timetokill
Banned
I think he'll still do that for us if we ask him to
Maybe even if we don't ask him to
-
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GAF Games of the Year 2012 - Voting Thread, now closed. Thanks for all the fish.
- Thread starter timetokill
- Start date
I think he'll still do that for us if we ask him to
Maybe even if we don't ask him to
SourCinnamon
Member
1. The Walking Dead ; One of the best adventure games I have ever played: the perfect voice acting for Lee and Clem, the story development, the moral choices you have to make... I regret buying it only after the third episode.
2. Hotline Miami ; This is like the most bizarre gaming experience I had in this year. Surrealism + guns? Yeah, that's an awesome combination. Great soundtrack.
3. Faster Than Light
4. Mark of the Ninja
5. Botanicula
2. Hotline Miami ; This is like the most bizarre gaming experience I had in this year. Surrealism + guns? Yeah, that's an awesome combination. Great soundtrack.
3. Faster Than Light
4. Mark of the Ninja
5. Botanicula
1. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ; The most complete and deep fighter probably ever reelased. This retains the absolute free from style of combat the series is built upon of and pulls every single stop to complement it with every single mode, character, customization, soundtrack, background to appeal to anyone that ever cared about anything Tekken. This game also has the greatest netcode ever seen in a fighting game and considering the amount of informatin that has to be sent between each party it's a phenomenal achievement. TTT2 along with MGS4 is my GOTG.
2. Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
3. Skullgirls
4. Street Fighter X Tekken
5. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale
6. Rayman Origins
7. Trine 2
Those are all the 2012 games I bought this year.
EDIT:
2011: Dead Space 2
2. Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
3. Skullgirls
4. Street Fighter X Tekken
5. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale
6. Rayman Origins
7. Trine 2
Those are all the 2012 games I bought this year.
EDIT:
2011: Dead Space 2
1. The Walking Dead ; The best adventure game I've ever played and worlds better than previous Telltale games I'd dabbled with like the Back to the Future series. There were moments where I literally dropped the controller in amazement at what I was seeing. I also enjoyed the episodic format and really did enjoy spending a Friday night every month or two just playing the latest episode in a single sitting.
2. Sleeping Dogs ; I didn't really expect much of this going in because, quite frankly, it just sounded like another open world game. I love GTA, I really enjoyed Saints Row The Third, did I need another? Apparently so because a lot of hours have been spent on this. The story's pretty cool, the Batman-style combat's well done and a lot of it seems like a love letter to Hong Kong cinema. That's apparent in the two main story-centric pieces of DLC too.
3. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; I've played one Final Fantasy game, VIII. I love - LOVE - this game. It sounded absolutely absurd and I only played it because I was curious but it's genuinely fun. It's got levelling and a little battle system and GFs and chocobos and high scores and I think my total play time has been multiple days.
4. Halo 4 ; Never played a Halo game before this and I think it's a good jumping on point. The campaign's well done with some really cool graphical stuff (dem faces), the Tron enemies are pretty neat, there's a big robot level and that Haven map in multiplayer's good fun.
5. Max Payne 3 ; Much like with Halo 4, I'd never played a Max Payne game before so this came with none of the baggage of "I hope they don't cock this up". From my perspective the gunplay was really satisfying and extremely visceral at times - aim for the face and watch them EXPLODE - and the story had everything I'd expect from a Houser production. Also, props for sticking to painkillers and health bars, no need for health regen. Some good multiplayer too.
7. Kid Icarus: Uprising ; Probably one of the most ambitious games I've played on a handheld, at least a Nintendo one. It's got achievements, weapon combos, online deathmatches and lots to keep you coming back. The writing in the main game is genuinely funny, something I value highly in a video game, and the controls are totally fine once you get used to them.
8. Asura's Wrath ; SOOOOOOOOOOO ANGRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY *BURST*. Total guilty pleasure here because some of the third person beat em up stuff's not amazing but again, this seems like a love letter to the genre of anime. It's insane and shows that sometimes - sometimes - quick time events can be awesome. I paid for that DLC ending (Capcom) and it's so insane I didn't even mind. It was worth it.
There are lots of games I've not finished or don't feel comfortable about sticking on a list at this point in time like Dishonored and XCOM. Haven't finished Far Cry 3 and don't feel as positive about Assassin's Creed 3 as I hoped to which hurts me to say.
2. Sleeping Dogs ; I didn't really expect much of this going in because, quite frankly, it just sounded like another open world game. I love GTA, I really enjoyed Saints Row The Third, did I need another? Apparently so because a lot of hours have been spent on this. The story's pretty cool, the Batman-style combat's well done and a lot of it seems like a love letter to Hong Kong cinema. That's apparent in the two main story-centric pieces of DLC too.
3. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; I've played one Final Fantasy game, VIII. I love - LOVE - this game. It sounded absolutely absurd and I only played it because I was curious but it's genuinely fun. It's got levelling and a little battle system and GFs and chocobos and high scores and I think my total play time has been multiple days.
4. Halo 4 ; Never played a Halo game before this and I think it's a good jumping on point. The campaign's well done with some really cool graphical stuff (dem faces), the Tron enemies are pretty neat, there's a big robot level and that Haven map in multiplayer's good fun.
5. Max Payne 3 ; Much like with Halo 4, I'd never played a Max Payne game before so this came with none of the baggage of "I hope they don't cock this up". From my perspective the gunplay was really satisfying and extremely visceral at times - aim for the face and watch them EXPLODE - and the story had everything I'd expect from a Houser production. Also, props for sticking to painkillers and health bars, no need for health regen. Some good multiplayer too.
7. Kid Icarus: Uprising ; Probably one of the most ambitious games I've played on a handheld, at least a Nintendo one. It's got achievements, weapon combos, online deathmatches and lots to keep you coming back. The writing in the main game is genuinely funny, something I value highly in a video game, and the controls are totally fine once you get used to them.
8. Asura's Wrath ; SOOOOOOOOOOO ANGRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY *BURST*. Total guilty pleasure here because some of the third person beat em up stuff's not amazing but again, this seems like a love letter to the genre of anime. It's insane and shows that sometimes - sometimes - quick time events can be awesome. I paid for that DLC ending (Capcom) and it's so insane I didn't even mind. It was worth it.
