ROUNDTABLE: THE STAFF’S REVIEW CHOICES FOR 2013 – AUSTRALIA

As the doors of 2012 close, we open the doors for 2013 another fantastic year in the wonderful world of gaming.

Like every other media outlet that focuses on games, we at Analog Addiction often discuss who will review which games as the year rolls on.

Making these decisions is certainly a process. If multiple people want to review the same game, we first sing our national anthem “They’re Taking the Hobbits To Isengard” (which some people still can’t memorize). We then watch a glorious battle that involves the competitors using an array of weaponry including rubber chickens, a larch tree, salsa, syrup and occasionally Captain America Frisbee shields. The winner then must sacrifice a mouse that is painted like Pikachu to the god’s of gaming so they may bring harvest once again.

Okay, so that isn’t true at all.

We pick certain games to review because we are excited to see how they turn out in the hopes that they will be fantastic and make our wallets begging to be emptied. I decided  to ask my fellow staff members why they fancied certain games they picked to review.

I thought I would start this three part roundtable discussion by asking our Aussie staff members to take a break from putting the shrimp on the barbie and tell us why they’re excited to play their review choices.

Jamie Briggs

Watch_Dogs

I remember the first days of Analog Addiction; trying to cover E3 in my one-man-band no sleep schedule. I couldn’t make my way onto the live feeds because they kept cutting out, but it finally worked out of nowhere. Before me was Watch_Dogs, the game that has everything I have ever wanted in a game. The open world chaos, the ability to hack real life technology, the deeper meaning of the internet and technology taking over. Did I mention it was gorgeous? We know very little about Watch_Dogs yet my excitement could not be any higher. With every little morsel of information we are given, my anticipation grows and that first trailer? I have watched that a good dozen times…today.

DmC (Devil May Cry)

Over the past month the Devil May Cry series has been the only game in my console. Catching up on the entire history of the franchise and loving every second of it. DmC has my attention ever since they released gameplay footage. The art style is gorgeous and the idea of the environments around you affecting the gameplay feels great. From the short time with the game’s demo (available now) I loved my time with it. Dante possesses that cocky attitude he did in Devil May Cry 3 and the slick combat feels as good as ever. So am I excited for DmC? You bet Ebony and Ivory I am.

Crysis 3

If people ask me for a first-person shooter that isn’t the usual war shooter, I choose Crysis 2. That game gives a brutal challenge to all players with difficult AI and tremendous graphics to back it up. But you know what else? It is fun. Some shooters lack that these days and Crysis has always been a fun experience for me, one that I continue to enjoy to this day. Crysis 3 looks to improve on the second game while adding in new weaponry and some cool multiplayer modes including Hunter Mode. There are so many features I cannot wait to get my hands on. My ‘target is spotted’ and it is Crysis 3.

Dead Island Riptide

I will be honest. I haven’t played the original Dead Island. I’ve seen my friends play it and my Dad and I really enjoyed what we saw. I plan on playing the original before Riptide is released. Am I excited? Sort of. Since I missed the first one it is hard to turn the volume too high on my excitement. But if it does what Dead Island was able to accomplish and improve on its solid foundation, I think Riptide could be a dark horse this year.

Metro: Last Light

Last Light looks incredible. Since the E3 gameplay demo from 2011, it has been on my radar. The post-apocalyptic wasteland has been done numerous times, but this desperate horror vibe is one that feels fresh to me. The idea of surviving and finding ammo (or lack thereof) to try and survive makes that desperate feeling ever more vital. THQ might be in some trouble, but this game looks to deliver on what it has promised: a desperate world where every day is full of torment and agony. Sounds bad? I love it.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories

I have never played a Silent Hill game before, though I have watched my friends play it. It’s a serious game that has always intrigued me, but time constraints have kept me away. I recently tried the Vita demo of Silent Hill: Book of Memories not expecting much. Yet I found myself addicted to leveling up my weapons, crawling through dungeons and finding every material. Sure this may not be a Silent Hill game per the norm, but it gives off an addicting vibe that I cannot wait to jump into.

Borderlands 2 DLC: Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt

I am the Borderlands 2 man. You give me DLC and I will be there to tell you if it blows. But in all honestly I love Borderlands 2. It’s one of my favourite games of 2012 and when push comes to shove, any excuse to go back is an absolute pleasure. With the season pass still offering one more piece of content after Sir Hammerlock, don’t expect my time in Pandora to be over anytime soon… And I for one love it.

Nathan Manning

Sim City

The main reason why I decided to review Sim City was because it looks much like the Sim City I played when I was younger and more. All the feature seem to be back from keeping citizens happy to controlling crime to recovering after a natural disaster. I’m also intrigued by the new multiplayer aspect of Sim City.

Fuse

I decided to review Fuse because it’s Insomniac’s first multiplatform game. Being an Xbox and Xbox 360 gamer, I’ve never played through a full Insomniac game. Although we don’t know much about the game yet, the concept looks interesting and I do love a good co-op shooter. Insomniac has been known for creating some great franchises over time and I’m hoping Fuse follows that trend.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to these games as much as Jamie and Nathan are? Could you not care less about any of these titles? Let Analog Addiction know in the comments section below.