Top Ten Games of 2013

2013 is over and done with, which means that it's time for yet another top ten list. I have made a sweet list of what I believe to be the top ten games released in 2013. Every game on this list was released this year and I played and beat each one to completion. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion, so we may disagree. A lot of great games came out this year and I had to make some hard cuts, but that seems to happen every year.

As always we'll be starting with number ten and working our way up to the prestigious number one spot. If you want to read my more in depth thoughts on each of these games just click on their names (Except Fire Emblem). See you at the top.

10. Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V may not have been the greatest story ever told, but it sure was ambitious. The new Los Santos Rockstar created is one of the most elaborate open worlds ever seen in a game. It doesn't have quite enough to do in that open world, but it sure is detailed. On top of that you play as not one, but three characters. Each of which is very memorable in their own right.

I don't really know where open world games can go from here, but I hope that Rockstar keeps trying to take them to the next level.


9. BioShock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite seems to have lost a lot of support since its initial release, but I for one will not abandon this great game. Yes, the combat wasn't the greatest, but it certainly wasn't the worst. In fact it improved upon the combat of the original in some very meaningful ways. Plus jumping around on the sky rails is pretty freaking sweet.

I came to Bioshock Infinite expecting an interesting story and that's exactly what I got. If you think about it too much everything completely unravels, but that's the case with almost any science fiction. The ending of Infinite continues to blow my mind months after having completed the game. If you haven't you should really check it out.

8. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle Royale

This was the first game I have ever imported and I couldn't be more happy about that. The cel shaded graphics make everything look ripped straight from the manga. Cyber Connect 2 put so much care into every single aspect of this game's animations in order to keep them true to the source material. This is a must own game for fans of the Jojo series and in my case made me a fan.

The fights are fun, but not super deep. It may not have a long life on the tournament scene, but Jojo's ASB is still one of my favorite fighting games of all time. If you're not crazy enough to import it you can just wait for the US version to come out later this year. I will definitely be buying it again.

7. Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World is the best looking game I have played this year. Mario has made an amazing transition into HD and I couldn't be happier. This game is actually innovative in a way that many Nintendo games just aren't anymore. I don't really know why Mario and friends can don a cat suit, but it's certainly an excellent addition to the Mario suit repertoire.

Super Mario 3D World is just plain fun, which is something I can't say about a lot of games these days. If you're one of the three people who have a Wii-U this is something you have to buy.

6. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies

Phoenix Wright has returned to the court room once again and I couldn't be happier about it. This is coming from someone who actually really liked Apollo Justice. The game is largely the same as it was before, but with snazzy new 3D models and fully voiced anime cutscenes. I could do without the voice acting, but other than that everything is streamlined for the player's convenience.

I loved to hang out with Phoenix and Apollo again. It seems like Capcom is already hard at work on the 6th entry in the series. Hopefully this one sold well enough in the US to make them keep bringing these over here. I love this series and it seems to only be getting better.

5. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

I didn't understand the Monster Hunter craze before I played this game. Somehow it sucked me in and I got lost in my hopeless Monster Hunter addiction for hundreds of hours. I have finally escaped, but I still get that sweet craving sometimes.

There's something magical about hunting a fearsome beast with your friends. Even though the game is very unforgiving to new players if you take the time to figure the game out it's a whole lot of fun. You just have to know what you're getting into. Perhaps someday you too will be one of those crazy people who understands the seductive power that is Monster Hunter.

4. The Last of Us

I will never forget the ending of this game. Naughty Dog created some of the most memorable characters ever seen in a video game. Joel and Ellie feel like real people. Their voice acting is impeccable and their facial expressions and movements are very lifelike.

The survival gameplay is serviceable and really makes you feel like you're living in a post-apocalyptic zombie mushroom world. It's a horrifying place, which is backed up by brutal depictions of violence. If you haven't played this game you need to. I wasn't into it at first, but once you start to see the relationship between Joel and Ellie unfold you'll be hooked.

3. Pokemon X/Y

Everyone always complains that Nintendo never changes anything, but this time they have. The world of Pokemon on a handheld has been brought to the third dimension. Battles look great, because each Pokemon has their very own detailed 3D model.