There are lots of games I've not finished or don't feel comfortable about sticking on a list at this point in time like Dishonored and XCOM. Haven't finished Far Cry 3 and don't feel as positive about Assassin's Creed 3 as I hoped to which hurts me to say.
Cheesemeister
Member
Given that FFVIII sucks beyond belief, you're in for a treat should you ever play any other RPG in the series! But that's a debate for another topic.
1. Far Cry 3 ; QTEs, bad linear missions and a completely unorganic world hurt the game, but the characters, taking over outposts, open ended missions and the first few side missions are really great.
2. Dishonored ; When I first played this I didn't really like it that much, But after I enjoyed the stealth in Far Cry 3 I came back to it. It's well crafted, though a bit easy, and a predictable story and unsatisfactory bad ending.
3. Halo 4 ; Really pretty, though sometimes repetitive. Very polished.
4. Journey ; Charming and graceful. I love the co op, ending is a let down.
2011. Alice: Madness Returns ; The art, music and character are fantastic. The platforming is solid, but levels are way too long. Still, it left a lasting impression.
I'm not really satisfied with the ordering, as I don't feel like any particular game stood out above others this year. I think Far Cry 3's flaws should knock it down, but Dishonored has too many flaws to take the top spot. Maybe I'll try a no lethal run and think differently.
I watched a playthrough of The Walking Dead instead of playing it (perhaps a mistake), and found it at times both intense and moving, but I'm not going to vote for something I didn't play.
2. Dishonored ; When I first played this I didn't really like it that much, But after I enjoyed the stealth in Far Cry 3 I came back to it. It's well crafted, though a bit easy, and a predictable story and unsatisfactory bad ending.
3. Halo 4 ; Really pretty, though sometimes repetitive. Very polished.
4. Journey ; Charming and graceful. I love the co op, ending is a let down.
2011. Alice: Madness Returns ; The art, music and character are fantastic. The platforming is solid, but levels are way too long. Still, it left a lasting impression.
I'm not really satisfied with the ordering, as I don't feel like any particular game stood out above others this year. I think Far Cry 3's flaws should knock it down, but Dishonored has too many flaws to take the top spot. Maybe I'll try a no lethal run and think differently.
I watched a playthrough of The Walking Dead instead of playing it (perhaps a mistake), and found it at times both intense and moving, but I'm not going to vote for something I didn't play.
Hypereides
Member
1. Borderlands 2
2. The Walking Dead
... Ive had a huge backlog so these are probably this years nominations that Ive played.
2. The Walking Dead
... Ive had a huge backlog so these are probably this years nominations that Ive played.
Sir Garbageman
Member
1. The Walking Dead; Only game that's ever made me cry. Fantastic, gut wrenching experience.
2. Halo 4; Absolutely stunning game visually. Loved the single player campaign gameplay's even if the story was utter nonsense. Multiplayer is a blast and is exactly what I was looking for in an online FPS.
3. Mass Effect 3; The final act of my favorite video game series. I will gladly concede the ending was atrocious but if you ignore the last 10 minutes it was a 30 hr thrill ride and the perfect distillation of the ME formula that I really enjoyed.
4. Guild Wars 2; The first MMO I've ever been in love with. Gorgeous game. Combat and the class system is interesting and varied and the dodge mechanic is active enough to keep you on your toes. Lack of subscription fees plus removing traditional class roles makes this a game I expect to jump in and out of for years to come.
5. X-Com; Tense, interesting turn based strategy. Iron-man mode or bust.
6. FTL; Addicting and tough as balls. That infamous Battlestar Galactica jpeg sums it up perfectly.
7. Dragon's Dogma; A weird hybrid of Skyrim and Dark Souls with a bizarre story but I loved it. Combat was a blast, the pawn system is great and the world was beautiful. Got a little too easy and repetitive near the end but still a blast to play.
8. Soul Calibur V; Great 3D fighter.
9. Borderlands 2; Shoot, loot and be happy.
10. Diablo III; Didn't live up to the absurd hype but a fun game nevertheless.
Trying to come up with a list has made me realize I really haven't bought or fallen in love a ton of games in 2012. Games I still need to play and would most likely be on my list if I gotten around to it include: Dishonored, Darksiders 2, Mark of the Ninja, and Fez. Damn you STEAM backlog!
2. Halo 4; Absolutely stunning game visually. Loved the single player campaign gameplay's even if the story was utter nonsense. Multiplayer is a blast and is exactly what I was looking for in an online FPS.
3. Mass Effect 3; The final act of my favorite video game series. I will gladly concede the ending was atrocious but if you ignore the last 10 minutes it was a 30 hr thrill ride and the perfect distillation of the ME formula that I really enjoyed.
4. Guild Wars 2; The first MMO I've ever been in love with. Gorgeous game. Combat and the class system is interesting and varied and the dodge mechanic is active enough to keep you on your toes. Lack of subscription fees plus removing traditional class roles makes this a game I expect to jump in and out of for years to come.
5. X-Com; Tense, interesting turn based strategy. Iron-man mode or bust.
6. FTL; Addicting and tough as balls. That infamous Battlestar Galactica jpeg sums it up perfectly.
7. Dragon's Dogma; A weird hybrid of Skyrim and Dark Souls with a bizarre story but I loved it. Combat was a blast, the pawn system is great and the world was beautiful. Got a little too easy and repetitive near the end but still a blast to play.
8. Soul Calibur V; Great 3D fighter.
9. Borderlands 2; Shoot, loot and be happy.
10. Diablo III; Didn't live up to the absurd hype but a fun game nevertheless.
Trying to come up with a list has made me realize I really haven't bought or fallen in love a ton of games in 2012. Games I still need to play and would most likely be on my list if I gotten around to it include: Dishonored, Darksiders 2, Mark of the Ninja, and Fez. Damn you STEAM backlog!
LowEndTorque
Member
It kind of saddens me that Hitman: Absolution is not getting much love. I thought the game was really fantastic. After all the worries about it turning into another shootbanger bro shooter, it stayed true to its roots and was the same classic Hitman stealth gameplay that I knew and loved. Nicely designed levels and lots of great options to take out your targets. I thought it was easily the best hitman yet. I really don't understand all the deriding and disappointment this game gets. My one and only playthrough was on Professional difficulty though, so I don't know if that made my experience with it a little different from other people.
