GOTY 2012 - MapCore picks!

1) Saints Row the 3rd

Technically came out late 2011 but I just played it. Everything I hated about GTA is fixed in this game. It's the GTA I've wanted since the start. Ridiculous, over the top and most of all it has missions and characters that I actually enjoy.

1)Lone Survivor

Who ever though a pixel art game could be scary? This game was a wonderful mindfuck and was like a David Lynch production with one major difference. You didn't hate the ending.

1)Faster Than Light

Space exploration games,micromangement games and rougelikes usually take a lot of time to learn and are a big commitment. FTL melds the 3 in a format that you can play without the huge time commitment.

1)The Walking Dead

Two words. Holy Fuck. This game REALLY pushed the adventure genre forward. Can't say much without ruining the story except it's really really good.

1)Hotline Miami

I haven't played a game this intense in years. The story kept you wanting more. One of the few games I've played lately where I had to go back and be a completionist. Absolutely loved this game. Cactus has paid his dues for years and I'm so glad to see his first commercial endeavor is such a success.

Also my biggest disappointment was Retro City Rampage. Was awesome for the first 40 mins then I realized this game was just an endless delivery of winks and nods but the underlying game was actually quite boring.

EDIT: I havent played Xcom yet. I'm guessing it would be on my list if I had.

1. Dishonored

Good game. Super good even.

2. Witcher 2

Yeah yeah, technically not released in 2012, but the 'extended edition' or what it's called was and it's awesome.

3. CS:Go

Same CS as always but with more annoying bugs then ever, and some horrible design when it comes to the match making, but I've been playing it a lot so it should be on a list somewhere.

xcom - just awesome

a lot of people praise spec ops for having the best feels this year, but honestly i think hotline miami took that one step further. it had everything i look for in a game: gripping story with depth, and unique gameplay that made me think without leaving me too fatigued. honorable mention goes to x-com for being excellent in terms of progression and gameplay, but too frustrating/unguided at times.

1. XCOM - Enemy Unknown

One of my favorite games of the last 10 years. Even if it's a tad rough around the edges, then it's better than what anyone could've hoped for; keeping the essence of the original while cleverly updating it.

2. Hero Academy

Was released January last year on iOS, and a year later there pretty much isn't a day that goes by where I'm not playing it. Best asynchronous multiplayer game I've played to date.

3. Journey

One of those beautiful experiences that happens too rarely in that it doesn't feel compromised, like what you experienced was exactly how it was meant to be. Also one where I think it had an even stronger impact since I played it all in one sitting, completely mesmerised by it.

4. The Walking Dead

Episodic gaming that finally works with some of the most emotional and impactful story moments in gaming history.

5. Dishonored

Even if the last act is somewhat messy, then the first couple of assassinations featured some of the most inspiring level design that I've seen in quite a while. One of the most refreshing and creative approaches to stealth games in quite a while.

Honourable mentions:

FTL

Far Cry 3

Max Payne 3

Chivalry

NFS Most Wanted

Day-Z IMO. Most revolutionary concept, most fun, most potential. I think the most important game of 2012

iOS - The Walking Dead

PC - DayZ, but also World of Tanks even though it didn't really release in 2012. It had huge growth in 2012.

XBLA - Minecraft. Original game on PC finally "released" in 2011, so this isn't really new but it ran away with the crown of best selling XBLA title ever in very short order.

PSN - Journey

PSVita - <nothing>

360/PS3 - Spec Ops. The game had issues but the story and writing were excellent. Same goes for Max Payne 3 which actually did something very rare: it created a real sense of character in its main, erm, character. But still, Witcher 2, Dishonoured, XCOM...all seriously good stuff.

Kids game: LEGO LotR. A game with design issues, but if you really like LEGO and LotR, this game is friggin awesome fan service.

At this point i would take a good PS3 port to Vita just to have something to play on the road etc. when I don't have access to a console and am sick of iOS. GT5, God of War anything, Uncharted 2 port...shit give me something, Sony. Vita is so much missed potential.

After looking through http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_in_video_gaming I realized I played too many games from earlier years . Any how, the best for me are (in no order);

• Trials Evolution
• Journey
• Hotline Miami
• Dark Souls DLC

Edit: Removed Stacking started off strong but got pretty weak by the end

xcom - best game this year

war of the roses - best mp game

serious sam 3 - best fps

max payne 3 - max payne 3

1. To The Moon - Might have been late 2011? Don't care played it this year, this game was awesome and I still think about.

2. Halo 4 - I love the Halo'z and I didn't think they could pull it off but they sure has hell did.

3. Dishonored - Really fun, really awesome art + cool setting.

4. Dear Esther - Kind of awesome!

5. Journey

Honourable mentions

Fez

Journey

The Walking Dead

Far Cry 3

Dark Souls - would be higher only I just started it

mass effet 3 - because it was fun until the end.......

Dark souls didnt come out this year. That said it's one of my games of the decade

EDIT: Oh wait maybe the PC version did.

I would say

1. The Walking Dead - srsly, it's been soo long since a game made me feel sad and depresed just like TWD did

2. X - com - love it, feels old schoold and it just plays man, i hope this is the 1st step to going back to old school gaming !

1. Dishonored - Best stealth game since Thief 2. Really awesome.

2. Hotline Miami - A really good surprise, seriously one of the best games in years as far as entertainment is concerned. Really addictive.

3. Natural Selection 2 - Worthy successor of the previous game. Still has some hiccups concerning the balance.

4. Mark of the Ninja - Seriously awesome 2D stealth game with neat animations and very intuitive gameplay.

half life 3

1) X-Com: Enemy Unknown

2) Hotline Miami

3) Endless Space

4) FTL

5) Walking Dead

1) Dishonored

2) Walking dead

3) Journey

4) Unfinished Swan

5) FTL

Some are so close I can't really give a proper order... Has been a good year, not a lot of triple-A stuff for me though.

Worth mentioning:

Halo 4: Haven't had so much fun with a Halo title since Halo 2

DayZ: Was cool for a while, very unique experience but way too buggy/performance issues/netcode trouble to be high up there.

1) XCOM

2) FTL

Games are better when they focus on systems rather than Hollywood reject narratives.

Quote from Serenius

Games are better when they focus on systems rather than Hollywood reject narratives.

w0rd