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GAF Games of the Year 2012 - Voting Thread, now closed. Thanks for all the fish.

Zissou

Member
^You've gotta put semicolons between the game titles and descriptions.
don't fix it i don't want your me3 vote to count
 

Celegus

Member
1. Diablo 3; This is by far the most fun to play dungeon crawler ever made. The combat feels incredibly visceral and satisfying, the thrill of finding a great item is still there (although a bit too rare at launch), each class plays very different, a perfect game for listening to podcasts, and a joy to play with friends. This was the reason I didn't play more games this year, I pretty much played nothing but Diablo 3 everyday for a solid 6 months.

2. Theatrythmn Final Fantasy; The reason I wanted a 3DS (and bought one using my Diablo 3 RMAH profits), and I liked it even more than I thought I would. The gameplay is super precise and feels fair, for once in my life I know and like all of the songs in a rhythmn game, and I love the art style. Combine that with Dragon Quest IX style random "maps" and constant unlocks, and I'm totally hooked.

3. Final Fantasy XIII-2; I was nervous going into this since I felt FFXIII was very average, but still wanted to check it out. Boy am I glad I did. It fixes so many of the issues I had with XIII, but the best part was characters and story. The connections between Noel, Yeul, and Caius were fascinating to me, and collecting all the crystals Mario Galaxy style was a great concept. I can't wait to see what's next, dat ending.

4. Walking Dead
5. Xcom
6. Tokyo Jungle
7. FTL

2011. Disgaea 4; This was my Christmas game last year (Xenoblade this year) so I didn't really get into it until this year. The updated graphics alone were enough to make this a great game, but the story was surprisingly touching and there was more to do than ever. Haven't been disappointed by a Disgaea yet.

There are plenty of games out there I'm sure I'd love but didn't get a chance to play yet. These are the three I recently got that would probably earn a place, but haven't gotten to yet:
Tales of Graces F
Xenoblade
Journey

I also played Torchlight 2 and Kid Icarus, but weren't terribly impressed by either. I think that's everything of this year for me.
 

zoku88

Member
1. Crusader Kings II; This shows how far Paradox has come in terms of interface design. From a "how do I play this game" level, it is so much improved compared to its earlier games. Victoria II started this trend with having a tutorial that actually did its job properly, but the interface could still be hard to understand sometimes. CK2 improves the interface to make things easier to "see" without sacrificing depth. Also, it's a game.

2. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2; I really forgot I played this game this year. This pretty much fixed the main complaint I had with 1, no demon compendium. I really like the relative lightheartedness of this game, in face with a disaster that big. I thought the characters themselves were a lot better than the previous games. The MC is also better, I think. He had a lot more humorous chat options. Though, some of the first game's MC's scenes near the ending were better.

3. Persona 4: Golden; Port of one of the best PS2 RPGs, IMO. I'm not sure why it's so high, but I must really like it since I've beaten it twice since it came out and might start a third playthrough...

4. Ys Origin; My third Ys game. I was kind of disappointed by Ys Seven, because I found it somewhat annoying and also kinda easy. I think Origin and Oath provided sufficient challenge. I think Origin relied more leveling though (there were some points where I would do 1 damage to bosses...), but there is more story than Oath. Better music overall (although, I think Chop! from Oath is one of my favourite themes.) Also, having three heroes was kinda cool.

5. FTL; A rougelike. IN SPAAACE. Nothing more to say.

6. XCOM: Enemy Unknown; A good, fair tactics game. The only obvious problem there is that the camera is somewhat annoying.

7. Ys Oath of Felghana; Pretty much the same comment as Origin. Less refined (since it came out first). The music is ok (besides Chop! and Rebrant theme, which are nice.)

8. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward; I loved 999. Didn't like VLR as much. The puzzles in VLR are a LOT better than 999, but the story is not as great. And the payoff isn't as good either, since it's basically sequel baiting.

9. Growlanser IV; I think gameplay wise, it's much improved over 2 and 3. There are only three things I don't like about this game. The free movement in dungeons, which I don't like overall. Inclusion of unimportant battles, which I don't like in SRPGs in general. And the in-battle interface with a lot of enemies in the field. I think the interface doesn't scale well. Probably would be better on a PC...

10. The Walking Dead; Good story and believable characters, so far. I actually have yet to play the final two episodes though. Good at making you believe that you have a choice.

x. Sleeping Dogs; It was somewhat short, but it was fun. Good voice acting. Melee combat was good. But when it comes to guns, it was really meh.


x. Tales of Graces f; I've only played Tales of Symphonia before. The battle system in this game is really really good. Unfortunately, everything else kinda sucks. But whatever, no one really plays these games for the story, right?
 

haikira

Member
1. Max Payne 3 ; Objectively. I wouldn't put this game at number one. But i'm sorting these games by gut and i'd just be lying, if i said any other game was my favorite this year. Max Payne 3 is a game that feels directed, rather than manufactured. While Remedy doesn't completely capture what made the originals special, Max Payne himself makes the jump from Remedy to Rockstar intact and James McCaffrey knocks it out of the park, voicing him. The game has a great atmosphere, plenty of attention to detail, solid gunplay and a truly fantastic soundtrack.
max-payne-3-pc-116fjh7.jpg

2. Journey ; A game that clearly elicits an emotional reaction, from many who play it. Journey is a game that truly needs to be experienced by everyone and is far more than the sum of its parts.
journey-screen-sevenf8jug.jpg

3. Spec Ops: The Line ; Spec Ops: The Line is a game, that's definitely more than meets the eye. It's the perfect remedy to the modern shooters of late. I thought Nolan North did a great job voicing Captain Walker and i quickly stopped hearing him, as just Nathan Drake. This game deals with hard subjects and asks many questions and it's all handled with a surprising level of maturity. At times it struck me as a military shooter crossed with an early Silent Hill game. It all leads up to a thrilling conclusion and it's not an experience i'll be quick to forget.
spec_ops_the_line_52ulumu.jpg

4. Halo 4 ;
halo-43qjl2.jpg

5. Sleeping Dogs ; A derivative game, yes. But also a very fun game. I found it a joy to play from beginning to end and despite finishing almost all the game had to offer, i was still left wanting when it came to an end. The fictional Hong Kong created for the game, was a treat to explore and it felt like a city bustling with energy and life. The melee combat was also especially satisfying. Shaky gun play and a rushed ending, did little to dampen my experience with this game and i happily await the sequel.
sleeping_dogsu6uz6.jpg

6. Lone Survivor ; This is a game that wears its inspiration proudly and is the best Silent Hill game released this year. It's a game that deserves to be played by anyone who is a true survival horror fan and i'm sad it's made such a small splash. The art style leaves some heavy lifting for your imagination, which i believe is to the games aid and the sound design is a good balance between being oppressive, but never annoying.
lonesurvivor05-copylpuvo.jpg

7. Dustforce ;
dustforce-_pc_editeurtgukq.jpg

8. Dishonored ;
dishonored-review-boad3uvz.jpg

9. They Bleed Pixels ;
tbp005_0uskmi.jpg

10. Fez ; Ignoring the Metagame of puzzles and the brilliant world spinning mechanic. I simply love being in the world of Fez. It feels like sticking on a favorite album and just sighing with relief. Phil Fish said “It's a 'stop and smell the flowers" kind of game and I definitely get that.
277918qyja6.jpg

x. FTL
x. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
x. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ;
x. Mark of the Ninja:
x. Shogun 2 Fall of the Samurai ;
 
1. Journey ; Out of this world experience with such an amazing game.
2. Persona 4 Golden ; Super polished game to the extreme.
3. Planetside 2 ; The sequel to the best MMO just got better.
4. Gravity Rush ; The greatest adventure game of the year.
5. Sound Shapes ; The best soundtrack turned into a game. Very innovative design.
6. Sleeping Dog ; For a game that died, it's sure one hell of a polished ride.
7. Ragnarok Odyssey ; Mindless fantasy rpg fun. What's Monster Hunter?
8. Uncharted Golden Abyss ; Uncharted on a handheld. What can be said?
9. Wipeout 2048 ; Mindblowing graphics for a handheld and challenging to boot.
10. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale ; Complete blows away the competitions game.
 