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Same. Games I own but haven't played yet include Sleeping Dogs, Spec Ops, XCOM, Mark of the Ninja, The Darkness II, and I plan to get The Walking Dead and Deadlight during on the year-end sales. I'm going to have a hell of a fight for the LTTP award next year.
No it didn't and that's why it's not going to make most people's list.
LowEndTorque
Member
How so?
Haunted
Member
I have a newfound respect for Hitman Absolution after kinda rushing through it once to check it off my "played" list. It's a game that didn't really leave a strong impression, yet I keep thinking about. I underestimated the challenges and what they add to the replayability of the levels. Too bad about the scoring, though. Would've been a better game without it (or at least with it hidden). Hate how it limits experimentation and promotes one playstyle over the other.
LowEndTorque
Member
^ The scoring is really nothing new. All the Hitman games since 2 have a rating system based on how silently you completed the mission. That was a huge part of the replay value from the previous games: I played every single entry in the series over and over again until I got the Silent Assassin rating on every single mission. The only thing the points/scoring system does is add some clarity and structure to the rating system.
I also disagree about promoting one playstyle over another. Which playstyle is it promoting? I went through the whole game using nothing but stealth and shooting for shadow or silent assassin rating.
I also disagree about promoting one playstyle over another. Which playstyle is it promoting? I went through the whole game using nothing but stealth and shooting for shadow or silent assassin rating.
VeryGooster
Banned
Because the parts of Absolution that feel like a Hitman game are an appetizer compared to the amount of Splinter Cell Conviction type of gameplay you experience. It features a broken checkpoint system and a botched disguise system (as of maybe two weeks ago anyway -- I think the game was patched but I haven't gone back to it) that has little justification in how it works. IO seemed to think plot was important enough to sacrifice consistency, so any effort you put into being an "in and out, no alerts" kind of 47 goes out the window.
A much larger focus on story, smaller levels and less options, broken disguise system and a checkpoint system is not staying true to Hitman's roots. It would be if Hitman was dumbed down from the start but it wasn't.
LowEndTorque
Member
I honestly have absolutely no idea what you mean about "Splinter Cell Conviction gameplay." You can play through the entire game using nothing but pure stealth. Try getting the Silent Assassin rating on every mission in the game in hard difficulty, then get back to me.
Edit: and if you dislike checkpoints play on Purist. Hitman 1 is the only one in the series that didn't have a save/checkpoint system.
AHA-Lambda
Member
Because its nothing like Hitman?
LowEndTorque
Member
Really? wow. You guys are crazy, lol
I'm so glad I played it before reading Gaf's opinion on it. I might have been convinced it was a heaping pile of shit before even booting it up and had my enjoyment ruined by false pre-conceptions. Anyhow, I'm out before the thread derails. Peace.
.la1n
Member
1. Dishonored ; Really something special here. Stands out as my most played game easily. The powers were great and the art style / music really stood out. Still load it up every now and then just because of how damn fun it is.
2. Journey ; Fantastic aural and visual experience. Not much more to say. Easily the companies finest game.
3. Virtua Fighter 5: FS ; Virtua Fighter is and always will be my favorite arcade 3D fighter. I have loved the series since 2 was released. The combat system is amazing once you get the hang of it and the online experience is hands down the best I have experienced this generation. Graphics hold up beautifully, runs smooth as butter, and has such a great cast of capable fighters. Usually partial to 2D fighters but this one will always be at the top of my list.
4. Persona 4: Arena ; Being partial to 2D fighters as I mentioned earlier this was an easy pick. Take my favorite RPG series of all time, hand it to who I consider the top producer of quality 2D fighting games this generation and you have magic. A story mode that isn't useless and a combat system that is both intricate and accessible. Still load it up and have tons of fun playing.
5. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ; Namco took what went wrong with Tekken 6 and improved on every single criticism. It's a 3D fighting game fanatics dream game. Absolutely brilliant gameplay combined with everything that makes the series so damn fun. Smooth online experience, great combat engine, fun characters, nice graphics and packed with a ton of add on content.
I may edit later but really those are the only stand outs that come to mind, I have quite a hefty back log as well to sort through.
2. Journey ; Fantastic aural and visual experience. Not much more to say. Easily the companies finest game.
3. Virtua Fighter 5: FS ; Virtua Fighter is and always will be my favorite arcade 3D fighter. I have loved the series since 2 was released. The combat system is amazing once you get the hang of it and the online experience is hands down the best I have experienced this generation. Graphics hold up beautifully, runs smooth as butter, and has such a great cast of capable fighters. Usually partial to 2D fighters but this one will always be at the top of my list.
4. Persona 4: Arena ; Being partial to 2D fighters as I mentioned earlier this was an easy pick. Take my favorite RPG series of all time, hand it to who I consider the top producer of quality 2D fighting games this generation and you have magic. A story mode that isn't useless and a combat system that is both intricate and accessible. Still load it up and have tons of fun playing.
5. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ; Namco took what went wrong with Tekken 6 and improved on every single criticism. It's a 3D fighting game fanatics dream game. Absolutely brilliant gameplay combined with everything that makes the series so damn fun. Smooth online experience, great combat engine, fun characters, nice graphics and packed with a ton of add on content.
I may edit later but really those are the only stand outs that come to mind, I have quite a hefty back log as well to sort through.
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Interesting, I feel the same way (with the exception of Forza Horizon, but that's a different kind of open world game). I own Sleeping Dogs but haven't had time to play it, looking forward to digging into it after the holidays.
1. Journey; amazing experience with amazing music
2. Xenoblade Chronicles; best jrpg I've played in years
3. Legend of Grimrock; great dungeon crawler with clever puzzles
4. Dishonored; great stealth and really fun to play
5. Minecraft; infinite replay value
6. Tokyo Jungle; quirky japanese game of the year
2. Xenoblade Chronicles; best jrpg I've played in years
3. Legend of Grimrock; great dungeon crawler with clever puzzles
4. Dishonored; great stealth and really fun to play
5. Minecraft; infinite replay value
6. Tokyo Jungle; quirky japanese game of the year
plagiarize
Banned
1. ZombiU ; A completely fresh zombie game. A throw back survival horror title. A mishmash of ideas from other games. A game centered around a single gimmick. And bloody brilliant it is too.
Haunted
Member
Is this the first time we've allowed single-entry lists? I remember a minimum of three last couple years.
