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Game of the Year - 2012

Cfrock

Keep it strong
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Liverpool, England
No need for a big four paragraph introduction explaining that it is currently 2012 and there have been video games released this year and that many of them have been good. You all know that stuff anyway :)

What is your Game of the Year - 2012?

Simple as that. So go on, what game and why?
 
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Zorth

#Scoundrel
Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Hmm.. tough one.

I'd pick Mass Effect 3, But the story disappointed me.. Maybe Assassin's Creed III?.. meh, It died for me pretty quickly, same with Borderlands 2.

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I'll have to go with Counter Strike: Global Offensive, It's a game that is straight forward, Just the classic arena shooting but with a little better graphics.
 

izi

Not A Wizard
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Location
Los Angeles
Guild Wars 2. Five max-level characters and I still play every day. I would make this post really in-depth and argue why it was the best, but I'm on my phone and I'm just checking in.
 

Ventus

Mad haters lmao
Joined
May 26, 2010
Location
Akkala
Gender
Hylian Champion
Guild Wars 2. Five max-level characters and I still play every day. I would make this post really in-depth and argue why it was the best, but I'm on my phone and I'm just checking in.

How could you possibly get five LV80 characters? I'm still working on my Warrior--she's level 39 if I remember correctly--and my Guardian - she's level 16.

Anyway, my GotY for 2012 is most definitely Guild Wars 2. I couldn't really go in depth as to why it's my favorite, but I could and actually will say the following:
- The game is incredibly attractive speaking from an art style point of view.
- It's one of the few MMORPGs that can pull off "WoW in a different light".
- Whether PvE or PvP is your thing, the game caters equally to both.
- Doing away with the traditional quest system is a godsend; events now spawn almost at random, making for very engrossing sessions that can be played completely solo or with a team.
- Taking down bosses and completing dungeons is VERY fulfilling.

GW2 for GotY 2012! <3
 
Without a doubt I have to say Dead or Alive 5

Yes, a fighter. Dead or Alive has been about the pr0n for some time but after a 7 year gap DoA is back on a home console with a serious mind and reserved attitude. The game is no longer about the sex appeal of the characters, gone are the terribly distracting bouncing breasts and the atrocious minigames that they somehow made a few games out of in their spare time.

DoA 5 is all about the fighting and all about the story. The fighting is as fluid as ever while being as bombastic as ever; a fight can have you begin on the rooftop of a building which will lead you to either kicking or being kicked by an opponent through some scaffolding which comes back to haunt you as it swings around the stage, knocking you off of a building, from which you are then subjected to a vicious air combo before being thrown into an oil tanker 50 stories down, blown to a cinder and then hit by the husks of two flaming cars as your body careens through the night and onto the street... and that isn't even a finishing move, nor is it jarring, nor does it halt the action or interactivity of the fight at all, it all happens with a lithe ferocity that is stunning to behold. along with the amazing action is the new triangle battle system which includes the now fixed countering mechanic of previous games and a new sidestep dodge all of which are equally countered and utilised to great effect depending on your skill level and it works perfectly.

DoA also has the little things covered; your character will get dirty on certain stages when they pick themselves up off of the ground, they will sweat when the fight draws on for too long or they exert themselves in a tough fight, the backgrounds have a lot of activity and it makes you feel as if you're in an adventure game tackling a feild enemy rather than playing a fighter.

On the story side of things, i can safely say that DoA5 has the best story mode in any fighter i've seen and is also one of the best stories in a game i've played all year. you wouldn't expect from a series so obsessed with its own pr0n to be able to weave such a story, some chapters will be shocking, others will be entertaining, others will be full of references to serious series lore, characterisation (yes, in a fighter) and will even deliver plot-twists along the way that you didnt see coming (amazingly, some of which actually make the game seem a bit surreal on an intellectual level once you have completed the story and know what is going on).

It is also wonderful to see most of the characters finally fully realised, for example in the case of the leading ninja characters Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate and of course Hyabusa, you may as well be playing Ninja Gaiden 4 for how well they look, the way they fight and interact and the story they weave, it really is wonderful stuff. Even Bass and newcomer Rigg entertain and immerse your attention into the game with how real and genuine their personas are, which again, is surprising from a pr0n series.

There are a lot of modes too; story, tag, solo, arcade, survival, time attack, mission based fights everything you want is there before even moving on to the online multiplayer.

and for me, one final thing on why this game is so great and perhaps the main reason... DLC, in a series of pr0n it is brave for a game which is catering to a community becoming increasingly jaded with DLC and for it to be a fighter of all things (which are *****d above all other genres when it comes to DLC) that if you want the bunny suits and swimsuits of old, then you're gonna have to pay for it like regular pr0n... this, i feel, is a wonderful stance for a game to take to say that it is changing its stripes. Furthermore, there are no DLC characters and the game wasn't designed to have any in fear of unbalancing the game for the gaming community, this is the first fighter in years where i have had to unlock characters to play as them with skill rather than real world money.

