GOTY 2012

Well, you know what they say. Another year, another... year. I guess.

As per usual, my pc-bound gaming and late-to-the-party purchase decisions leaves me with a few difficulties in making a top 10 list for the games I've played this year. There are a few games that I feel would have strong possibilities of making this list, but they've come out too recently, are too pricey, or simply are too difficult for my pc to handle. Far Cry 3 is chiefly the game I'm referring to.

For the most part, every game I've spent a significant amount of time playing is on this list. I don't play games long if I don't like them and I usually wait for price drops before making purchases, so even though I don't play many games I usually am confident in the quality of the games I do. There are 2 notable exceptions to this rule. I played both Diablo 3 and Max Payne 3, I played them both because of a significant interest on my part in their series. They were both disappointing to me and, looking back on the time I've played them, I cannot recommend them or say that they were positive experiences. Max Payne 3 was possessed with a very grim and mottled story that was unsaved by humor or pulp. Diablo 3 was an unenjoyable grind with no notable payoff or satisfaction, also hindered by a weightless narrative.

So now that those introductions are done, on to the list!

List items

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  1. Spec Ops: The Line

  If you would have told me a 3rd person shooter was going to be my Game of the Year then I would have called you a goddamn liar. In truth, I think Spec Ops is flawed in substantial ways. I even think that the story is misguided at points. Certain holes in the narrative are difficult to reconcile and, normally, flaws in a narrative would sink a game that so heavily relies on it, but The Line is so unique that I cannot really fault it. I don't think this is something that can be repeated or copied with any sort of frequency or success, I think the boldness of The Line gives it a pedestal entirely it's own.

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  2. Dishonored

  When you come at the king, you better not miss. Dishonored was sold to me by my friends as a spiritual offshoot of Thief: Deadly Shadows. My friends told me that because they know me, and they know that Thief: Deadly Shadows holds an insurmountable place in my heart. For that reason, I was initially biased against Dishonored. As good as Deadly Shadows? PFAH.

  Well, my bias is still there and I won't say Dishonored is better than Thief. It would take a minor miracle for me to ever say anything like that. But I do think that Dishonored succeeds at creating a rich, real universe that provides enough variety to make the missions seem limitless in their possibilities. It captured that feeling of giddiness when pursuing a breadcrumb trail of minor clues and hints leads you to an entirely different way of successfully completing a mission or passing a checkpoint.

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  3. The Void

  The Void didn't come out this year.

  In fact, it didn't come out last year.

  It came out in 2009.

  It's for that reason that The Void isn't my Game of the Year for 2012. But rest assured, had I played it in 2009, it would have been then.

  The Void is artistic in ways that most art games aspire to be. Hell, it's artistic in ways that just regular art aspires to be. It's cryptic in ways that only adds to its mystery, rich in visuals and compelling in plot, The Void is possessed of a singular and uncompromising artistic vision normally seen only in paint or prose.

  The Void is beautiful and its gameplay almost perfectly suited to the harsh, fragile and stunning game that it is.

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  4. Crusader Kings II

  Crusader Kings II ended up being a very late entry on my list, I played it literally weeks before 2012 came to a close, but that short amount of time was enough to tell me that I would be playing it much more in the future.

  I came into CKII knowing already that, in all likelihood, I would enjoy it. Paradox's Europa Universalis series was already a big favorite of mine and CKII is essentially a more focused and more personal version of those games. Many "grand strategy" games provide the player with the feeling that they are creating history in their playthrough, something I've always enjoyed whether it be in the Total War series or in Civilization, but Crusader Kings II manages to amplify that feeling by making it a personal, character based story.

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  5. Hotline Miami

  I have difficulty finding things to fault in Hotline Miami.

  To be sure, that is because there isn't a lot there. The gameplay, the visuals and even the sound are beat down to a very blunt, raw edge. It's intentionally brutal and not purely in its difficulty.

  I love it for that reason.

  From its fast-paced and nerve racking gameplay to its strange and psychedelic overlay, Hotline Miami manages almost to brainwash you as you play. It's addictive in a way that isn't attached to points or rewards. The reward is the games own beating, pulsing, white-knuckled rhythm.

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  6. Thirty Flights of Loving

  30 Flights of Loving is barely a game. You could beat it in 10 minutes, if not less. There is little you can do that will change any sort of course of events. Really, the only thing you decide is pace, and even that is barely true.

  But like Gravity Bone, 30 Flights of Loving has something special about it that I just can't overlook, and has stayed with me since playing it.

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  7. Mass Effect 3

  Tuchanka and Rannoch and Leviathan and the miscellaneous crew interactions, that is why Mass Effect 3 is on this list. If those missions weren't there to remind me why I loved Mass Effect then the little kid dream sequences, the ridiculous Kai Leng encounters, and most definitely the ending would have completely ruined this game for me. Which is too bad, because while the Mass Effect trilogy no doubt will be remembered well, it will be remembered a little less well now.

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  8. Saints Row: The Third

  It's not higher up because it didn't come out this year, but Saints Row: The Third is definitely my 2011 Game of 2012. I don't have a lot to say about Saints Row: The Third other than it is a goddamn shit ton of fun, with some absolutely hilarious moments peppered into the story. It's just fun and stupid, and I really appreciate that.

  But I will say that the final decision is pretty bullshit. Either I rescue my friends, play a shitty mission, get shitty rewards, and get a shitty ending... or I leave my friends to die, get a fun mission, fucking awesome rewards and an ending that feels like I've accomplished something? Neither of those appealed to me. On one hand I'm willingly killing the people who trust me, and on the other I'm getting a crap ending.

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  9. Black Mesa

  Okay, you got me. I love Half-Life. It was a major part of my childhood. That's really why this is here. The Black Mesa team did a great job updating the original game (although the icthysaurus was kind of lame). I'm interested in seeing what they do with Xen, they say they are completely retooling it since those missions were apparently "no fun". I was a kid when I played them, so I can't really speak with any substantial confidence, but I don't remember thinking that.

  But still, good job. It was fun going back to Black Mesa.

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  10. Katawa Shoujo

  Ha ha. Why is this here.

  Okay, I'll be fair, Katawa Shoujo actually did surprise me a bit. I started playing it as a joke, but ended up playing through the whole thing twice. First time with the Emi ending, and the second time with the Lily ending. (Lily ending is best btw don't care what you say)

  Good work to the guys who put this together. It's cheesy and at times, a little shaky on writing, but I won't lie and say that your soapy story didn't get to me a few times.