It might not seem like a big deal, but the introduction of fairy Pokemon completely changes the way Pokemon's battle system works. On top of that some Pokemon can even mega evolve now to become super powerful. This iteration changed so much. Hell, you can move diagonally for god's sake! Nintendo has finally changed Pokemon in some very meaningful ways and I can't wait to see where they go next.

2. Fire Emblem: Awakening

I really like strategy RPGs. One of the things that always bug me about them is that you get so many characters and never really get to know any of them. That's not the case with Fire Emblem Awakening. The excellent translation paired with the social system makes each character feel like they have an identity.

Awakening takes all of the best elements from each Fire Emblem and mashes them all into one game. You can get certain characters married and then use their children in battle. The children inherit skills and have increased stat gain, so they tend to be super beastly. It's a really cool feature. Fire Emblem Awakening is a truly deep game with a whole lot of content. I fully recommend it to anyone who owns a 3DS.

1. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

The days of the 50-80 hours RPG are almost dead and gone. Ni No Kuni however allowed me to revisit the days of old when RPG worlds felt magical and full of whimsy. Everything about Ni No Kuni is very charming and it does an incredible job building its fantasy world. The Wizard's Compendium is a literal book inside the game that's chock full of information about the world.

Ni No Kuni is one of those games with a ridiculous amount of side activities to do and secrets to find and I did almost everything. The monster collecting aspect had me hooked immediately and the lively battles kept me interested. At first glance it seems like a game for little kids, but the combat gets to be quite challenging.

Ni No Kuni is a special game to me, because it made me feel like a kid again. It made me feel like there's still hope that the type of grand RPG adventures I used to have as a kid will keep coming out. I loved Ni No Kuni and I hope that you'll check it out as well.

     -Manny

Game Time - January 2013

2013 has started with a bang. January has been a big month for new releases and it seems as if they're going to keep on trucking. If this month is any indication of how this year is going to go, then we have a whole lot of awesome games coming. Yesterday I made a post about all the time I've spent with Ni No Kuni. It's a great JRPG and you should check it out.

On the completely opposite end of the spectrum I played both Anarchy Reigns and DmC. Sadly Anarchy Reigns didn't wow me as much as I'd hoped. Yet somehow DmC impressed me on a level that I didn't think it would be able to. I really like action games

Anarchy Reigns

After playing the Japanese Anarchy Reigns (Max Anarchy) demo I was very excited to get the full release. At first it puzzled me as to why Sega would hold off the game's U.S. release even though the localization was complete. It was even more surprising when it was announced for the reduced price of $30. Now that I've played it I know why it's $30 and I'm glad I didn't end up importing it.

I wrote up my impressions after playing the demo, so I'll try to elaborate on what I previously said to the best of my ability. My main issue with the demo was that the lag in multiplayer was unbearable. Just as I had guessed the issues I were having were due to the Japanese servers. Playing the game online works well with some occasional hiccups, but my issues with the multiplayer run a bit deeper.

Anarchy Reigns is a brawler at it's core. You have a heavy attack and a light attack. If you want to you can call out a weapon and do a light or a heavy attack with that. Mashing the button will create a combo, but if you delay inputs it will change up the combos. Overall the combos never vary a whole lot, but there is more technique involved than your standard brawler. I thought that the characters would differ, but in the end their combos are disappointingly similar. The combo system seems to be much deeper than I experienced, because there are some insane combo videos online. There's just nothing about the game that makes me want to try and learn the intricacies of the combat system.

Death is a constant in Anarchy Reigns.

The online experiences I had were more frustrating than fun. When I was in a battle royale match I kept getting triple teamed and getting my combos interrupted by enemies who I couldn't see because of the camera. It was super chaotic, but I did have a bit of fun. I played a bunch more matches and ended up getting the hang of it so that I didn't get beaten into the ground every match. One on one matches were what ended up making me not care about learning the combat system. I figured that those types of matches would be better for showing off the skill involved in the system. I played a few matches and won. My third or fourth match I was handily beating someone until they decided to spam the 360 degree attack. It's meant to get you out of tough situations, but if you continually spam it there was seemingly no way to get around it.

