Top 10 Games of 2012
Another year has come to an end, which means it's time for us to create a list of the top 10 games we played during 2012! You may notice your favorite game this year didn't make the list (Diablo III for instance). This is because we are only talking about the top 10 games that we were able to play ourselves. If neither Matt or I played a game, than it didn't make the list. That being said, it was still quite difficult to narrow down all of the great games that were released this year. After much thought, we think we have created the definitive list of must-haves for 2012. Here they are, beginning at the bottom with Number 10:
10) Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Matt: Probably the best title at launch of the PS Vita, Uncharted: Golden Abyss brings you a
whole new spin on the Uncharted franchise. This is a standalone version of Uncharted and
carries itself very well. It was designed to feature a lot of the new controls the Vita offers with the
rear touch pad, however, if you didn't want to use those new controls you certainly didn't have
to, which made a lot of people happy. There is still a lot of collecting to do in this game, which
will surely have you going through again to see if you can get everything.
Erik: This was the reason I bought a PlayStation Vita on day one. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
promised to bring the console experience to a handheld device, and exceeded on those
promises exponentially. Golden Abyss absolutely brings a console quality Uncharted game to
a beautiful 5 inch OLED screen. The engrossing story, gorgeous visuals, and awesome voice
talent you’d expect in an Uncharted game are all here, and it’s all packed into a tiny little card for
a portable system. Even after nearly a year, it still amazes me.
9) Sleeping Dogs
Matt: For a lack of a better word, Sleeping Dogs was the 'sleeper' hit of the year. It's very similar
to Grand Theft Auto, only with a lot more hand-to-hand combat. It's an open world sandbox
game in Hong Kong. This game allows you to be a cop, but still have a little criminal fun, as long
as you balance out being a good cop at the same time. There is plenty for you to do around the
city, giving you hours of play and an option to be able to do it all again.
Erik: It’s funny that these GTA clones keep getting better and better. I’m sorry, I kid Sleeping
Dogs. While it may appear to be a clone of Grand Theft Auto style games, Sleeping Dogs is
much more than that. Hand to hand combat in Sleeping dogs is so addicting, it makes you want
to ignore guns altogether. It feels a lot like Batman: Arkham City, just a lot more brutal since it
ends with the violent deaths of all your opponents. Sleeping Dogs also manages to tell a story
so compelling, I find it difficult to believe that this was a True Crime game before Square Enix
got their hands on it. I hope to see a lot more of Wei Shen in the future.
8) Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Matt: Kingdoms Of Amalur turned out to be an unknown hit unfortunately. Those that knew
about the game and followed it, bought it, and loved it. Those that didn't know about it stayed
away, and unfortunately the number that stayed away was larger, causing the studio to
have to close its doors. Which is very unfortunate, because they ended up making this great
quality game that mainly a select few really enjoyed, a good chunk being reviewers, which still
couldn't get enough copies to be sold. I just hope whomever buys out this studio, will work on
expansions or a whole new game, because this is one game I would hate to see just die out so
quickly.
Erik: This is one of the saddest flops in video game history. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is
an incredibly polished, open-world, fantasy game. 38 Studios put a lot of love and heart into this
game, only to let it get overshadowed by games like Skyrim and Mass Effect 3. The first time I
stepped into this world, I was immediately overcome by the same sense of wonder I felt when
first playing Dragon Age: Origins. I just wanted to run all over the map exploring and collecting
new armor and weapons. I feel like this is my fantasy version of Borderlands, a fantastic game
that definitely deserves some recognition.
7) Max Payne 3
Matt: Max Payne 3 is that noir hit that fans keep coming back to. Telling a new side of Max
Payne people have never seen before, you spend hours watching great cinematics and playing
through how max got to where he is at today. An excellent job was done taking the gamer
through the changes Max had in his life, helping you to feel the pain he was going through,
and sympathize with him along the way. With the addition of bullet time to multi, this makes it a
game you will want to keep coming back to, reliving his payneful story.
Erik: Until this third game in the series, I had never played a Max Payne game before. This
entire game feels like an action movie, from the overly macho lines and blazing guns, to the
film noir style lines of dialogue popping up on the screen from time to time. Even without
knowing how Max came to this moment, the story and dialogue are so well done that it doesn’t
matter. Max Payne 3 is definitely a game worth checking out for any fan of Rockstar’s games.
6) Dishonored
Matt: Dishonered to me is a better version of splinter cell, sneaking around killing people, but yet
they add powers to it as well as RPG elements, making this a brilliant game. Although sneaking
is recommended, you certainly don't have to, which is what makes this game truely unique.
Every action plays into the ending, allowing you to have multiple endings to this game and
encouraging multiple play throughs. Although I myself haven't played it yet, it is definitely on my
list as a must have. From the footage and reviews I have seen, it definitely deserves a spot on
our top ten.
Erik: Corvo is a badass. That about sums up what makes Dishonored such a great new
IP. While games like Assassin’s Creed continue to become more and more linear with the way
they allow you to accomplish your assassinations, Dishonored takes that and teleports it out
the window. While there aren’t many missions in Dishonored, each one can take several hours
of scouting and planning each assassination to perfection. When Dishonored claims you can
replay the missions multiple times without ever having the same experience, the game doesn’t
lie.
