty boring generation. With a sequel looming and the buzz around Slender, the future of horror seems to be out of AAA developer's hands into those of smaller teams.
9. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - The PS3 isn't without its great JRPGs, but in terms of sheer quantity, it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Here's hoping, then, that NNK can make a dent on both the genre and the platform when it releases next month, as it's one of my favorite types of game.
8. Soul Sacrifice - So, no, it's not a Vita-exclusive Souls title (which needs to happen soon), but it is a dark fantasy action game from the mind of Inafune. That... sounds about the next best thing. Sacrifice's obscurity keeps it from climbing to the top of this list but I really want it to make a big splash on Vita. Something needs to.
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadows: Mirror of Fate - I've only recently been indoctrinated by the majestic brilliance of the 2D Castlevania games, and its a combination of that and my utter adoration for Lords of Shadow that has me excited for this one. The continuation of one of this generation's best stories, the return of Robert Carlyle and the opportunity to explore more of this reboot's lore is making me giddy.
6. Yakuza 5 - My first 'cheat' as Y5 isn't confirmed for the West yet and probably should have been by now, but this series has only gotten stronger as this generation has progressed, transforming into the best annual franchise available on consoles. It was nice fighting the undead hordes in Dead Souls this year, but I can't wait for 5 to take us back to a traditional story with next characters, environments, games and, of course, the potential for another Akiyama/Kiryu team-up. Please, PLEASE bring this over, Sega.
5. Destiny - The second 'cheat', but the incredible artwork and intriguing premise supporting the leak of Bungie's Destiny has sold me completely. Halo is my shooter lifeline, and one of my favorite franchises in gaming. It's now time for Bungie to prove it isn't a one-trick pony.
4. The Last Of Us - Okay, so now we know it's here in less than five months. That games me... pretty excited. Anyways, do I need to say anything about this? It looks incredible. ND are my favorite developer - they have been for over a decade. If anyone can pull this off it's them.
3. Metal Gear Rising: Revengence - The brilliance of MGR's press campaign is that it's sliced and diced pretty much all of the haters that popped up this time last year based on the fact that it's just so bloody good that critics can't find a bad word to say about it. I've been staying away from too many details, but it's good to see that the franchise is actually gaining hype from this unusual spin-off.
2. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - If Mirror of Fate made the list then the true sequel to my 2010 GOTY is definitely going to rank well. Lords of Shadow was an incredible game that boasted one of the most finely-crafted worlds on PS3 or 360. It has probably my favorite moment from any game this gen, as well as the best ending, some incredible boss fights and genuinely breath-taking visuals (seriously, where is my breath?). It might not be 100% confirmed for 2013... but if it is... then Gabe's return COULD be the event of the year for me...
1. Dark Souls II - I had to change the last sentence of my LoS2 entry from certainty to possibility, because if there's one game out there right now to bring down Gabe's return (other than a clear reveal of MGS5), it's a direct sequel to the utterly incredible Dark Souls. I might have some reservations about the talk surrounding its reveal, but if Souls II can replicate even half the atmosphere and tension of the original then it'll be a winner. The Souls series has been a beacon of light for disc-based releases in this last half of the console cycle. Now let's punctuate the life of these great systems with the very best game on them.
A few guidelines:
- Try to avoid stuff that likely won't hit in 2013. I'm not going to flat out say "no" to such games, but Ground Zeroes won't be making it into my list, for example, because I really, REALLY about it'll hit in 2013. However I'm still cheating this rule a little bit so I will allow it... not that I'm any sort of authority figure on this matter.
- No 'the next game from...' unless we've been given some sort of clue on what said game will be about. I want the next game from Valve too, but we don't know what it is and when it'll be out.
- Don't make up sequels. Again, it would be lovely if season 2 of The Walking Dead hit next year or even the next Souls game, but they make for boring choices when they're not realities.
So without further ado, here's my list...
10. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs - Silly me forgot about this one. The Dark Descent was a brilliant experience that tried new and innovative things in a genre that's had a pretty boring generation. With a sequel looming and the buzz around Slender, the future of horror seems to be out of AAA developer's hands into those of smaller teams.
9. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - The PS3 isn't without its great JRPGs, but in terms of sheer quantity, it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Here's hoping, then, that NNK can make a dent on both the genre and the platform when it releases next month, as it's one of my favorite types of game.
8. Soul Sacrifice - So, no, it's not a Vita-exclusive Souls title (which needs to happen soon), but it is a dark fantasy action game from the mind of Inafune. That... sounds about the next best thing. Sacrifice's obscurity keeps it from climbing to the top of this list but I really want it to make a big splash on Vita. Something needs to.
7. Castlevania: Lords of Shadows: Mirror of Fate - I've only recently been indoctrinated by the majestic brilliance of the 2D Castlevania games, and its a combination of that and my utter adoration for Lords of Shadow that has me excited for this one. The continuation of one of this generation's best stories, the return of Robert Carlyle and the opportunity to explore more of this reboot's lore is making me giddy.
6. Yakuza 5 - My first 'cheat' as Y5 isn't confirmed for the West yet and probably should have been by now, but this series has only gotten stronger as this generation has progressed, transforming into the best annual franchise available on consoles. It was nice fighting the undead hordes in Dead Souls this year, but I can't wait for 5 to take us back to a traditional story with next characters, environments, games and, of course, the potential for another Akiyama/Kiryu team-up. Please, PLEASE bring this over, Sega.
5. Destiny - The second 'cheat', but the incredible artwork and intriguing premise supporting the leak of Bungie's Destiny has sold me completely. Halo is my shooter lifeline, and one of my favorite franchises in gaming. It's now time for Bungie to prove it isn't a one-trick pony.
4. The Last Of Us - Okay, so now we know it's here in less than five months. That games me... pretty excited. Anyways, do I need to say anything about this? It looks incredible. ND are my favorite developer - they have been for over a decade. If anyone can pull this off it's them.
3. Metal Gear Rising: Revengence - The brilliance of MGR's press campaign is that it's sliced and diced pretty much all of the haters that popped up this time last year based on the fact that it's just so bloody good that critics can't find a bad word to say about it. I've been staying away from too many details, but it's good to see that the franchise is actually gaining hype from this unusual spin-off.
2. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - If Mirror of Fate made the list then the true sequel to my 2010 GOTY is definitely going to rank well. Lords of Shadow was an incredible game that boasted one of the most finely-crafted worlds on PS3 or 360. It has probably my favorite moment from any game this gen, as well as the best ending, some incredible boss fights and genuinely breath-taking visuals (seriously, where is my breath?). It might not be 100% confirmed for 2013... but if it is... then Gabe's return COULD be the event of the year for me...
1. Dark Souls II - I had to change the last sentence of my LoS2 entry from certainty to possibility, because if there's one game out there right now to bring down Gabe's return (other than a clear reveal of MGS5), it's a direct sequel to the utterly incredible Dark Souls. I might have some reservations about the talk surrounding its reveal, but if Souls II can replicate even half the atmosphere and tension of the original then it'll be a winner. The Souls series has been a beacon of light for disc-based releases in this last half of the console cycle. Now let's punctuate the life of these great systems with the very best game on them.
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Those are in no particular order. I numbered them as they came to mind.
Well that's Deadpool off of my list.
