2012 was definitely a fun year with lots of fun games. Here are my top 10 picks of 2012 that I'd probably recommend:
10) New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
Source: Youtube Channel Nintendo
Finally deciding to buy a Nintendo 3DS with the release of the XL version, I picked up New Super Mario Bros. 2 as my first game for the system and completed it practically in one day. To complete all the available levels took me a few more days. Considering how little time I spent on the game, $40 was quite a hefty price for the game. The game was incredibly easy, even when compared to New Super Mario Bros. 1; however, Nintendo was able to create a Mario game that was still fresh and new. New Super Mario Bros. 2 reminded me: "Don't be greedy". The game was easy, but there were many instances where I find myself falling into bottomless pits or running into an enemy because I got greedy. The formula is essentially the same, but with an emphasis on collecting coins. It's an enjoyable game and one that anyone can get into.
9) Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Source: Youtube Channel IGNentertainment
I wanted more games for my 3DS and there weren't much available. Seeing a discounted price and good reviews for Resident Evil Revelations, I decided to grab a copy and try it out. I was so impressed by it. Beautiful graphics, great controls, a return of a more suspenseful and eerie atmosphere, and a whole lot of fun to play. It has a nice balance between horror-survival and Action that makes it stand out from other games of the genre. Resident Evil Revelation is possibly the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS right now.
8) Torchlight 2 (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel runicgames
My friend and I were going to get Torchlight 2 to fill in the time before Diablo 3. After D3 was released and still no TL2, our interest in the game faded away. When it finally released, I expressed my interest in still playing the game as I did enjoy the first one for the most part (it got boring near the end for me). I waited for a sale and got the game for $10 at 50% off and my friend bought it on a whim after hearing about it so much. We were both pleasantly surprised with the game. The world is more open rather than running from floor to floor, loot was much better, the new classes were all unique and exciting to play, and it was much faster paced than the first game. The game is different enough from Diablo 3 that I'd recommend playing for a different experience.
7) Awesomenauts (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel ronimogames
My major concern with buying the game was "are there people playing the game?" It is the biggest problem with multiplayer games where the community is weak and the game dies out in popularity before it can even take off. When I first bought the game, there were very few people playing unfortunately. Thankfully, after a few sales on steam in the last 2 months of 2012, a reasonable amount of players were on. The game has a certain charm to it that makes it easier for more people to get into which made it easier for me to convince some of my friends to get the game. It's probably not going to be played competitively in the e-sports scene, but it's balanced and entertaining enough for a casual audience to enjoy.
6) Persona 4 Arena (PS3)
Source: Youtube Channel AtlusUSA
A lot of fighting games came out in 2012, and I'm really happy to see that as fighting games have gotten sort of weak a few years ago. But one particular fighting game stood out in 2012. Developed by the minds behind BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena takes the characters and setting of popular Playstation 2 RPG "Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4" and works out a plausible story where friends and new faces are pitted against each other in crazy and stylish battles of man and their shadows. The game is very easy to grasp which helped me convince my non-fighting game playing friends to join me and still have fun playing it.
5) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel Valve
I don't even remember how long I've waited for the release of CS:GO, but I was elated to see a release date and was excited to see what has changed. Unlike the change from CS 1.6 to CS Source, actual environments are added to the levels, guns look and sound better, the overall feel of the game mechanics are smooth, and the community behind Counter-Strike is still very strong. The change to the buying window to a circle is very strange and is most likely designed for both consoles in mind and Valve's new Big Screen mode where everything can be controlled through a gamepad. True, Counter-Strike has yet to see an actual sequel, but I really like each iteration that has come out of the game thus far and am excited to see how much more CS:GO will evolve.
4) DotA 2 (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel dota2
Who would've thought that popular Warcraft 3 custom campaign "Defense of the Ancients" would be picked up by Valve to make a standalone game rather than Blizzard themselves only to realize that Blizzard really was working on one. The dispute and controversy between Blizzard and Valve was saddening, but they seemed to have reach a resolution to carry out both games without getting in each other's way. DotA 2 has not been officially released, but players and myself have applied for a beta key and have been granted with one. It is a bit strange having changes from what most were used to from the original mod, but the ones that took notice to problems to the Warcraft 3 engine really made the experience of DotA 2 a lot better. Hotkeys are put into one row now rather than being all over the keyboard. Players who queue up must accept joining a game so that leavers, those AFK or not ready are not put into a game with everyone else who ARE ready to play. Items are put into a single shop rather than separated into 10 shops. Players who get disconnected can reconnect. The User-interface is clean but still provides everything the player needs to know. Many problems that were evident in the original mod were addressed in the stand-alone and has made DotA that much better. The learning curve is still extremely steep and very difficult for new players, but the recommended items and skill based-match up help players ease into the game a little better. After being absent from DotA 1 for nearly 3 years, it was great being able to play it again in a much more organized fashion in 2012 with DotA 2.
