At Games Abyss we are still playing catch up with the games of 2011’s unparalleled fourth quarter. Skryim is never motionless for long in our trays and whether it’s the lengthy quest of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, New Game + + + on Dark Souls or Batman: Arkham City, for that matter, or the endless playtime provided by the multiplayer suites of Modern Warfare 3, Uncharted 3 and Battlefied 3, there is still much left to be done in these final hours of one of the greatest years in gaming history. But as we welcome the new year with open arms and sweaty controllers, we must stop to contemplate how we can make 2012 another exciting year for a gamer. Without further adieu, we present Games Abyss Five New Year’s Gaming Resolutions for 2012.
We Resolve to Play More Multiplayer
It seems like the end of 2011 was jam packed with quality single player campaign after single player campaign. With the likes of Skyrim, Dark Souls, Skyward Sword and Arkham City dominating the fall and winter, it was easy to let that old wireless headset remain uncharged for weeks at a time. Certainly 2011 saw multiplayer shoe-horned into single player games where it was never needed or asked for (Dead Space 2 anyone?) and we remain skeptical about this year’s implementation of multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. However, epic single player games like Uncharted 3, Gears 3 and Modern Warfare 3 each boast robust multiplayer components. All too frequently, however, we put the disc back in its jewel box as soon as the credits roll on the single player campaign. But whatever your poison, be it simple team death-match or any one of the multiple permutations of horde mode (Spec Ops Survival FTW), its truly the online multiplayer that gives these games their legs and their true value for your 60 bucks. In the coming year, we promise not to put games away simply because we have seen the climactic ending cinematic on the single player campaign. Developers work long and hard on balancing the multiplayer modes for our enjoyment and we promise to hold up our end of the bargain and simply enjoy their work. Not to mention, the days of solitary gaming are a thing of the past. Thanks to the on-line revolution, gaming is now as social as a friendly pick up game of basketball (and with similar language). Now if you excuse me, I never did try the co-op campaign of Portal 2…
We Resolve to Play More Indie Games on PSN/XBLA:
A game like Bastion cannot hope but to compete with the likes of Modern Warfare 3. And in some ways, that’s a damn shame. We know well what a development team measured in the hundreds of employees can pull off. Look no further than Naughty Dog’s resume for proof of that. However, some of the most creative work in game development is accomplished by a small number of minimally funded visionaries and can be experienced right now in your friendly neighborhood PSN or Xbox Live Arcade. Now that we have a lull between major AAA titles coming our way, we vow to not let the little developers’ work go unnoticed. Whether it’s the aforementioned Bastion, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Orcs Must Die!, BloodRayne: Betrayal or any number of the whimsical recent downloadable releases from Double Fine, let’s give these brave indy developers a moment in the sun this year. (And if you have never played Limbo, you aren’t a real gamer, just sayin’) Even better, most can be enjoyed for a fraction of the price of a full retail release so our sagging credit cards will appreciate the time to recover. In addition to the libraries of small indy games already available right now, 2012 will likely see the release of the eagerly awaited Journey, or The Witness, the next work from Jonathan Blow who is responsible for Braid, one of the earliest and best examples of quality indy software. Oh and there is always the granddaddy of indy success stories in the form of Minecraft (we hereby deny responsibility for the loss of your free time). Games Abyss eagerly await these and more and resolve to give each their due.
We Resolve to Consider Playing Games on Nontraditional Portable Devices (Read: iPhone)
Well, in 2011 hardcore gamers closed our eyes and ears and shook our heads and made loud noises and hoped that iOS and social gaming would go away. Well, we have opened our eyes in 2012 and not only has it not gone away, but its bigger than ever before. While we still reserve the right to curb stomp anyone who calls FarmVille a videogame and will be sending mail bombs to the next person whose Mafia Wars progress shows up in our facebook feeds, we have to acknowledge that somewhere along the line iOS gaming became (gasp!) legitimate. I’m sitting here next to the shiny new ipad that Santa gave me for Christmas and I’m looking at you, Infinity Blade 2. While we all have dabbled in Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies on our phones for years, we stuck to our console and PC-centric guns for all of our major gaming fixes. Maybe its time we acknowledge that portable gaming is not just confined to a 3DS and a PSP. This past year saw the release of a fairly decent Dead Space for iOS, Grand Theft Auto 3 has just come to your favorite portable device and Epic Studio of Infinity Blade fame (the same boys who bring Gears home to your consoles) seem to be taking this platform pretty seriously so maybe we should too. And hey, if nothing else, I always did want to play the Secret of Monkey Island while commuting on the subway and now I can.
Finish Up Those Games That 2011 Forgot
The first quarter of the new year is looking to have a few heavy hitters but a lot of downtime as well and that is precisely the opportunity we need to truly appreciate what 2011 gave us. While we patiently wait for Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 3 (what is it with 3’s these days?), let us all look back at our libraries and revisit worlds that we left prematurely. Maybe take another run through Deus Ex: Human Revolution in full on assault mode instead of stealth (or vice versa, depending upon your prior inclination). Find the rest of those elusive Riddler trophies in Arkham City, invade a few other players’ worlds in Dark Souls or try out higher difficulty settings in Uncharted or Gears (and def co-op if you got it). Most major releases have DLC which can extend our playtime and let us revisit for a few hours worlds we enjoyed so much, Not to mention, there are still another four or five endings in Catherine waiting for us if we can just bring ourself to side with the domestic Katherine instead of that hot piece of ass Catherine. Eh, who are we kidding, we’ll never see those endings….
Get Out More
Let’s be honest, 2011 was exhausting for a gamer. It seemed like every time we were just settling into a hot new release, another one came crashing into our local game store and we just had to have it. As evidenced by our pasty white skin, the newly paunchy bellies, the pile of empty pizza boxes and beer bottles, not to mention the angry friends and loved ones, we didn’t exactly have a chance to get out much in the last few months and be part of the living, breathing world. Being a gamer is something that we are proud of but we need to always remember to be healthy, functional members of society lest we perpetuate a negative stereotype most of us do not even represent. In 2012, we at Games Abyss vow to make sure we do not neglect the outside world and ourselves. Whether it’s a jog in the park or a trip to the gym, rededicating ourselves to our careers, taking a loved one to dinner and a movie, or making sure to read at least one book for every game we finish, a happy and healthy gamer is a well rounded one.
Well, there you have it. In 2012 when we are not revisiting the best of last year, you will find Games Abyss engaged in online gaming, downloading indie games and DLC, playing on our iphones and ipads and maybe even pumping iron at the gym. We look forward to the new year in gaming and all that it may bring and are so thankful for you, our dear readers. What are your 2012 gaming resolutions?
Post contributed by Justin Belin. Questions for the author? Send an email to Justbelin@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BitsofBelin.