Thanks to some early sales and kind people, I've had a chance since my last blog to finish or at least spend a good amount of time with every game from 2012 that I had an interest in playing. Some of these games I loved (Xcom, Natural Selection 2), some of them I didn't (Hitman), but I feel I can sum up my thoughts on the best and worst games of 2012. Overall the year wasn't great, with a number of games falling short of their potential, but a number of solid retail releases and some amazing mods kept me busy throughout the year.
Top 5 games (and mods)
5.
Dishonored - The story in Dishonored left much to be desired, and I'm sure some will criticize it for being too easy, but the flexibility of it's gameplay and the level of polish that accompanied it was second to none this year. Dunwall was a very compelling setting and learning about its history and current plight was highly engaging. I played through it once going stealthy and started another playthrough killing everything that moved, and I plan on finishing that playthrough and doing at least one more after that when I have time.
4.
Mass Effect 3 - Despite the shadow cast over this release by the controversial ending, the third game in this excellent series was in many ways the best. The combat was very good - some of the best cover-based shooter combat around in my eyes - and the story was very well paced and moved forward nicely despite the considerable length of the game. Playing through Mass Effect 3 was an absolute pleasure, and I just don't understand the people who think ten minutes at the end ruined the entire series. I started a second playthrough and got maybe a third of the way through before getting side tracked and I look forward to returning to it.
3.
Max Payne 3 - I had high expectations going into this game, and Rockstar did not disappoint. Not only did they deliver a stellar PC version of their vision of Mr. Max Payne, they also released what is in my eyes the best third person shooter of the generation, as Max Payne 1 and 2 were the best third person shooters of their time. I can understand how some people were put off by the incessant cutscenes and linearity, but I bought into Max's plight and new way of life bait line and hook. The action was simple yet super tight; some people criticized it for becoming a cover shooter, but I shoot-dodged my way through the entire game on normal and rarely became frustrated or stuck. The plot itself wasn't anything to special, but the setting of Sal Palo and the issues raised around the inequality of those in Sal Palo were very real and made for a very rich backdrop to the character study of Max Payne. I lapped up every bit of dialogue from this character, Mr. McCaffrey did an outstanding job as Max, and even though its structure was quite different from the old Remedy games, it still felt like a Max Payne game.
2.
Black Mesa - A few years ago I attempted to play Half-Life 1, I made it about a quarter of the way through but got stuck at one bit and never got back to it; part of me was waiting for Black Mesa. Playing through this game was a near religious experience, like with Half-Life 2, no single element made it stand out, but instead the incredible ambiance that was created by all of the different game mechanics and visuals working together in harmony. The level design and pacing is just top notch, with the updates to the gunplay and visuals really eliminating any feeling that I was playing a game made over a decade ago. The team behind this mod did a stand-up job, and it made me even more anxious about Valve's plans for the franchise moving into the future.
1.
Dayz - This mod came out of nowhere and took over my life for a couple of months back in June and July. I have never felt such strong emotions in a game as in Dayz, there were a few times when I actually stopped playing because I thought I might have a heart attack or something. Never before have I had such strong emotions tied to fictional locations in a game; at one point in my Dayz career, simply approaching certain locations would get my heard racing and give me sweaty palms. I will never forget my first visit to the North West airfield, or the time I crawled into Stary Sobor, legs broken and falling unconscious from blood loss, when someone I was playing with braved escaping a building surrounded by bandits to give me morphine and a blood transfusion. Even though the game is relatively simple, I played it for over 100 hours, because the unpredictability of the situations you get yourself into just makes it so compelling. I did burn out on it eventually, and I'm skeptical about whether or not the stand-alone will make things feel fresh once again, but I'm never going to forget the great times I had with Dayz.
Honorable Mentions
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare - GYAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAA! FOR THE ORDERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! YEAAAARRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!
Darksiders II - A great sequel to a underrated gem, Darksiders II is bigger, better and more varied than its predecessor. It has fun combat, loads of well designed dungeons filled with fun puzzles and bosses, as well as a really superb soundtrack.
Xcom - Enemy Unknown - Had Xcom been less buggy, It would have come in near the top of my top 5 list. The overall design is just awesome, with soldiers' deaths being so significant that with each turn you are begging the gods to land your 45% hit chance shot. Sadly the way line of sight works and the tendency of Aliens to shoot through walls makes it a rather frustrating and almost broken game at times.
Borderlands 2 - A fun and substantial sequel to one of the most addicting games I have ever played. BL 2 is incredibly funny and is in general a very well made game, it just doesn't do quite enough different from its predecessor to really stand out.
Far Cry 3 - A surprisingly slick sequel from Ubisoft, FC 3 has some great action in the form of a open world sandbox that allows for stealth as well as shootouts. The hunting system is great, and the island looks fantastic. I did experience some weirdness with enemy AI, detecting me through walls made of cloth and discovering my exact location under dubious circumstances. The story and the story missions also falter in the second half, although the excellent design of the world gives you so much to do outside of the story it's easy to ignore its short comings.
The Darkness II - I never played the first Darkness, but I really enjoyed the sequel. The action was excellent and it really makes you feel like a total beast going around eating people's hearts and slashing them with your crazy tentacles. The story was also quite awesome, forcing you to doubt the sanity of your character with some really great moments brought about by the amazing voice work of Jackie's Darkness. I really need to go back and play the first game.
The Walking Dead - A well told story with some good characterization and some really memorable moments, although the actual gameplay is rather minimal. Better than the TV show overall despite sagging somewhat in the last two chapters, this was probably the biggest surprise of 2012.
The Sh*t List
Assassins Creed 3 - A superbly crafted setting and great visuals and animations totally ruined by clumsy gameplay and a convoluted story with a broken economy system and ridiculously inconsistent difficulty.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
YOU CRASHED
Dark Souls - I really wanted to like this game. The idea of a combat-focused action RPG with precise skill based combat and a big atmospheric world is extremely appealing to me. I really struggled to get used to the mechanics of gaining souls and slowly leveling up, but I originally became very frustrated with the bosses which trapped you in corners or stumbled you and took away control leaving you helpless. Around the second bell I finally came to accept the difficulty, design and the repeated death, but quickly realized once you take these things away, DS is a dull and repetitive game that takes place in rather empty feeling world with glitchy combat and a **** lock-on system.
Hitman: Absolution - I've never been a huge fan of Hitman, and wasn't upset about the new direction IO was taking the series in. What I am upset about is the ridiculous disguise system, terrible save system, and score meter in the top left corner that directly contradicts the game's informing you that you should play Absolution any way you want. Coming from Dishonored and Far Cry 3, the stealth mechanics feel contrived and clunky, and the god awful story doesn't do the game any favours.
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Despite these disappointing games, 2012 had enough games to keep me busy throughout the year. 2013 looks much more promising with games like Company of Heroes 2, Rome 2, Metro Last Light, Amnesia a Machine for Pigs and many others.