3) Dragon's Dogma (PS3)
Source: Youtube Channel CapcomUnityVideos
I cannot believe I did not spend more time on this game. Dragon's Dogma was one of my most anticipated games of 2012 and for good reason. The boss battles are epic, the world is massive, class choices are versatile, gameplay is challenging, and despite being a single-player game it's quite involving. The game does have its rough edges and nuance of elements from other RPGs that bothers many players such as the ally NPCs being very chatty, a messy inventory because of crafting materials, and of course ally AIs doing really dumb things. It's also pretty frustrating fighting a boss for nearly 20-30 minutes with only a few hits off left only to get killed in one hit (happens quite often). Still, I have barely scratched the surface of Dragon's Dogma and cannot wait to return to the game.
2) Guild Wars 2 (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel Gamehelper
I have mentioned before that I had no interest in Guild Wars 2 when it was first announced; however, my stance on the game changed as I started to see the new classes (Engineer), saw new game mechanics (dodging), and was urged by a friend to get it alongside him to player cooperatively. He was so excited about the game while I was just somewhat interested. When it finally came out, I was sucked in with the amount of customization the classes had, the steady progress through the story, and accessible PvP/WvW modes. Guild Wars 2 had turned out a lot more than I would have ever imagined and I think I even like it more than the first one. I'm only half way to level maxing one of my characters but still enjoy what the game has to offer. This is possibly the most enjoyable MMORPG I have played up to date and hope that it has lasting interest for years to come.
1) Diablo 3 (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel gameplay9000
Diablo 3 got a lot of attention in 2012. It had a huge backing in hype, big controversy in design choices such as the real money auction house and having to always be online to play even single-player, outcry from fans about problems with launch, imbalances in items and classes, and promises made by Blizzard to have PvP which still hasn't happened yet. Yes, Diablo 3 had a lot of negative feedback from the community despite the waves of praise from the critics. I, myself, did not like how the story evolved, the latter part of the game's boss battles, and frequent disconnections from the game's servers or even the lag when playing solo. Despite its flaws, I spent over 200+ hours on Diablo 3 and continue to enjoy what the game has to offer as the developers over at Blizzard Studios has rebalanced the classes, consistently fix problems, added a whole new layer to the game with paragon levels and uber bosses, and still plans on adding new content without having players pay more as DLCs. The ability to switch out any skill builds is exactly what I wanted without having to worry about putting attribute points in the wrong stats. The first two main bosses were incredible and are these best in the series. The slightly slower game-play than Diablo 2 is counter-acted by a much more strategic and hectic battle in Diablo 3. Yes, I had disappointments with the game, but I still had a ton of fun with it nonetheless.
Honorable Mention:
Phantasy Star Online 2 (Jp) (PC)
Source: Youtube Channel SegaAmerica
Had this game come out in the West in 2012, THIS would be my number one choice of 2012. I had the privilege of playing PSO2 on the Japanese servers thanks to knowing people from and who go to Japan and my slight ability to read certain words in Japanese. I couldn't place this game as a choice for 2012 as I did not spend nearly enough time with the game and is not officially out in the Western market. Through my 12-15 hours of playing Phantasy Star Online 2, I really enjoyed my experience with the game in many aspects. The story is integrated throughout the world as cut-scenes and dialogues, graphics and environments are current and beautiful while still capturing the charm and nostalgia of the original PSO, class changes offer versatility through a single character, and combat mechanics are stylish and intuitive compared to it predecessors. Randomly generated maps and abrupt events within a quest keep the game fresh and multiplayer is made very easy with the lobby/party style match making. The game is so much fun and I cannot wait for its actual release in the West which has already been announced for a Spring launch in 2013.
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