Yes, I realize that I'm probably an idiot and there actually was a way to get around it. That doesn't make it any better that the attacks are so freakishly strong and hit from so far away. It made me not want to play any more and I didn't very much after that. I've heard really good things about deathball, which is a violent form of football. I haven't gone back to play it, but I might have to at some point.

I had a feeling that Anarchy Reigns was going to be a multiplayer focused game, but I wanted to believe it would have more to offer. It really doesn't. I probably should have prefaced this entire section with the fact that I don't really like multiplayer games. I'm  more of a solitary gamer, which is probably why I was so disappointed with Anarchy Reigns overall. The single player is basically a way to have the player unlock characters while learning the combat mechanics for multiplayer. The basic enemies blow up after just a few hits though, so they're never really a challenge.

Deathball seems interesting. I may go back and check it out.

You basically beat the living hell out of enemies until the next story mission unlocks. At which point you're awarded with an insane cutscene. I really like the personalities of the characters and the ridiculous things they say. To be honest I was expecting everything to be completely nonsensical, but at some point an interesting plot showed up. There was actually some potential, but the ending of the game completely squanders that and goes with something that doesn't resolve anything. It could have been so much more, but I don't really like multiplayer in games like this. If you're craving some interesting online fun it's a decent buy for $30.

DmC Devil May Cry

The Devil May Cry fan base is very loud. As soon as Capcom announced the franchise reboot long time fans began lashing out. At one point I was among the angry fans. I couldn't believe the new Dante's hair. No, I wasn't like everyone else who wanted his hair to be white. I was much more concerned with the fact that it looked like he had taken a razor to his head without looking. It was a minor gripe, but a gripe none the less.

Devil May Cry fans have a very specific idea of what Devil May Cry should be. With every trailer it was clear that the new developer Ninja Theory was changing the world and characters that they had come to love. It makes sense for long time fans to be upset about that. It was a possibility that the combat system they had come to love would change completely. What blows my mind though is the fact that so many people actively wanted the game to fail. There were people who were willing to write the game off before every having played it, while actively hoping that it would do poorly. Why fans would want a game in a franchise they love to fail is beyond me. Devil May Cry 4 wasn't received very well. If this reboot didn't sell well it's not like they were going to go back and make a Devil May Cry 5.

At first I didn't like new Dante, but now I'm a big fan.

When I identified myself as a Devil May Cry fan before I don't know if that was entirely accurate. I've played the previous games in the series, but I never felt a huge connection with them. They were fun action games that had much more depth than I cared to delve into. I liked the stories and characters, but I'm not the Devil May Cry super fan who can't handle change. Close to the release of this reboot it became clear to me that I'm not a "true" Devil may Cry fan. If you are a true Devil May Cry fan, then what I'm going to say definitely won't apply to you so you should take it with a grain of salt.

I came into DmC hoping that it would be a good game and I wasn't let down. In fact now that I've had a bit of distance from the game I'd be willing to say that it's great. I'll start with the story, because that's not exactly the most important part. Humans live in the human world, and demons reside in a parallel dimension called limbo. Dante is half angel and half demon, which makes him a Nephilim. This allows him to enter limbo and combat demons. At the start of the game the demon lord Mundus is taking control of the world through the use of political media and a soft drink called virility. Dante ends up getting sucked into a battle against Mundus with his brother twin brother Vergil, and his human partner Kat. They combat the demons together in an attempt to free the world from Mundus' evil clutches.

Dante, Vergil, and Kat work together to take down Mundus.

The character development in the game is fantastic. The character interactions are enhanced a great deal by the motion capturing that Ninja Theory does in all of their games. Sometimes real actors can make expressions that 3D animations just aren't capable of yet. It makes everything seem so much more lifelike than it does in other games. I think that may be the reason I like the new Dante so much as a character. In all of the pre-release media he kind of seemed like an unlikable asshole. The reason he came off like that is because almost every scene where he acts like a tool is taken completely out of context. He's still super cocky just like Dante used to be, but he's a whole lot more in your face about the whole thing. I know I might catch a lot of flack for this, but I think he might be better than the old Dante. He feels much more like a complete character to me. You can see him changing as the game progresses and things actually seem to affect him on meaningful levels.