It's like the immediate feedback in LA Noire, it's much better left unsaid or hidden during gameplay I think.
Oh no, I meant the scoring display in the upper left. Scoring being tallied after a level is fine, but seeing big red numbers popping up in the upper left whenever I kill someone has a direct psychological effect on me. :lol
It's like the immediate feedback in LA Noire, it's much better left unsaid or hidden during gameplay I think.
reddwarf42
Member
1. The Walking Dead - I dislike zombie games generally. I dislike adventure games. I liked this game. Go figure.
2. X-Com
3. Borderlands 2
4. Mark of the Ninja
5. FTL
6. Far Cry 3
7. Journey
8. Dragon's Dogma
9. ZombiU
10. Mass Effect 3
2. X-Com
3. Borderlands 2
4. Mark of the Ninja
5. FTL
6. Far Cry 3
7. Journey
8. Dragon's Dogma
9. ZombiU
10. Mass Effect 3
1. Journey; No words to describe how much i love this game. One of the best game experiences in my life.
2. Velocity; A fantastic blend of fresh addictive gameplay and great music. An ideal game for Vita. Looking forward to the remastered Vita version in 2013!
3. Gravity Rush; A charming, lovely, fresh game which i enjoyed playing from start to finish. Great visuals, awesome music, charming, unique world and characters and fun gravity gameplay. Could have done with more varied missions and the combat/control/camera was problematic at times. Still, a very nice new IP that hopefully will return in the future.
4. Lumines Electronic Symphony; I wasn't a fan of the ps3 version but this version on Vita is great. Cool soundtrack and pure addictive fun gameplay.
5. Pid; Frustrating at times but all things considered, it was a lovely game. Great visuals, atmosphere, world and characters, good soundtrack and above all fun platform and puzzle game. Also, good value for money.
Other games i enjoyed a lot but that didn't make it into my GOTY2012: Dyad, Dishonored, Puddle, Motorstorm RC, Tiny Bang story (iOS), Tales from Space: Mutant blobs attack, Everybody's golf Vita and Sound Shapes.
2. Velocity; A fantastic blend of fresh addictive gameplay and great music. An ideal game for Vita. Looking forward to the remastered Vita version in 2013!
3. Gravity Rush; A charming, lovely, fresh game which i enjoyed playing from start to finish. Great visuals, awesome music, charming, unique world and characters and fun gravity gameplay. Could have done with more varied missions and the combat/control/camera was problematic at times. Still, a very nice new IP that hopefully will return in the future.
4. Lumines Electronic Symphony; I wasn't a fan of the ps3 version but this version on Vita is great. Cool soundtrack and pure addictive fun gameplay.
5. Pid; Frustrating at times but all things considered, it was a lovely game. Great visuals, atmosphere, world and characters, good soundtrack and above all fun platform and puzzle game. Also, good value for money.
Other games i enjoyed a lot but that didn't make it into my GOTY2012: Dyad, Dishonored, Puddle, Motorstorm RC, Tiny Bang story (iOS), Tales from Space: Mutant blobs attack, Everybody's golf Vita and Sound Shapes.
There seems to be WAAAAY less consensus than there was previous years. It will be interesting to see how this turns out! I don't even know if I'll bother voting since I spent most of the year playing UMvC3 (which came out in 2011) and occasional spats of League of Legends (not eligible, obviously), but aside from those, I've played barely anything outside of games that severely disappointed me (Fez and ME3). FTL was awesome and Super Hexagon is fun, so I'll probably chuck some votes their way when I do a list later.
1. Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition ; no doubt about it, best game this year. Unmatched gameplay finally for the first time at a good framerate*
2. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ; best fighter this gen, imo its not even debatable
3. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; saved the 3DS for me and justifies the XL single handedly
4. Sleeping Dogs
5. Borderlands 2
6. Lollipop Chainsaw
7. Street Fighter X Tekken
8. ZombiU
9. Darksiders II
10. Tokyo Jungle
2. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ; best fighter this gen, imo its not even debatable
3. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ; saved the 3DS for me and justifies the XL single handedly
4. Sleeping Dogs
5. Borderlands 2
6. Lollipop Chainsaw
7. Street Fighter X Tekken
8. ZombiU
9. Darksiders II
10. Tokyo Jungle
Dyni Crippler
Member
Actually, it still has many features of the Hitman series, and I'd have no problem saying it's an Hitman game. It's just... well, broken in many of these parts. It's kind of bad when the pure stealth missions are more fun than the assassination ones.
I'm on the 13rd mission and so far it's a 6.5/10. Not as bad as you guys put it, really.
Vire
Member
1. Halo 4 ; Absolutely stunning game visually, I really enjoyed the campaign and while the multiplayer is flawed, it's still some of the most fun gaming experiences I've had this year.
2. Journey ; An aural overload in emotions. Beautiful game, with an incredible soundtrack. Loved every moment of this one.
3. Mass Effect 3 ; Liked mostly everything besides the final ten minutes.
4. Borderlands 2 ; Best co-op game of the year!
5. Max Payne 3 ; Fantastic soundtrack and some interesting cutscenes. Also, shooting the Jersey Shore kids was the best part of the game. Loved that cold winter section in Hoboken.
6. Beat Sneak Bandit; Creative, smart use of the iPhone touchscreen, charming visuals and a great art style. Plus it's pretty challenging!
7. Trials Evolution ; One more try. Need I say more? The addictive quality of Trials is unmatched.
8. Rayman Jungle Run ; A brilliant extension of last years Rayman Origins, plays wonderfully on the touch screen.
9. Mark Of The Ninja ; An interesting 2D stealth game. I definitely appreciate it's fluid controls and responsive gameplay.
10. The Walking Dead ; I'm not the biggest adventure game or zombie fan , but hey this is pretty awesome. Lee is a great character.
Special Note: Fuck AC3.
2. Journey ; An aural overload in emotions. Beautiful game, with an incredible soundtrack. Loved every moment of this one.
3. Mass Effect 3 ; Liked mostly everything besides the final ten minutes.
4. Borderlands 2 ; Best co-op game of the year!
5. Max Payne 3 ; Fantastic soundtrack and some interesting cutscenes. Also, shooting the Jersey Shore kids was the best part of the game. Loved that cold winter section in Hoboken.
6. Beat Sneak Bandit; Creative, smart use of the iPhone touchscreen, charming visuals and a great art style. Plus it's pretty challenging!
