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Top 5 Xbox LIVE Arcade Titles of the Year So Far

The gaming industry is entering into a new generation where downloadable titles rule right alongside major releases. The flexibility for independent developers to publish their product on a highly popular platform like the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or mobile device has now become more accessible than ever, and the industry, and gamers, are reaping the benefits. This new generation of downloadable titles allow the most creative ideas to reach distribution with many development companies consisting of only a few individuals or even a single person. With great titles such as Angry Birds, Journey, Sound Shapes and others, Xbox LIVE Arcade has to go up against some tough competition, but the system has one of the best lineups of downloadable games you'll find, and here are the Top 5 Xbox LIVE Arcade Titles of the Year So Far.

5. Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013
Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 added many new features to an already great franchise. The addition of the all new Planechase game mode added a fantastic new way to play the game while numerous minor enhancements gave us the best presentation the Duels of the Planeswalkers series has ever seen. Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is one of the most addictive titles on Xbox LIVE Arcade, and the massive new decks with 30 unlockable cards each will have you playing the game for long periods of time trying to receive every card for your favorite decks in the game.

4. Dust: An Elysian Tail Dust
An Elysian Tail was easily the best of a stacked lineup of games featured in the Xbox LIVE Summer of Arcade promotion for 2012 proving that Microsoft wanted to save its best for last. This gem combines action RPG gameplay as you'd find in the Castlevania series with unrivaled artwork, a great soundtrack and a storyline that is well worth experiencing for yourself. You play as a skilled warrior named Dust who has lost his memory and sets off with two new companions to free the world from a tyrannical rule. The game features a really entertaining combat system and interesting puzzles to boot. Check this game out on Xbox LIVE Arcade today!

3. Spelunky
Spelunky is one of the best Xbox LIVE Arcade titles to come out in quite some time, and it's also one of the most difficult ever. The unforgiving game utilizes randomly generated levels, plenty of items, tons of secrets and permadeath to ensure you never grow tired of playing Spelunky. The game even features cooperative multiplayer and deathmatch modes to mix up the action when needed. Spelunky is platforming gameplay at its finest, and if it weren't for its unrelenting difficulty, it could be the best game Xbox LIVE Arcade has ever seen.

2. Minecraft
Minecraft for Xbox 360 released only a few months ago, but the game almost instantly became the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade title of all-time and has set numerous other records since its release. The game is also the most played Xbox LIVE Arcade game for every week since it has been released and is usually only played less than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 according to Xbox LIVE statistics. That said, the game can't be ranked first on the list, because the game had been overplayed even before it was released for Xbox 360, and the PC version is still superior to the Xbox LIVE Arcade version. Minecraft is still a fantastic game that every Xbox 360 gamer should own however, so check it out today!.

1. The Walking Dead
What's left for The Walking Dead? The franchise has produced one of the best comic book series ever, an award winning television show, this fantastic downloadable series, and now, there is a yet another video game from a different developer on the way. Telltale's contribution to the franchise remains unique in that it doesn't center around the Rick Grime's led group, and it has only featured a few characters from the series so far. The game focuses heavily on storytelling in a character driven narrative that will have you getting to know an amazing cast of characters you really care about only to have them fall victim to the horrors of the zombie apocalypse. The game presents many psychological conflicts, plenty of drama, interesting puzzles and enough action to keep the game moving forward. Everyone should play this game, as it is easily the most approachable on this list, and the best part is that we still have two more episodes remaining in the first season of the game!

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