best of 2013: miscellaneous pt. 1

Next up on the agenda, we have a list of my favorite things from 2013 that aren't movies or books.  Of course, I must start with the usual notes:

• Not all of these made their debut in 2013, but that's when I first played/used/saw them.
  
• This list is heavy on the video games, but I didn't have enough to give them their own list.  (Making a list of 8 would have been kind of weird, and I couldn't bring myself to make a list of 5 and knock 3 deserving candidates off.)  Some of them are available on more than one console; I used the cover art for the system on which I played it.  Also, because the original reviews are too long to repost here, I've given a truncated version instead.  If you want to read the full review, I've noted the month I reviewed it in parentheses.
  
• These things are listed in random order.
  
• As always, your mileage may vary.

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Sherlock Holmes is dealing with a blow to his reputation when he discovers the horribly mutilated body of a bishop.  Can Holmes (accompanied by his trusted friend Watson, of course) find the true culprits and clear his name?  An intriguing storyline with some genuinely funny moments and some very clever puzzles made this a fun surprise.  (February)

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My moisturizer has SPF30 in it, which of course is vitally important, but it does lead to an unpleasant film on my face by the end of the day, especially if I've been sweating.  These wipes get rid of every last trace of moisturizer and grime, and they smell absolutely amazing.  Cute packaging too!

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(Note: this picture doesn't show which system we played it on, but it was the PS3.)

Perennial fan favorites Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield fight horrifying creatures (but, astoundingly, no zombies) on a deserted cruise ship.  A welcome return to Resident Evil's survival horror roots.  (August)

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RPGs aren't generally my thing, but I wanted to play this because it was developed by Vanillaware, who created Odin Sphere, one of my ten favorite video games of all time.  Choose a stock fantasy character (mage, elf, sorceress, fighter, amazon, or dwarf) and search for the legendary Dragon's Crown while plowing through waves of enemies.  As you'd expect from Vanillaware, it's absolutely gorgeous, and while the gameplay does get repetitive, it's still quite fun.  (August)

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(Note: the above video is NSFW due to language/thematic content, but it does NOT include any visuals from the infamous video it's riffing on.)

G-Vo said that Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) is like The Dave Chappelle Show with a white chick.  High praise indeed, and well deserved; this show is hysterically funny, and it's even managed to shock us more than once.

Part 2 coming next week!