Bronson's Top Ten Most Anticipated Games

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Created on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 15:21

Written by Bronson Fiori

2012 was a year in gaming filled with surprises. So many indie hits and games from small studios ended up being my favorites due to delays or just bigger titles being disappointing. Only two games from my top ten most anticipated games of 2012 made it on to my game of the year top ten, though with major releases all year long I doubt that will be the case in 2013. So here is my top ten most anticipated games of 2013.

Anthony's Top Ten Most Anticipated Games

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Created on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 11:19

Written by Anthony Ta

It is a new year, and it is time for the TGA staff to announce the top ten games each of us are most excited for. Last year, I had a very hard time finding ten games to get excited about, but this year, I did find ten games. It does give a sign that this year for gaming will hopefully be better as far as titles are concerned.

Bridget's Top Ten Most Anticipated Games

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Created on Friday, 22 February 2013 16:19

Written by Bridget Sexton

Hey guys and gals, Bridget here! With 2012 behind us and 2013 quickly on our heels I can't help but wonder what new games are ahead for us. Quite a few titles have been announced for 2013, and though a great many of those few still have TBA attached to them for the current release date, I still hold out hope for the games that I have been anticipating the most this year. 2012 was somewhat uneventful and it seemed I would have trouble finding interesting titles to choose from; this year I had to narrow my anticipated list down! So let's jump in starting at number ten.

Danielle's Most Anticipated Games

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Created on Thursday, 21 February 2013 17:46

Written by Danielle Kirk

The gaming industry thrived through the hearts and wallets of gamers in 2012. Last year was nonstop for video game announcements, production, and self-sales breaking records for many prestigious titles. With 2013 off to a good start, here we are, with already what seems to be a rather lengthy list. Here are the personal titles that I look extremely forward to getting my hands on for this upcoming year.

Kairi's Most Anticipated Games

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Created on Friday, 08 February 2013 09:11

Written by Kairi Hale

Hiya eveyone!! Hope you all had an amazing New Year and awesome holiday, and of corse, congratulations to the lucky few who managed to survive the end of the Mayan calendar. 2013 is actually looking pretty promising in terms of games and just technology in general, so let’s keep our fingers crossed, because it seems like the message got across that these companies need to up their game. Ok sorry. Bad pun. REALLY bad pun. Anyway, here’s my personal top ten most anticipated games of the year :)

10. Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Oh, Animal Crossing. A guilty pleasure of millions, and to some, like myself, one of the last games of childhood. Designing homes, making friends with your animal neighbors, and of corse, paying off your ever existing debt to that shady raccoon, were just a few of the highlights of this classic game that had gamers hooked. New Leaf offers a few new features, such as being the new mayor of the town, with the same concept that we all know and love.

9. Plants vs. Zombies - Oh Lord. This game. I think I’ve seen my boyfriend play this for at least 5 hours straight, so of corse I had to throw it in here. In the short time this game has been out, the entire world has stopped what they're doing completely to plant mushrooms and just become the zombies they are trying to kill. Now, for reasons I will never EVER understand, this is all it takes to make a ton of money, and apparently be referenced to on True Blood.

8. Ni No Kuni: Curse of the White Witch - GJIRTYU=YI5KT3J9I-JOD92K!!!! THAT’S how excited I am for this game! It’s been developed by the legendary Studio Ghibli, who have produced some of the worlds best animes such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the EVER classic My Neighbor Totoro. Needless to say, the art in this game is going to be BEYOND epic and I’m DYING to play it. Anime, video games, fairies, AND childhood trauma?! WHAT DOES THIS GAME NOT HAVE!?

7. Amnesia: Machine for Pigs - Ok can we all pretty much agree that the original Amnesia was one of the scariest games ever? Good. What’s scarier than being chased by something you can’t see, but you can hear? Almost nothing, which is what made this game such a hit with gamers and stoners all over the world. Although Thechineseroom has been somewhat hush-hush on some of the details of MFP, the compony has promised that fans of TDD will NOT be disappointed, and promise a new gameplay even more twists and turns and of corse, heart-stopping scares.

