Superhero Hype! Game of the Year 2012

[Quasimod0]

Originally Posted by Havok83

Looking at that list at the top, what an overall underwhelming year in gaming. Seems rather boring in comparison to years past. Nothing stands out as clear GOTY to me.

I agree completely. Last year we had some huge heavy hitters. Of course we do this year also but last year we had skyrim, bf3, arkham city, and portal 2( didnt play that one tough)

[Matt]

And that is the beauty of The Walking Dead. We saw some pretty big releases this year....Mass Effect 3, Halo 4, AC3, Twisted Metal, Black Ops 2, RE6, Max Payne 3, etc....yet somehow, a downloadable, click and point game managed to outshine all of them by creating very real characters and an incredibly emotional and engaging experience that immerses the player like no other before it. Somehow this $20 downloadable game makes all of the prestige titles of the year look underwhelming in comparison. That is what makes it my GOTY.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by Quasimod0

I agree completely. Last year we had some huge heavy hitters. Of course we do this year also but last year we had skyrim, bf3, arkham city, and portal 2( didnt play that one tough)

Probably didnt help that several potential big hitters like Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us got delayed to next year

Im not voting yet, but so far I think I may lean towards Sleeping Dogs. Everything it did, it did well and it was a great experience from beginning to end. Nothing overly spectacular though, but I guess its the best of that lot.

[Quasimod0]

The games this year have had some really excellent combat though. Max payne had extremely smooth gunplay, assassins creed 3 has some great fighting mechanics, and the hand to hand in sleeping dogs is sweet

[Soapy]

Originally Posted by Matt

And that is the beauty of The Walking Dead. We saw some pretty big releases this year....Mass Effect 3, Halo 4, AC3, Twisted Metal, Black Ops 2, RE6, Max Payne 3, etc....yet somehow, a downloadable, click and point game managed to outshine all of them by creating very real characters and an incredibly emotional and engaging experience that immerses the player like no other before it. Somehow this $20 downloadable game makes all of the prestige titles of the year look underwhelming in comparison. That is what makes it my GOTY.

Is the gameplay fun?

[Upset Spideyfan]

It does a very good job of being an "intense" adventure game, but all of that stuff is primarily in service to the story. You're mainly pointing and clicking or jamming the Q or E buttons.

[Iceman]

Can anyone remember which games have won in previous years?

[Upset Spideyfan]

I think last year was Skyrim, then 2010 was Red Dead and in 2009 it was Arkham. That's as far back as I can remember.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by Iceman

Can anyone remember which games have won in previous years?

2011: Batman Arkham City
2010: Red Dead Redemption
2009: Batman Arkham Asylum
2008: Metal Gear Solid 4
2007: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2006: Zelda: Twilight Princess

[Iceman]

Ah good choices then. Looks like this is a more respectable and prestigious award than Spike.

[Soapy]

Best Shooter

Binary Domain

Runner Up: Halo 4

Best RPG

Mass Effect 3 by default.

Best Puzzle, Adventure, or Platformer Game

The Walking Dead

Runner Up: Spelunky

Best Downloadable Game

Hotline Miami

Runners Up: Spelunky, Double Dragon: Neon

Best Soundtrack

Hotline Miami

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

Runner Up: Double Dragon: Neon

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

Best New Character

Kenny from The Walking Dead

Runner Up: Cain from Binary Domain

Best Story

Binary Domain

Runner Up: The Walking Dead

Best Game That Isn't A Sequel

Binary Domain

Runner Up: The Walking Dead

Best Game You Played That Didn't Come Out This Year

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Runner Up: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Most Disappointing Game of the Year

Darksiders II

Runner Up: Mass Effect 3

Game of the Year 2012

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Runners Up: Binary Domain, The Walking Dead

Most Anticipated 2013 Game

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Runner Up: Destiny

[Solidus]

I change my GOTY to FarCry 3, probably the best FPS I've played since HL2. Next to it I would put XCOM.

[Electro UK]

Right, I feel like I can do this pretty fairly round about now. Quick note - I'd give Xenoblade Chronicles the #2 spot but it released in the UK in 2011, so doesn't really count. I might shuffle this around a bit later.

10. Halo 4 - Halo isn't so much a franchise to me as it is some sort of shooter-based bible. I love everything about the series and was ready to see a new developer take the reigns. For the most part, 343 didn't disappoint - Halo 4 is a shooter that stands head and shoulders above most of the year's efforts with a campaign showing no shortage of imagination and ideas, and an online offering that's up there with any of Bungie's prior efforts. There are cracks in it's previously spotless package though - invisible walls and more structured environments bring the experience down a few notches from both 3 and Reach, but it's still a smile-rendering blast from start to finish.

9. Papo & Yo - Journey will take all the accolades for PSN's best game, but it felt like a retread of Flower to me. Instead I found both Papo & Yo and Datura to be more interesting experiences. Papo takes the edge though with its bold interpretation of fatherly love gone wrong. An incredible ending makes this one of 2012's best.

8. MotorStorm: RC - I've always been a MotorStorm fan, but I didn't think this scaled down version of the franchise would grab me quite as much as it did. It's the best top-down racer since the PS1's Micro Machines, enabling you to perfect laps with the slightest lick of precision. Variation in tracks and modes kept it on my Vita for a good few months after the system's launch.

7. Pokemon Conquest - It's been a long time since I've played a Pokemon game, despite remaining quite enthusiastic about the franchise since infancy. However when I heard that they were translating the franchise into a turn-based strategy game (one of my favorite genres), I went nuts. There's incredible potential for such a spin-off and, for the most part, Conquest brings that all to life. It's a touch too easy but with that comes a brilliant pace and the option for multiple playthroughs. I really hope there's a sequel.

