John Westendorf's 2012 Top Ten
Hi everyone! First of all, this list is taken from the games that I played for the first time in 2012 (and a little past), so some of them (only 1 I think) is actually from 2011. Like everyone else I didn’t play every game, but in the course of creating this list I did write down what games I played. That full set is listed at the end of my top ten if you’re interested in what was included in the comparison.
Full disclosure, I worked on some of the games I played this year. That obviously colors some of my experiences, but it cuts both ways. You miss out on some of the surprise, wonderment, and surprises on a game you’ve been involved in for a long period of development.
I feel like this year was the year that small downloadable games really came into their own. There have been amazing, breakout XBLA & PSN titles the whole generation but never as many as this year. Half of my top ten are smaller games, and many more almost made the cut. I’m also finding that these shorter, more compact experiences are a great fit for my increasing interest in new game experiences that aren’t overly drawn out.
Unfortunately I couldn't find a way to reverse the order on a Giant Bomb list, so if you want to start at the special mention and work to #1 page to the bottom.