7. Trials Evolution ; One more try. Need I say more? The addictive quality of Trials is unmatched.
8. Rayman Jungle Run ; A brilliant extension of last years Rayman Origins, plays wonderfully on the touch screen.
9. Mark Of The Ninja ; An interesting 2D stealth game. I definitely appreciate it's fluid controls and responsive gameplay.
10. The Walking Dead ; I'm not the biggest adventure game or zombie fan , but hey this is pretty awesome. Lee is a great character.
Special Note: Fuck AC3.
Acquiescence
Member
If you enjoyed those games, then why not just fill out the rest of your list with them and make it a full top ten.
It's a good game, it's just that it's closer to Codename 47 than Blood Money in what it's attempting to do. Too much focus on telling a story at the cost of actually allowing you to be a hitman. IO had evolved past that, and it took them three full games until they finally perfected the formula. Glad they're not making the next one, but I don't regret my purchase.
Dyni Crippler
Member
Oh, don't get me wrong, I agree with that. That's why I only give it a 6.5: as I think I already said before, it feels like two steps back. All the problems eliminated with BM are back, and it's like I'm playing an even more frustrating Hitman 2. I don't regret spending 20$ on it, but I'll hardly regret not including it in my GOTY list.
1. Journey ; For me this was the best experience of the year in any form. I got the game the week it released on PS+ and sat down to play in one sitting. I was not disappointed even after how much hype I had going into the game. The music and visuals are paired with what is a very basic game. If it was just that, this would easily be overlooked but for me the real amazing part is experiencing the multiplayer. Being able to experience the game with another person and only being able to use on thing to communicate just enhances the experience.
2. Walking Dead ; Easily the best story of the year for me. I feel like TTG did a great job fleshing out characters that you can care about and did an amazing job of making a story that makes you feel like you can alter what occurs.
3. Persona 4: Golden ; *yip*
4. Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack ; Where Uncharted fails at showing off all the new features of the Vita, MBA does very well. It is a great platformer and does a great job of showing off all the gimmicks of the Vita.
2. Walking Dead ; Easily the best story of the year for me. I feel like TTG did a great job fleshing out characters that you can care about and did an amazing job of making a story that makes you feel like you can alter what occurs.
3. Persona 4: Golden ; *yip*
4. Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack ; Where Uncharted fails at showing off all the new features of the Vita, MBA does very well. It is a great platformer and does a great job of showing off all the gimmicks of the Vita.
I'm only going to list games that I played either to completion or near completion, which means that some other quality games like The Walking Dead and Mark of the Ninja will have to be left out.
1. Journey ; Simply the best gaming experience I've had this year. Not only is it a beautiful delight for the eyes and ears, but it presented cooperative online gameplay in a way that was not only completely fresh but thought-provoking as well. Thatgamecompany took the issue of anonymous multiplayer assholery head-on by stripping away any mechanics that could be used effectively for griefing. The end result was an unforgettable journey that is best enjoyed with company, even if some of them go their own way before seeing it all the way through to the end. Mark my words, Journey will be looked back upon as a landmark in multiplayer game design.
2. Hotline Miami ; This takes the cake for the most fun I've had with a game this year. Hotline's fast-paced arcade gameplay coalesced with the trance-inducing soundtrack and neon-drenched visual presentation to create something altogether unique and engaging. It was a real shame that the game was released in such a buggy state, but the core game here is what shines despite the technical hiccups. The feeling of blowing through multiple floors of white-suited Russians without breaking my combo is priceless and hasn't been replicated by any other game this year.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Wow. GAF was right. This is the best JRPG I have played since the glory days of Squaresoft on the SNES and PS1, and it might be the best one overall that I've ever played. An RPG of this scope is all too rare a thing these days, and Xenoblade offers the player and absolute embarrassment of content. While the sidequests are mostly boring fetch-quests, every other facet of this game's design is tailored to iron out the long-remaining quirks of JRPG gameplay. The combat is fast and engaging, exploration is encouraged by rewarding the player with XP, the penalty for death is minimal, the writing and voice acting is well above average for this sort of game, and the game's world atop two warring titans is without a doubt one of the most well-realized in game history. This game is just phenomenal, but the end-game difficulty spike keeps me from giving it top honors this year.
4. Dishonored ; This game deserves my vote because, while some of the design decisions may have made the main character a little too powerful, the open-ended stealth gameplay was a breath of fresh air in what looked to be a stagnating genre. With stinkers like Hitman Absolution and Splinter Cell Conviction making stealth games into an altogether more linear, "cinematic" affair, Dishonored stands out by re-introducing choice and player agency to the mix. It's remarkable how fluid this first-person stealth game controls once you get the hang of it, and being overpowered has never been so much fun. The game's story isn't all that engaging and some missions are clearly better than others, but I enjoyed Dishonored enough to give it a spot in my Top 5 this year.
5. Scribblenauts Unlimited ; This is going on here because I just want GAF to love Scribblenauts again. It breaks my heart that everyone turned on it so ruthlessly after the first game released with imprecise controls and some wonky physics. The core gimmick has gotten considerably better with each iteration, and being able to play Scribblenauts in HD with a keyboard and online sharing of custom objects is just awesome. Now if only 5th Cell could go back to designing puzzles the way they did in the first game, we'd be on the right track to realizing this formula's full potential.
2011. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; To The Moon was close to taking this one, but I have to give credit to Deus Ex's gameplay superiority over To the Moon's emotional resonance. Sure, the game had some obvious flaws (i.e. compressed cutscenes, bad boss fights), but the stealth/action gameplay and intriguing cyberpunk setting gripped me all the way through. It was my favorite stealth game of this gen, actually. I plan on playing Mark of the Ninja soon, though, so that claim might expire.
1. Journey ; Simply the best gaming experience I've had this year. Not only is it a beautiful delight for the eyes and ears, but it presented cooperative online gameplay in a way that was not only completely fresh but thought-provoking as well. Thatgamecompany took the issue of anonymous multiplayer assholery head-on by stripping away any mechanics that could be used effectively for griefing. The end result was an unforgettable journey that is best enjoyed with company, even if some of them go their own way before seeing it all the way through to the end. Mark my words, Journey will be looked back upon as a landmark in multiplayer game design.
