GOTY

[Blotus]

What's yours?

Mine is between:
-Walking Dead
-Mass Effect 3
-XCOM
-NHL 13

Walking Dead was the most emotionally gripping for me; Mass Effect was awesome throughout, though the payoff wasn't as great as I'd hoped; XCOM was an incredibly fun and addictive, though I've not started a second playthough and don't know if I will; NHL 13 is the first in the series that I've played a ton of since probably 2000 and has been incredibly helpful in a year without hockey.

Honorable mention:
-Twisted Metal (great, chaotic local multiplayer; shitty online and UI)
-Dishonored (great premise and world, fun stealth; two-dimensional secondary characters, lame ending)
-Journey (played through once, had fun, should try again; didn't live up to hype, wasn't as impactful as Flower for me)


If I was dumb enough to have purchased a Vita, Persona 4 Golden would probably be on that list somewhere too.



And my predictions for your favorites:

Eric/Chris: One of those Capcom fighting games that came out this year, or Persona Arena
Sine: Nintendo Land
Zeus: Halo 4 or RE6 or the WiiU controller
Seeker/Anarky/Oracle: Xenosaga or Last Story
Don: Some MMO
Kali: XCOM (1994)
Flip: Whatever baseball game came out this year
Bovine: Dark Souls, even though it came out last year
Andrew/Seraphina: Babies

[Shrinweck]

RPG: Mass Effect 3 (great game but not the best year for RPGs, really emphasizes how little choice there is in Bioware's franchises)
Action: Dishonored/Borderlands 2
Turn Based Strategy: Endless Space (one of the best interfaces in a game of its type I've ever seen)
Real Time Strategy: Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

The Walking Dead was good but was more of an amazing interactive story than an achievement in gaming. Honorable mention to Faster Than Light for being great. I would have probably called GW2 my MMORPG of the year but I tried to play it on three separate occasions this week and couldn't get past playing for fifteen minutes straight.

[SineSwiper]

Again, it's been a piss poor year for games. Sure, there have been some good games this year, but not enough of them.

Mark of the Ninja should be on the list somewhere.

[Eric]

I'm still playing Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. :p

Assassin's Creed 3 is pretty goddamn awesome.

Mass Effect 3, despite the awful a b c endings was a great experience.

Sleeping Dogs was a lot of fun.

Mists of Pandaria is the best WoW expansion yet.

And Black Ops 2 delivered another solid Call of Duty experience.

I think it's between ME3 & Assassin's Creed 3 for me personally.

[Don]

Does it have to be something that came out this year? I don't think any game I played that came out this year was good enough to be mentioned.

[SineSwiper]

Turn Based Strategy: Endless Space (one of the best interfaces in a game of its type I've ever seen)

Reminds me of a revived VGA Planets game. Of course, almost nobody would probably get that reference.

[bovine]

Dark Souls is my 2011 game of 2012.

My game of the year, as it probably stands for the rest of the year is..... Ummm.....

The Walking Dead.

Spoiler: show

The game parts of this game are not great. I think journey did a better job of intertwining gameplay and emotional narrative, but the emotional narrative and GRIPPING choices you have to make are what make this my game of the year. The storytelling in this episodic game was probably better than nearly all the games of 2012 that I have played so far combined (probably minus Halo 4, because I actually really enjoyed the MC/Cortana thing that happened in there). Even when I finished the story and sort of saw through the narrative concessions that had to be made to make all that choice possible.... I still felt that the story that it told was MY story. I felt that way with Heavy Rain too, but Heavy Rain's acting was just too off to really grip me like this one. The zombies in this tale are, in the end, kind of inconsequential to the tale of a man who has to make a lot of hard choices, and when all those choices stare you right in the face at the end, it really feels great. This game could have really easily Mass Effect 3ed right at the end (read: FLOPPED), but instead it made me feel like everything I did mattered in a tangible and believable way that you really have to experience to believe.

I haven't played BLOPS 2, XCOM, Dishonored, or Far Cry 3. They all seem like strong titles.

[Oracle]

What's yours?
Seeker/Anarky/Oracle: Xenosaga or Last Story

Yea, Xenosaga probably. At least it's the game I derived the most enjoyment from this year. I didn't play many titles this year, however.

And to follow Bovine's lead, if I had to pick a 2011 game for 2012, it'd be Bastion :p

[Don]

If it's just 'something I played in 2012' it'd be SWTOR before it imploded because it didn't have a cross server functionality which should be mandatory in all MMORPGs now.

Though honestly I only play MMORPG when there isn't anything else worth playing, since MMORPGs you at least get something to show for your time spend later. The game I enjoyed the most this year is probably Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes, though having nonexistent balance for online playing kind of holds it back.

By the way, I heard preferred accounts in SWTOR will get 6 characters + 4 hotkey bars 'soon', so when that happens it's a good use of $5. The Imperial Agent story alone is worth $5.