Budr

Member
1. Mass Effect 3 ; It's all about the journey and this was a superlative final chapter. Benny Hill-ing Reapers around galaxies was fucking stupid though.
2. Max Payne 3 ; Style over substance in every respect but just so damn stylish.
3. The Darkness II ; Great look, great mechanics, and the most unexpectedly daring and evocative ending I've seen in a game.
4. Dear Esther ; This would undoubtedly be higher up my list had I not played the original so many times and fallen so in love with it. Something just felt off, like watching a new cut of your favourite film.
5. Journey ; TGC are magicians. Such a perfectly minimalist experience.
6. The Unfinished Swan ; I was on a disgusting come down when I played through this in one sitting and it was perfect. Not sure if I'll ever touch it again for fear of ruining the memory.
7. Borderlands 2 ; More Borderlands.
8. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier ; I'm a sucker for the trashy, CoD-style story, and the drone stuff and sync shots never got old for me.
9. Syndicate ; I just love everything about the look of the world Starbreeze created. Plus Michael Wincott is shouting at you for most of it. Oh, and Skrillex blares out while you kill some ninja doctor or something.
10. Binary Domain ; Interesting story with some great twists and memorable characters.
x. Medal of Honor: Warfighter ; Frostbite is really growing on me and there was enough CoD-esque lunacy and set pieces to keep me enthralled.
x. Spec Ops: The Line ; Did a lot wrong but the story was interesting enough to stick with me.
x. Inversion ; Doesn't do anything particularly interesting but has solid shooting, a fun, schlocky sci-fi plot, and some fairly cool mechanics with the gravity stuff.
x. Far Cry 3 ; When the story's good, it's great but for every step forward, it takes two steps back and by the end, it's all just gone to shit. The open-world combat scenarios are superb, however.
x. Guild Wars 2 ; The usual MMO problems of shitty combat and lots of filler but I loved just running around and exploring the world of Tyria. The dynamic events and level adjustments are really great.

2011. To The Moon ; A 2D adventure game in the RPG Maker engine. I avoided this like the plague until the positive buzz reached such a point that my curiosity got the better of me. This game deserves all the praise it gets. There is barely gameplay to speak of and the writing is fairly bad but the 4-hour or so story, which follows an interesting structure, is perfectly paced and extremely moving.
 

Loxley

Member
1. Journey ; Outstanding score and visual presentation. But more than anything else, it reminded me of why this medium is so damn amazing and unique. Something that doesn't happen every year.

2. Dragon's Dogma ; Janky as all hell, but the fundamental gameplay was a blast. In a genre where it's difficult to really make an name for yourself, Dragon's Dogma definitely succeeds. It doesn't try to be Skyrim, or Dark Souls, or Fable; it takes aspects of all of those games and forms an identity all it's own.
3. Far Cry 3 ; I'm a complete sucker for open world/sandbox games of any kind. Especially when they're this well done. It improves on all of the crappy aspects of Far Cry 2 (and I really liked FC2) and makes the stuff that was awesome in FC2 even better.
4. Torchlight 2 ; I've never been a fan of the Diablo-style loot-whore games. But for whatever reason, Torchlight 2 managed to grab my attention for a considerable amount of time.
5. Mark of the Ninja ; One of the most mechanically-sound stealth games to date. Plus I love the hand-drawn art.
6. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning ; Simply put, I loved the art and it was just a ton of fun to play. Shame the IP is essentially dead and we'll never see a sequel :(
7. LEGO Lord of the Rings ; A bit random, but as a big Lord of the Rings fan (both the books and the films) I thought it was extremely well done and and probably Traveler's Tales best LEGO game yet.
8. Gravity Rush ; As a new adopter of the Vita, I was hoping to find game that would make the most of the system, not feel like a gimmick, and make me glad I bought a Vita in the first place. It didn't take long :)

I...guess that's it. Wow, I really haven't played a lot of the major releases this year o_O My backlog grows even larger.
 

angelfly

Member
1. Journey ; An experience that I never thought a game could deliver. Lots of truly breathtaking moments.
2. The Walking Dead ; Takes adventure games to the next level and sets a new standard for story telling in games.
3. Mass Effect 3 ; Good end to a great trilogy.
4. Dust: An Elysian Tail ; One the biggest XBLA surprises of the year for me. Great story mixed with awesome gameplay.
5. Asura's Wrath ; Over the top everything and awesome because of it.
 

Noi

Member
1. Gravity Rush
2. Persona 4: Golden; The game of the year in 2008 got better.
3. Asura's Wrath; It's essentially all I want in a video game centered around shonen anime. CC2 did good work.
4. Yakuza Dead Souls; It may come to a suprise to see this game in any GOTY list, but Dead Souls was basically all I expected from a Yakuza game with zombies. Silly subplots, ridiculous heat actions and the "best" plot of a Yazuka title.
5. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
6. Journey
7. Tales of Graces ƒ
8. Katawa Shoujo
9. LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
10. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
x. Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World
x. Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
2011. Yakuza 4
 

