Belated Top 10s - Games

Well now that Top 10 lists are back in fashion (did they ever go out of fashion? -- Ed) it's time for our, rather belated we must admit, top 10 lists. Today we start of with games. 2013 wasn't the greatest year for gaming, with the current-gen consoles winding down with the lead up to next-gen, and the next-gen launch being rather mediocre. Yet at the same time, it feels like there was more content this year than any other, with seemingly more indies, downloadables and free-to-play titles than ever before. So without further adieu, let's take a look at our top 10.

10. Lego Marvel Super Heroes (PS4) - You wouldn't find too many people admitting to this, or any Lego game for that matter, being one of their favourites, but I'm only being honest. I love all the Lego games, add dozens and dozens of Marvel heroes and you have yourself a winner. There's really not much else to say other than you already know whether you like this game or not.

9. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PC) - The Call of Juarez games have been a mixed bunch over the years, with the franchise seemingly losing it's way, only to make a resounding come back with this title. It's easy to take people by surprise when nobody really expects much from you and this is certainly what CoJ: Gunslinger did. But you still have to give the crew at Techland props for getting it so right with this title. A great story, and novel storytelling, combine with fun and exciting gameplay, and great graphics and level design. The duel mechanics are a unique aspect that is executed perfectly and altogether this is a great little game.

8. Rogue Legacy (PC) - You might call it rogue-lite. You might scoff that it's "too easy". For me, this game is the logical iteration on the roguelike formula because it gives the rest of us a chance. Not everyone can deal with the amount of abuse and punishment a true roguelike dishes out, and this game gives you a reward for all the time and effort you put in. Does that diminish the feeling when you do complete it? I don't think so. This game is still a challenge, but a relatively fair one. The controls are super tight, the graphics hark back to the good old days and the unique twist on the repeated deaths is more than just a gimmick. This is a great platformer that manages to brilliantly straddle the line between challenge and frustration.

7. Dust: An Elysian Tail (PC) - It's hard to believe that this game was created almost entirely by one person. With sumptuous hand drawn graphics, fun combat and enough RPG elements to make progression fun and rewarding, this is a great Metroidvania-lite, in a year with some other great entries to the genre. I say lite, because the difficulty isn't overly punishing, but the story, characters, art style and combat make this game great fun to go through.

6. The Swapper (PC) - A unique spin on puzzle games with a clever mechanic and some real head scratching scenarios, set within a beautiful backdrop that oozes an eerie sort of tranquility. The ability to move on to a different puzzle if one has you dumbfounded allowing you to return later and solve it instantly means you're never stuck for too long, and leaves you slapping yourself once you see just how, seemingly, easy the solution was all along.

5. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PC) - We were a little late to get on the Brothers bandwagon, but with the game available for a nice price during the recent Steam sale, we couldn't fight the hype and praise any longer, we had to see it for ourselves. This is a fantastic game. Without any (coherent) dialogue, a beautiful story unfolds and delivers some real emotional punch. The art style is wonderful, taking on a darker tone at times while retaining the fairy-tale feel, and then of course there is the unique control scheme which some may find a little harder to grasp than others. This is a game to be played in one sitting, and will leave you feeling happy, sad and everything in between by the end.

4. Tomb Raider (PC) - Talk about a comeback. Lara Croft rises from the dead with a bang. Gone are the oversized polygon breasts and clunky mechanics. Welcome to the 21st Century Lara. While this game may owe a lot to titles like Uncharted, and, well, Uncharted 2, it does more than just copy, it forges it's own path and creates an entry that more than stands on it's own. The graphics in this game are amazing. Truly next-gen, well before the console next-gen even thought about getting started. The gameplay mechanics are simple but executed perfectly. The combination of exploration, adventuring and combat is perfect, and the story, while not brilliant, is still very good.

3. Bioshock Infinite (PC) - Will this be the last Bioshock? If so, what a way to go out. While I will admit the combat in this game lacked a little something compared to the original Bioshock, it more than made up for it with the brilliant mind fuck story which demanded you keep playing. The art style, and the brilliant contrast between the picturesque and tranquil world of Columbia and the extreme violence you carry out within it made for a compelling experience.