[Zeus]

It's been a disappointing year overall for gaming, in particular the big releases which were almost all sequels. RE:ORC was decent at best. Worst part is it was a squad shooter slapped with the RE name, something no one really wanted. Ninja Gaiden 3, from what I heard, was absolute shit and was cleaned up A LOT for the Wii U release. Max Payne 3 is so bad it's almost unplayable. Even Nintendo's mainstay, New Super Mario Bros 2, wasn't as good as before. It was still a good and fun game but we've come to expect awesome stuff from that particular series, so it was a bit of a disappointment.

I keep hearing how bad Silent Hill: Downpour is but I played Homecoming, and that was actually a good game, unlike what the reviews said. I'm holding off judgement for now but ain't exactly rushing out to get it. Same with Kingdom Hearts 3D. Never played it but it seems to have gotten a universal "meh" response. And Medal of Honor: Warfighter was a noticeable drop in quality from the first, especially the first half. It redeemed itself in the second half but just wasn't that great. Another "decent" game (amazing graphics in the cutscenes, though)

Currently, I'm playing through Assassin's Creed 3 and let me say, only #1 is worse in the series (and I put that one at a 5 out of 10). It's not nearly as good as the Ezio trilogy games (2 and Brotherhood were 9s, Revelations was an 8 ) and I'm honestly just plodding through it (at Sequence 9 now) to finish the storyline (Desmond's; Conner is a horrible character and I don't care about him whatsoever). I've just scratched the surface of Halo 4 (I finished Chapter 1 plus a little of Chapter 2) and I thought it was a huge improvement so far but haven't played enough to give a proper opinion. But it could be by the end of the year if it's as good as promised so far.

Resident Evil 6 is the new Castlevania 64: so much about it is great and it really should be a gem of a game. Problem is, they keep shooting themselves in the foot with their "extra" gameplay mechanics and some stupid design choices. Essentially, when you're fighting zombies, it's awesome. Significantly better than any RE before it. But everything else isn't well done. Unfortunately, that everything else takes up about 30-35% of the game...at least. So you go from having a 9.5 game to about a 7. Like a lot of other games, disappointing. Although it had so much more promise than just the "meh" responses of the others. It was more dragged down to a 7 than reached it.

Really, Diablo 3 wasn't nearly as good as it shoulda been either. I played through it once, had my fun, and have absolutely zero desire to play it again. Not that it was bad or anything, it just wasn't great and not really worth extra playthroughs.

And it's not just limited to sequels. Asura's Wrath is a fun game but nothing phenomenal. Honestly only worth $20 at best IMO. I never tried the full game but the demo for Dragon's Dogma was HORRIBLE and turned me off right away. Lollipop Chainsaw is OK but nothing to write home about. Same with Alice: Madness Returns. I haven't played it past the demo but I keep hearing how Dust: An Elysian Tale wasn't as good as people had hoped. I was really hoping it would be a great downloadable Muramasa and will pick it up when it goes on sale but the reviews and word on the street ain't makin' me itchin' to buy it. Kid Icarus is a ton of fun but again, shoulda been better.

Before I choose my GOTY, I haven't yet played the following past demos, if applicable (demos were great): Deadlight, Mark of the Ninja, Dishonored, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Stand, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, New Super Mario Bros Wii U (the demo I played at Comic Con was fun as shit), RE: Revelations, and Theatrhythm. These ones I think could be as good as my GOTY but I just haven't played them (or played enough) and can't pass judgement.

So that leaves one game: Borderlands 2. That game was fun as shit through and through. I mean, I wanted to do extra missions (to a point: too many games were comin' and I wanted to get it done), I loved Jack, it was amazing to play multi (SOO much better than on your own), drops were something you aimed for, design and execution was great. It was just a phenomenal overall package, easily a 9 out of 10 IMO. There's potential for some other games I haven't played or haven't played enough of yet to surpass it (*cough*Halo 4*cough*), but as of right now, Borderlands 2 is my easy GOTY.

WRONG, BLOTUS!!! HAHAHAHAHA! (although in a few weeks you may end up being right, we'll see ;-)

[Don]

I feel that most games are so needlessly long that it's like they're trying to be a grindy MMORPG, but if you want to grind you can just do MMORPG and actually have something to show for it. Heck, even Duel of the Planewalkers 2013 requires you to win 30 games now to unlock your deck instead of about 10, so you just grind on the trivial encounter over and over because most of the decks aren't even very good.