Mazzo

Member
1. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition ; Although the multiplayer aspect of the game is pretty much broken, and the framerate is not optimized, and without Durante's patch it looks like ass... Dark Souls is my game of the year. It's incredibly immersive, and is one of the last bastions for gameplay-first, high production value, challenging action adventure games. The attention to details is mind blowing. Researching the game's lore and discovering it's secrets makes the experience even more fun. It's scary to know that Dark Souls 2 may lose some of this magic because of it's change of direction.
2. Hotline Miami ; It's brutal, fast gameplay with quick respawning is pure crack, and it fits like a glove with the psychotic story and the awesome sound track. I was a little bit sad with the game's length, since replaying for highscores is not my style.
3. Nintendoland ; Most of the games within Nintendoland are well polished and a lot of fun. Collecting coins to gather trophies for the park is a nice incentive to replay attractions and try new ones. Playing the game with friends can be pretty hilarious, and Miiverse integration was flawless.
4. New Super Mario Bros. U ; It's an old formula, but I must admit it still works. Even though the game could be a lot more challenging, I still had fun pushing myself to gather the coins and quickly run through the stages. Miiverse integration was a nice touch.
5. Legend of Grimrock ; This is what a dungeon exploring game should be like. Surviving a claustrofobic, dark place knowing that you can die of starvation if you take too long to resolve the next challenge. The puzzles were brilliantly conceived, and the magic system is pretty smart. I only wish it wasn't so easy to defeat enemies by circle strafing around them.
6. FTL: Faster Than Light ; I've just begun to experience the awesome space exploration action FTL has to offer, but it's already one of my favorite games of the year.
7. Diablo III ; The game has a new skill system which brought a lot of customization to the very enjoyable gameplay. I didn't like the different approach for the story and art direction very much. It will probably improve over time, but judging by it's end of 2012 status, Diablo III lacks content, and progressing in the game is almost impossible without playing the auction house meta-game.
8. Borderlands 2 ; Improved every aspect of the original game, had a well written script and did some new things right, like badass ranks. Content difficulty almost never matched character strength, making for a lot of frustrating/boring missions. DLC was not as polished as the main game.
9. The Walking Dead ; Very well written characters and story. I liked that the decisions made affected the story progression up to a certain point. But the puzzles were weak, the terrain was awkward to navigate, and the quick time events were terrible. It works very well as a visual novel, but I just cannot call it my GOTY.
10. Rhythm Heaven Fever ; My favorite rhythm series. It's simple gameplay is relaxing and addictive. The game doesn't really bring anything new, but I guess it doesn't really needs to.
2011. Batman: Arkham City

This year's disappointments: Torchlight 2, Retro City Rampage, Diablo III (even though it's on the top 10, I expected, and still expect, a lot from the game).
Games that I didn't play that could change this list: XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Dishonored, Journey, Sleeping Dogs.
 

N.A

Banned
1. The Walking Dead ; One of the best written games ever.
2. Sleeping Dogs ; Best open world game of he generation.
3. Far Cry 3 ; Story isn't great but the environment and sandbox are.
4. Borderlands 2 ; It's Borderlands but better :)
5. Hotline Miami ; Brilliant soundtrack, addictive.
 
1. Kid Icarus Uprising; Love it to pieces , the story is fun, the game is packed with content, the multi was fun, the dialogue is fun, fun fun fun, the controls take getting used to though.

2. Rhythm Heaven; Played it from start to finish in one sitting which to be honest only took me 5hrs, but I simply love this series to bits.

3. Sound Shapes; I liked the visuals and music, was a neat experience and the death mode was pretty challenging too.

4. Persona 4 Golden; This was my first playthrough of it and it was amazing.

5. Nintendo Land; Game has amazing music, is fun especially with a friend and to be honest really surprised me in how fun and good it was.

6. Journey; It changed my undies, impressive.

7. New Super Mario Bros U; Music was bland but a lot of craftsmanship and good level design is apparent here.

8. Forza Horizon; It was just a super fun game to drive around in still have lots to play in it, but I’ve played enough to know it’s in my top 10.

9. Crashmo; Completely different than Pushmo, but for that I actually love it and it managed to do a lot of new and interesting puzzle concepts because of it.

10. Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack; This was a surprise that I picked up at vita launch, the game was just what I needed to validate my vita purchase and was a fun ride for the price.
 

FatCat

Member
As usual, too many games and too little time, here's what I managed to play and enjoy enough to warrant a mention:

1. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward; WHAT A GAME. 999 was definitely my best discovery on GAF, this one just seemed to good to pass on. I had my doubts - 3D graphics instead of hand-drawn characters, no English dub for Europeans, crashes...despite those aspects, the game is a great mindf*ck, just like 999. Still trying to absorb the crazy plot twists and some of the greatest characters that a game has ever produced. The flow-chart that allowed to jump to any part of the story was also well designed and allowed total freedom to discover what piqued your curiosity. Gore, lies and betrayals, the game takes your kindness for granted and makes you feel insecure for your actions. Those looking for crazy Japanese games in the form of a visual novel, look no further (warning, 999 should be played before for the best experience).

2.Nano Assault Neo; How can such a simple game grab you every time you turn your wii u on? Dual stick shooting at its best, with perfectly intergrated online leaderboards, challenging modes such as survivor mode, graphics that make games crammed on blurays feel ashamed, and the best being the addictive and adrenaline-pumped OST. Can't recommend this game enough to anyone, definitely the best game on the e-shop for launch, and probably of the whole wii u launch window.

3. Assassin's Creed 3; Like many, I think I took the risk of playing this game with the thought that maybe, just maybe, I was burnt on the whole story and design of the series. The setting definitely changed that, with the whole open world structure and historical perspective (the first plot twist got me and was pleasantly surprised). The ending was, well, expected and I'm glad we've finished an arc. New weapons are cool, the few assassination scenes that are in the game are well played out and the characters well developed, even if soppy in execution (hey Connor). Naval battles are amazing btw! Wii U special mention: the HUD can be completely transfered to the gamepad, making the whole experience on screen so much better.

4. Zombi U; Probably the surprise of the year and biggest scares I've had in years too. What do you get when you cross innovative controller design with unforgiving gameplay? Awesomeness. One wrong move and it is over for you. There is very little interaction with the outside world and those who try to help you may not be as nice as they seem. London is superbly transformed into a modern apocalypse with grainy filters and low lighting that add to the struggle. Scarce ammo and your trusty baseball bat will bring you to safety in zombie London. Waiting for a sequel here!

5. Mass Effect 3; You know what, I don't find the game to be as bad as most people make it out to be, and the ending didn't kill the game either. I think the combat/shooting is great and there were some really intense battles. There is so much content and the missions and returning characters warrant the whole "I'm going to save the universe" stuff. Unfortunately it does not reach the levels of greatness of the first two games, and misses the opportunity to develop some of the new members of the crew/crazy world. All in all, great game.

6. Resident Evil Revelations; Refused to play resident evil 6, but this one is definitely up my alley. The episode based mission structure was annoying ("previously on resident evil revelations....") but the corridors and tight spaces full of scares, the tough enemies, the likeable characters, the whole stranded ship setting were stunning. And what graphics too! Just proves that handheld games can be as grown-up and great as their console counterparts. A true part of the Resident Evil cannon that is wonderfully realised and reminds of the days when the series was truly about survival and horror.

7. Kid Icarus: Upsrising; Bought into the GAF hype and caved...and came out of the experience pleasantly surprised. Weapons customization galore, crazy story, great characters with personality and voice acting, nice online multiplayer and soooo much content just like Sakurai's previous efforts. Boss battles are the highlight of each mission, demand skill and bring so much adrenaline to the whole train-ride on rails craziness that is Kid Icarus. The content is worth you money.

8. Super Mario Bros U; This is Mario, what else? The fact that there is so much resemblance to Super Mario World, that the levels are hard, that the co-op is back to bring more smiles to your face that before, and that this a launch title polished and complete with so much to do, makes the new iteration of the series a worthwhile one. Definitely feeling some burn of the bros saga, but nevertheless enjoyed this enough to play through it twice.

