December 16 – December 22

Section: 

The sequel to what was arguably last year's Game of the Year leads a week dense with downloadable games as we barrel down the last few weeks of 2013. It's funny, because it's almost like everyone forgot in the hustle and bustle of new console launches and big fall releases that the followup to last year's critical darling The Walking Dead was right around the corner. But here we are with Season Two, Episode 1 ready to be released on the Xbox 360 and PC.

It's interesting how the dynamic of games "sneaking up" on us has become a real sensation over the past few years. Even with this weekly feature, the reality is that by focusing on what's officially on the release schedule, I'm scraping only a part of the overall list of game content available most weeks. It seems I can't fire up Steam without seeing three or four games I've never heard of in their featured list, most of them either early-access betas or independent titles made by a couple of folks with no marketing budget.

And these are just incidental diversions. Games like The Stanley Parable, Papers Please and Gone Home were these little, surprise gems that no one took note of in advance, and yet have helped create some of my most vivid gaming memories of the year. Now there's word that The Novelist, another game I'd never heard of before, is following in similar footsteps.

I know the temptation can be there to roll eyes at games like these, and dismiss them as the hipster nonsense of gamer-snobs. Hell, maybe there's even some truth in that, but in an age where one of the core criticisms has been the homogenization of games, an age of cries of creative bankruptcy, it's wonderful having prevalent games that are stretching their wings to find new ways of delivering story in a unique medium. And I include The Walking Dead, a game which is far more story than game, in that effort.

PC
- Dementium II HD (download - $15)
- The Walking Dead: Season Two - Episode 1 (download)

PS4
- flOw (download - $6)
- The Pinball Arcade

Xbox 360
- The Walking Dead: Season Two - Episode 1 (download)

PS3
- Mutant Mudds Deluxe (download)
- Toki Tori (download)

Wii U
- Knytt Underground (download)

Vita
- BIT.TRIP Presents Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (download)
- Eufloria HD (download)
- flOw (download - $6)
- Furmins (download)
- Indoor Sports World (download - $5)
- Mutant Mudds Deluxe (download)
- Sparkle (download)
- Terraria (download - $15)

3DS
- 3D Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (download - $6)
- 3D Streets of Rage (download - $6)
- Banana Bliss: Jungle Puzzles (download - $4)
- Winter Sports: Feel the Spirit (download)

Comments

Dementium II HD on PC?!? As in the DS game is getting a PC release?!? Weird.

Not listed is Minecraft releasing on the PS3 tomorrow, the 17th. Not that anyone here cares, as I'm sure everyone here that is or was interested in the game has already played it on another platform.

The sequel to what was arguably last year's Game of the Year leads a week dense with downloadable games as we barrel down the last few weeks of 2013.

Not "arguably". The Walking Dead was the Gamers With Jobs Community Game of the Year for 2012.

MeatMan wrote:

Not listed is Minecraft releasing on the PS3 tomorrow, the 17th. Not that anyone here cares, as I'm sure everyone here that is or was interested in the game has already played it on another platform.

I don't care, but not because I played it on another platform, or that I'm not interested in minecraft in general.

I'm waiting for the PS4 and Vita versions myself. PS3's a legacy console now, and at this point I'm only buying exclusives that won't come to either the Vita or PS4 for it.

(As for waiting to get minecraft until now... I've been avoiding it because the last thing I need is another huge timesink to play on a home console, phone, or desktop computer, but I guess I'll dabble with it if it's on Vita.)

I probably won't be able to grab Walking Dead Season 2 Ep. 1 (gaaaaah so many words) until after the holidays, but part of me is wondering if I want to wait until they're all released anyway. I know it was too much emotionally for some, but I was able to get through all of season one in less than a week and loved it.

Might want to do the same for Season 2.

Walking Dead Season 2 isn't novel; it will be very much like Walking Dead Season 1.

I just got season 1 of The Walking Dead for a friend for Christmas.

The front page article "Draw your Sword" here at GWJ started me thinking and talking about narrative in video games with this friend, and hopefully we'll get some time to play through season 1 together (neither of us has played it).

I don't know whether that will get me so psyced that I buy season 2 as it's being released, or whether I'll wait until the whole thing is on sale (like I did with season 1).

Oops! Accidentally posted twice!

LudensCogitet wrote:

I just got season 1 of The Walking Dead for a friend for Christmas.

The front page article "Draw your Sword" here at GWJ started me thinking and talking about narrative in video games with this friend, and hopefully we'll get some time to play through season 1 together (neither of us has played it).