2. Hotline Miami ; This takes the cake for the most fun I've had with a game this year. Hotline's fast-paced arcade gameplay coalesced with the trance-inducing soundtrack and neon-drenched visual presentation to create something altogether unique and engaging. It was a real shame that the game was released in such a buggy state, but the core game here is what shines despite the technical hiccups. The feeling of blowing through multiple floors of white-suited Russians without breaking my combo is priceless and hasn't been replicated by any other game this year.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles ; Wow. GAF was right. This is the best JRPG I have played since the glory days of Squaresoft on the SNES and PS1, and it might be the best one overall that I've ever played. An RPG of this scope is all too rare a thing these days, and Xenoblade offers the player and absolute embarrassment of content. While the sidequests are mostly boring fetch-quests, every other facet of this game's design is tailored to iron out the long-remaining quirks of JRPG gameplay. The combat is fast and engaging, exploration is encouraged by rewarding the player with XP, the penalty for death is minimal, the writing and voice acting is well above average for this sort of game, and the game's world atop two warring titans is without a doubt one of the most well-realized in game history. This game is just phenomenal, but the end-game difficulty spike keeps me from giving it top honors this year.
4. Dishonored ; This game deserves my vote because, while some of the design decisions may have made the main character a little too powerful, the open-ended stealth gameplay was a breath of fresh air in what looked to be a stagnating genre. With stinkers like Hitman Absolution and Splinter Cell Conviction making stealth games into an altogether more linear, "cinematic" affair, Dishonored stands out by re-introducing choice and player agency to the mix. It's remarkable how fluid this first-person stealth game controls once you get the hang of it, and being overpowered has never been so much fun. The game's story isn't all that engaging and some missions are clearly better than others, but I enjoyed Dishonored enough to give it a spot in my Top 5 this year.
5. Scribblenauts Unlimited ; This is going on here because I just want GAF to love Scribblenauts again. It breaks my heart that everyone turned on it so ruthlessly after the first game released with imprecise controls and some wonky physics. The core gimmick has gotten considerably better with each iteration, and being able to play Scribblenauts in HD with a keyboard and online sharing of custom objects is just awesome. Now if only 5th Cell could go back to designing puzzles the way they did in the first game, we'd be on the right track to realizing this formula's full potential.
2011. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; To The Moon was close to taking this one, but I have to give credit to Deus Ex's gameplay superiority over To the Moon's emotional resonance. Sure, the game had some obvious flaws (i.e. compressed cutscenes, bad boss fights), but the stealth/action gameplay and intriguing cyberpunk setting gripped me all the way through. It was my favorite stealth game of this gen, actually. I plan on playing Mark of the Ninja soon, though, so that claim might expire.
So, while it's not super relevant this year, I did have a question about this.
What happens as the "Games As A Service" model gets more and more popular?
For example, I think most people would agree that Team Fortress 2 in 2012 is a vastly different game than Team Fortress 2 in 2007. Does something like that fall under "Remakes and significant upgrades to games count too."? Minecraft has also significantly evolved since its initial release.
This is kind of a concern that applies to Free 2 Play titles as a whole, especially if they're something that didn't start out that great, but ended up a vastly better title the following year.
Also, what about MMOs that do very significant upgrades without pay for expansion packs?
Then there are also games with DLC that might very significantly change the base game, but the DLC isn't released in the same year as the base product. Does that fall under an existing category, or is that kind of thing excluded?
I'm mainly asking now since while I feel this isn't really a huge issue currently, when the next generation of consoles starts pushing games that are very frequently updated or straight up free 2 play, we might have a lot more gaffers interested in voting for something that releases one year, but is heavily updated or changed the next to the point where they would consider it for their list.
timetokill
Banned
This is a great point (or points) and something we will consider going forward. The spirit of the rules is really to have games released that year be recognized, and to prevent people just voting for the same game year after year because they're a big fan of it or the company that makes it. We obviously want to recognize games that evolve and a lot of these lines are being blurred.
As far as the DLC, you can vote for DLC released in a different year already. Which is why you can vote for Mists of Pandaria this year, for example, even though WoW itself is an ancient game by this point.
We will absolutely be taking a look at these rules and coming up with a concrete way of recognizing them to allow for these blurred-line scenarios though. In the meantime, I'm hoping the LTTP aspect catches some of those games that suddenly "became amazing" a year later with updates, etc.
1. The Walking Dead ; Only game I ever played where the story alone was enough to warrant playing through the game.
2. Halo 4 ; Step in the wrong direction for multiplayer and yet it is still better than any other competitive multiplayer shooter on consoles. First time graphics impressed me on the 360 since Gears of War.
3. XCom: Enemy Unknown ; Game is surprisingly deep despite the simple combat system. Very addicting gameplay.
4. Binding Of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb ; Love the game, the expansion just made it better.
5. Torchlight II ; Didn't meet my expectations but was still much better than Diablo III...
6. Nintendoland ; By no means a deep game, but a blast to play with a few friends.
2011. Saint's Row: The Third ; Man have I been missing out. Playing this coop with a friend is the definition of fun.
Haven't played too many games from 2012... I did get dishonored, but I've yet to install it. It would have probably made my list, but I probably won't have time to play it this year.
2. Halo 4 ; Step in the wrong direction for multiplayer and yet it is still better than any other competitive multiplayer shooter on consoles. First time graphics impressed me on the 360 since Gears of War.
3. XCom: Enemy Unknown ; Game is surprisingly deep despite the simple combat system. Very addicting gameplay.
4. Binding Of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb ; Love the game, the expansion just made it better.
5. Torchlight II ; Didn't meet my expectations but was still much better than Diablo III...
6. Nintendoland ; By no means a deep game, but a blast to play with a few friends.
2011. Saint's Row: The Third ; Man have I been missing out. Playing this coop with a friend is the definition of fun.
Haven't played too many games from 2012... I did get dishonored, but I've yet to install it. It would have probably made my list, but I probably won't have time to play it this year.
1st Course
Member
1.Tekken Tag Tournament 2
2.Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; Just fun to pop up from time to another.
3.Dead or Alive 5
4.Legend of Grimrock
I played other games like AC3,D3 etc.. but I thought that they were all quite awful, so yeah just these.
2.Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; Just fun to pop up from time to another.
3.Dead or Alive 5
4.Legend of Grimrock
I played other games like AC3,D3 etc.. but I thought that they were all quite awful, so yeah just these.
