75% there - GB community's top three 2012 releases thus far?

It's hard to believe, but it's October already and a whole bunch of great games have been released this year so far (and a lot of promising ones coming up too...). So let's share some of our favourites - three seems like a good number, so let's go with that; feel free to list more or fewer than that if you want though.

Oh, and Walking Dead doesn't count yet - let's try to wait until all five episodes are done first. With that said, my top three would be:

1. Legend of Grimrock
2. Borderlands 2
3. Darksiders II

I'm surprised that Grimrock is still my favourite from this year so far; it came out of nowhere and turned out to be fantastic. It had some really well-designed and enjoyable puzzles and felt very unique (despite using a lot of standard fantasy tropes and being heavily inspired by old school dungeon crawlers).

I really did enjoy Borderlands 2 and Darksiders II, but I just can't help but feel that both fell short of their respective originals - I suppose mainly in terms of diminishing returns. I also felt that Borderlands 2 failed to really improve the loot system enough, which is a shame since it is arguably the cornerstone of the franchise.

Anyway, what are your three favourite 2012 games so far?

i'm anticipating X-Com being my number one as it is so my kind of game, and it will have to do something really wrong to mess that up, otherwise the only games i've remotely gotten lost in this year have been dragon's dogma, and, to a lesser extent, borderlands 2, and i've spent more time playing skyrim than all of this year's titles put together.

1. FTL
2. Mass Effect 3
3. Torchlight 2

Two of those are very recent releases that I probably haven't had much time to let sink in properly, but I honestly can't think of any better experiences I've had this year.

Hm. I can't think of one game that I feel needs to be mentioned.

Journey is one of them.

1. Max Payne 3
2. Borderlands 2
3. Mass Effect 3

Going back over what has come out this year, it's hard not to think that the first 75% has been a bit of a bummer for big releases.

Walking Dead, Mark of the Ninja and Journey for me.

1. Journey
2. The Walking Dead
3. Max Payne 3

I'd say my top 3 games of this year so far would have to be (in non-specific order)

• Borderlands 2
• Legend of Grimrock
• Awesomenauts

Although if I'm a tad more lose with definitions Dark Souls PTD and Civ 5 G&K would be 2 of the 3. Most of my great gaming experiences this year has actually been coming from backlog and discovering old games, like Binding of Isaac, SPAZ, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and the aforementioned "rereleases".

1. Dota 2
2. Journey
3. FTL

Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 3 were both fairly "meh". I have high hopes for Tomb Raider and Hitman, though. Having played them both at Eurogamer I'm fairly certain they will both be heavy GoTY contenders, especially Hitman. [EDIT] Just realised that Tomb Raider isn't out until next year.

If there's going to be a winner though, it's going to be Dota2. My love for that game is actually preventing me from playing anything else. I still haven't got around to playing Guild Wars 2, nor Borderlands 2. I don't have time. Because Dota.

My top three so far:

1. FEZ
2. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition(PC)
3. Xenoblade

And since it's still one of the games I've played the most this year, the latest version of StarCraft II.

Perhaps the HOTS expansion will make it an official 2012 game. ;)

Tekken Tag 2, Persona 4 Arena, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 are my favorites so far this year, but I've been really distracted by older games this year so I've only beaten 6. I need to play more games to avoid putting Soul Calibur 5 on my top ten at the end of this year...

• Mass Effect 3
• Borderlands 2
• Max Payne 3

Guess what? Sequels are good!

My current top 3 by gut feeling:

• Max Payne 3
• Journey
• Sleeping Dogs

Games I am currently playing that could be up there, but I need to spend more time with:

• The Walking Dead
• Borderlands 2

Games that could be up there but are yet to be released:

• Halo 4
• Hitman Absolution
• Rayman Legends
• NFS Most Wanted
• Dishonored

That could be my Top 10 then, I guess. We'l see.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

Journey

Then... I guess it's a tie between Tokyo Jungle and Black Mesa.

It's kind of weird, I almost can't remember what came out this year. Anywho, if I'm choosing:

• Dust: An Elysian Tale (kind of profoundly amazing)
• Borderlands 2 (haven't finished it yet, but man am I feeling it)
• Mark of the Ninja (Best XBLA game of the year to me, and one of the best overall)

But I must also mention Fez, Asura's Wrath, Diablo III, Torchlight II, Spec Ops: The Line, The Darkness II, PAA:OTRSPOD - E3, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and probably others out there. Maybe there weren't as few as I thought.

• Black Mesa
• Dark Souls (if that doesn't count Wrath of the Lamb)
• Borderlands 2 I guess

I think it has been a pretty weak year thus far (for me at least) however I'm fairly certain that at least 3 of the following games will end up in my Top 5

• X-Com Enemy Unknown
• Dishonored
• Assassin's Creed 3
• Hitman Absolution
• Far Cry 3

1. Journey
2. Sleeping Dogs
3. The Walking Dead

1. Journey

2. Sleeping Dogs

3. Tokyo Jungle

1. Dark Souls PC

2. Sleeping Dogs

3. Binary Domain

1. The Walking Dead

2. Darksiders II

3. Mass Effect III

I really like Borderlands II but its not gripped me the same way the first one did so didnt make my top 3, would definetly have been number 4 if it was a top 5 though.

1. Trials Evolution

2. Dust: An Elysian Tail

3. Fez

It's been a great year for XBLA games.

