NeoGAF

Shogun1337 · (12-01-2013, 12:04 AM)

Originally Posted by gumby_trucker

Came in to post this. Everybody should play it.

I went and watched a youtube video on the game just from that artwork: WTF is... The Swapper ?

This is the kind of shit that makes me so sad, when diamonds like this don't get any deserved attention or profit. But I guess that's just the way of the world.

Sojgat · (12-01-2013, 12:05 AM)

Originally Posted by boutdown

This got way too repetitive. Difficulty curves were annoying too.

When you could actually find 3 other people who knew what they were doing, the game was almost too easy. Cover system and movement are among the best ever featured in a TPS, but the change in art style did a lot of damage. Also, the Demo was fucking atrocious, and probably did a good job of turning a lot of people off.

gumby_trucker · 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Wilsongt

How similar is it to the Metroidvanias on the DS? Those are the only ones I've played...

Pandora's Tower is actually a pretty good Metroidvania if you own a Wii. I enjoyed it more than The Last Story.

Originally Posted by Shogun1337

I went and watched a youtube video on the game just from that artwork: WTF is... The Swapper ?

This is the kind of shit that makes me so sad, when diamonds like this don't get any deserved attention or profit. But I guess that's just the way of the world.

It has received quite a bit of attention and praise, I'm just not sure to what extent those have translated into sales. Personally I hope it has long legs.

ViewtifulJC · (12-01-2013, 12:08 AM)

Not my favorite of his, but I think W101 might just be Kamiya's masterpiece and it must have sold less than 100k worldwide or some other sad fuckin' number

DukeBobby · (12-01-2013, 12:09 AM)

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the secret best game of the year, and I bet most people (who haven't played it) think it's a complete joke.

EDIT: Wait, did it come out last year?

pizza dog · (12-01-2013, 12:09 AM)

Originally Posted by bender

This generation has worn me out on the genre but Gunslinger is a damned fine game and one of my favorites of the year. The western theme probably skews my love for it.

Of the original list, I've only played Puppeteer. Everything about the game is magical except the game play itself, which is rather dull. Despite that criticism, it is still worth experiencing.

I'd add Gunpoint and The Swapper to the list. These are two of the better games that came out this year.

Gunpoint and The Swapper are such bummers to think about. I feel like either one would've made a huge splash as part of Summer of Arcade or something, as it is I'm not sure they got much traction. They're great though.

antitrop · 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by ViewtifulJC

Not my favorite of his, but I think W101 might just be Kamiya's masterpiece and it must have sold less than 100k worldwide or some other sad fuckin' number

When I can buy a WiiU for like $50, I will be getting one just to play TW101 and Bayonetta 2.

Originally Posted by pizza dog

Gunpoint and The Swapper are such bummers to think about. I feel like either one would've made a huge splash as part of Summer of Arcade or something, as it is I'm not sure they got much traction. They're great though.

Gunpoint? What? It might be the single greatest success story of the entire year.

You might want to read this: Gunpoint Recoups Development Costs In 64 Seconds

XtaLarge · 12:14 AM

if for no other reason than that it was the only game this year to satiate my absolute need for Deus Ex while I sit twiddling my thumbs until they reveal the next one

I'd just like to point out that as fanservice Project X Zone can't be beat but as a game Project X Zone is... well imagine a brand new Advance Wars where every single unit was some sort of variant of God Himself and the strategy element was boiled down to "Move toward enemy until you reach enemy. Kill enemy." It's the worst turn based strategy game I've ever played in my whole life. The animations are solid though :p

gumby_trucker · 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by DukeBobby

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the secret best game of the year, and I bet most people (who haven't played it) think it's a complete joke.

EDIT: Wait, did it come out last year?

Didn't even realise it came out this year, but you're right (Steam says January).

Definitely should be mentioned, especially since it's $6 on Steam right now!