6. Battlefield 4 - Why stop making a good thing, right? Because B4 is so newly announced, EA games has kept ALL details top secret, but gamers are on the edges of their seats, waiting for any info at all on their favorite shooter. All that we know, is that EA promises it will be twice as awesome as the third..and the second......and the first.

5. The Last of Us - If you feel cheated because the world didn’t end a few weeks ago, Now’s your chance to live it! Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, the player takes control of Joel (hey! thats my dads name!), one of the few survivors of a horrible infection that has killed millions, as you fight to survive alongside your partner, Ellie. It is a horrible depressing concept and I am SO excited to play it. ...don’t you judge me!

4. FIFA ’14 - Although the game is still in the very early stages of development, some super exciting rumors are flying such as the promise of adding even more international teams and for some reason, Peruvian clubs (?). Yeah, I don’t know either. I guess there’s going to be something for everyone this time around..?

3. Tomb Raider - Who doesn’t love Miss Lara Croft? It’s been a while since her last game, and Crystal Dynamics has definitely thrown in some new features such as a multi-player mode (I’m not really sure how that’s going to work, but alright). The game is the prequel to the story we all know and love, and we can finally discover how Croft’s screwed up past made her into the ass-kicking hottie that we have all come to know.

2. Grand Theft Auto 5 - Yes, the original silly gang bang game is back, and with interest! taking place in a Beverly Hills type of area, you play as three protagonists, each with a different story, but with the same goal: get money and kill anyone who gets in the way. Such is the American dream. Although you can’t date various whores anymore, you now have the option to simply flip people off, which is a more than fair trade-off to me.

1. The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Did this really come as a surprise to anyone? If it did, you’re stupid, but that’s ok, we can still be friends! Since the release of TWD season one, it has won over 70 ‘game of the year’ titles, and still continues to intrigue the entire world. During the game, you are forced to make split second choices that may, or may not, save someones life. Some of these choices may even come back to haunt you in horrific ways that you never saw coming. Some of the choices you made in the first game may even affect you in the second one, but, of corse the concept is still the same: survive at all costs!

TGA Game of the Year Awards 2012 Debate

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Created on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 19:12

Written by Anthony Ta

Here it is! Curious as to what it took to formulate our 2012 TGA Game of the Year Awards? It took hours of debating and fighting to formulate what has come to be the top picks for us here at The Gamer Access so of course we made sure to record every moment to ensure you, the fans, understand what went into these choices. Many staff members left disappointed while others left pissed, let's just say, no one left happy. Why? Just listen!

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The Gamer Access Game of the Year Awards - 2012 Award Winners

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Created on Monday, 31 December 2012 13:02

Written by Anthony Ta

Rules for the Awards

1. No collections/remakes are allowed except for the remake/collection, fighting, and portable categories.
2. Games and expansions that are ambiguous between “new” and “collections/remakes” will be judged solely on new content in normal categories.
3. Limit of one entry per game on the finishing list of “Most Memorable Moment” and “Best New Character.”
4. A game can be classified only in one genre.
5. Games in the top three of a category must have been played thoroughly by at least one staff member.
6. Staff members may filibuster as much as they want (including reading a phone book).
7. No ties are allowed.