2011. Dark Souls; I have yet to finish the game, but all I can say is that Dark Souls is a masterpiece that oozes atmosphere, death and creativity. Rarely have I felt so alone when playing this game. As time passes by, you learn how to advance and to ask for help. Your mistakes are meaningful and you know you can't blame bad design or unresponsive controllers. The risk is great when you advance and you may be rewarded for it, if you succeed in your quest. Will be there day one for sequels. Also kudos for the fantastic world design, graphics and OST. The future of Japanese development, we need more creative content like this, I need it. Also, so much content for your money.


Games not played: Halo 4, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, Dishonored (maybe for next year's 2012 list).
 
I must play more games next year.
I must play more games next year.
I must play more games next year.
I must play more games-

7492043hlib6.jpg


1. Rosenkreuzstilette Freudenstachel ; The best Mega Man game ever made. Each level was a delight to play with excellent layouts and gimmicks
many of which were probably ripped from Mega Man games that I've never touched
. The boss fights are, on the whole, fantastic, and the soundtrack is probably my favourite from all the 2012 games I've played. And to think it only took 5 years to be released.

2. Warriors Orochi 3 ; Unquestionably the pinnacle of the Musou series. The sheer number of characters and stages have made this my greatest non-RPG timesink. While the combat is comparatively shallow, the team-based nature of the gameplay / the ability to switch between characters more than compensates for this.

3. Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 ; In an entirely different dimension to its predecessor in perhaps every way except for the humour. The characters collectively form one of my favourite RPG casts, with interactions and references that make it impossible to keep the grin from my face. While the battle system isn't anything revolutionary, it's certainly decent enough.

4. Katawa Shoujo ; An endearing visual novel which lacks the polish of many commercial releases but surpasses them utterly by virtue of its setting, characterisation and writing. And to think it only took 5 years etc.

5. Takkoman ; A Mega Man X styled game that begins with a bang which it sadly never manages to replicate until the endgame. Still, it's a frantic and engaging action platformer with an excellent soundtrack and - at times - some really fantastic presentation.

6. Eryi's Action ; THE MELON IS NOT WORTH IT AJDHSKJFHKSJH. Short but surprisingly fun and quirky little troll platformer.

WO3 could go above RKS:F but neither of them will score well anyway and it makes the image more appropriate.
 

Son1x

Member
1. Tales of Graces f; a solid JRPG. Story and characters aren't much, but the gameplay makes up for it.
2. Mass Effect 3; Great continuation to first two Mass Effect games. Except the ending of course.
3. Torchlight II; Enjoyed this a lot more than Diablo 3. Its no Diablo II, but its great nonetheless.

Those are pretty much the only 2012 games I liked.
 

hiryu

Member
1. The Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb; I've played over 400 hours of The Binding of Isaac since the DLC came out. Probably my favorite game of all time.

2. Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition; My favorite game of 2011 is also one of my favorite of 2012 thanks to the PC release and Durante's mod.

3. The Walking Dead; I've never been this attached to characters in anything. Very excited for season 2.

4. Borderlands 2; Huge improvement over the first one. I really love this game and will continue to play it much of next year.

5. Dishonored; Love the world and systems. I'm not too far into it but it's great.

6. Mass Effect 3; great game that finishes an amazing trilogy. Would be higher on the list if not for a stupid ending and putting vital stuff into paid DLC.

7. FTL; I haven't played a ton but I'll get more into it soon. I've loved what I've played.

8. Magic: The Gathering-Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013; Great game on the PC and iPad

9. Torchlight 2; good game but I expected to like it more than I do.

10. Darksiders II; so much potential but something is missing

Honorable Mentions:

Punch Quest
10000000
Spelunky HD
Mark of the Ninja
Hotline Miami

Games I expect are great but I won't play them until 2013:

Far Cry 3
Xcom: Enemy Unkown
Sleeping Dogs
 

Uthred

Member
1. Dragons Dogma; No other open world rpg presents as "real" a world as DD, the game world oozed verisimilitude and really felt like it existed beyond the PC. Great combat, magic and companion mechanics. Slightly let down by low res engine.
2. XCOM; Announced and released in the same year thus avoiding the ever present hype machine of modern gaming, it was also a thoroughly fun experience and a major breath of fresh air in a genre that was almost dead
3. Borderlands 2; Loved the first one and the sequel improved on it in every way, it also has some of the most solid DLC out there
4. Persona 4 The Golden; An improvement on one of the best rpg's on the PS2, the extra bits filled in the story and made the narrative feel less artificial (I also appreciated that the new bits played into typical highschool anime tropes)
5. Tekken Tag Tournament 2; the best version of Tekken ever and a landmark example of how DLC for fighting games should be handled
6. Tokyo Jungle; an often surreal but always enjoyable example of how fun a mechanically sound game which sells itself on that alone can be
7. Hotline Miami; a fun psychedlic arcade style murder simulator
8. Devil Survivor 2; combines the SMT universe with a really enjoyable SRPG
9. Eve Online Reveleations; I'd totally burned out on MMO's but EVE got me back in, a unique and compelling experience
10. Crusader Kings 2; Getting assinated by your brother because you killed his son and he wants to bang your wife has never been so much fun
 

Violet_0

Banned
1. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward ; I just finished playing this game after putting well over 30 hours into it over the last couple of days. This is the only game on my list that I can withouts hesitation recommend to anyone, I absolutely adore the mechanics and narrative structure of the game. While the story falls a little flat towards the end (imo) and the puzzle room might become somewhat tiresome after a while, the character interactions and dialogues will keep you hooked all the way up until the end. It's definitely a very unique experience and it stands for a reason that this game is beloved by everyone.

2. Darksiders 2 ; well, because of the lack of other contenders, this somehow ended up being my number 2. It's very much of an improvement over the first game (controversial opinion, I know), Death is better character than War, I approve of the new overworld structure, the gameplay is fun and it has some pretty neat dungeons. However, halfway through the game it starts to lose it's steam, we're forced to traverse through barren landscapes and fight our way through literally dozens of same-y dungeons, and let's better not talk about the plot ("find 3 of 3 of 3"). Ultimately, I didn't have the drive to finish this game.

3. Little Inferno ; seems to be missing from the list. A very short and sweet little game that is notable for it's whimsical, strangely absorbing atmosphere and presentation.

4. Quantum Conundrum


I played a number of other games this year (some for 100+ hours, even) such as Diablo 3 or Guild Wars 2 which I don't really want to vote for because I've come to dislike them, and others (Street Fighter vs Tekken, Soul Calibur 5) I simply didn't spend much time with. Also, I purchased several games (Borderlands 2, Torchlight 2, Mass Effect 3 and especially The Walking Dead) that I just didn't get to play yet, which most definitely would have made it on my list.
 
1. Xenoblade Chronicles ; The perfect merger between story based JRPGs and exploration based WRPGs. Truly an RPG worthy of the 80 hour stamp it comes with

2. Diablo 3 ; Yeah it's loot grind doesn't hold up as well as D2:LoD currently does, but that first run was truly spectacular. Great music, bosses, and lore really helped feel like I was back in the world of Diablo.

3. Kid Icarus Uprising ; Great return to form for the long time missing mascot of Nintendo. The combination of air and battle gameplay along with it's great saturday morning style story made it a game I kept coming back to not even including the multiplayer.