I don't know whether that will get me so psyced that I buy season 2 as it's being released, or whether I'll wait until the whole thing is on sale (like I did with season 1).

The Telltale stuff really has me on watch for when video games start getting cross-over notice from Movie critics. After I played through The Wolf Among Us I realized that this adventure game formula is extremely solid and the games will always be as good as their writing.

By the way, The Wolf Among Us is excellent. So refreshing to play a character like Bigsby.

I loved Walking Dead Season 1. I actually put it right below Grim Fandango as my favorite adventure game ever. It got me watching the TV show, something I never would have done otherwise as I generally hate horror stuff.

Telltale is taking a beating on Wolf Among Us as a fair amount of time has passed with no word on when episode 2 will be out. But I bought the season pass and will be all over it when it does arrive.

Just like I will be all over Season 2 of TWD!

Assassin's Creed IV DLC also drops this week. It looks like it might be the AssCreed with the most likeable/relatable protagonist in the series since, well, ever. Not that that's saying a whole lot, but still.

3D Streets of Rage? Got to see this...

LudensCogitet wrote:

Oops! Accidentally posted twice!

Welcome my son/daughter. You have arrived as they say.

LudensCogitet wrote:

I just got season 1 of The Walking Dead for a friend for Christmas.

The front page article "Draw your Sword" here at GWJ started me thinking and talking about narrative in video games with this friend, and hopefully we'll get some time to play through season 1 together (neither of us has played it).

Then our mission is accomplished.

Stele wrote:

3D Streets of Rage? Got to see this...

Yes.

Also not listed: Filth of the Dead, released yesterday. It's a DLC add-on for Typing of the Dead. Looks to be crude as hell, but that's the whole point. And I must admit that I'm now somewhat interested in playing the game, just to experience the ridiculousness of this DLC.

All Typing of the Dead and House of the Dead Overkill are is ridiculousness.

Also on the zombie front, looks like early access for DayZ just opened up. Anyone dipped their toes yet? I'm fascinated by the concept but everyone kept saying to wait for the standalone so i have.

Keithustus wrote:

Walking Dead Season 2 isn't novel; it will be very much like Walking Dead Season 1.

I'd argue that playing as a preteen girl is pretty novel, particularly in a zombie apocalypse setting, but I've yet to play it, it's downloading as we speak.
Sure didn't sneak up on me, I've been waiting for this to come out for weeks!!! Sure can't wait to fire it up!

Well, this is interesting. A game called Motor Racing released on Steam this week. Why is it interesting? Because it's essentially a remake of Blizzard's Rock 'n Roll Racing. It seems the devs were using the name "Rock 'n Roll Racing 3D" up until late October, when they changed it to Motor Rock.

I probably would have never known that this game existed if not for TotalBiscuit releasing a WTF Is video for it today, in which he shows just how close to the original game this new one is.

MeatMan wrote:

Well, this is interesting. A game called Motor Racing released on Steam this week. Why is it interesting? Because it's essentially a remake of Blizzard's Rock 'n Roll Racing. It seems the devs were using the name "Rock 'n Roll Racing 3D" up until late October, when they changed it to Motor Rock.

I probably would have never known that this game existed if not for TotalBiscuit releasing a WTF Is video for it today, in which he shows just how close to the original game this new one is.

Color me interested.

That's one of the best SNES games. Even played it this century sometimes when I got an emulator working with online play and could play with some of my friends in other cities and relive some of our youth.

Thanks! I haven't enjoyed a racing game since RnRR. Is there any Forza or Gran Turismo or Formula 1, anything like that, but with weapons? Racing just isn't fun without them.

Keithustus wrote:

Thanks! I haven't enjoyed a racing game since RnRR. Is there any Forza or Gran Turismo or Formula 1, anything like that, but with weapons? Racing just isn't fun without them.

Yeah, but they're mostly cheap indie games. Post Apocalyptic Mayhem. Carnage Racing. Blur.

A new Carmageddon will be out next year.

They're all arcade racers though.

Junk. All I want is a Forza/GT-quality racer with a gatling gun. Is that too much to ask?

Thread resurrection!

Wow, unbelievable! Motor Rock (an audio-copyright-infringing but updated remake of Blizzard's excellent 1993 SNES game, Rock n' Roll Racing) is still available on Steam, just not on the store. The final post (before I go thank him) on that NeoGaf page says he was able to buy a Steam key by paying $3 to the devs on their webpage. Since it uses Paypal and is only $3, I just gave it a shot. The key appeared successfully once I completed the Paypal transaction, entering the key in Steam added Motor Rock to my account, and I just played several races! The rear view is better than isometric.[/quote]