Presentation Awards

Best Story

Honorable Mention – Journey

3. The Last Story

2. Spec Ops: The Line

Winner – The Walking Dead

Best New Character

Honorable Mention – Lee Everett – The Walking Dead

3. Javik – Mass Effect 3

2. Labrys – Persona 4 Arena

Winner - Clementine – The Walking Dead

Best New IP

3. Dust: An Elysian Tail

2. Dishonored

Winner – Dragon’s Dogma

Best Atmosphere

3. Spec Ops: The Line

2. The Walking Dead

Winner - Journey

Funniest Game

Honorable Mention – World of Warcraft: Mists of Panderia

3. Lollipop Chainsaw

2. Persona 4: The Golden

Winner – Penny Arcade’s on the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3

Most Unintentionally Hilarious Game

3. Just Dance 4

2. Far Cry 3

Winner – Madden NFL 13

Best Art Style

3. Persona 4 Arena

2. The Walking Dead

Winner – Journey

Best Graphics Design

3. Assassin’s Creed 3

2. Journey

Winner – Halo 4

Best Original Music

3. World of Warcraft: Mists of Panderia

2. Xenoblade Chronicles

Winner – Journey

Best Use of Licensed Music

3. Sound Shapes

2. Lumines Electronic Symphony

Winner – Dance Central 3

Best Sound Design

3. Halo 4

2. Diablo 3

Winner – Borderlands 2

Best Voice Action

3. Spec Ops: The Line

2. Persona 4: The Golden

Winner – The Walking Dead

Gameplay Awards

Best Single Player

3. Xenoblade Chronicles

2. Borderlands 2

Winner – Journey

Best Cooperative Multiplayer

3. Just Dance 4

2. Borderlands 2

Winner – Journey

Best Competitive Multiplayer

3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

2. Persona 4 Arena

Winner – Halo 4

Flat-Out Shittiest Game

3. Resident Evil: Raccoon City

2. Amy

Winner – Call of Duty: Declassified

Most Disappointing Game

3. Max Payne 3

2. Assassin’s Creed 3

Winner – Resident Evil 6

Best Game to Watch Others Play

3. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

2. Persona 4 Arena

Winner – Just Dance 4

Best Game No One Played

3. Xenoblade Chronicles

2. Spec Ops: The Line

Winner – Persona 4: The Golden

Best Downloadable Game

Honorable Mention – Penny Arcade’s on the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3

3. Fez

2. Journey

Winner – The Walking Dead

Best Downloadable Add-on/Content/Expansion

3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard

2. Dance Central 3 – Gangnam Style

Winner – World of Warcraft: Mists of Panderia

Best Puzzle Game

3. Lumines Electronic Symphony

2. Quantum Conundrum

Winner – Fez

Best Driving Game

3. Forza Horizon

2. Wipeout 2048

Winner – Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Best Platformer Game

3. Dust: An Elysian Tail

2. Sound Shapes

Winner – LittleBigPlanet Vita

Best Fighting Game

3. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

2. Dead or Alive 5

Winner – Persona 4 Arena

Best Sports Game

3. MLB 13: The Show

2. SSX

Winner – Madden NFL 13

Best Music and Rhythm Game

3. Just Dance 4 (Xbox 360 version)

2. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Winner – Dance Central 3

Best Shooter Game

3. Far Cry 3

2. Halo 4

Winner – Borderlands 2

Best Action/Adventure Game

3. Dishonored

2. The Walking Dead

Winner – Sleeping Dogs

Best Role-Playing Game

3. The Last Story

2. Diablo 3

Winner – Xenoblade Chronicles

Best Indie Game

3. Dust: An Elysian Tail

2. Fez

Winner – Journey

Best Multiplatform Game

Honorable Mention – Dishonored

3. Sleeping Dogs

2. The Walking Dead

Winner – Borderlands 2

TGA Special Awards

Best Collection/Remake

3. Mass Effect Trilogy

2. Persona 4: The Golden

Winner – God of War Saga

Best Game We Forgot Last Year Because We are Idiots

3. Assassin’s Creed Revelations

2. To The Moon

Winner – Driver: San Francisco

Most Memorable Moment

Honorable Mention – Mass Effect 3 – The Original Endings (Publicity obtained)

3. Spec Ops: The Line - Ending

2. Journey - Ending

Winner – The Walking Dead - Ending

System Awards

Best Nintendo DS Exclusive

3. Pokémon Conquest

2. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Winner – Virtue’s Last Reward