4. Virtue's Last Reward ; Everything that made the story and puzzles of 999 amazing are here in this sequel, but many more branching paths and alternate endings gives the game a lot of re-playability.

5. Nintendo Land ; It gets kind of a bad rep from people who haven't had the chance to try it's 5 player mode, but with 5 people it's truly an experience unlike any other. Crazy amount of fun around the living room that anyone can enjoy.

6. Pokemon Conquest ; It's a tactical rpg using pokemon, do I really need to say anything else?

7. Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance ; Crazy fast, crazy hectic, crazy fun. The world and plot of Kingdom Hearts moves forward with two playable characters and it ties all the previous plot lines together to set up for more handheld spinoffs Kingdom Hearts 3.

8. Halo 4 ; 343 had a big task to convince fans they could continue on the Halo legacy that Bungie left them, and despite a few minor issues with DLC snafu I'd say 343 hit it out of the park. A great campaign and addicting multiplayer help to ease any concerns long time fans had.

9. Resident Evil Revelaitons ; Capcpom proved two things with this game, that they are desperately in need of an editor who understands basic spelling and grammar, and that they can still make a survival horror game. Sadly this game got criminally under looked and played in favor of far inferior games like Operation Raccoon City and RE6.

Honorable Mention The Last Story ; I have to give this an honorable mention instead of being my number 10 because I've only played about 20 minutes of it and I won't get a chance to play it more before the new year. Based upon the bit I did play though (and watching videos online) this would be my number 10 pick this year because the game is really awesome.

LTTP Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together PSP ; Not a game I meant to miss just last year, just a combination of money and other games kept putting it on the back burner. Truly was of the best tactics based RPGs I've ever played and it's great to see one of the fathers of the genre get a worthy enhancement.
 

bluehat9

Member
1. Mark of the Ninja ; plain-old fun stealth game. Controls and graphics intuitively showing how things would work made me feel like I was in total control at all times and that my enemies were at my mercy.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; like the premise, solid gameplay, losing squadmates is fun in a sad way.
3. Nintendo Land ; way more depth than I thought it would have. Controls work, local mp is fantastic.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 ; liked the story, still addicted to the COD mp.
5. Scribblenauts Unlimited ; Got it as a gift and was skeptical, but hours later I just like spending time doing stupid stuff with the editor. feels like what the original Scribblenauts was setting out to do.
6. Spelunky ; Difficult and mostly fair. Still haven’t beaten it, but having fun trying.
7. New Super Mario Bros WiiU ; Probably the best NSMB game yet, but I am getting tired of the NSMB aesthetic. Nintendo needs to do something new with that for me to move a 2D Mario game further up the list. Challenge mode is great though and needs to be in every Mario going forward.
8. Fifa 13 ; First Fifa for me since the World Cup edition and I’m liking it.
9. Awesomenauts ; Don’t play games like this much at all, but got it on PSN and didn’t put it down for a month or so.
10. Mario Tennis Open ; Still not as good as theN64 game, don’t really like the spot super moves, but in the end I played through it, unlocked every character and piece of equipment I could (stupid that some were tied to local mp) and played a ton of the online.

2011. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; Very interesting game. Nine bucks well spent.
 
1. FTL ; one of the only games this year that made me want to play more, not less.
2. The Walking Dead ; would have easily been number 1 if they had fixed their bugs. They didn't so it isn't.
3. XCOM ; lacked a bit of polish but was surpised by how good it was.
 
1. Journey; Great game. Love the way it connects players together, even though you know nothing about your partner. Also one of the best looking games this year.

2. Dishonored; Really enjoyed this game. Gives you seemingly infinite amount of ways you can take on the task in front of you. I also enjoyed the artstyle.

3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown; This is a straight up video game, and that's why I love it. Incredibly challenging, but at the same time rewarding, I'm looking forward to spending more time in this game.

4. The Walking Dead; Best example of making a video game with an episodic structure. One of the better written games of 2012. Gameplay is okay, but the story is worth the ride.

5. Dust: An Elysian Tail; One of my favorite game types I are Metroidvania games, and Dust is a good one. Combat is simple, but rewarding, and it is surprisingly well written.

6. Mark of the Ninja; Another great 2D action game on the Xbox 360, Mark of the Ninja is tight gameplay wise. By far the best game by Klei Entertainment. Really good.

7. Halo 4; This is a Halo game, make no mistake about it. But it's a really good Halo game, and a nice debut from 343 Industries.

8. Spec Ops: The Line; In an era where pretty much every shooter seems to glorify war, Spec Ops deals with the dark side of war, and does so in a surprisingly mature way. Really worth the play.

9. Max Payne 3; Another hit from Rockstar. Really fun shooter. Very pretty too. I really liked the look of the game.

10. Mass Effect 3; Yeah the ending was a poorly written mess, but the lead up to it was a fun, if flawed experience.

Honorable Mentions: Fez, FTL: Faster Than Light, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Xenoblade: Chronicles
 

A Human Becoming

More than a Member
1. FTL - one of the only games this year that made me want to play more, not less.
2. The Walking Dead - would have easily been number 1 if they had fixed their bugs. They didn't so it isn't.
3. XCOM - lacked a bit of polish but was surpised by how good it was.
Semicolons not dashes need to be before the comments.
1. Journey
Great game. Love the way it connects players together, even though you know nothing about your partner. Also one of the best looking games this year.

2. Dishonored
Really enjoyed this game. Gives you seemingly infinite amount of ways you can take on the task in front of you. I also enjoyed the artstyle.

3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown
This is a straight up video game, and that's why I love it. Incredibly challenging, but at the same time rewarding, I'm looking forward to spending more time in this game.

4. The Walking Dead
Best example of making a video game with an episodic structure. One of the better written games of 2012. Gameplay is okay, but the story is worth the ride.

5. Dust: An Elysian Tail
One of my favorite game types I are Metroidvania games, and Dust is a good one. Gameplay is simple, but rewarding, and it is surprisingly well written.

6. Mark of the Ninja
Another great 2D action game on the Xbox 360, Mark of the Ninja is tight gameplay wise. By far the best game by Klei Entertainment. Really good.

7. Halo 4
This is a Halo game, make no mistake about it. But it's a really good Halo game, and a nice debut from 343 Industries.

8. Spec Ops: The Line
In an era where pretty much every shooter seems to glorify war, Spec Ops deals with the dark side of war, and does so in a surprisingly mature way. Really worth the play.

9. Max Payne 3
Another hit from Rockstar. Really fun shooter. Very pretty too. I really liked the look of the game.

10. Mass Effect 3
Yeah the ending was a poorly written mess, but the lead up to it was a fun, if flawed experience.

Honorable Mentions: Fez, FTL: Faster Than Light, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Xenoblade: Chronicles
Comments need to be on the same line with a semicolon after the game title.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
1. La-Mulana ; Great Metroidvania (PC, it's also on WiiWare etc).
2. The Last Story ; Awesome action JRPG well worth experiencing despite flaws (Wii).
3. Avernum: Escape from the Pit ; Great CRPG (PC, it's also on iOS).
4. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition ; Great third person Metroidvania (PC, it's also on consoles).
5. XCOM: Enemy Unknown ; Great turn based strategy (PC, it's also on consoles).
6. Ys Origin ; Great 3D Metroidvania (PC, dunno if it's in English on consoles).
7. Legend of Grimrock ; Great dungeon crawler (PC).
8. FTL: Faster Than Light ; Great spaceship manager (PC).
9. Hotline Miami ; Great murder game (PC).
10. The Real Texas ; Great action adventure game (PC).
x. Maldita Castilla ; Great action platform game (PC).
x. The Last Story ; Awesome action JRPG well worth playing (Wii).
x. Sleeping Dogs ; Fun sandbox (PC, it's also on consoles).
x. Dynamite Jack ; Fun bombing game (iOS, iPad 2).