2. DmC: Devil May Cry (PC) - For all the kicking and screaming from the Internet about their beloved franchise, it turned out to be in vain. This is such a great game and a great entry in the Devil May Cry franchise. With a perfect and deceptively simple control scheme and combo system, the combat in this game was so much fun. Easy to pickup, just the right amount of difficult to master. The insane level and enemy design and the story with just enough real world parallels and video game crazy are a perfect match for Dante. He is the ultimate anti-hero after all. Sumptuous graphics and art direction, all running at a buttery smooth 60fps without needing a beastly PC. Forget the haters, this is a brilliant game and props to Ninja Theory for sticking to their guns and delivering their vision with aplomb.

1. The Last of Us (PS3) - It just had to be, didn't it? There's a reason this game has garnered so much attention and praise. Simply put, it's amazing. Naughty Dog are at the absolute peak of their powers and this game proves it. The unflinching story and it's brilliant delivery, the the amazing cinematic set-pieces, the absolute immersion and tension you feel in this game are unparalleled. So much of the brilliance in this game is from the things that aren't the main focus. All the small details that went into creating such a realistic world, the eeriness you feel as you walk through the desolate world and try to piece together what once was, as you scour every nook and cranny trying to scavenge every little bit you can find, as you try to survive at any cost.

Confirmed: Titanfall permanent exclusive for PC/360/X1

Finally the speculation can come to an end. Since being announced and generating a shitload of buzz, it has been assumed that Titanfall was a launch exclusive for the Xbox and PC platform and that it would come to PS4 eventually. Now all has been revealed by none other than Vince Zampella from Respawn in a series of Tweets.

These Tweets seem to suggest that Respawn had focused on Xbox One so as not to stretch themselves seeing as this is their first game, and that a PS4 version would be released eventually. In stepped Microsoft and a deal was done with EA for total exclusivity.

This sets a very interesting scene for the upcoming next-gen console/shooter war.

Firstly, there's the elephant in the room in Call of Duty. Despite being multiplat, it's essentially a defacto Xbox exclusive. However, it's next-gen buzz seems weak, and the gameplay footage being shown is very underwhelming. But how will Activision react if MS start pushing Titanfall as the next big thing on Xbox One? Not just because it's a rival to CoD, but also because of the bad blood between Zampella and Activision. Will this push CoD toward the PS platform? Already the early buzz is that the PS4 version of Ghosts is the better one, so it's possible. Or will Call of Duty fail to transfer it's fanbase to the next-gen and lose it's spot as the king of the hill?

The bigger issue however, is that whichever way you look at this, it seems like Respawn are being fucked over big time. EA has seemingly denied them the opportunity to build a big multiplat fan base for a new IP whilst pocketing a shitload of cash for themselves. Whether any of the exclusivity deal cash even goes to Respawn is not clear. Even if does, I'm sure Respawn would prefer the additional sales which would grow tenfold for the sequels. Now the fact that EA also have Battlefield 4 and are pushing it hard gives rise to a little conspiracy thinking. EA pocket huge cash from MS and keep Titanfall from competing with Battlefield 4 on PS4. Win win for EA and big time lose for Respawn. Didn't they leave Activision to get away from this?

Rumor: Call of Duty Ghosts 720p on X1, 1080p on PS4

IGN is now reporting on rumours that the Xbox One version of Call of Duty Ghosts will run at a native resolution of 720p and upscaled to 1080p, while the PS4 versions runs in 1080p native. Now, this may be true, and it certainly looks like it is, adding just another nail in the Xbox One coffin, when their de facto exclusive, as Michael Pachter put it, runs better on the competition. 

The saving grace here for Microsoft is that at least in the case of Ghosts, this looks to be more of a case of development issues rather than performance of the box. Having seem some footage of Ghosts and being wholly unimpressed, that is to say it looks terrible and with rumors of problems on the PS4 version as well,  it's clear this is more a combination of developers working on new hardware and rushed tools by console makers in order to meet deadline. So we can assume the next version of CoD will surely look as good on X1 as PS4. That is unless Activision decide to finally change up the engine which could put Xbox One on the backfoot again. 

Nevertheless, the real lesson here is that whereas on the last console launch Call of Duty 2 landed with a thump and continued to dominate the entire generation, the Call of Duty release for the next gen looks decidedly burnt out. The fact it runs a little worse on Xbox One is not the knockout blow Sony fans want.