TSA’s Top 100 of 2013: 25-21 – Puppeteer, Metal Gear Rising & Pikmin 3

We’re now in the final quarter of our most anticipated games to release next year. I know some of you have your own lists you’re comparing with, so let’s see if we agree on what we’re excited about. Today’s list has quite the mix of genres from adventure to FPS.

25. Puppeteer

Puppeteer is a game I’m personally excited about due to its design. Announced at Gamescom this year, Puppeteer ended speculation about what it was after a trademark was first filed for the game in 2010 with a very interesting trailer. The game is being developed by Japan Studio, and directed by Gavin Moore who worked on The Getaway and Siren: Blood Curse.

The plot of the game follows Kutaro who loses his head after being captured by the Moon Bear King. Kutaro steals the King’s magical scissors, Calibrus, and sets off on an adventure to regain his head. He does this by finding other discarded heads which give him unique powers. Kutaro also has a companion in the form of a ghostly cat named Ying Yang, who is controlled using the right analog stick.

It all sounds a bit morbid, and indeed the trailer gives it a dark tone, but the design seems to be pretty unique. The actual story takes place on a stage, with scenes and props changing to indicate change in location and progression. Gavin Moore says that this approach allowed for the the 3D presentation to be a lot sharper. Graphically wise it looks quite similar to the LittleBigPlanet games. A solid release date hasn’t been announced but it will release in 2013.

24. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has had quite the eventful history. Originally the game was announced in 2009 as Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and was to be set between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4, revealing details of how Raiden became a cyborg. In 2010 a new trailer excited fans with a look at the cutting system, which showed Raiden’s ability to cut through anything with his sword.

However, 2 years after the initial announcement Metal Gear Solid: Rising was on the verge of cancellation as Kojima Productions were finding it difficult to work with the cutting technique.  During this time Kojima asked Platinum Games, developers of Bayonetta and Vanquish, to take over production duties. Platinum agreed though with the stipulation that game events were changed to allow more flexibility during development. On December 10 2011 at the Spike VGAs Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was announced.

No longer considered a part of the the Metal Gear Solid storyline, Revengeance has become a spin off title with fast paced action replacing the original concept of stealth. Platinum Games have really put their mark on the game, which looks to play more like Bayonetta than a Metal Gear title, and that change in style has received mixed reactions from fans. We’ll be able to experience those changes in full in late February.

23. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots

The Rainbow Six games have become an industry standard when it comes to squad based shooters. The last two Rainbow Six games, Vegas and Vegas 2 were both critically acclaimed titles so Patriots has quite a lot to live up to. The most obvious change is in the game’s title going from Six to 6, though it isn’t the 6th title in the series.

The game is set in New York and follows Team Rainbow who are sent in to take down a militia group called the True Patriots. Their goal is to represent the people who have suffered due to economic inequality through any means necessary.

Patriots is another game that has had quite a few changes, with the game engine moving away from Unreal to the Anvil engine, the same engine used in the Assassin’s Creed games. There have also been back room changes with members of the development team being replaced.  These changes have put into doubt when Rainbow 6: Patriots will be released, with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stating the game could be pushed back to the next gen of consoles.

22. Remember Me

Capcom announced Remember Me at Gamescom back in August as a rebranding of Adrift, which was first announced at 2011’s Gamescom conference. The game itself is being developed by French studio Dontnod Entertainment and is the company’s first project.

Remember Me looks like a title that could bring something quite interesting to the table with the memory remixing mechanic, which allows protagonist Nilin to change or erase a person’s memories. In fact the plot of the game is based upon Nilin herself having her memory erased, and she’s on a mission to find out why. The setting of a dystopian Paris in 2084 looks stunning, and I’m quite excited to explore it. Remember Me will release in May on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

21. Pikmin 3

Announced back at Nintendo’s E3 conference Pikmin 3 is the next instalment in  the Pikmin series, releasing nine years after its predecessor. Pikmin 3 was supposed to be a launch title for the Wii U, but has been pushed back to a Q2 2013 release.

Pikmin 3 will follow the series staples of allowing players to control 100 Pikmin to conduct various tasks such as building, or fighting enemies. All the old types of Pikmin will return and at least two new Pikmin types have been revealed. There’s the Rock Pikmin that has extra strength, and a Pink Pikmin though its attributes are unknown.

Players will be able to control up to four Pikmin at a time, double of that from Pikmin 2. However, Captain Olimar isn’t a playable character. Pikmin 3 will use the Wii U GamePad as a map display of the current environment.

We’ll return with five more games tomorrow when we break into the top twenty.