As a whole the plot is trying to be a bit too topical, but it's a lot more ambitious than any Devil May Cry story before it. When the game ends it seems like if Ninja Theory gets a chance at a sequel they're going to be moving closer to the plot of the original games. So long time fans should breathe a small sigh of relief.

DmC is still all about the combos, so don't freak out!

The gameplay is what truly matters in a character action game though and DmC does not disappoint. Long time fans of the series may be unhappy to hear that it's a whole lot more accessible than the previous games in the franchise. I can't tell if it's because the gameplay is just more accessible, or because it's easier overall. The later difficulties are still overly punishing, but I feel like I have more of a chance to survive. Dante starts off with his sword Rebellion and his pistols Ebony and Ivory. Square is used for weak attacks and triangle is used for strong attacks. Circle allows Dante to dodge, and X allows him to jump. It's all pretty standard Devil May Cry fare. Where this game changes it up is by introducing two demon and two angel weapons.

Demon weapons do massive damage while angel weapons don't pack quite as much of a punch, but they attack super fast. DmC makes it very easy to switch between weapons on the fly, which makes almost any combo look impressive. Holding the right trigger makes Dante use demon weapons and angel weapons are on the left trigger. The combo system is still about making things as flashy as possible so you'll want to switch up the weapons you're using very often. Using the same attacks repeatedly will make the combo meter build up much slower. This ended up making me rapidly switch between weapons whenever I could so that I could achieve a SSS rank. If you want to get into some insane comboing that's still an option. There are already quite a few DmC combo videos on YouTube that blew my mind. You can still hit an enemy up in the air and keep them up there for a ridiculous amount of time.

This game allows for newcomers to get into the series while still having the ability to appeal to old fans. It may be a bit easier and more accessible, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have an insane amount of depth. It reminds me a lot of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Marvel 2 fans didn't want to accept it, but now it's the most popular game at most tournaments because it's filled with all kinds of insane infinites. I hope that Devil May Cry fans can find it in their hearts to play this game, because it totally deserves a sequel. Nina Theory did an excellent job re-imagining the Devil May Cry universe.

I've had enough action for now

It's a good thing Ni No Kuni came out, because after playing Anarchy Reigns and DmC back to back I have had my fill of action games for a while. Hopefully I'm ready for some more by the time Metal Gear Rising Revengence comes out in the middle of February.

Anarchy Reigns wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but both DmC and Ni No Kuni were incredible. This year has been awesome for video games so far and it seems like the hits will keep on coming. Fire Emblem Awakening comes out in a few days and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Sly Cooper is coming out the day after, but I don't know what to think about that. I want to like it, but we'll have to wait and see.

Well, I'm off to play some more Ni No Kuni. This has been another exciting installment of Game Time. See you next time!

     -Manny

Game Time ID - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

I absolutely love JRPG's and I've been waiting for one on the current generation of consoles to truly hook me in a way that they used to. Before anyone gets offended I'm not trying to say that none of the JRPG's that came out this generation are good, it's just that I haven't felt very strongly for any of them. I like games that try to create a deep world with so much to do that it almost becomes overwhelming. Ni No Kuni is exactly that. It's the game I've been waiting for this entire console generation and I'm so glad it came over to America.

When I first saw screenshots of Ni No Kuni I was blown away by how beautiful everything looked. Upon further research I found out that the game was developed by Level 5 in conjunction with the esteemed anime studio Ghibli. Level 5 has had a lot of cel-shading in their games like Dark Cloud 2, and Dragon Quest VII. They've gotten quite good at this particular art style, so now it looks almost as if everything is hand drawn while at the same time getting rid of all the weird shadow effects that tend to plague the style.

Level 5 has made some quality RPGs in the past, but by adding the Studio Ghibli name they are guaranteed to sell quite a few more copies of the game. Upon playing the game it's easy to see the influence Ghibli had on the game. Their art direction can clearly be seen on all of the characters and monsters. It also comes across in both the anime cut scenes and the in-engine scenes, because the animations are top notch. Everything about the game is beautiful. There were moments where I just took a break to look around. The locations are extremely vibrant and varied it's just...ugh...BEAUTIFUL!