Thanks.
I think you do really good work with the rules already. I know this stuff can be hard to decide when the way games are getting made changes surprisingly quickly these days.
1. Sleeping Dogs ; Made open-world games fun again, great fighting system.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; Great, hard-as-nails TBS.
3. Borderlands 2 ; Grabbed me way more than the first game, loved the loot.
4. Spec Ops: The Line ; Made you think about the consequence of war.
5. Mass Effect 3 ; Ending Aside, The game was mostly enjoyable and nice to look at.
6. The Walking Dead ; Best Adventure I played in years. Timed choices create suspense.
7. Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition ; Hadn't played the game before, was hooked immediately.
8. Little Inferno ; Delightfully twisted toy.
9. Forza Horizon ; Fun mix of Need for Speed, Burnout and Test Drive.
10. Scribblenauts Unlimited ; Very clever and charming.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; Great, hard-as-nails TBS.
3. Borderlands 2 ; Grabbed me way more than the first game, loved the loot.
4. Spec Ops: The Line ; Made you think about the consequence of war.
5. Mass Effect 3 ; Ending Aside, The game was mostly enjoyable and nice to look at.
6. The Walking Dead ; Best Adventure I played in years. Timed choices create suspense.
7. Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition ; Hadn't played the game before, was hooked immediately.
8. Little Inferno ; Delightfully twisted toy.
9. Forza Horizon ; Fun mix of Need for Speed, Burnout and Test Drive.
10. Scribblenauts Unlimited ; Very clever and charming.
GotchaForce
Member
1. The Walking Dead ; Easily takes a place in my all-time favorite video game experiences.
2. Borderlands 2 ; Easily the most addicted I've ever been to a game, lol.
3. Mark of the Ninja ; The best stealth action game since Metal Gear Solid.
4. Trials Evolution ; The best sequel of the year, expands the scope and fun of the original 100 fold.
5. Far Cry 3 ; The best Rambo simulator ever made. I hope Ground Zeroes is half as good.
6. Dragon's Dogma ; Like FC3, Capcom proves exciting action CAN happen in open-world games.
7. Lumines: Electronic Symphony ; I paid 300 bucks to play this, a refined version of my favorite puzzle game ever and it was worth every penny. Soundtrack of the year.
8. Playstation Allstars Battle Royale ; I imported a Japanese Wii and copy of Brawl to play it 3 months early. I fucking love Smash but I enjoy playing this even more.
9. Persona 4 Arena ; A slicker, easier to play version of Guilty Gear staring my favorite JRPG characters since Chrono Trigger? A dream come true.
10. Sonic and Allstars Racing Transformed ; Amazing fan-service, tight mechanics and the most fun I've had with a racing game in forever.
runner-ups: XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Street Fighter x Tekken, Soul Calibur 5, Skullgirls, Journey, Mass Effect 3, Virtua Fighter 5: EVO, Dishonored, Max Payne 3, Kid Icarus, Wipeout 2048, Gravity Rush, Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4, Dust, Asura's Wrath, Sleeping Dogs, Darksiders 2, FF13-2, Lolipop Chainsaw, Resident Evil 6, SSX, Syndicate, The Darkness 2, The Witcher 2, Theatrythm Final Fantasy, Twisted Metal, Spec-Ops: The Line, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Spelunky
2. Borderlands 2 ; Easily the most addicted I've ever been to a game, lol.
3. Mark of the Ninja ; The best stealth action game since Metal Gear Solid.
4. Trials Evolution ; The best sequel of the year, expands the scope and fun of the original 100 fold.
5. Far Cry 3 ; The best Rambo simulator ever made. I hope Ground Zeroes is half as good.
6. Dragon's Dogma ; Like FC3, Capcom proves exciting action CAN happen in open-world games.
7. Lumines: Electronic Symphony ; I paid 300 bucks to play this, a refined version of my favorite puzzle game ever and it was worth every penny. Soundtrack of the year.
8. Playstation Allstars Battle Royale ; I imported a Japanese Wii and copy of Brawl to play it 3 months early. I fucking love Smash but I enjoy playing this even more.
9. Persona 4 Arena ; A slicker, easier to play version of Guilty Gear staring my favorite JRPG characters since Chrono Trigger? A dream come true.
10. Sonic and Allstars Racing Transformed ; Amazing fan-service, tight mechanics and the most fun I've had with a racing game in forever.
runner-ups: XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Street Fighter x Tekken, Soul Calibur 5, Skullgirls, Journey, Mass Effect 3, Virtua Fighter 5: EVO, Dishonored, Max Payne 3, Kid Icarus, Wipeout 2048, Gravity Rush, Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4, Dust, Asura's Wrath, Sleeping Dogs, Darksiders 2, FF13-2, Lolipop Chainsaw, Resident Evil 6, SSX, Syndicate, The Darkness 2, The Witcher 2, Theatrythm Final Fantasy, Twisted Metal, Spec-Ops: The Line, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Spelunky
They should put this on the box.
Alcoholikaust
Member
this. all this. buy this game if you are a Hitman fan for goodness sakes people!
Chairman Yang
if he talks about books, you better damn well listen
1. Mark of the Ninja ; Brilliant, highly-polished, and the best stealth game in a long time. In terms of pure mechanics, and disregarding things like setting and atmosphere, this IS the best stealth game of all time. It's also an excellent example of how transparent game mechanics are almost always better than unclear, but "realistic" game mechanics.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; A triumphant revival for turn-based strategy. There are so many ways this game--and type of game--could be built on.
3. Dishonored ; Amazing setting, cool powers, and varied and immersive level design. I'm always glad to see new "immersive sims", but I'm especially happy in this case because it came out at a time when I thought the genre was basically dead. I'm also happy at the game's commercial success.
4. FTL ; Roguelikelikes are a promising genre with tons of unexplored design space, and FTL is the best example this year.
5. Borderlands 2 ; I'm sick of shooters, I've always hated lootgrind games, and I disliked Borderlands 1. That's why this game was a big surprise for me. The combination of great lighthearted writing (probably the best this year), solid mechanics, varied mission design, pretty environments, genuinely diverse weaponry, and interesting enemies all overcame my natural aversions.
6. Crusader Kings 2
7. Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion ; I've barely touched this, and it's my first Sins game, but from what I've played, it's a game that I can see myself becoming obsessed with.
