HBK619
Brownlow Medallist
- Dec 5, 2006
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In lieu of there being no Gaming Question of the Month this month (and I know you're all frothing at the thought of it coming back!) here we have the real big question of the year. What game do you deem to be the best for the year 2012.
It's been a year mainly of sequels and perhaps a big sign that the end of this gen is growing ever closer. Never the less, there's been some quality in all forms this year, from the downloadable format to the big retail releases.
So here is the place to list your top 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or however many games you deem worthy of being in your bests this year and which one you deemed the very best.
I'll kick it off with my top 5.
GOTY. Far Cry 3 - Fun. Pure fun. That is the best way of describing this game. It mixes Red Dead Redemption's world depth with the animal hunting and flower picking and gives a genuine reason to do that stuff. And also brings in some Assassin's Creed with first person platforming that actually works! Ubisoft took what was a decent game with a heap of flaws in Far Cry 2 and turned the sequel around to be one that has, at worst, one or two flaws. Fantastic game, I only wish there was just more and more and more. The only game I have got a Platinum for this year, and probably the most fun I've had going for one too.
2. Hitman: Absolution - Hitman is back! While not necessarily better than ever, a great Hitman is still one that sits deep in my heart and I can look past the flaws if the meat of the package is at least still Hitman at it's core. Not for the rushers and requires an uber amount of patience, as well as plenty of trial and error. But as with past Hitman games there's a ton of ways to complete a level and most are rarely obvious from first look. Agent 47 has been away far too long, let's not make it this long until he's back again, ok Square?
3. The Darkness 2 - Not only is this game one of the most underrated of the year, but it did something that not many games have managed to do in my history of gaming. Create an emotional story that bridges two games, while improving the 2nd game in every single aspect. It's so hard to describe what really makes this game so damn good. But a lot of it comes down to the fact that you really need to play the first one, just to appreciate not only how big of a leap this one came but how the story continued on so perfectly and kept the same level of emotional impact that the first had in spades (the first games only real redeeming feature). Although I know the lack of sales means this game likely won't see it to a trilogy, The Darkness became one of my absolute favourite gaming series with this 2nd installment. I highly recommend this title.
4. Journey - An experience like no other. I gushed plenty in the PSN Games thread (here and here) with two completely different, but no less amazing experiences. The first playthrough was the more traditional playthrough that allowed me to see what the game was about. But the 2nd one will probably stick with me as one of the most amazing gaming experiences I've ever had. You can read more in that 2nd link, but basically I found someone in the game and went through about 2/3rds of the game with them, helping them out, them helping me, looking after them the whole time. Almost lost them in the very last moments of the game, only to see them waiting for me at the top of the mountain. It's just so unique, so different to your normal online experience where you're called the n-word or a n00b or whatever. This was an experience where you cared for the other person despite not knowing a damn thing about them. It was purely and simply, amazing.
5. Borderlands 2 - As with Far Cry 3, the name of the game here is fun. Every feature, every enemy, every mission, every gun. All created in the name of pure fun. I had so much fun with this game that I ended up playing through the campaign a 2nd time immediately after finishing it the first time, which is something I rarely do for a game this long (around 20-40 hours for one playthrough). Absolutely, this game is one of the best value for money propositions in years. Whether in co-op or solo, this game is ridiculously fun and an improvement over the first game in every single way.
Hon. Mentions (in no order): Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, FIFA 13, Black Ops 2 (campaign), Sound Shapes, Max Payne 3.
It's been a year mainly of sequels and perhaps a big sign that the end of this gen is growing ever closer. Never the less, there's been some quality in all forms this year, from the downloadable format to the big retail releases.
So here is the place to list your top 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or however many games you deem worthy of being in your bests this year and which one you deemed the very best.
I'll kick it off with my top 5.
GOTY. Far Cry 3 - Fun. Pure fun. That is the best way of describing this game. It mixes Red Dead Redemption's world depth with the animal hunting and flower picking and gives a genuine reason to do that stuff. And also brings in some Assassin's Creed with first person platforming that actually works! Ubisoft took what was a decent game with a heap of flaws in Far Cry 2 and turned the sequel around to be one that has, at worst, one or two flaws. Fantastic game, I only wish there was just more and more and more. The only game I have got a Platinum for this year, and probably the most fun I've had going for one too.
2. Hitman: Absolution - Hitman is back! While not necessarily better than ever, a great Hitman is still one that sits deep in my heart and I can look past the flaws if the meat of the package is at least still Hitman at it's core. Not for the rushers and requires an uber amount of patience, as well as plenty of trial and error. But as with past Hitman games there's a ton of ways to complete a level and most are rarely obvious from first look. Agent 47 has been away far too long, let's not make it this long until he's back again, ok Square?
3. The Darkness 2 - Not only is this game one of the most underrated of the year, but it did something that not many games have managed to do in my history of gaming. Create an emotional story that bridges two games, while improving the 2nd game in every single aspect. It's so hard to describe what really makes this game so damn good. But a lot of it comes down to the fact that you really need to play the first one, just to appreciate not only how big of a leap this one came but how the story continued on so perfectly and kept the same level of emotional impact that the first had in spades (the first games only real redeeming feature). Although I know the lack of sales means this game likely won't see it to a trilogy, The Darkness became one of my absolute favourite gaming series with this 2nd installment. I highly recommend this title.
4. Journey - An experience like no other. I gushed plenty in the PSN Games thread (here and here) with two completely different, but no less amazing experiences. The first playthrough was the more traditional playthrough that allowed me to see what the game was about. But the 2nd one will probably stick with me as one of the most amazing gaming experiences I've ever had. You can read more in that 2nd link, but basically I found someone in the game and went through about 2/3rds of the game with them, helping them out, them helping me, looking after them the whole time. Almost lost them in the very last moments of the game, only to see them waiting for me at the top of the mountain. It's just so unique, so different to your normal online experience where you're called the n-word or a n00b or whatever. This was an experience where you cared for the other person despite not knowing a damn thing about them. It was purely and simply, amazing.
5. Borderlands 2 - As with Far Cry 3, the name of the game here is fun. Every feature, every enemy, every mission, every gun. All created in the name of pure fun. I had so much fun with this game that I ended up playing through the campaign a 2nd time immediately after finishing it the first time, which is something I rarely do for a game this long (around 20-40 hours for one playthrough). Absolutely, this game is one of the best value for money propositions in years. Whether in co-op or solo, this game is ridiculously fun and an improvement over the first game in every single way.
Hon. Mentions (in no order): Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, FIFA 13, Black Ops 2 (campaign), Sound Shapes, Max Payne 3.
