John Lucero’s Picks
Jade Empire
Ah, Jade Empire, the lost Bioware game. I haven’t been involved with GAJ very long, but in my short time I’ve discovered the shared passion for the genre defining Mass Effect series. That is the crux of why I want to play Jade Empire. It’s a game in the vein of one of my all-time favorite series and I just have to know if it’s a hidden gem or better off as a forgotten relic. Plus, martial arts Mass Effect sounds pretty dope.
Star Wars: Knight of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
I have a confession to make – I’ve never beaten KotOR. I have played it, but by the time that happened I had already had the twist ending spoiled for me. Not being a huge Star Wars fan to begin with this killed my enthusiasm. KotOR II on the other hand is a game I could go into completely blind. Not many people talk about this game in any way so I honestly don’t know what kind of experience I’d be in store for which actually really excites me. In today’s internet age, it’s rare to avoid having any preconceived notions of a thing before experiencing it. I’d hope to take advantage of this rarity before it’s too late.
Jet Set Radio Future
Style and color will always attract me to a game. Jet Set Radio has that in spades. As a pack in game for the original Xbox, it’s remembered fondly for giving new owners a gaming experience like no other (well, except or the first one, Jet Grind Radio). Skating around a futuristic city tagging everything in sight with graffiti was a blast made even better by the game’s awesome soundtrack. An update could increase the size of the city and give it more acceptable mission design in this day and age. Make those colors pop and that soundtrack blare and you’ve got me and countless others there day one to grind some rails and deface public property.
Psychonauts
This is one of those games that has earned cult classic status in the decade since its poor selling release. A couple years ago I decided to see what all the fuss was about. What I found was a game that I didn’t particularly like playing. It oozed that style I like so much with its fun psychic summer camp setting and awesomely conceived levels inside the minds of the many weird and unique campers and counselors. The feel and controls just didn’t do the game justice though. Not to mention the old school mission design that made such interesting areas as the now legendary milk man area feel like a chore. Psychonauts would greatly benefit from the care that went into its world design being put into the rest of it. It would go from a cult classic to simply a classic.
Burnout 3: Takedown
Speed and jaw-dropping crashes, that is what defines the second best Burnout game (the near perfect Burnout Paradise doesn’t qualify for the list). Burnout 3: Takedown is the distillation of what makes racing games fun. Go as fast you can until you hit something, then watch in awe as the game slows down to show you the exact repercussions of your mistake. Awesome modes like Road Rage and Eliminator are what brought you there but it was the awesome crashes and “aftertouch” system that made you stay. As racing games lean more and more into realism, I find myself hoping for a return of this legendary series. With the current state of Criterion making that seem like a pipe dream, I’ll settle for some more Takedown. And by settle, I mean welcome with open arms because hot damn Burnout 3 is amazing.
