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Psychohead

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GOTY 2012

And lo', dids't I come down from on High to deliver unto the Internet my list of the ten best games I played in 2012. (Ones which were also released in 2012. An important distinction, as this was also the year I finally played the like of Cave Story and Picross. And, if it weren't in some horseshit "open beta" space, MechWarrior Online would be here.) This turned out to be a harder list to shave down than I'd thought it would be. Without question, SSX, Spec Ops: The Line, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy are damn fine games that absolutely deserve to be on here. But alas, I could only list ten.

So here they are, in descending order of 2012 GOTY-ness. Each of these games is amazing, and the margin separating one game from another is razor thin in some cases.

List items

  • Nothing more embodies the "this game is barely better than the one below it" quite like this title. Maybe you don't have the greatest amount of agency, but it doesn't matter. The Walking Dead is a hell of a ride. Even if your choices "don't matter," they don't feel that way while playing. Few games have so effectively manipulated my emotions, and fewer still have left me glad they did. Thus, TWD is my GOTY.

  • Everything I could have wanted out of an X-Com reboot and more. It's not perfect, and I suppose I would enjoy a meatier tactical engine. But all the notes it does it, it hits to perfection. Plus, the soundtrack is fucking sick.

  • Hard, bordering on unfair, but extremely rewarding once you pull apart the systems and bend them to your will. I'm still not sure what genre to squeeze this game into, and that alone gets it onto this list. Brilliant by every measure, and once bested, left me wanting only more.

  • The story of Mark and his descent into nin-sanity was, without a doubt, one of the most satisfying stealth experiences I've ever had. Tight controls, a "play it your way" approach to stealth, and a gorgeous design aesthetic make it a must play. Story was a little hokey, but I dug it.

  • The Walking Dead, but without all that pesky talking. This was one of those very cool experiences where what happened between the screen and the player varied depending on who I spoke to. We all had our own thoughts and interpretations on this audio/visual feast, and that's something special. At times, somber, triumphant, contemplative, frightening, and jovial.

  • When I had fun playing a multiplayer game this year, it was when I was playing Borderlands 2. It delivers on a lot of what I felt was the promises made by the original. While the story subscribes to a "more is better" philosophy, miring the game in kinda awful story shit I don't care about, there are some pretty good gags in here. Surprisingly playable alone, but best enjoyed with a cadre of like-minded sociopaths.

  • What? This game is incredible! It's the perfect example of how games don't need to be high-minded, high-brow, super-complex, super-punishing, emotionally-affecting, epic, world-changing events to be damn good. CSD is mechanically sound, clever, and above all just shitloads of fun. No bullshit, all fun.

  • I once described this as "the game I always wanted to never play." That pretty much sums up my thoughts. Video just doesn't do it justice, as this is one of those games that's completely in the playing. I was bewildered by all the praise it was getting until I finally sat down with it. Now I get it. And I'm not sure how I feel about that.

    If there was a game that Spec Ops: The Line might oust, it'd be this badboy. While they speak similar messages and raise similar questions, Hotline Miami does so while still being really damn fun to play. SOL's messages is clearer, but HM's gamey bits are better.

  • ...What the shit did I just play?

  • Hey, Konami? Someone else figured out Silent Hill. One guy. That's all it took. This game proves, pretty solidly, that survival horror is only as dead as we want it to be. It builds on groundwork long abandoned by the heavyweights of the genre, and what it built is terrifying indeed to behold.

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