Sendou · (12-01-2013, 12:11 AM)

Originally Posted by pizza dog

Gunpoint and The Swapper are such bummers to think about.

Don't feel too bad about The Swapper:

The Swapper Recoups In Less Than Two Days

At least the makers can keep on doing what they like. I imagine Gunpoint experienced a somewhat similiar fate.

I Wanna Be The Guy · (12-01-2013, 12:12 AM)

I ended up not getting Sly Cooper 4 because I was so damn certain it would be free on PS Plus as one of the Uncharted/Gravity Rush replacements in November. If Sony would have just been up front about the fact we weren't getting replacements for UC/Gravity Rush this year I would have bought the game months ago. You hear that Sony? Being honest would have got you a sale.

Darth Zandatsu · (12-01-2013, 12:14 AM)

Not sure if counts because it still is in beta but Hearthstone has to be one of the most addictive games i played this year.

Tyrant Rave · (12-01-2013, 12:14 AM)

Anarchy Reigns definitely.

The story mode was kinda boring but the multiplayer was a ton of fun to play with friends. Juggling enemies with your buddies while there's chaos going on around you never gets old. It's a shame that the netcode was spotty but it still didn't deserve to die online so quickly (360 version here, heard PS3 was a little better about that at least).

Wonderful 101 as well! I don't think it tops Bayonetta or Viewtiful Joe for me personally, but Kamiya and Platinum still did an awesome job with it. The gameplay was really creative and I loved the characters and dialogue in the game.

DukeBobby · (12-01-2013, 12:14 AM)

Originally Posted by gumby_trucker

Didn't even realise it came out this year.

Definitely should be mentioned, especially since it's $6 on Steam right now!

I think it came out last year in Europe, and this year in the rest of the world. I'm not sure, though.

EDIT: Actually, I think retail release was last year; Steam release this year.

Derrick01 · (12-01-2013, 12:14 AM)

Originally Posted by antitrop

Mercs is one of the best pure FPS campaigns of the entire year, on any platform. Better than Ghosts, better than BF4, better than SF, etc.

It's been a really, really bad year for FPS, though.

I felt like it wanted to be a game with open levels but the Vita held it back. There didn't seem to be any genuine secrets or hidden paths that meant anything significant. I didn't even need a guide to find all the intel pieces because the levels were so small and the graphics, while nice for a handheld game, didn't impress me because they weren't even on PS3 level.

Originally Posted by Fine Ham Abounds

Glad you finally got one. What's your starting selection?

Well I have 3D Land, Paper Mario and Ghost Recon already but I'm waiting for more deals hopefully on Cyber Monday. If there's nothing then I'll pick up Fire Emblem and Zelda and that will probably be it for a while. I have a lot more on the list but I'll need to space them out since most are still $30-$40.

Originally Posted by DukeBobby

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the secret best game of the year, and I bet most people (who haven't played it) think it's a complete joke.

EDIT: Wait, did it come out last year?

It came out on Steam early this year.

antitrop · (12-01-2013, 12:14 AM)

Originally Posted by Sendou

Don't feel too bad about The Swapper:

The Swapper Recoups In Less Than Two Days

At least the makers can keep on doing what they like. I imagine Gunpoint experienced a somewhat similiar fate.

lol, two days. Gunpoint was 1 minute. Good for the developers to get what they deserve.

XtaLarge · (12-01-2013, 12:15 AM)

Originally Posted by Derrick01

Well I have 3D Land, Paper Mario and Ghost Recon already but I'm waiting for more deals hopefully on Cyber Monday. If there's nothing then I'll pick up Fire Emblem and Zelda and that will probably be it for a while. I have a lot more on the list but I'll need to space them out since most are still $30-$40.

Fire Emblem and Zelda should have been your first picks yo! Solid games to the core. If you liked Ghost Recon at all then prepare for Fire Emblem to suck the life out of ya

Musolf815 · (12-01-2013, 12:16 AM)

Originally Posted by KillerMan91

I thought Sly did kinda well? No one was expecting it to make top ten in february NPD and yet it did (Fire Emblem sold 115k and was not in top ten). It also charted like forever in some European charts.

