Get Into: XIII

XIII isn't exactly a perfect first person shooter, but damn, when it shines, it really shines.

But let's get the negatives out of the way - first off, if you're buying this boxed (for the PC), you'll be treated to 4 CDs... yeah, this one should be downloaded (don't worry, you can find it on gog.com or getgamesgo.com - no need to be a pirate, yarr?). Secondly, it's far from the most original playing shooter, with some linear bits and big arena bits on top of what could be considered some fragg em up fests - that, or be sneaky. Thirdly, dual inventories... ehh, sometimes, they can be the death of you when you want to use the grappling hook, especially when some could be confined to an action button. Believe it or not, less buttons being pressed can mean the difference between using the hook and getting shot to death. Finally, Intermediate Y U NO GIVE US SEQUEL!?

Now onto the positives. First off, it has a very neat art style. It's cel shaded, but unlike Wind Waker, it's not to be bright and colorful - it's to go along with the comic book stylings of the cutscenes, and that's not to mention the fact that by the way it's done, it manages to look cool while you kick ass. Secondly, the story may feel like your usual amnesia story, but after a little bit of time, it's about conspiracies and other potentially interesting things, and each time a scene pops up, it develops the story further and keeps your interest as you learn more about yourself and about the people you're fighting against, especially with some excellent voice acting (for the most part - some are a bit "eh") backing them up. Thirdly, the soundtrack consists of jazz, which is different from what you usually get (from midis to upbeat techno and now epic symphonies) and sounds very, very cool... in fact, everything about this game is cool: the art style, the story and especially the music. And finally, the AI is actually pretty good. In an age of scripted AI and just generally mediocre/derpy AI (and it's still like that today, I'm afraid - actually, I think it's worse because they should know better at this point), it's amazing that you can actually get challenged by the enemies, especially on the hardest difficulty setting. It's like they know what they're doing and can respond adequately to what you're doing. It's great!

So yeah, it's not the best shooter ever, but it's certainly the coolest. :3

Get Into: Dustforce

Ahh, two indie games in a row... in one night. I'm amazed that it's not by the same person (screw you, Gryzor =P).

Anyway, Dustforce is a platformer where you must clean up a level - whether it's enemies or leaves on the ground, you bet you're cleaning it! The idea is to keep your movement flowing like a river, knowing exactly where to jump to, where to jump from, and when to strike down your enemies... while in mid-air. Yes folks, you get to basically move in the air through the use of double jumps and aerial dashes, which can only be used once, but will be recharged after you defeat an enemy. I mean, ground movement is fine, but as you progress, you'll want more, and you'll realize that moving like a ninja is the best way to achieve success and maximum fun efficiency.

Add the fantastic graphics and excellent soundtrack, and you've got yourself quite a game on your hands. Certainly the best way to start 2012 (certainly better than fucking Amy!). I'm sorry this post isn't very in-depth, but it only came out yesterday and I didn't get much else out of it than that. Theoretically speaking, "Get Into" posts cover older games we may have forgotten, but here we are, recommending two indie games, with one from last year combining rhythm with statistics (that one being Sequence), and the other from yesterday being a platformer all about aerial flow and timing (this one). We'll cut down on the newer games that we most certainly recommend, though. =)