However, if the game only looked pretty, had solid animation, and cut scenes I wouldn't like it as much as I do. It does an excellent job of creating an in depth world, which is entirely backed up by lore. It's easy to get lost in its grand scale. Honestly, it feels like a callback to the 16-bit JRPGs I love so much. There's something about it that fills me with a nostalgic feeling and I just can't help but smile.

The Another World

No I'm not going crazy. The another world is the literal translation of Ni No Kuni. That's because the main premise of Ni No Kuni is that you travel to a magical fantasy world that's separate from life was we know it. The story focuses on Oliver, who is a 13 year old boy that lives in a town called Motorville with his mom. As you might expect Motorville has a large focus on cars, so Oliver is no different. He and his friend sneak out at night to test drive a vehicle they've been working on for quite some time. Things don't go very well and Oliver almost drowns in a nearby river only to be saved by his mother at the last moment. Things seem to be okay for everyone except for Oliver's mom. The sudden shock of almost losing her son causes her to have a heart attack, which she dies from shortly after. This may sound like a major spoiler, but it happens within the first hour of the game and is foundation of the entire story.

With the passing of  his mom Oliver shuts himself away in his room where he spends most of his time crying. He decides to pick up the doll that his mom made for him when he was a child and a sudden flood of memories causes him to start blubbering all over the poor thing. Much to his surprise the thing comes to life before his very eyes and begins talking to him in an amazing Welsh accent. Turns out his name is Mr. Drippy and he's the lord of the faeries in another world. He was turned into a doll by an evil wizard named Shadar who threatens the peace of the other world. Drippy tells Oliver that he's the fabled pure hearted one who's destined to defeat Shadar. In an unexpected twist Oliver denies Drippy until he finds out that he might be able to save his mother. With that bit of info Oliver decides to help the lord high lord of the faeries and ends up traveling to a whole new magical world.

Mr. Drippy welcomes Oliver to his world.

The other world is quite literally magical. In order to get there Oliver has to acquire a wand and the Wizard's Companion, which he does with a little help from Drippy. The Wizard's Companion is one of the main reasons I am so enraptured by this game. What's crazy is that it's an actual book. There are hundreds of pages filled with detailed information about the world and it's inhabitants. You can access the companion from the menu at any time outside of battle. Each page is like a scanned PDF. You can move around the page and zoom in. You can see spells, alchemy recipes, a bestiary, maps, an ancient alphabet, and fairy tales. Some of the pages will be missing, but as the game progresses they will fill in. The description of an in game book may not be very appealing, but it's implemented surprisingly well. When you open the book it shows every section you can go to. In order to get where you want you can select it with a cursor, or you can zoom in until it appears. The transitions are smooth and everything feels natural.

In Japan there was also a DS version of the game that shipped with a physical copy of the companion. In that version of the game it was crucial to solving puzzles and advancing in the game. The PS3 version doesn't "need" it quite as much. There are occasions when you'll be asked to decipher ancient text, which can be found inside the companion. There aren't any instances where you have to do this, so if you don't feel like it you can skip it entirely. There isn't actually any reason that you'd have to look inside the companion, but I would highly recommend that you do. The localization of it is incredible. The fairy tales are oozing with personality and it can help you find hidden treasure on the world map.

I wish I had gotten a physical copy of the Wizard's Companion.

The Wizard's Companion isn't the only part of the game that has amazing localization. The same goes for the entire game. There are times when playing JRPGs that I question whether or not certain scenes and characters were changed for the US translation. Sometimes things just seem a little out of place or off, but that didn't happen once during my play through of Ni No Kuni. It all feels so natural, even the voice acting. The world is completely believable.

Pokemon Battle?

I've seen Ni No Kuni's battle system described by many as a cross between Pokemon and the Tales series. That might be the easiest way to explain it, but it's not necessarily correct. It does share quite a few similarities with both though.