5) Journey
Matt: Journey is one of those games that you start out having no idea what it is about, but then
you start playing it, and you can't put it down until you finish. Luckily, this game is only a few
hours long, so most finish it in one play through. I don't think anyone really expected much out
of this game, and all were blown away by how beautiful this game ended up being. There are
no words, just chirping. When you find someone else, you will work together with them to further
your adventure, unlike other games that allow you to slaughter someone playing with you. There
is also good replay value here as the more you play it and help other people, you will get a white
robe, which allows you to get higher, further aiding new companions.
Erik: Journey was one of the biggest surprises for me this year. When I paid $15 for a
downloadable title on PSN, I didn’t really expect much. Sure, maybe I’d get a few hours of fun,
but I didn’t really expect this game to leave any sort of lasting impression. Journey turned out
to fully live up to it’s name. With no instructions, Journey simply lets the player experience the
game at the most basic level, creating one of the most emotional experiences I’ve ever felt while
playing a video game. I was so filled with emotion by the end I shed a tear at its conclusion (yes,
even I experience emotion from time to time).
4) The Walking Dead
Matt: Telltale is doing a new spin on their point and click adventures, bringing the zombies we
all know and love to the consoles as well as mobile devices. I am not one that will usually agree
to games like this, but I was superbly impressed by what Telltale did with this game, allowing
me to explore while still going through and choosing dialogue. This game does a fantastic job
with bringing your emotions into the gameplay, often leaving you struggling with what decisions
to choose. The good thing, you can play it over and over again, and almost everytime your
results and ending will be different. Either way, don't be ashamed if you shed a few tears. It's
okay, we won't make fun of you.
Erik: When I heard Telltale Games was making the new The Walking Dead game, I let out a
groan. While Telltale is definitely good at creating point-and-click adventure games, they had
not done a great job at capturing the spirit of the previous franchises on which they worked.
Then they released The Walking Dead. This game perfectly captures the grey moral areas and
raw emotion of the TV series, while single handedly creating one of the best point-and-click
adventure games ever made. Sure, The Walking Dead is heavily based on dialogue, but it all
pays off in the end. When they say choice matters in this adventure, it truly does, and that is
why this game sits at number four on the list.
3) Borderlands 2
Matt: 2K's sequel to Borderlands was set to have a lot of gamers questioning what it was going
to be like story wise, as it was no seceret that the first Borderlands was majorly lacking a quality
story. However, 2K managed to prove everyone wrong, not only did they produce a decent
storyline, they also managed to perfectly cover what every gamer wants: the thrill of an FPS
and the strategy of an RPG. In addition to that, they added a bazillion weapons and tons of new
locations for you to loot. They are also doing very well covering post launch content, and are
getting ready to realease the 3rd installment of dlc, with more still being developed. Overall, this
game has just what you need, and will have you keep coming back for more.
Erik: I was never a huge fan of the first Borderlands. The gameplay was solid, even quite fun,
but the story never quite drew me in. Borderlands 2 corrects everything its predecessor did
wrong for me, easily making it one of the top games this year. With forty percent more dialogue,
an insane amount of new loot, and a somewhat more coherent story than before, Borderlands 2
gives fans an excuse to spend another several hundred hours wandering Pandora.
2) Mass Effect 3
Matt: The finale of one of the best franchises known to gaming, Mass Effect 3, brought
literal tears to some gamers faces when they saw the ending. The original ending also
caused possibily the biggest backlash in the gaming community, many gamers did not like it.
Thousands petitioned for it to be rewritten. However, BioWare made the right move by creating
three different possible endings, all to satisfy what the gamers were looking for. For me, this
franchise has been the best one I have played on the PS3 and I can't wait to see what direction
BioWare chooses to take the next Mass Effect game, be it on current gen or next gen.
Erik: As many of you know, I value a great story in a video game above all other categories
when deciding which new games to buy (this isn’t the only factor, but it influences me heavily).
Mass Effect stands as the best sci-fi story told this generation. Improved gameplay mechanics,
better visuals, and the addition of a fun multiplayer mode make the final game in this series the
best one yet! Mass Effect 3 belongs in the elite top section of this list without a doubt.
1) Far Cry 3
Matt: Skyrim with guns. That is probably one of the best ways to describe Far Cry 3. You
journey through an island trying to rescue the rest of your group, while trying to stay alive
yourself. There are tons of things for you to do, from scaling mountains, to hunting wild animals,
capturing enemy bases, and even paragliding. It is hard for me to stay on the main quests, as
I keep getting distracted capturing bases and radio towers, but I find that I am okay with that,
because I am having so much fun doing it. While the multiplayer in this game isn't very strong,
the story is, and with as much time as you can invest in this game, the story alone is well worth
the money to buy it. Like Skyrim, I think its one I will invest hours upon hours of my time on.
Erik: Far Cry 3 is the perfect mix of adventure and first person shooter. This is the most fun
I’ve had in a game since Skyrim came out in 2011. One minute I’m treasure hunting in a cave
or some ancient ruins with only my flashlight, the next minute I’m blasting my way through an
enemy camp with my arsenal of fully customized weaponry. There is so much to do in this
game, you’ll have an internal battle with yourself whenever it's time to put the controller down.
I don’t even need to mention the perfectly paced story and the brilliant voice acting for you to
know that Far Cry 3 is number one game on my list.