Game of the Year 2012
A belated and largely pointless list of games which meant something in 2012 to an anonymous nobody.
List items
-
It was very hard to decide on my number one. The Walking Dead was a watershed moment for gaming and its ending surely ranks as one of the greatest moments the industry has ever produced. Yet, I feel that Dust: An Elysian Tail deserves my game of the year crown for being, from start to finish, a completely enchanting experience. Dean Dodrill has managed to craft an experience that took me back to when I first became immersed in gaming, when I first discovered the immersive and bewitching power it can have. That it was made by one man, and that is was able to arouse in me joy I’ve not felt since Ocarina of Time, is no small feat. From the beauty of its world, to the evocative music, to the elegant mechanics, and to the emotionally resonant story, all things within Dust conspire to form something akin to magic. Everyone is different and unique, so while not everyone will be as smitten as I when playing this, Dust: An Elysian Tail is for me the very best 2012 had to offer.
-
In any other year The Walking Dead would have been my number one; such well written characters deserve to be recognised in a world so full of clichés and cardboard cut outs. As it is however, The Walking Dead doesn’t quite make it due to some inelegant gameplay. However, for whatever sins it may commit in its mechanics, it finds redemption and more in its story and in the most emotionally engaging ending of any game yet created. Brutal yet sensitive, Telltale weaved a story so full of tension and emotion that I wonder if any game will ever match it for the feelings it evoked. I do very much hope so, as a failure to take heed of what this game accomplishes would be a terrible mistake.
-
This ought to be an absolute classic; its perfect mix of tower defence and role-playing was buttressed by some incredibly charming characters and a well-written, good humoured story. It’s not a good looking game, but it demonstrated that gameplay really does count for an awful lot if you can get it right. The persistence and customisation also gave it a sense of progression beyond the mere completion of levels, and sheer amount of content meant you were never short on challenge should you want it.
-
Capcom’s first real stab at an RPG was an interesting one. Although not big on conventional loot, Dragon’s Dogma was very big on fights, and crafting some excellent encounters. While the world was largely empty, it was often very pretty and with a good sense of scale with variable geography.
-
A surprise entry, Fall of Cybertron was my favourite of the many third person shooters to be released in 2012. What was most surprising was how fun it all was; the story had great pacing, the gameplay was nice and varied, and the game’s many set pieces were delivered with real style. Also, as someone who grew up with two brothers I had the added bonus of getting all the little Generation 1 references, and it has to be said that the game does an admirable job at keeping within the spirit of the series, yet retain its own identity. In short, it is the perfect antidote to Michael Bay’s sexist, racist, and incredibly expensive horseshit.
-
Incorrect spelling aside, Arkane Studios did a great job to make this blundering moron feel as though she was actually good at stealth games. I really loved the pseudo-Victorian steampunk style, despite the lack of beautiful dresses I expected from such a world, and the flexibility with which the game allowed you to approach it. Couple that with a well-designed areas and lots of alternative routes, and I found myself really feeling like a proper assassin in the shadows, as opposed to an annoying Anglo-native American stuck in a world of crap mini games masquerading as missions.
-
A messed up video game; everything and everyone you encounter is ‘off’ in some way or another. It is a dark and twisted little adventure game that explores some incredibly sensitive subject matter and yet somehow manages, within all its brutality and weirdness, to handle them with care and insight.
-
No amount of credit does the developers justice for the work they’ve done to turn what seemed a completely lost cause into a thoroughly engrossing and exciting open world game. Set in a beautiful and colourful Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs took the ingredients of many an open world game (driving, shooting, running people over) and made them into a delicious soup with a satisfying garnish of yummy hand to hand combat. The story and characters were compelling, the missions were fun, and the PC port was handled with a stunning degree of care.
-
Being a turn-based strategy fan, XCOM was always likely to feature in my end of year list, and it was really gratifying to see it do so well. On the plus side I loved the customisation and forging of your squad, the upgrading, and the pure mechanics of the battles themselves. That said, I’ve no desire to play it again, and the number of bugs and technical hitches made the experience a little off-putting at times. Nevertheless, it was great fun, and the perfect springboard for a more expansive sequel.
-
I tend not to play many MMOs, and those I do play often bore me quickly (Tera, for all its prettiness was a perfect example) but Guild Wars 2 fought bravely to hold my interest for as long as it could with some great design choices. The ability to join in large scale battles with others on the fly, the consistent pace of levelling and progression, and the not completely tedious questing allowed for me to spend a good number of hours in its pretty world before the inevitable burn out and boredom. If I wasn’t so anti-social, I could see myself placing this much higher.
Load Comments