Not sure if some of these are older than 2012... I definitely wanted to vote for many older games instead, so much filler here...
 

Lissar

Reluctant Member
ihCrt2EOy9NxY.jpg


1. Journey ; I played through Journey six times and each trip was better than the last. Each time was different due to the fact that you get thrown into this world with a random person you know nothing about. The person could abandon you and go their own way, fall down a cliff never to be seen again, or stick by you until the end. The game made me feel curiosity, excitement, fear, sadness, and ultimately a bitter sweet joy. Despite being a linear experience, the game still manages to provide a sense that you are exploring a world and civilization that is bigger than you are. This, along with wonderful music and visual design, has made Journey my game of the year.

iIpmTyJliJRRc.jpg


2. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP ; This is a game that is a music album in game form. The music, world, and gameplay are inextricably tied together into one cohesive experience. Interesting mechanics like Twitter connectivity and gameplay tied to the cycle of the moon make this game unique, as well as gorgeous pixel artwork.

ibe6uCRK5jn1mj.jpg


3. Sound Shapes (PS3) ; Another game where the idea of a music album in game form is used. What is different in the case of Sound Shapes is that there is a level editor where you can remix the sounds and graphics into new compositions. I made quite a few levels and found myself completely addicted to the experience. I hope they come out with new albums as DLC, because this is a game I could easily see myself coming back to again and again.

iEGwmVhN5qCsH.jpg


4. Tokyo Jungle ; The premise to Tokyo Jungle is simple: you are an animal, try to survive. My first few outings in the game showed that I did not have what it takes to even pass down my genes to the next generation, dying after only a few years. With randomized elements to the game it insured every game was unique. There is a sense of desperation that I have never felt with any other games. There were times I knew I would die soon, but tried to survive just a few years more. I wouldn't lie down and die so easily. That's what describes Tokyo Jungle: desperation and survival. (Also trying to eat lions with pomeranians.)

ibfOhnddZc34zV.jpg


5. Botanicula ; The only way I can describe this game is adorable. From beginning to end just once mass of cute. Which may or may not be high praise depending on your taste. I loved all the little creatures that there were to discover, and how they all behaved in unique ways. Of course, coming from Amanita Design this game was guaranteed to be both beautiful and have a great soundtrack, which it provides in spades.

ibgFspxE30Il4j.jpg


6. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward ; After playing 999, I didn't know what to expect with VLR. It wasn't a game that seemed to need a sequel, but got one anyway. And despite my issues with how the game ends, I am glad that they did. The puzzles were fun, the characters were interesting, and the mystery intriguing.

imf1UNfq6L4V2.jpg


7. Resonance ; I've enjoyed all of Wadjet Eye's games, and their latest is no different. This time they bring an interesting new mechanic to the point and click genre with the long and short term memory systems. I loved this new way to interact with the world and characters, and hope to see it make a return. The game also uses four different characters that you can control at once, which sometimes can make things a tad confusing, but was enjoyable overall.

ibsrwVXRmddWPx.jpg


8. They Bleed Pixels ; I'll admit, action platformers aren't typically my thing, but the visual design and music made this a game I had to have despite my unfamiliarity with the genre. Despite the extremely difficulty (especially for someone inexperienced) I find myself enjoying the game immensely.

iUzmqxXn4UMeE.jpg


9. Phantasy Star Online 2 ; Having played the original PSO on Dreamcast and quite a bit of the series since then I eagerly awaited PSO2. It's everything I could have wanted in the game and playing it with friends is quite enjoyable. I can't wait for the English version so I can play with others and not have to be a translator.

iWzRfsnrwnMd0.jpg


10. The Secret World ; Having one MMO on my list is odd enough, but two is something I never would have expected. As a fan of Ragnar Tørnquist, I was initially torn about the game. I loved his The Longest Journey games, and the setting and story with The Secret World looked right up my alley. But I have never enjoyed MMOs, and couldn't see it being different with this one. I'm glad I did decide to play it after it went B2P, since the game is very enjoyable despite its flaws. The battle system is dull, but the quests they have in the game are very good. They are connected to the world and story, and they don't make me feel like I'm doing make-work for experience points. I can't wait to see more of the game.
 

Kabouter

Member
Love the Botanicula drawing, really captures the look and feel of that game. Wish I could do something like that, but I don't think I'd be able to accurately convey what Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is like with stick figures.
 

Lissar

Reluctant Member
Damn Lissar I was gonna draw something but then it turns out i was lazy

Haha. I went a bit overboard. D: I was planning on only doing the first three, but then I was having so much fun and it wasn't taking me that long, so I decided to do them all!

Almost put honorable mentions with illustrations of those but then decided to not be crazy.

Love the Botanicula drawing, really captures the look and feel of that game. Wish I could do something like that, but I don't think I'd be able to accurately convey what Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is like with stick figures.

That one is my favorite too, though I felt I kept a little too close to the actual illustration style of the game. I wanted the illustrations to convey my own personal experiences and feelings with the games, but the style of Botanicula already perfectly captures that.
 

Nert

Member
I just wanted to say that I loved both the Botanicula drawing and the Botanicula vote. Just thinking about that game makes me smile.
 

StuBurns

Banned
1. Journey ; At the time I did say I thought it was better than Ico, making it for me the best game I'd ever played. I don't think that's quite fair, because your experience is so heavily reliant on your online partner, or even having one. As an offline game it's still incredible, but Ico will always be exactly how good it is, Journey will be differing qualities every time you play it. So despite it being the best single gaming experience of my life, I can't really say it's also the best game ever made. It is however, orders of magnitude the best game of this year.

2. The Walking Dead ; An exceptional game, I was very excited about Heavy Rain, and was quite disappointed, TWD is that concept, matched with quality writing. There is serious room for improvement, as a game it was garbage, but as a whole, it was still better than anything below it.

3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD ; It's hard to imagine this did come out this year, but the PS3 MGS HD Collection hit Europe in February. I'd tried Peace Walker before, on PSP and hated it, but I put over fifty hours into the PS3 version, it's fantastic. This series, even when fighting with one hand tied behind it's back is still incredible.

4. Dear Esther ; Technically a remake of a game I already thought was beautiful, but the remake is better, and I want to give it a mention. I'm disappointed they're making an Amnesia game next though, because I don't really care about that at all. It's unfortunate in a sense that this game is so inherently British, I think a lot of people could never really appreciate the way someone from England who actually understands all the references is able to.

5. Black Mesa ; They actually made this, and it's rad. I still don't quite believe it. I know this technically isn't the complete Half-Life, but as the final levels of the original are so utterly terrible, it actually serves to strengthen this version.