Pretty sure Sly did well...it was the number one game in some European countries for months after the game came out. I'm pretty sure Sanzaru is making Sly 5 as well, but that's another story.

I Wanna Be The Guy · (12-01-2013, 12:16 AM)

Also I thought Killzone Mercenary sold pretty well? For a Vita game at least. I know it was at a pretty good position in the UK charts for the first couple weeks, which is pretty impressive considering how unpopular the Vita is and the fact it came out just a couple weeks before GTA V.

Derrick01 · (12-01-2013, 12:18 AM)

Originally Posted by XtaLarge

Fire Emblem and Zelda should have been your first picks yo! Solid games to the core. If you liked Ghost Recon at all then prepare for Fire Emblem to suck the life out of ya

They would have been but I'm prioritizing sales first. I got those 3 games for about $50 total.

Cdgilbert · (12-01-2013, 12:20 AM)

Having watched my kids play Knack for the past couple of days, I don't get why it was universally slagged off. Great for kids at the very least.

alfredofroylan · (12-01-2013, 12:22 AM)

Originally Posted by I Wanna Be The Guy

Also I thought Killzone Mercenary sold pretty well? For a Vita game at least. I know it was at a pretty good position in the UK charts for the first couple weeks, which is pretty impressive considering how unpopular the Vita is and the fact it came out just a couple weeks before GTA V.

It came in number 8 and it was the 5th biggest launch for a Vita game, wich doesn't says much because we don't know especific numbers.

Zalman · (12-01-2013, 12:23 AM)

Very happy to see Sly Cooper up there. I had so much fun with that game.

Net_Wrecker · (12-01-2013, 12:24 AM)

The Wonderful 101 is going to go down as one of the "best games that nobody played" of ALL TIME, so I think that wins by default.

megalowho · (12-01-2013, 12:25 AM)

I'll throw in Ten by Eight - a touch based, tile clearing puzzle game by Tim Rogers that came out on Vita and PS Mobile and has 0 reviews on Metacritic. Got a bit of traction thanks to a wacky trailer, but it's a well designed take on the genre with a few different modes and I kept coming back to it throughout the year. For $3 it's an easy recommendation and weighing in at just 38 MB it's likely got a permanent spot on my Vita's memory card.

Y2Kev · (12-01-2013, 12:25 AM)

You have a pretty good list, OP. I played:

-Sly 4: It's great, but it did sell very well for the budget. Most of the other games on your list probably aren't anywhere near where this game is. It sold so well it revived Sanzaru and got Sony to sign them for another project.

-Mirror of Fate: I think this game is not too bad. Good choice. Hopefully more people play it now that it is in HD.

-Remember Me: I wish people would play this just to see the art. The art is ridic.

-KZM: Great game, doomed to Vita.

-Wonderful 101: Price is still way too high.

XtaLarge · (12-01-2013, 12:25 AM)

Originally Posted by Net_Wrecker

The Wonderful 101 is going to go down as one of the "best games that nobody played" of ALL TIME, so I think that wins by default.

That's an awfully funny way to spell Geometry Wars Galaxies

CrackPebbles · (12-01-2013, 12:26 AM)

Glad you posted some niche Japanese releases! Ive actually bought more games on this list then you'll see on AAA GOTY noms and top sales charts. I really need to get EO4, looks like the type of game Id love.

Net_Wrecker · (12-01-2013, 12:31 AM)

Originally Posted by XtaLarge

That's an awfully funny way to spell Geometry Wars Galaxies

But lots of people played Geo Wars on the 360 so that almost doesn't count. TW101 is destined to be an ultra niche game with pitiful sales despite its insane campaign and amount of content. It's the kind of crushing blow that makes the Videogame Gods recoil at the site of their audience and require time to heal.