8. Hotline Miami
9. Trials Evolution
10. Spec Ops: The Line
I have yet to play Sleeping Dogs or Gravity Rush, which might've taken a place on my list.
Man, this was an exceedingly weak year for video games. There were some promising trends and some real bright spots, and I have a huge backlog so it's not a big deal, but 2012 overwhelmingly sucked.
I'd like to comment on games I think definitely don't deserve GOTY votes:
* The Walking Dead is a decent experience, but ultimately it's a mostly standard zombie story, complete with character stupidity-driven plotlines. I don't know why people are going crazy over the writing. Aside from the Lee/Clem relationship, it's just above average. The illusion of choice is terrible, and the stellar pacing falls off after Episode 3.
* Mass Effect 3 is an abomination for reasons other than its ending. Virtually every character was suddenly boring, even ones that were awesome in Mass Effect 2.
* Journey was insubstantial, both in terms of gameplay and emotional impact. It had some nice atmosphere. That's about it.
* Binary Domain is a good shooter, and I can see why some like it better than Gears of War. But really, it's a mostly average game that's only noteworthy because third-person shooters have been so bland and creatively bankrupt.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; A triumphant revival for turn-based strategy. There are so many ways this game--and type of game--could be built on.
3. Dishonored ; Amazing setting, cool powers, and varied and immersive level design. I'm always glad to see new "immersive sims", but I'm especially happy in this case because it came out at a time when I thought the genre was basically dead. I'm also happy at the game's commercial success.
4. FTL ; Roguelikelikes are a promising genre with tons of unexplored design space, and FTL is the best example this year.
5. Borderlands 2 ; I'm sick of shooters, I've always hated lootgrind games, and I disliked Borderlands 1. That's why this game was a big surprise for me. The combination of great lighthearted writing (probably the best this year), solid mechanics, varied mission design, pretty environments, genuinely diverse weaponry, and interesting enemies all overcame my natural aversions.
6. Crusader Kings 2
7. Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion ; I've barely touched this, and it's my first Sins game, but from what I've played, it's a game that I can see myself becoming obsessed with.
8. Hotline Miami
9. Trials Evolution
10. Spec Ops: The Line
I have yet to play Sleeping Dogs or Gravity Rush, which might've taken a place on my list.
Man, this was an exceedingly weak year for video games. There were some promising trends and some real bright spots, and I have a huge backlog so it's not a big deal, but 2012 overwhelmingly sucked.
I'd like to comment on games I think definitely don't deserve GOTY votes:
* The Walking Dead is a decent experience, but ultimately it's a mostly standard zombie story, complete with character stupidity-driven plotlines. I don't know why people are going crazy over the writing. Aside from the Lee/Clem relationship, it's just above average. The illusion of choice is terrible, and the stellar pacing falls off after Episode 3.
* Mass Effect 3 is an abomination for reasons other than its ending. Virtually every character was suddenly boring, even ones that were awesome in Mass Effect 2.
* Journey was insubstantial, both in terms of gameplay and emotional impact. It had some nice atmosphere. That's about it.
* Binary Domain is a good shooter, and I can see why some like it better than Gears of War. But really, it's a mostly average game that's only noteworthy because third-person shooters have been so bland and creatively bankrupt.
Chittagong
Gold Member
1. Halo 4 ; finally they fixed the MP and it's glorious, nonstop fun, love it so much
2. Diablo 3 ; spent countless hours with a friend in it, loved the experience however flawed it was
3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; really really great, although so very difficult, I might restart it
4. Max Payne 3 ; it was a great journey for the week I was sick home, wonderful ambience
5. Legend of Grimrock ; so hard but so great, best memories include playing together with a friend on the sofa with beers
Overall, it turned out to be quite an underwhelming year, judging by my best games and everyone else. Nothing seems to be rising as clear winners. Next year looks much stronger.
Oh, and Metal Gear Solid HD (Vita) totally deseves to be on the list, quite a breakthrough for portable gaming.
2. Diablo 3 ; spent countless hours with a friend in it, loved the experience however flawed it was
3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; really really great, although so very difficult, I might restart it
4. Max Payne 3 ; it was a great journey for the week I was sick home, wonderful ambience
5. Legend of Grimrock ; so hard but so great, best memories include playing together with a friend on the sofa with beers
Overall, it turned out to be quite an underwhelming year, judging by my best games and everyone else. Nothing seems to be rising as clear winners. Next year looks much stronger.
Oh, and Metal Gear Solid HD (Vita) totally deseves to be on the list, quite a breakthrough for portable gaming.
Delusibeta
Banned
Bleh, it seems that I've got the opposite problem to many people here: too many games to pick from. I've wittled down the field to about 14 games that I've played this year, and there's some omissions that I haven't got round to playing yet (e.g. Binary Domain). Still haven't decided on a draft order yet, however.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
1. Persona 4 Golden ; I am not even done with this game(25+ hours) and its already the best game I have played this year and the best JRPG I have played in almost 8 years. I find it ironic that a re-release of a PS2 game on a next gen handheld is more ambitious and redefining than any JRPG that has been released on the new consoles. I adore this game though. The characters, school, dialogue, and battle systems are exceptional.
Yes my GOTY is a PS2 game.
2. Dishonored ; What a breath of fresh air this game was. As most have already said the powers were great fun to mess around with but its been a long time since a developer has constructed a world I am so completely interested in. I rarely go out of my way to read journals, audio logs and lore of a game but I was borderline obsessed with discovering any new detail about a character or event in Dunwall.
3. Far Cry 3 ; Far Cry 3 is by no means perfect but when everything comes together just right it is some of the most fun I have had in a open world game. I also think it has the best stealth melee system of all time. Looking for opportunities to chain your combos together was deeply rewarding. Excellent characters and voice acting rounded out a really great game.
4. Halo 4 ; Best looking game on 360 by far. It was great to see the art of the Halo universe on a engine that could finally do it justice. Unfortunately I think its the weakest campaign of the series from a gameplay perspective. The story was okay, though I love the dynamics between Chief and Cortana. The MP is where this game shines. I haven't been so engrossed in Halo's MP since 3 and that is the most important thing 343 got right.
5. Journey ; What a beautiful surprise this game was. Its the kind of thing you almost wish you could forget and experience again and again.
6. X-COM ; A wonderful take on the classic.
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