2011. Deus Ex: Human Revolution ; I can't believe I missed this last year, incredible game.

There is a chance Dishonored will be edited in, as I haven't touched it yet, and it's on the shelf waiting, but I seriously doubt I'll get to it any time soon.

EDIT: I've reduced the list to five, the other five really weren't worth of points.
 

Parham

Banned
I will add comments for each game next week.

1. Dragon's Dogma
2. Crusader Kings II
3. LIM by Merritt Kopas
4. Dys4ia
5. ZombiU
6. FTL: Faster Than Light
7. Style Savvy: Trendsetters
8. Super Hexagon
9. Miasmata
10. SSX - Very few games in this genre, if any, manage to encapsulate high speed racing in the same way SSX does, or, for that matter, match the level of satification one would get from beating their friend's time in a "Race It" course by a mere tenth of a second.

x. Thirty Flights of Loving
x. Sleeping Dogs
 
ihCrt2EOy9NxY.jpg


1. Journey ; I played through Journey six times and each trip was better than the last. Each time was different due to the fact that you get thrown into this world with a random person you know nothing about. The person could abandon you and go their own way, fall down a cliff never to be seen again, or stick by you until the end. The game made me feel curiosity, excitement, fear, sadness, and ultimately a bitter sweet joy. Despite being a linear experience, the game still manages to provide a sense that you are exploring a world and civilization that is bigger than you are. This, along with wonderful music and visual design, has made Journey my game of the year.

iIpmTyJliJRRc.jpg


2. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP ; This is a game that is a music album in game form. The music, world, and gameplay are inextricably tied together into one cohesive experience. Interesting mechanics like Twitter connectivity and gameplay tied to the cycle of the moon make this game unique, as well as gorgeous pixel artwork.

ibe6uCRK5jn1mj.jpg


3. Sound Shapes (PS3) ; Another game where the idea of a music album in game form is used. What is different in the case of Sound Shapes is that there is a level editor where you can remix the sounds and graphics into new compositions. I made quite a few levels and found myself completely addicted to the experience. I hope they come out with new albums as DLC, because this is a game I could easily see myself coming back to again and again.

iEGwmVhN5qCsH.jpg


4. Tokyo Jungle ; The premise to Tokyo Jungle is simple: you are an animal, try to survive. My first few outings in the game showed that I did not have what it takes to even pass down my genes to the next generation, dying after only a few years. With randomized elements to the game it insured every game was unique. There is a sense of desperation that I have never felt with any other games. There were times I knew I would die soon, but tried to survive just a few years more. I wouldn't lie down and die so easily. That's what describes Tokyo Jungle: desperation and survival. (Also trying to eat lions with pomeranians.)

ibfOhnddZc34zV.jpg


5. Botanicula ; The only way I can describe this game is adorable. From beginning to end just once mass of cute. Which may or may not be high praise depending on your taste. I loved all the little creatures that there were to discover, and how they all behaved in unique ways. Of course, coming from Amanita Design this game was guaranteed to be both beautiful and have a great soundtrack, which it provides in spades.

ibgFspxE30Il4j.jpg


6. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward ; After playing 999, I didn't know what to expect with VLR. It wasn't a game that seemed to need a sequel, but got one anyway. And despite my issues with how the game ends, I am glad that they did. The puzzles were fun, the characters were interesting, and the mystery intriguing.

imf1UNfq6L4V2.jpg


7. Resonance ; I've enjoyed all of Wadjet Eye's games, and their latest is no different. This time they bring an interesting new mechanic to the point and click genre with the long and short term memory systems. I loved this new way to interact with the world and characters, and hope to see it make a return. The game also uses four different characters that you can control at once, which sometimes can make things a tad confusing, but was enjoyable overall.

ibsrwVXRmddWPx.jpg


8. They Bleed Pixels ; I'll admit, action platformers aren't typically my thing, but the visual design and music made this a game I had to have despite my unfamiliarity with the genre. Despite the extremely difficulty (especially for someone inexperienced) I find myself enjoying the game immensely.

iUzmqxXn4UMeE.jpg


9. Phantasy Star Online 2 ; Having played the original PSO on Dreamcast and quite a bit of the series since then I eagerly awaited PSO2. It's everything I could have wanted in the game and playing it with friends is quite enjoyable. I can't wait for the English version so I can play with others and not have to be a translator.

iWzRfsnrwnMd0.jpg


10. The Secret World ; Having one MMO on my list is odd enough, but two is something I never would have expected. As a fan of Ragnar Tørnquist, I was initially torn about the game. I loved his The Longest Journey games, and the setting and story with The Secret World looked right up my alley. But I have never enjoyed MMOs, and couldn't see it being different with this one. I'm glad I did decide to play it after it went B2P, since the game is very enjoyable despite its flaws. The battle system is dull, but the quests they have in the game are very good. They are connected to the world and story, and they don't make me feel like I'm doing make-work for experience points. I can't wait to see more of the game.

Goddamn this is awesome.
 

Plasma

Banned
1. Katawa Shoujo ; I realise that a lot of people will avoid this because of the stigma that is attached to playing an anime visual novel but Katawa Shoujo has one of the best stories I've played in a game this year and I think it throughly deserves the top spot on my list. If you haven't played it I urge you to give it a go, it is on the PC and it is free.
2. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward ; I don't know how much I can say about this without spoiling the story but if you own a Vita or a 3DS you should get this game, perhaps play 999 first though or at the very least read a story synopsis. I also liked how they improved the gameplay side of things, you never do the same puzzle twice and you can jump around the games story branches at will, two things that really dragged the first game down.
3. Persona 4: Golden ; I love Persona 4, the only reason this isn't number one is because I've already played it. That being said I think the changes they made and the new content they've added are significant enough to merit it being this high up on the list.
4. The Walking Dead ; After playing Jurassic Park I wasn't expecting much from this game but Telltale managed to deliver a very emotional story. The only thing I'd hold against the game is that the choices in the end don't really change what happens at all despite what the disclaimer at the start of each episode seems to imply.
5. Borderlands 2 ; Borderlands 1 was great and this is more of that. They probably should have gone further with the changes but it's been three years since the first one and there still aren't many FPS games that are loot oriented so it is still feels fresh and fun.
6. Mass Effect 3 ; Looking at the games coming out this year it seemed like this was a shoe in for the number one spot but a poor final mission, ending and the shallow side quests mark this down. That being said I still had a lot of fun playing it and I'm currently on my fourth run through of the game so something is definitely drawing me back to it.
7. Sleeping Dogs ; Some great melee combat and lots to do in an open world game. I wasn't expecting much from it as it started out as a True Crime game but I came away surprised by how good it was.
8. Fez ; Despite some technical issues I had a great time trying to figure out the puzzles in Fez and just really loved the art style it used.
9. Mark of the Ninja ; Solid stealth mechanics and some good level design made this a very enjoyable game to play.
10. Halo 4 ; The gameplay changes were good and the graphics look beautiful however the campaign felt like it was treading over familiar ground and the new enemies weren't really that fun to fight.

x. Resident Evil: Revelations ; Easily the best game I've played on my 3DS and also the best Resident Evil game this year. Though this isn't actually that surprising given how terrible Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6 were.
x. Dishonored ; Started really strongly but towards the back end of the game it really started to lose steam and I lost interest in the story after the very predictable twist.