Battles in Ni No Kuni are not random. Monsters physically manifest on the world map and in dungeons. They can be avoided, or run into for a bit of battling. Like most games with this type of encounter system if you attack from behind you'll be at an advantage, but if the enemy gets you from behind they have the advantage. When the game begins you can only control Oliver in battle and he's super weak. He can physically attack with his tiny wand, defend, use items, or cast spells. His physical attack isn't ideal, but he ends up being very good with magic as the game advances. These options are shown in a radial menu at the bottom corner of the screen. Using the left stick or d-pad you can switch between options. The similarity to the Tales series is that you can control Oliver's movement with the right stick. He can move 360 degrees, so you can dodge enemy moves and get into position for casting.

The human characters are not as durable as their familiars.

Shortly after his arrival in Mr. Drippy's world Oliver is given access to a familiar, which is a monster created from the power of his heart, which is when the battle system really opens up. Familiars are what make people liken the game to Pokemon. They're tiny little creatures who you can collect and evolve for more power. They can be one of the four signs of sun, moon, star, or planet. Each  type has strong and weak match ups against the others. On top of that there are six elemental types to be aware of.

Oliver (and other party members you acquire throughout the game) can fight themselves or call upon one of their three familiars in battle. Controlling familiars works the same as Oliver. You use the left stick to pick their actions and the right stick to control their movement. Every one will have the option to attack, but not all have the option to defend. Some have defend, some have the option to evade, and some can't do anything against incoming attacks. Familiars will learn new attacks and magic through leveling, which are called tricks. Much like Pokemon they can only have a few of these moves at a time and you'll have to manage what they have and what they need to forget.

Familiars are generally better than Oliver, but you can't use them forever. Each one has a stamina bar, which will decrease as long as you are controlling them. If the bar runs out they will become unusable for a short time, so you'll want to switch between the human character and their other familiars at all times. There will also be cases where you'll want to use spells or items and only human characters like Oliver can do that.

The battles can be a little overwhelming at first.

At around the ten hour mark you'll be given the ability to charm the critters you're fighting and make them your own. There are quite a few of them and the capture rates are generally pretty low, so if you want to capture them all it's going to take quite a bit of work. To add in even more fun  every familiar has three stages. The first form can be fed a drop to go to the second form. From the second form they must be fed a jumbo drop and you get to choose one of two third forms for it to turn in to. There quite a few options.

The system isn't super complex, but it can be a lot to take in at first. It's a lot to keep track of. I've seen people complaining that the game is too hard, but I've also seen people saying it's too easy. I personally completed the game only dying once. When I did die it was entirely my fault for not healing when I should have. I also tend to grind a whole lot, so take that for what you will.

Refreshing

Ni No Kuni is like a breath of fresh air. As I mentioned previously it's a callback to the 16-bit JRPGs of old, but that's not all that's refreshing about it. JRGs tend to be very melodramatic and the main characters are often as emo and brooding as you can get. Oliver is nothing like that, despite the fact that his mom recently died and he has no one to take care of him anymore. Throughout the whole game he's surprisingly upbeat. Normally kid characters in video games are supremely annoying, but Oliver manages to likable. The game as a whole has a very innocent feel to it. Oliver says jeepers all the time as he goes around mending broken hearts on his way to save a world in peril with his welsh accented pal Mr. Drippy. The overall plot of the game is filled with RPG cliches and anime tropes, but that's exactly what you'd expect from a Japanese RPG. Aside from all the brooding and spiky hair, which normally defines the genre.

It's obvious that Ni No Kuni is a labor of love. Level 5 and Studio Ghibli did their best to combine their talents into a single project. All of that hard work could have been lost if it wasn't for the amazing attention to detail by the localization team. The world is developed in a way that makes you want to explore every nook and cranny and talk to every character.

Look at this! How can you not want to meet all of these characters?

If you've completely written off JRPGs this game won't change your mind. However, if you still have it in your heart to give this type of game a try then you should. Ni No Kuni is the kind of game that used to eat entire summers when I was a kid. It'll take a lot of time to see it through to the end, but it's definitely worth it. I know that once I started playing I had a hard time stopping. The game was released on the 22nd, and since then I've racked up 70 hours of play time, but I completed the main story at around 50 hours of play time.

I could go on and on throwing up my love for the game all over you, but no one wants that. JRPGs of this caliber have been few and far between this console generation. Ni No Kuni took a long time to get here, but it was certainly worth the wait.

     -Manny