Most Anticipated 2013: Ozzie's Picks

The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2013 individually. Next up we've got staff writer Ozzie Mejia's list of 2013 titles.

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There's a lot to be excited for in 2013, and the Shacknews staff each have five games on their radar. The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2013 individually. Next up, we've got staff writer Ozzie Mejia's list of next year's titles.
Deadpool I'm a comic book geek and it's easy to be disappointed by certain licenses not living up to their video game potential. I'm looking at you, Spider-Man! I have no such fear for Deadpool, which blew me away with its debut trailer at this year's Comic-Con. Deadpool looks to retain everything that makes its monthly comic titles so much fun--wanton violence (hello, M rating!), self-referential meta humor, and a whole lot of weaponry. Plus, former Deadpool writer Daniel Way is penning the script to give this game another degree of authenticity. With High Moon Studios coming off their fantastic interpretation of the Transformers universe, I have every reason to expect the same kind of faithful treatment for the Merc with a Mouth. Also, Nolan North returns to voice the character! It's everything a Deadpool fan could ask for.
South Park: The Stick of Truth This sounds familiar. It feels like I've mentioned this game before. OK, so much like the Madden Cover curse, I may have jinxed South Park: The Stick of Truth by including it in my Most Anticipated list for last year. That doesn't mean I'm not still stoked for its "fiscal 2014" (i.e. likely 2013) release. The Spike VGA's trailer confirmed everything I was hoping for from this game. It looks like an episode of the TV series come to life. A lot of that is thanks to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's direct involvement and they don't skimp on callbacks to the show. They even remembered the "Visitors" from the show's very first episode. Add all of this fan service to an Obsidian-helmed RPG and this game will become a must-have for anyone that's ever enjoyed an episode of South Park. I just hope it's not delayed any further or I might end up writing this again for next year's list.

This is the only image so far, but Ozzie is still excited

Saints Row: Enter the Dominatrix (a.k.a. "The Next Great Sequel in the Saints Row Franchise") Given THQ's financial troubles, it's risky to throw any of their games into a Most Anticipated list for 2013. Yet here's the second THQ title to crack my list. While I didn't like Saints Row: The Third as much as I did Saints Row 2, I was still excited to read about plans for an ambitious expansion called Enter the Dominatrix. Apparently, THQ and Volition were just as excited as I was, because the plan quickly became to turn Enter the Dominatrix into a full-blown sequel for 2013. I was a big fan of the Matrix movies up until they turned into a trainwreck, so I'm eager to see the concept get the Saints Row treatment. Volition and THQ have been tight-lipped about Enter the Dominatrix so far, aside from a whole lot of PR buzzwords and buildup. But the series has yet to truly disappoint, adding more outrageous side quest ideas for each game. I have no idea what they'll come up for an entire virtual world, but I can't wait to find out. With Grand Theft Auto 5 looking to continue the genre's push into more mature narratives, I'll be happy to go in the other direction with Saints Row's continuation into full-blown wackiness.
LEGO City Undercover LEGO City Undercover looks to go where the Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row series dare not tread. It looks to maintain all the elements of those open-world sandbox games, but with a flair for humor that appeals to all age groups. Looking every bit like a cheesy 80's cop show, LEGO City Undercover supplements a humorous pedigree with some intriguing gameplay elements. Living up to its name, the player can don a number of disguises to blend into a situation. But what has me especially intrigued is the game's use of the GamePad, which can be used to receive new mission objectives or as an infrared sensor to flush out criminals. There are a number of games in this genre that put players into the role of a criminal or gangster, but few offer the opportunity to play as a cop. LEGO City Undercover gives me a chance to tap into my inner Riggs and live just about every cop cliché in the book with a unique LEGO flavor. It's also one of the few upcoming Nintendo-exclusive titles that shows genuine promise.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance I have to be honest, I wasn't on board with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for a long time. Sure, Platinum's take on the franchise looked like it could be an interesting action romp, but it didn't feel like it would be all that faithful to the Metal Gear franchise. Then I went hands-on with it and everything changed. Platinum and Kojima Productions' collaboration builds upon the Metal Gear narrative, creating a whole new compelling story that follows former MGS supporting character Raiden. Aside from cutting up cyborgs like something out of Kill Bill, I love that Revengeance tries to retain what I loved about the MGS series--stealth, offbeat humor, and dramatic (if lengthy) narrative cutscenes. One of the big draws for me is watching Raiden mature through his Codec exchanges with his new supporting cast. More than anything, though, I love that this is Raiden's story through and through. I'm looking forward to watching the naïve frontman from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty grow up before my eyes.
Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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    December 25, 2012 9:00 AM

    Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Most Anticipated 2013: Ozzie's Picks.

    The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2013 individually. Next up we've got staff writer Ozzie Mejia's list of 2013 titles.

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