I think game companies are more afraid you'll finish their game as opposed to become bored with it or, worse yet, never get anywhere. I didn't even start a second character in Diablo 3 even though I had multiple versions of every class back in Diablo 2. I didn't start a new character in Torchlight 2 either. Diablo 3 was too grindy on the gear acquisition but Torchlight 2 was too grindy on the level up itself. That is, I know I can get all the gear easily in a new character but leveling up takes so long I've no intention of doing it again. On the other hand Diablo doesn't take (as long) to level up but since it's impossible to get any meaningfully good gear you might as well not bother.

[Flip]

I've sunk 100's of hours into Diablo 3, so, thats my GOTY.

I keep dying in Hardcore, but then i keep making new characters... then i die again. I do currently have a lvl 60 DH, though. The patches that come out every other month or so do change the game pretty drastically enough to keep things fresh.

[Julius Seeker]

Xenoblade would be correct for me =)

I also liked Harvest Moon: A new Life, Last Story, Mass Effect 3, and probably Assassin's Creed 3 when I get it =P (But hey, I love the others).

NHL 13 is also so awesome I bought it 4 times for myself and in-laws.

Most anticipated games for next year are 1st Sim City followed by Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (for co-op multiplayer at work), and Fire Emblem on 3DS - as well as the Wii U version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for home play (accounts are playable on both 3DS and Wii U versions).

[Anarky]

Borderlands 2 was my GoTY.

I had high hopes for Diablo 3, but at the end of the day it is just a bad game. I am starting to lose faith in Blizzard as a whole, they put a date on SC2: Heart of the Swarm and then today put out some patch notes/ideas that will need to be heavily balanced and I know the multiplayer will be broken when it drops in March.

Darksiders 2 is decent and when I get some time off for the Holidays I hope to go back and try to play through it.

Counterstrike GO has been a fun game to play with friends, and I'm sure it will only get better as the map pool grows.

I can't say I've played an RPG and cared about the genre since Final Fantasy 8 (Hated it).

[kali o.]

XCOM (1994)

Second choice: NHL 2013 (lock out might be making bias)
Third choice: Walking Dead (not a great game, but a great experience)

I've been pretty bored with gaming since Fallout New Vegas.

[Flip]

I had high hopes for Diablo 3, but at the end of the day it is just a bad game.

Ive never felt this way. D3 is different than D2, but the gear addiction and fast action is still very much there. The HC economy isnt all messed up like softcore, so i think playing the auction house is pretty awesome. If youre looking for a particular unique item, for example. there might be one page of it on HC at high (but not unreasonable) prices as opposed to 100 pages, like in SC with prices ranging all over the crazy place. I like that HC has no real money auction house, it limits any credit card heroes out there. Each patch and the subsequent expansions will only make things better.

[Anarky]

I had high hopes for Diablo 3, but at the end of the day it is just a bad game.

Ive never felt this way. D3 is different than D2, but the gear addiction and fast action is still very much there. The HC economy isnt all messed up like softcore, so i think playing the auction house is pretty awesome. If youre looking for a particular unique item, for example. there might be one page of it on HC at high (but not unreasonable) prices as opposed to 100 pages, like in SC with prices ranging all over the crazy place. I like that HC has no real money auction house, it limits any credit card heroes out there. Each patch and the subsequent expansions will only make things better.

I think when the expansion comes out the game will be where it should be. Where I can craft reasonable gear and ignore the auction house. I also hated that the first play through was a snooze fest. The game needs to be closer to nightmare from the get go.

[Eric]

You'd be surprised at how terrible people are at games Anarky. Some people struggled through that normal playthrough!

Hell Blizzard said most people didn't finish Wings of Liberty's campaign because it was too long(8 hours? really?).

[Julius Seeker]

RPGs/adventures might not be as generally good as they were in the time of Final Fantasy 8, but I still enjoy them and their derivatives more than any other genre. There's always some sort of gem each year, last year was Radiant Historia, this year there were several. Plus there's always Tales games, one day I'll actually finish one.

[SineSwiper]

A few games and many hours into it, I find that Endless Space sucks. Good interface, good soundtrack, poor execution.

Take "Expansion Disapproval". This mechanic should be a nice balance point for the game, but it's not. The AI just seems to dominate without regard to approval ratings, spreading out to as many systems as possible. Even ground combat is abysmally slow, forcing you to try to grab up as many empty systems as possible WITHOUT trying to strike out with the dreaded expansion disapproval. The benefit of empire borders doesn't make up for the ton of expansion disapproval you get from it.

(I've had situations where an enemy can invade one of my outposts, just because it's barely inside his border. Yet my armada can't even attack him. And this is all in the middle of a Cease Fire. How is that a Cease Fire if you're still allowed to invade systems?)

Also, the AI seems to be perfectly content to be as peaceful as possible to everybody and every race. Good/evil alignment just plain doesn't work. Thus, you end up with one faction that is dominating, and the rest of the AI opponents don't seem to be interested in trying to fix that problem.

Overall, if you can't write a good AI for a mostly single player game, then what's the point in creating the game?