Best Nintendo 3DS Exclusive

3. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

2. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Winner – Resident Evil: Revelations

Best Playstation Vita Exclusive

Honorable Mention – Metal Solid Collection

3. LittleBigPlanet Vita

2. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Winner – Persona 4: The Golden

Best PC Exclusive

3. Dear Esther

2. Diablo 3

Winner – World of Warcraft: Mists of Panderia

Best Wii Exclusive

3. Kirby: 20th Anniversary

2. Xenoblade Chronicles

Winner – The Last Story

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive

3. Dance Central 3

2. Fez

Winner – Halo 4

Best PS3 Exclusive

3. Starhawk

2. Twisted metal

Winner - Journey

Platform of the Year

3. Nintendo 3DS

2. PlayStation 3

Winner - PC

Game of the Year

10. Assassin’s Creed 3 – Colonial America is an era in history that games never visit. Assassin’s Creed 3 proves the setting has great potential. Presentation gains high marks with excellent detail with the creation of the environments, well-choreographed cutscenes, and an interesting plotline. Assassinations deliver the satisfaction found in previous games, and the competent gameplay is reasonably accessible.

9. Far Cry 3 - Far Cry 3 is one of those games where the main story takes a back seat to all the crazy things you can do. From hang gliding across the island into an enemy camp being attacked by a tiger, to going on a hunting mission that ends up in a car chase heading off a cliff and into the ocean where a fight with a shark ensues. It is madness and insanity incarnate. Crazy moments and fluent gameplay puts Far Cry 3 on the list.

8. Twisted Metal - It's been a long time since car combat games have been relevant. Seeing a Twisted Metal game come out in 2012 was pretty odd. That said, it is fantastic. Twisted Metal takes the spirit of the 90s games and makes everything modern. The controls are superb, it looks great, and the online, when Sony got it to work, was a blast, much like the weapons in the game. Also, it is hard not to love blowing up everything at high speeds while listening to “I Can’t Drive 55.”

7. Persona 4 Arena - Persona 4 Arena is one of the best fighting games in the past couple of years, but in achieving further greatness, it went the extra mile to be accessible. With a fantastic set of tutorials, challenges, and wide timing windows anybody can learn, Persona 4 Arena's incredibly deep mechanics and fun style of fighting assures its place on this list. The presentation is top notch, with a great story, gorgeous 2D graphics, and a soundtrack that will be stuck in your head for weeks.

6. The Last Story - Few games create, and use narrative, art, and music to the immaculate level of detail found in The Last Story. Even fewer games are able to create and use these same elements to forge an experience that cannot be found nor imitated by anything else for a very long time. The narrative does not have many original ideas, but execution was expertly handled, and the localized voice acting is incredible. The combat drives a thrilling feel, and the multiplayer features enticing cooperative boss battles. Ultimately, The Last Story is an example how presentation can be used to deliver an experience unlike any other.

5. Fez - There are a very small number of games today that can inspire a sense of wonder, and test abilities to solve problems. Few can function as a game to mindlessly wander through, collect, and see the world, yet can be challenging mentally. Fez is less a puzzle/platformer, and more of a platformer that turns into a puzzle. The platforming inspires and pleases, and even allows finishes on a somewhat satisfying note. But there is a puzzle game hidden within the jumping, nearly nullifying the importance of all the jumping around and climbing. By solving the puzzles, play time doubles, creating lasting appeal. Few games can be so simple, yet be so complex. Few can aspire to be so much with so little and come out on top. Fez does just that.

4. Halo 4 - Halo 4 is a great first attempt for the new Halo development team. It does so many things right, that it is hard to fault it for not doing much new or different. The campaign is extremely polished even if a bit short. The competitive multiplayer is incredibly compelling, dropping the traditional Halo style for a customizable class system. Then the Spartan Ops weekly missions will keep fans coming back for months. Halo 4 is a complete package: single player, multiplayer, co-op.