2011. Need for Speed: The Run ; I picked this up in a sale this year having not played a racing game in awhile and really liked how it tried to actually give you a reason for travelling from A to B, the story was thin but I liked that it had one.

Two games on my list were imported Persona 4: Golden and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, I live in the UK.
 

ChryZ

Member
1. Borderlands 2 ; Overall most enjoyable game for me: awesome co-op, great PC version, quirky characters, stories and tons of content.
2. Journey
3. Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland
4. Sleeping Dogs
5. Torchlight 2
6. Binary Domain
7. FTL: Faster Than Light
8. Hotline Miami
9. Tribes: Ascend
x. Hawken

2011. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
 

Yen

Member
Feel it was a terrible year for gaming, compared to last year and hopefully next year.

Only game I'm prepared to put forward
(because I've been very disappointed with the major releases, and haven't played enough 2012 indie releases to give a GOTY to them)
is The Walking Dead. Really fantastic storytelling, I'm sure the structure and mechanics will be copied in following years, and deservedly so.
 

Zia

Member
My favorite year for video games, and 2013 looks comparable.

1. Fez
2. Okami HD ; A late addition. Hasn't received nearly enough votes and I initially left it off because it's a remaster, but... come on, people.
3. Spelunky
4. Journey
5. Dishonored
6. Beat Sneak Bandit
7. FIFA 13 ; I wanted to make special mention of this. Football is, in my opinion, the greatest game ever conceived. It's symmetrical, accessible, intelligent, accommodates a wide range of talents, emphasizes pure athleticism and is a wonderful spectator sport. FIFA 13 is the best football game ever made. It has its fair share of issues: goalie AI is still lacking and easily exploitable, there are lock-ups and glitches here and there, playing ranked matches with strangers is occasionally frustrating, as some want to put a few quick goals in using the aforementioned AI exploits instead of playing a clever game of soccer. But despite all of that, FIFA 13 is fundamentally sound. It's tactile and, in the hands of a smart player, it looks and feels like real soccer. EA has built a platform around this foundation, an ever-changing MMO capable of consuming all of one’s free time featuring skill challenges, leaderboards, dailies, roleplaying games and the most robust TCG I've ever seen, complete with a vibrant virtual economy. It's breathtaking, and it's all designed to embellish rather than obfusticate. A person could devote themselves solely to competitive matches, designed as seasons complete with divisions and cup tournaments, or the lonely micromanagement of high-difficulty career mode, and never, ever feel like they were missing out on something. Your time with FIFA 13 never feels pressured, because unlike other massively online platforms, it never tells you what you need to be doing. Like actual football, it accommodates a wide range of talents. Brilliant.
8. Super Hexagon
9. Thirty Flights of Loving
10. Hotline Miami
 

Haunted

Member
Zia's list is amazing, if only for the reason that it took some passion from outside of gaming to penetrate the indie bubble. :D FIFA 13 is indeed great, not sure why it never occurs to me to add the year's best football game to any of my lists considering the time I spend with them every year. No love for Dear Esther and FTL considering there's a free spot left? I also would've thought Hotline Miami would finish higher on your list. Cactus <3

There is a chance Dishonored will be edited in, as I haven't touched it yet, and it's on the shelf waiting, but I seriously doubt I'll get to it any time soon.
No love for some of the indie hits this year?

Here's hoping you still manage to play a good game before the deadline
so FFXIII-2 gets bumped off. :p


Lots of surprising choices from people I know this year. I also really appreciate the writeup rule. We should extend that one in the future.
 

Spookie

Member
1. Dota 2 / The Walking Dead ; Not sure if the former counts since it's still in beta but regardless, my most played game all year. TWD because it's the first game to genuinely almost move me to tears. My options might not have mattered often through the game but what I played felt catered to me.
2. Dishonoured ; Sandbox gaming done right. Give me a bunch of tools then let me loose to complete the mission how I see fit. Awesome.
3. Spec Ops: The Line ; Second most powerful game I played all year. About as subtle as a kick to the face but it really adjusted how you looked a military shooters.

4. X-COM ; Closest we're going to get to a full sequel of UFO, still a bit straightforward for my liking and far too random but doesn't stop it being a well made and approachable TBS.
5. Forza Horizon ; Amazing racing game, takes what you think of Forza and makes it new and fresh. Glad to see a new studio made up of some great UK racing developers get off to a great start.
6. Sleeping Dogs ; Proving Activisions mistake was our gain.
7. Hotline Miami ; Music, Violence, Masks and Trippy visuals. Less a game more a drug addled experience.
8. Max Payne 3 ; Terrible narrative and poor story but completely made up in the awesome shoot dodging.
9. Far Cry 3 ; YAY GUNS, YAY DRIVING, YAY OPEN WORL- OH FUCK IT'S A SHARK!
10. Journey ; Completely overrated but still the whole package managed to resonate with me so much it's worthy of a mention in my top 10.

x. Mass Effect 3 ; A good RPG but severely hampered by a badly told story coupled with a dog shit ending and story lines that wrapped up far too neatly. Not the sequel to Mass Effect 2 we were hoping for. But it did manage to improve upon both it's RPG and shooting mechanics.
x. Thomas Was Alone ; Neat indie platformer, funny and moving.
x. Legend of Grimrock ; Hey look Ultima Underground got a 2012 revamp!
x. Mark of the Ninja ; It was this or Journey for my top 10. Sorry. :(
x. Dark Souls:ptD ; Ugly, bland and lifeless textures, overly punishing, terribly cryptic dialogue and obtuse story. But I still managed to get 30 hours in before eventually giving up on it.
 
1. Dota 2 / The Walking Dead ; Not sure if the former counts since it's still in beta but regardless, my most played game all year. TWD because it's the first game to genuinely almost move me to tears. My options might not have mattered often through the game but what I played felt catered to me.

Sorry, ties are not allowed.
 

Zia

Member
Zia's list is amazing, if only for the reason that it took some passion from outside of gaming to penetrate the indie bubble. :D FIFA 13 is indeed great, not sure why it never occurs to me to add the year's best football game to any of my lists considering the time I spend with them every year. No love for Dear Esther and FTL considering there's a free spot left? I also would've thought Hotline Miami would finish higher on your list. Cactus <3

Ha, thank you. : p I mulled over including Dear Esther, FTL, Sound Shapes, Tokyo Jungle... even Borderlands 2 in that last slot, but ultimately the nine games I included meant a lot to me, and struck me as the games from 2012 I'll carry with me for some time. And I have no doubt that if I had finished it that Hotline Miami would've been in my top five, but I stopped playing the IGF build about halfway through to wait for the Mac version on Steam. Still waiting. : (
 
1. JOURNEY
It's a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece and a blessing in this boring fps and shooter dominated industry.

2. THE WALKING DEAD
Like #1,it is a miracle a game as thoughtful and mature as this one, get's released in these days. Loved every minute of it, great and intense storytelling.

3. PERSONA 4 GOLDEN
One of the best RPG's of this century just got even better!
 
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