They sent their messiah and the people rejected him. We are not worthy.

Feindflug · (12-01-2013, 12:32 AM)

Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds (XBLA)

Charlie Murder (XBLA)

Metro Last Light (PC/360/PS3)

The above along with the already mentioned Call of Juarez: Gunslinger are all overlooked gems IMO, still haven't played The Wonderful 101, Puppeteer & State of Decay but I'm planning to finish all three before the year ends.

Spieler Eins · (12-01-2013, 12:33 AM)

Originally Posted by BinaryPork2737

Metacritic: 74

Gamerankings: 75.92

For an enhanced port of a 90's JRPG, it's pretty good.

Some lower scores are understandable considering that it still looks like a Saturn game for the most part, however the gameplay has aged very well and the mood is still great regardless.

Brandon F · (12-01-2013, 12:39 AM)

Sly 4 was $10 Black Friday on amazon so I finally jumped in. Will try next week.

EO4 is easily in my top 5 this year. Still need to wrap it up and even start the remake of EO1.

Not sure if monster hunter ultimate sold poorly but it's an overlooked gem far more deserving of attention than more popular 2013 releases.

Brothers was a nifty distraction for a day that I couldn't stop playing in a single sitting.

SMTiv and soul hackers were fantastic on 3ds.

sflufan · (12-01-2013, 12:39 AM)

Shadow Warrior - the best damned FPS of 2013 (except the shitty boss sections).

Wasp · 12:54 AM

God of War Ascension was a little underrated by many. Essentially it's just like GoW III but not quite as good or with as many epic moments, and with very few new ideas. GoW A is to GoW III exactly like what Arkham Origins is to Arkham City, and that's not a bad thing if you're happy with more of the same.

Sly 4: Thieves in Time was a great game too. In fact it was even better than Sucker Punch's own Sly 3.

Remember Me is also very good. I'm amazed with some of the graphics and the cyberpunk art design, especially coming from an unknown French studio and this is their debut game. The game is very short though and the first half is better than the second half. I think the game has quite a lot in common with Enslaved, particularly the platforming, so you you could put up with that game's flaws I think you would like this.

Big_Al · (12-01-2013, 12:46 AM)

Originally Posted by sflufan

Shadow Warrior - the best damned FPS of 2013 (except the shitty boss sections).

My man!

That was going to be one of my recommendations. An absolutely marvellous FPS/Slicer and one of my favourites this year.

Another one for me is Lost Planet 3. I really really liked that game a lot and it's very different from the first two games (for better or for worse). Has some of the best writing in a game, after The Last Of Us, this year. Really liked it but I'm probably very alone in that.

DidntKnowJack · (12-01-2013, 12:46 AM)

WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship

Not the best rally game ever made, but it's the only true rally game released for consoles this entire generation. Almost completely ignored in North America.

Big_Al · (12-01-2013, 12:47 AM)

Originally Posted by DidntKnowJack

WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship

Not the best rally game ever made, but it's the only true rally game released for consoles this entire generation. Almost completely ignored in North America.

I've not played it but you not get WRC 4 in October there ?

Adnor · (12-01-2013, 12:48 AM)

Originally Posted by sflufan

Shadow Warrior - the best damned FPS of 2013 (except the shitty boss sections).

This. Amazing game. Best sword in any game!

Godofnerdiness · (12-01-2013, 12:51 AM)

Rise of the Triad is one of the best FPS games this year. Just pure fun.

Durante · (12-01-2013, 12:51 AM)

Divinity: Dragon Commander is a fantastic game, and I'm almost sure it didn't sell 500k.

Metacritic: 76

Currently in the Steam sale!

Here's my review:

Looking at the ambition of this game no one could be faulted for fearing it to be a jack of all trades and master of none. However, that is not the case at all. The individual parts complement each other fantastically, and come together to form a diverse and engaging gameplay experience the like of which hasn't been seen in years, maybe decades.

