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MjHealy

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2009 17432 19 53
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Best of 2012

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of that time of the year once again. Welcome to MjHealy's incredible 4th Annual Game of the Year Top 10 (accept no substitutes). In many ways, 2012 was both a crummy year and an incredible year. On the big scale, blockbuster games failed one after another and, overall, there was just a low amount of heavy-hitters this year. However, on the indie/downloadable front, this year was an absolute barn-burner. Hot damn, did I enjoy and play a helluva lot of games this year. Its refreshing to see such a wide variety of great games being released in the last 12 months and I had a fine time playing through them. I have struggled to fill these Top 10s (especially in the year of writing, as I usually fill in the gaps the following year or two) but this year is just filled to the brim with fun and unique experiences.

We're coming to the end of this generation, folks, and we're in the shit here. Let's get down to business and pick ourselves the ten best games of the year. Fuck, this is going to be difficult but, video games y'all.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Spec Ops The Line - Uh-huh, this game is completely bonkers on a level which I never would have guessed. For as cool as the story can be at times, it is ultimately let down by the pretty mediocre gameplay. Plus, the last, like, hour of the game completely sucks (bar the story sequences I mean).

Borderlands 2 - At the end of the day, I had to hand my co-op shooter slot to Syndicate. I really like Borderlands 2, more than the original oddly enough, but I just don't think it can crack the Top 10 in the end. I'll blame on the game's attempt on "humour" which, needless to say, I seriously dislike.

Rock Band Blitz - Finally, an excuse to spend more money on Rock Band DLC. Super fun game.

List items

  • Speaking of surprises, all eyes fall to #1. I have said it's been an interesting year for games but I certainly mean it when talking about my favourite games of the year. After Jurassic Park, I thought Telltale's journey was up and that they has used up all their good-will. How wrong I was. I never would have thought that a licensed, point and click, horror-themed interactive story would be my game of 2012. Just look at my top three - I never would have pegged them at the start of the year. The Walking Dead itself is a revelation. It finally struck an emotional cord with video games. This is my favourite game story... easily. I am delighted that the day is here that I actually cried at the end of a video game. I cried like a child. Despite somewhat weak adventure mechanics, the choices and struggles of Lee and co. left me hooked from month to month. It is a new chapter in video games in many ways and elevates what I thought the genre could do. It is a harrowing tale, one that I recommend all to play from start to finish. They are so many standout moments across these five episodes that shocked me or made me stop and think. And, good lord, that final scene. Incredibly heart-breaking stuff. Ladies and gentlemen, The Walking Dead is my best game of 2012.

  • Wow... wow. I absolutely love XCOM, warts and all. Talk about a genre where that I couldn't care less about. I have never ever been a turn-based strategy guy but I love this game from head to toe. I have no nostalgia for the original but it still delights me that such a game can receive such a reaction in 2012. Even at the strategy level, this game is super tight. There is such a heavy sense of tension in every mission in this game. You fuck up? Then your ass is grass. I spent a glorious thirty hours trudging my way through this game's deep, deep combat. All of the great tactics in play when it comes to class, the delicate placement of your troops and those fucking cyberdiscs are all paramount to my love of this game. That's not even looking at the meta game on top of all this madness. Usually, you have so much money and resources in games such as this but it was also such a delightful struggle to pick between a new rifle or crucial satellites. Tension, tension, tension. I very rarely play games in long sessions but I hit some huge ones with XCOM (that's 6 or so hours by my clock). What a surprise, I can't believe I love this game as much as I do.

  • I'm shocked with how high this is up my list. It's one of the things I love about downloadable game; I only hear about these game like two days before they come out and then suddenly there here and it's awesome. This is the case with Spelunky. With a fun game. I spent many a frustrated evening playing this game throughout the summer, and I mean that in the best way possible. I love this game, it's a genre I have never even thought of before. It controls perfectly in a very tactile way. It was a rinse and repeat process; I've died nearly 1000 times in the game, sometimes, within three seconds, but I keep coming back for more. I could go one about how much I enjoy Spelunky. It's hard as fuck but I don't care, I am delighted to take it's abuse. To repeat myself once again, this game has got some great music to back it up, especially when you hit the end of the game. One of my most fun experiences in gaming this year was carrying that key from the first world to the last and it was so satisfying when I pulled it off.