Well done DoA5 <3
 
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Cfrock

Keep it strong
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Liverpool, England
It's a really tough choice for me. There have been so many games this year that could take the crown, so many since just October even. How to decide which one is my Game of the Year is very difficult.

I was willing to give it to Resident Evil 6 but then along came Dishonoured, Halo 4, Hitman: Absolution and Assassin's Creed III.

Hmmm... After much deliberation I am going to call... Hitman: Absolution my Game of the Year 2012.

I waited 6 years for a follow-up to Blood Money. I loved that game so much. It is one of my highest rated games of all time and I honestly think the Hitman series will never match it. I waited for the announcement of a 5th Hitman game for those full 6 years, always imagining what it would be like and building it up in my mind. For 6 years. What I got was Absolution and I can honestly say I was not disappointed. It was nothing at all like the game I created in my mind but dear sweet Lord I loved every second of it. I loved it because it's still Hitman. For all of its changes, it hasn't changed. And that fact alone was more special and important to me than all the J'Avo, all the Prometheans, all of the whale oil and all of the poor, brave Redcoats (:kawaii:) combined.

I love Hitman <3
 

Garo

Boy Wonder
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Behind you
I reviewed my Game of the Year waaaay back in March, when it first released, on my blog. But I'll repost it here.

Journey is nothing less than one of the most moving and revealing works of art of its generation.

That said, if you have a PS3, an internet connection, $15, and two hours, I highly, HIGHLY advise that you go buy this game and play it right now before reading anything else. Journey is best experienced knowing very, very little about it. The less you know, the more pure and more affecting your experience.

The basic premise is rather simple. You are a traveler clad in a red cloth robe who awakens in a desert. Your goal is to travel across the expanse and reach the mountain in the distance. Your scarf, empowered by glowing symbols, allows you to hover for brief periods of time. You emit a small vocal chirp to call magical strips of fabric to your person, recharging your scarf and lifting you into the air from platform to platform. That is the gameplay of Journey. There is no combat, there is no real objective.

Nor is there dialogue. The entire game's story is told through visuals and music. Both are exceedingly beautiful, with the visuals being some of the most evocative of any video game you are likely to see. From the desert sands to the snows at the foot of the mountain and the underground tunnel, Journey is a sight to behold, a picture of a world gone by. The music is equally flooring, beautifully composed to match every emotional note that the game hits, from excitement to depression to inspiration and back again. This is a game that tells its story through the experience, not through typical conventions.

Where Journey's heart lies is in the incredibly novel approach to cooperative multiplayer. During your travels, you will meet up with other robed individuals who share your goal of reaching the mountain. They can only chirp back at you as you can only chirp at them. There is no vocal communication. There is no indication of the other player's age, gender, or disposition. You only know that the robed individual is another human being, and that you share a common goal.

I've made the two-hour Journey about six or seven times. On some Journeys, I had as many as seven or eight companions throughout. On the one that I completed mere minutes ago, I had a single companion all throughout. In every case, players show a remarkable benevolence and camaraderie that is hard to believe given the typical reputation of the gamer community. There is an intimate relationship with your companion that the lack of dialogue creates - what do their chirps mean? When you chirp and they chirp back, is it a sign of trust? Respect? Affection? Who follows? Who leads? When you get lost and they come back to get you, did they need your help, or did they seek your company? You fill in your own answers, and in almost every case, you come to appreciate and adore your companions.

The times in Journey when I did not have a companion - the result of your companion moving on before you do - were very sad. I felt isolated and lonely in the ruined world of the game. But when a companion arrived, everything brightened up again. It's truly remarkable how Journey takes two strangers who will never know each others' names, and creates a strong relationship between them over the span of a two hour Journey toward a mountain.

Journey will floor you. It's impeccable presentation, novel approach to storytelling, and intimate cooperative multiplayer make it an experience that will call you back constantly to experience the emotional transformation it offers, one that is not diluted with each playthrough. As I end the game with a companion each time, a wide grin spreads across my face. No game has ever filled me with a sense of happiness as Journey has.
 

ShadowDiety

Nanomachines, son.
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Location
Michigan
Assassins Creed III is my game of the year. Mainly because of the story, and it's the only game this year that I still felt motivated to play after the first day or two.

Although, I haven't tried Hitman: Absolution or Far Cry 3 yet, so my mind could change.
 