1. Max Payne 3

2. Sleeping Dogs

3. Binary Domain (or Alan Wake PC but I guess that wouldn't really count in this case)

1. The Walking Dead

2. Darksiders 2

3. Mark of the Ninja

Yeah , but the games I am most looking forward to are in the last 25% :/

So far, out of the 4-5 2011 releases I have played, I would say:

1. FIFA Street

2. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

3. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition

Note: I don't see this list being this way once the year has ended, at all.

I have Syndicate, Borderlands 2, Walking Dead and Sleeping Dogs, but have yet to play them, so I think this list might change soon, anyway.

Thanks to steam sales, Royal and Humble bundles, GOG discounts, PSN+ free games, most of my games of this years are few years late.... I just played and ended both of Borderlands 1 and Darksiders 1 few month ago, right now I have lost any interest in playing both sequel, so ... the only games of 2012 that I played, finished and enjoyed are somehow unexpected to me..

1. The Last Story (Wii) .. I never played a Final Fantasy game because.. I don't know why.. Seems that the guy who made this game made also great Final Fantasy games.

2. Dragon's Dogma (PS3) It's not a great game but I got sucked in and I even played almost half of the game plus, sharing pawns between friends is a lot of fun.

3. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (PC) but is a port of a 2011 iPhone game, so if is not valid :

3. second choice : Project Zero 2: Wii Edition (Wii) It is a truly scary game, like Amnesia: The Dark Descent,

Guild Wars 2, Borderlands 2 and Journey.

1. Borderlands 2
2. Jouney
3. Ssx

Mine would be:

1. Journey
2. Max Payne 3
3. Borderlands 2

If we were including The Walking Dead, it would be number 2.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Diablo III; I'd have thought that'd be up there on a lot of people's lists. I personally got like 20 minutes into Act II and never played it again... I probably should get back to it.

Journey

FTL

Borderlands 2

-------------------------

If I was being cheap I'd include MGSHD, but it's hardly "new". Also Hitman and X-Com might blow everything else away, loved the demo of each so much I went and preordered them despite having few funds.

1. Journey
2. Persona 4 Arena
3. Spec Ops: The Line or The Walking Dead

Retail (and Overall I think)

1. Mass Effect 3
2. Darkness 2
3. Max Payne 3

Download

1. Spelunky
2. Trials Evolution
3. Magic 2013

I think that 2012 has been a pretty weak year for games personally

Best non 2012 games I played

1. Persona 2:Innocent Sin
2. Infamous 2
3. Persona 3: Portable

• Journey
• Borderlands 2
• F1 2012

1. Borderlands 2

2. Tokyo Jungle

3. Journey

The Walking Dead gets an honourable mention. It would probably be 2nd but it's not finished yet and it could still mess up in the last two chapters. Although I reckon Whitta will do just fine.

When I think about the year I think it's been pretty slow but if I think about each game individually there's been quite a few good games this year.

Mass Effect 3 and... CS:GO?

I want to play Sleeping Dogs, Max Payne 3, Borderlands 2, Diablo 3, Torchlight 2, and Darksiders 2, but I haven't gotten around to them yet. I also want to play Dishonored, Tomb Raider, Halo 4, and Doom 3 BFG (what?), but I haven't gotten around to them yet. I put my money toward building a computer so I'm behind. I'd imagine that Mass Effect 3 will be pretty easy to knock off of that list - it was an all right game but I can't call it anything close to GOTY material.

Currently in this order, but will likely change come the end of the year:

• Mass Effect 3
• Persona 4 Arena
• Sleeping Dogs

1.FTL

2. Speeeeeeeelunky

3. Closure

Oh man, I've actually played very little of what I'd like to. Anyway  

• Max Payne 3
• Persona 4 Arena
• Final Fantasy XIII-2

1. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

And, uh, that's pretty much it? I'd played a TON of Dark Souls before and even with that in mind I feel like this is the best release this year.
I'd like to play Torchlight 2, Persona 4 Arena and Max Payne 3, but I'm busy enough with Tactics Ogre and university.

The Witcher 2 (360 edition). Borderlands 2. Mark of the ninja.

1. FTL

2. Mass Effect 3

3. Journey

I expect to be putting XCOM on this list as soon as next Tuesday. If my brother buys Assassin's Creed 3, that could jump up too.

EDIT: I guess Counter-Strike: Global Offensive deserves a shout. I've been putting a lot of time into the game. Though it's not a full game, Civ V: Gods & Kings is also great.

1. Walking Dead
2. Borderlands 2
3. Silent Hill Downpour

Mark of the Ninja

Trials Evo

Dust: Elysian tale.

Retail> Witcher 2, Borderlands 2.

• Mass Effect 3
• The Walking Dead
• Borderlands 2

• Borderlands 2
• The Walking Dead
• Journey

1. The Walking Dead

2. Fez

3. Journey

Been a pretty middling year for big budget $60 releases but the smaller stuff has been really exciting.

1. The Walking Dead
2. Binary Domain
3. Mark of the Ninja

1. Dark Souls PC

2. FTL

3. Borderlands 2

kinda want to include Asura's wrath + DLC...

1) Dragon's Dogma

2) The Walking Dead (unless they royally screw it in the last 2 episodes, which I doubt they will)

3) Asura's Wrath.

Capcom's treated me right this year.