6. Gravity Rush - Mark Kat down as 2012's best new protagonist. She carries Gravity Rush - quite literally - with her can-do attitude and enlightening smile. If that makes it sounds like I'm in love with her... it's because I AM. It also helps that GR is a splendorous adventure with one of the best traversal mechanics in gaming and using the Vita's features in ways that actually help it become a more engaging action game than it would be with a Dualshock. T'is a winner.

5. The Walking Dead - TWD has been one of the generation's rare experiences in which you're fully aware that you're witnessing scenes that will go on to be talked about for years to come. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the game's incredible final few moments that manage to conjure the kind of feelings that only the best movies and TV shows achieve. Really special.

4. Yakuza: Dead Souls - A welcome mix up for the Yakuza franchise this year. Nothing's been lost - the open world and crazy missions are still there, you just trade all the fist fighting for gun arms and the mafia story for... a mafia story with zombies. I sank about 150 hours into this one, and those were hours spent laughing and bouncing up and down with delight. God bless this franchise.

3. Hotline Miami - It's testament to how utterly brilliant Hotline Miami is that I first played it yesterday and it's climbed straight into the #3 spot. This is so many things - an action game of only the fastest and most intense pace, a puzzle game with staying power to rival that of Tetris, and a brilliant love letter to exploitation media. It's an empowering experience that puts you in the shoes of its protagonist more than any first-person AAA experience has in a while. I love this game.

2. Catherine - Catherine finally ventured to these shores in February and boy am I glad it did. This is an experience unlike anything ever even attempted in gaming. A story-based puzzler that manages to pull your own values and beliefs into question. Even for an Eastern-developed product it has a unique story that's worth playing through to the end. I was caught completely off guard by how much it made me think about relationships, despite being completely bonkers. It's something I won't be forgetting any time soon.

1. XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Which leads us to the ultimate game of 2012. I phrase it like that because XCOM really is all about game. It has a story, and it has a really cool 50's sci-fi atmosphere, but it wins because it hands control over to you in the first 10 minutes and from there on in it's all on you. You control your base, your resources, your soldiers, and, most importantly, the battle ahead. This is a blistering strategy game that completely demands your full attention to crack even it's medium difficultly. Despite being relentlessly hard, it seldom feels cheap (though there is the odd instance). You can spend an age challenging yourself in new ways with all the different modes and choices. For me, it's unquestionably the game of 2012.

[James]

Great, sound list Electro. I absolutely agree with your #1 as well, good reasoning.

[Spider-Vader]

There's still a couple of games from 2012 I want to play (AC3, FC3 & Dishonored). But I'm pretty sure Mass Effect 3 will remain my GOTY of 2012. The game left such an impact on me & I put a ton of time into, over 200 hours infact.

[Benstamania]

Best Action Game

Far Cry 3

Best Shooter

Halo 4

Best RPG

ME3

Best Puzzle, Adventure, or Platformer Game

New Super Mario Bros U

Best Downloadable Game

The Walking Dead

Best Handheld Game

Paper Mario Sticker Star

Best DLC

Dragonborn

Best Soundtrack

Halo 4

Best New Character

Clementine from TWD

Best Story

Halo 4: Seriously.. People B&M'd about 343 taking over then were blown away by not just the game but the story. Quite possibly the best story I've played this year.

Best Game That Isn't A Sequel

Not sure if I played a game this year that WASN'T a sequel...

Best Game You Played That Didn't Come Out This Year

Dead Space 2

Most Disappointing Game of the Year
Assassin's Creed 3 (Aaaaand how! Could have been SO much more)

Game of the Year 2012

Mass Effect 3: Loved this game despite the "faults" everyone and their brother feels the need to talk about...Constantly.

Most Anticipated 2013 Game

Dead Space 3 and BioShock.... Really pumped that we're getting these two almost (within a month) back to back.

[Crockett]

Best Action Game - Dishonored

Best Shooter - Max Payne 3

Best RPG - Mass Effect 3 (Didn't play any other RPGs this year)

Best Puzzle, Adventure, or Platformer Game - Journey

Best Downloadable Game - The Walking Dead

Best Handheld Game

Best DLC - Nightmare in North Point from Sleeping Dogs

Best Soundtrack - Max Payne 3

Best New Character - Vaas from Far Cry 3 (I also liked Buck but gotta go with Vaas, he manages to steal every single scenes he's in)

Best Story - The Walking Dead

Best Game That Isn't A Sequel - Dishonored (+ Because it really doesn't have anything else besides the game unlike TWD)

Best Game You Played That Didn't Come Out This Year - Deus Ex

Most Disappointing Game of the Year - Assassin's Creed III

Game of the Year 2012 - The Walking Dead

Most Anticipated 2013 Game - GTA V

Sigh, honestly I haven't play as much as I'd like but I gave it a shot, I might revisit a few categories here and there but unless there's some strong contender that'd upset the apple cart my GOTY's real certain. TWD has been the one constant thing this year that just keeps delivering and delivering, sure the gameplay's light and its reliance is more in the narrative (I like this together with Journey once again brings up the discussion on what makes a game). Funny since I initially thought it would've been a ok game but ultimately something you'd forget in a few months, nope that didn't happen, instead what we've got was something that's so emotionally effecting, Lee and Clem's struggles has really moved me in ways I'd never imagined and it'll always have a special place right in my feels heart.

[Electro UK]

Originally Posted by James

Great, sound list Electro. I absolutely agree with your #1 as well, good reasoning.

Thanks dude

[Electro UK]

Ugh, I knew I was forgetting something. Pokemon Conquest shoves Halo 4 out of the the top 10.