  • It may fizzle out by the final mission but I had an absolute blast playing through Dishonored. I don't even enjoy stealth action game (bar Deus Ex from last year) but I really enjoyed the world of Dishonored. It has a very unique look. The basic idea of the "blink" makes a very interesting setup for some action-adventure business. It just makes you feel like a badass. At the flick of the stick, you can glide across the map and stab two dudes in the heart. It is a stealth game where you don't feel like under-powered or weak. It went by all too fast and I would be delighted to play some DLC. It's to see a novel, new disc-based IP.

  • Ryan got it spot on when he called this Drive: The Video Game. Drive is my favorite movie of last year and what I enjoy here is surprisingly similar. Soundtrack of the year - hands down. This game's music is just glorious; the kind of thing I can listen to wherever. It combines the constant death of Super Meat Boy with some vicious top-down action. For a retro style game, I found this to be a angrily violent game. For example, when you hit the zen-like finish of every level, you coolly trek through a sea of absolute crimson destruction. It also made me feel like a real blood-thirsty asshole by the end with a very interesting twist by it's climax. It is a unique game and flies the flag for everything I love about downloadable games. Bravo.

  • Sound Shapes is a slow burn. I didn't find Deadmau5's levels to be all that interesting but I still love the rest of this little game. It is an absolute delight. Everything about this game is filled to the brim with charm and endearment. It has one of the best soundtracks of the year in a year filled with great music. It reminded that Jim Guthrie is king and that I really liked Sword & Sworcery. What really sold me on this game, in the end, were the Beck levels. Now, I'm already a fan of Beck, but holy shit are they a lot of fun. Although this is a pretty short game, I would be delighted to play some more levels in that vein. In a game that is already so charming, it is taken to the next level with those Beck levels. Sound Shapes is simple yet it is fine nonetheless.

  • Having never played Flower (I always meant to but I've never gotten around to it), thatgamecompany's latest always piqued my interest and the wait was worth it. What a beautiful, beautiful damn game. I'm not as hot on this game as others may be but I can't deny that I still found it to be a great experience. My little adventure, even if it was only two hours or so, was a novel one from beginning to end. In an ever-increasingly violent industry, such games are a real breath of fresh air. I also found the multiplayer to be really original, despite my fellow scarf buddy being a bit of an ass. Also, did I mention it is real pretty?

  • I really enjoy Forza, it being my only go-to simulation driving. When I heard that they more were going a more casual/arcadey root, I became super excited. Thankfully, my excitement was well-placed. I had a great time with Horizon. It looks great, sounds great, plays great and feels great. I really enjoyed the game's contemporary feel with it really getting the feel of a summer fesitval. Plus, I love driving stupid fast cars across really long bridges.

  • Man... that soundtrack. It's the same thing that got me with Sword & Sworcery; they both create such a strong sense of place and atmosphere. I was never even hooked with the crazy mind-binding stuff in this game and I still really like it. Even though I was in the zeitgeist when this game initially came out (buying it on day one), it is a huge regret of mine that I never really took part in it. I had plenty of time to dick around with these crazy puzzles and the internet never even figured it out by this point. It is a huge regret of mine, but I still really like this game regardless.

  • This was a surprising one. Again, I never played the original Syndicate so a harsh change in style had no effect on me. Even if I had love for the original, I would still find to hard to fault this shooter. At a time when first-shooters seem stuck in a rut, Syndicate provides a simple exception to the rule. It's campaign is a short blast but the real meat and enjoyment here is found in the four player co-op. It left a mark only equatable to the original Left 4 Dead. It saddened me that this game sold so poorly as I would have loved some extra DLC. It is my annual neat, little surprise. Thanks Starbreeze. Looking forward to the sequel?