The characters in story mode deserve special mention -- they are more fleshed out and entertaining than in many highly rated RPGs. It's also suprising how well polished the game is despite the great variety of mechanics and modes present.

Dragon Commander will make you laugh with its playful, but biting, treatment of political issues, it will make you clench your teeth and try to salvage the strategic situation after a hard-fought tactical loss, and it will give you the satisfaction of burning your enemies to cinder as a dragon.

Now buy it. Buy two.

Here's the OT.

Einbroch · (12-01-2013, 12:52 AM)

jRPG: The Thread.

I second the Divinity post above. Kinda broken, but a lot of fun.

Adnor · (12-01-2013, 12:57 AM)

I need to buy Divinity: Dragon Commander when I have money. Played Divinity 2 after Toma's LTTP and was surprised in how fun the game was, easily one of the best games I've played this year. Can't wait for DOS too, but sadly, didn't know about these games when the KS was running.

Hedge · (12-01-2013, 12:57 AM)

Rune Factory 4. Looks a bit like Breath of Fire from the cover. I assume it's not. :P

sflufan · (12-01-2013, 01:02 AM)

Originally Posted by Godofnerdiness

Rise of the Triad is one of the best FPS games this year. Just pure fun.

That's #2 on my list after Shadow Warrior!

And The Swapper is #3.

alfredofroylan · (12-01-2013, 01:04 AM)

Originally Posted by Hedge

Rune Factory 4. Looks a bit like Breath of Fire from the cover. I assume it's not. :P

It's Harvest Moon + combat, really adictive and charming.

dragonbane · 01:26 AM

Beyond: Two Souls (PS3)
Metacritic: 71
Gamerankings: 72.04

Sold about 450k copies so far I would say. It's certainly not for everyone and has flaws, hence the divisive reviews. I think it's a pretty good game overall. Loved every single second of it and it's in my top 3 for sure. Enjoyed watching other people playing it too and seeing different scenarios I didn't knew about. Compared to Heavy Rain Beyond takes one step forward (story and presentation) and one step backwards (gamedesign and choices). Beyond didn't sell as well as HR, so I hope they get the balance right with their next game on PS4. Since they hired 2 additional full time writers helping out I'm positive. If the rumours turn out to be correct and the PS4 title is indeed sci-fi and loosely based around the premise of the Kara demo I would be incredibly excited. Can't wait!

Fine Ham Abounds · 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by Derrick01

Well I have 3D Land, Paper Mario and Ghost Recon already but I'm waiting for more deals hopefully on Cyber Monday. If there's nothing then I'll pick up Fire Emblem and Zelda and that will probably be it for a while. I have a lot more on the list but I'll need to space them out since most are still $30-$40.

About to start Zelda tonight. FE is great fun with excellent production value, but I personally liked SMTIV and EOIV more. I felt FE was too easy to cheese after you get a few classes leveled up.

Been a good year to have a 3DS, but yeah, without gamefly I'd have gone broke. The tradeoff being that it really hurts sending back a game you put 80 hours into :p

Originally Posted by Durante

Divinity: Dragon Commander is a fantastic game, and I'm almost sure it didn't sell 500k.

Currently in the Steam sale!

Dammit, I promised myself I wouldn't Steam impulse buy this winter... Been wanting to try this at the right price.

Mauricio_Magus · (12-01-2013, 01:55 AM)

Everyone should play Etrian Odyssey IV and W101, great thread.

IISANDERII · (12-01-2013, 01:59 AM)

Originally Posted by DidntKnowJack

WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship

Not the best rally game ever made, but it's the only true rally game released for consoles this entire generation. Almost completely ignored in North America.

Damn, that looks great. Wish i had the time.

traveler · (12-01-2013, 02:08 AM)

Yet another W101 thread.

I got Divinity: Dragon Commander for "free" with my ks pledge for D:OS and I still haven't played it. Guess I should probably get around to it one of these days.