Best of 2012

Ah, yes. Another Game of the Year list. Below are some of the games that stuck with me throughout the year, for one reason or another. 2012 has been a pretty good year for games. And if anything it has shown me that my personal taste in games is slowly beginning to change. This year I found myself playing a surprising amount of smaller, more indie games and found myself immersed in strategy games meant for crazy people. I'm looking at you Europa Universalis 3.   This appreciation of smaller titles, the hipster genre of video gaming, such as Dear Esther and To the Moon (though a 2011 release) has somewhat renewed my faith in an industry that thrives on pumping out sequel upon sequel.

There are some noticeable omissions to this list. Games such as Journey, Fez, Mark of the Ninja, and others for one reason or another. I feel bad for not jumping into these games back when they were released. I really would have liked to have taken part in the craziness of Fez. But that will have to wait until 2013, it seems.

List items

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  1. The Walking Dead

  What can I say about the Walking Dead, that hasn't already been said. This game is absolutely fantastic. The episodic releases had me excited every month for the next chapter to come out. I also kind of teared up after the final chapter. I'll man up and admit that. Anyone who said they did not feel something called emotion at this game's end is a stone cold motherfucker. Hands down one of the greatest uses of storytelling in a video game.

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  2. Far Cry 3

  This is where you toss everything I said about the Walking Dead's amazing story out the window. Far Cry 3's story isn't the best, but the game is a heaping mess of fun. Whether it be playing through the story missions or just goofy about, I don't know, hunting deer with grenades, Far Cry always provides me with a reaction along the lines of 'oh shit, did that just happen?' I really enjoyed Far Cry 2 with all of its baggage, and the improvements made to its successor are truly great. The game itself is gorgeous and its tropical setting provides a great playground for straight up craziness.

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  3. Crusader Kings II

  I love this game. Which may make me a crazy person. I'm just not sure yet. The concept of ruling an entire kingdom or a small province is oddly appealing. Also, did I mention this game might be for crazy people? Maintaining diplomatic relations and figuring out a way to take control of that prized piece of land you want is a hell of a lot of fun. I generally tend to just try and straight up assassinate fools. Which isn't the BEST idea when it comes to governing a kingdom, but it gets the job done. Or well. Fucks me over entirely and I have all of Europe gunning for me. This game is dope.

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  4. Torchlight II

  If you told me last year that Torchlight 2 would have been more fun to me than Diablo III, the game I've been waiting years upon years to play, I would have punched you in the jaw. No really. But that was the case this year. Don't get me wrong, Diablo III is a great game, but once I got through the game once. I kind of had my fill. Torchlight 2 on the other hand had me playing over and over. It has the perfect mix of old and new. I mean some of the additions to this genre of game are simple, yet make the game a whole lot better. You say my pet can now buy me potions as it sells my items? You magnificent bastards.Also, loot. Loot. Loot. Loot!

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  5. Dear Esther

  I debated whether or not to add this game to this list. 'Cause you know, it's hard to really consider it a game. But like the Walking Dead, this game resonated with me throughout the year. I went into Dear Esther knowing literally nothing about it and walked away with an understanding for why people consider games to be art. The soundtrack is absolutely amazing and the game's narration and script is a beautiful lament. Check this game out. It might not be for everyone, but it's a great interactive experience.

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  6. FTL: Faster Than Light

  FTL is super awesome. It has a great soundtrack, a cool art style which makes the game's 'fuck you' attitude bearable, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to play. I picked up FTL not knowing a whole bunch about it, but goddamn it quickly had me wanting more and more. Also, fuck you, space spiders. Fuck. You.

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  7. XCOM: Enemy Unknown

  XCOM: Enemy Unknown was something of a surprise to me. I didn't really have any initial interest in the game, but goddamn this game is great. Playing this game as I was wrapping up a Dark Souls playthrough probably wasn't the best combination, but apparently I love punishing myself. I spent probably 7 or 8 hours on my first run through of Enemy Unknown and you know what? It failed miserably. I just totally fucked myself over. It takes an extremely awesome game to make me want to immediately jump back in and start a new game after something like that happens. Also putting your friends in the game adds an almost meta-game like appeal to creating your alien hunting crew. Some scenarios have come down to only being able to save one friend, which makes me feel like a horrible HORRIBLE human being.

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  8. Mass Effect 3

  You know what? Mass Effect 3 is a great game. My adventure in the last of Shepard's trilogy was a great ride. The character dynamic between Shepard and his crew members is probably some of the best character interaction in any game, in years. Hanging out with my main dude Garrus made moving on from this universe a bit sad. Sure the ending was somewhat of a bummer (I personally think the uproar was absolutely unwarranted), but the journey itself was a lot of fun.

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  9. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

  Oh man. This game is awesome. If anything, 2012 has become the year that made me realize I am, more or less, done with competitive online multi-player games. That was until I played Chivalry. This game makes losing almost enjoyable. Getting stuck in an intense one-on-one duel with some dude, only to get my head caved in, is oddly amusing. The mechanics of the first person melee combat is nearly perfect. Giving you a sense of weighted control over your weaponry. If you're starting to find the influx of generic first person shooters to be unbearable, check this game out. You won't be disappointed.

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  10. Max Payne 3

  The Max Payne games have been some of my personal favorites since their release. I've always loved their dark and gritty tone. Max Payne 3 continues in this fashion and oh man. This game is dark. I can see why some people got turned off by the game's overall mood. Max ain't in a good place. Max's journey to semi-redemption is a great tale in Max Payne 3.