Turo602

Vocare Ad Pugnam
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Location
Gotham City
Screw you Frock! This was supposed to be my thread, for the start of the new year! It would of been better! :mad:

Anyway, of all the games that released this year that I actually had the pleasure of playing, being: Resident Evil Revelations, Max Payne 3, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Resident Evil 6, Halo 4, and New Super Mario Bros. U, it all comes down to Resident Evil 6 and Halo 4. Ultimately though, I'd say Halo 4 wins by a long shot.

Resident Evil 6 was fun and all, but its biggest weakness was its ambition. There's tons of great content within Resident Evil 6, but the overall package is held back by some annoying bugs and poorly executed gameplay choices, such as the inclusion of stealth, the excessive vehicle use, and pretty much everything seen in Jake's campaign. Resident Evil 6 could of been so much more, if it had less. Capcom should have just ditched Jake, tweaked Ada's campaign, reworked Leon's and Chris' campaigns for a more memorable experience, and use all the time wasted on Jake to polish the game.

Halo 4 on the other hand, is ****ing amazing. I was skeptical about 343 taking the mantle of the Halo franchise, but couldn't be anymore happy with the end result. After five long years without the Master Chief, 343 delivers an unforgettable experience. It's new, but still so very familiar. Overall, I'd say Halo 4 is my second favorite Halo, with Combat Evolved being number one, which is still saying a lot.

Unfortunately, I missed out on Borderlands 2 (which I actually have), Assassin's Creed III, and WWE'13 this year.
 
I'm not gonna lie, 2012 was a disappointing year in gaming for me. Even the big rush holiday season was more muted than that of previous years especially last year. Coming off 2011's mega blockbusters truly put this year in a tight squeeze. That said, there were some gems to go around nonetheless.

At the end of the day, my Game of the Year is Halo 4. It's familiar yet revitalizing. 343 Industries handled its first original Halo installment very well. The campaign features an entirely new breed of foe on the mysterious planet Requiem. Multiplayer conforms to the additions introduced in Reach and leverages them to a superior level. Halo 4 undoubtedly boasts some of the best maps in the entire series. The reworked soundtrack is also appreciated. Although the religious undertones present in Bungie's Halo titles, Chief's 2012 debut themes set the stage for an adventure bigger and bolder than its predecessors.

If there's one aspect of Halo 4 which particularly strikes me, it's the game realism. This isn't solely limited to the graphics department although the game is absolutely gorgeous, quite arguably the best looking on Xbox 360. Weapons are more varied than ever before with each gun producing unique sounds, fire, recoil animation. I had a ton of fun tinkering with Chief's arsenal this time around. It's the most expanded arsenal since Combat Evolved ignited the console FPS craze over 11 years ago. Then, there's the narrative. It's refreshing to see Master Chief functioning as the more logical of the Chief-Cortana pair as his AI goes insane after being in commission for too long. Given Cortana's helpless state in Halo 3 from underneath Gravemind's control, it's fitting the Reclaimer Trilogy should ignite this way.

While the year proved to be disappointing overall, my most anticipated game-Halo 4-didn't let me down proving to be all I had expected and more. It's my favorite Halo since Combat Evolved which is a testament to its quality as I consider Halo: CE to feature the greatest FPS campaign of modern times while also functioning as a blueprint for multiplayer which would be fully realized for Halo 2. Consider the bar raised high for Halo 5.
 
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Location
The a-town.
Mass Effect 3. I mean, yeah, the last 10 minutes were wtf, but it was still a tear-jerker at some points, like the Tuchanka mission, especially if you
played renegade and shot Mordin
 

Awesome

The Creepy Uncle
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Location
Swaggin Roost Island
Easily Borderlands 2. The gameplay was amazing, the story was enjoyable, and Handsome Jack is by far the greatest villain in video game history that I can think of. No other game stands up to it this year in my opinion. Borderlands 2 has actually given me hope for the first person shooter genre.
 

LinkIRL

Hero of Time
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Location
Lake Hylia, Hyrule
2012 was an extremely disappointing year in gaming. I'm not a huge Xbox/PS3/FPS Shooter fan so I can't really get into Halo or Call of Duty. MW3 was my last FPS game, so I can't really say I liked Borderlands 2 either. I ran out of money before I could get my hands on Assassin's Creed III, but I got to play it a little bit at my friend's house, so I guess that'd be my most promising "Game of the Year 2012". Like I've said in my other posts, I'll get my hands on Skyward Sword for the first time this Christmas. I know it was released in 2011 but if I end up liking it it'll probably be my Game of the Year 2012 XD haha
 

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