3. Journey – It is rare for a game to have an experience like Journey. Everything just feels right, from the gorgeous art and animation, to the Grammy-nominated soundtrack and fluid controls. It is a tale of the Hero’s Journey, told with unparalleled simplicity and style. It is an adventure where every encounter with other players is cherished. Journey is an experience that is difficult to fault.

2. Borderlands 2 – Borderlands 2 is a huge game, starting with the seemingly infinite selection of weaponry. Then there is the massive world of Pandora with the flare of the comic book art style and environment variety reflecting Pandora’s nature. Charm is delivered through the humorous personalities of Handsome Jack and Clap-Trap. The cooperative gameplay further enhances the game, and the gameplay delivers a great step forward from its predecessor.

1. The Walking Dead - The Game Access’s Game of the Year for 2012 is The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead is a game that will be remembered ten years from now for setting a new benchmark for games. The writing, pacing, and characters are not just defining by the standard of games, but by the standards of any medium. The narrative is effectively flawless. Decisions are remembered and have an impact in the game world, and also deliver emotional significance. The presentation mirrors the comic book, and the music always fits the tone of the moment. The story explores the entire human emotional spectrum with great amounts of sadness, as well as lighthearted moments of success. It all leads to one of the most heartbreaking endings in gaming history. The Walking Dead is not just a good point-and-click adventure game. It is not just a game with a great story. The Walking Dead is a perfectly executed point-and-click adventure game with narration that redefines the benchmark on how storytelling is judged. The Walking Dead is The Gamer Access’s 2012 Game of the Year.

3 Sonic Characters That Must Be Brought Back

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Created on Thursday, 20 September 2012 14:53

Written by Tiffaney Williams

Everyone has their own set of favorite characters no matter what genre of entertainment you are talking about, movies, story books and computer games. Ask any fan of a certain genre’s franchise about their favorite characters and you will surely hear a huge ramble about how they hated it when their favorite character was discontinued. The same emotions can be applied to the fans of the Sonic game franchise. In case you are still to make up your mind regarding which Sonic characters must be brought back, here is a list of the 3 most demanded ones:

1. Sonic The Fighters

According to many Sonic game loyalists and industry experts who have been following this franchise closely over the years, the character of Sonic the Fighter is the most interesting of the lot. This is owing to the fact that the character is a wholesome one with all the necessary cool moves and fighting skills which is the epicenter of all the Sonic games.

These factors make up to such a strong voice for the bringing back of the Sonic the Fighter character in future installations of the game. Whether the developers of the franchise will give in to these demands or not is something only time can tell. But it can be safely inferred that they will benefit heavily if that happens.

2. Chaos

One thing that can be attributed as a common factor between all arcade styled superhero games is the fact that the water characters have been considered the coolest of the lot. The same applies for the Sonic franchise of games with fans of the fame clamoring for the developers to bring back chaos in future installations of the game.

What many find yucky about Chaos also happens to be one characteristic that makes him such a loved figure for the others, the fact that you can see his brains! Isn’t that cool? Chaos happens to be one of the most favorite boss battles of any Sonic game fan.

3. Fang

Many new generation Sonic fans believe that Shadow is the only character in sonic that can use a gun. Well, young kids, you are gravely mistaken. Fang was the first ever Sonic character which yielded a gun and that makes him a downright favorite for reappearing in future sonic games.

A game is made into a memorable game not only by its storyline, graphics and gameplay, but also by the characters it spawns over the years. You can revive the thrill and adventure of the above two characters at sonic games 365.

Escapist Expo Recap

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Created on Monday, 17 September 2012 12:29

Written by Nick McCandless

The Escapist, an online tabloid directed towards gaming culture, just completed their very first Escapist Expo at the newly renovated Durham Convention Center during the weekend of September 14-16, 2012. On the behalf of WRAL, I was in attendance as a member of the media checking out the various exhibitors and their booths and to call the convention a success, especially for the very first expo, would be an understatement. Read more!