GOTY 2012
Year of the Download indeed. There are only two disc-based games on my list this year and one of them was released in 2008.
List items
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The top 3 could easily be switched around, but in the end it was the story, characters and voice acting that nudged this one into the top spot. The degree to which this game raised the bar for storytelling in video games deserves special recognition.
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I love difficult games in which I die a lot. I also love space, sci fi, and the concept of captaining a spaceship. This game was made for me, and it's pretty much tied for #1, but someone had to get the silver.
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XCOM does everything right, and is another game this year that feels like it was made for me. It also has the distinction of being the only game I have ever pre-ordered. Fear of bugs have prevented me from starting a Classic Ironman game, and that's the sort of bummer that keeps it out of the top spot.
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Stealth badassery done right. The transparency of the systems in Mark of the Ninja almost turns it into a lite strategy game. It's the best stealth game I've played in years, possibly ever.
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I love difficult games in which I die a lot. Death in Spelunky is always a lesson, and almost always your own fault (except the dark levels. Fuck you, dark levels). It's immensely satisfying to fail over and over, and then finally have a run where everything comes together and you get farther than ever before.
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I didn't "get" Journey the first time I played it. I thought it was fine, but I didn't understand all the hype. Thankfully, Journey was released a few days after I had surgery to repair a broken elbow. I could barely move the fingers on my left hand, and that made Journey one of the only games I could play. So I played it repeatedly and some of those playthroughs were magical. I remember the time it all clicked: my friend showed up with a white robe and lead me through the game, guiding me to all the collectables and secrets. It was amazing and I was sold.
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