Saturday, December 22, 2012
The Top 10 of 2012
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Another year, another breakdown of the year's best games…according
to me.
Before writing this list, I went back to my archive and looked over what I’d said in years past. The funny thing is that while plenty of folk were saying that the ‘big’ games disappointed in 2012, I also found that to be true in 2011 and 2010. Perhaps the trend is becoming more noticeable now, but in hindsight, it definitely seems to be a trend that’s been happening for a while.
Before writing this list, I went back to my archive and looked over what I’d said in years past. The funny thing is that while plenty of folk were saying that the ‘big’ games disappointed in 2012, I also found that to be true in 2011 and 2010. Perhaps the trend is becoming more noticeable now, but in hindsight, it definitely seems to be a trend that’s been happening for a while.
However, even though the blockbusters might still be missing
the mark, what was different about 2012 compared to years past was that I had
my game of the year picked out quite a while ago. In my mind, there just wasn’t
any real competition – the gap
between #1 and #2 was fairly vast.
My top choice will come as no surprise to anyone who reads
this blog or follows me on Twitter, but we'll get to that in a moment. In the
meantime, please take a look at the nine very deserving games which precede it,
and if there are some which don't look familiar or which you haven't tried yet,
please give them some consideration -- there were some choice experiences to be
had this year, to be sure.
And now, with no further ado… my top ten games of 2012.
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10> Tokyo Jungle - REVIEW
Weird… Fringe… Unorthodox. These are words that appeal to me
when referencing videogames. I'm constantly in search of new and unusual ideas,
or fresh takes on old formulas. Out of everything that was released in 2012, I
would be very hard-pressed to name something more bizarre than the
animals-gone-wild experience of Tokyo Jungle. The best part about it is that
the premise of animals running through the streets of a major metropolis wasn't
just bonkers, it actually had a great core of quasi-roguelike gameplay at its
center. Further, the story campaign managed to be humorous, serious, and even poignant
over the course of its running time. Toss in some impossible-to-resist
characters (deinonychus! Japanese salaryman!) and the end result is a game built
to deliver constant replay and constant absurdity at the same time.
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9> Persona 4: Arena - REVIEW
I knew this title had been coming for a while, but I had no
idea that rather than a simple bit of well-deserved fanservice, it was going to
be an actual canon entry in the Persona RPG series. As if that wasn't enough of
a surprise, not only did it contain a legitimate, multi-faceted story worthy of
a full-on role-player, it bridged the narratives and characters of Persona 3
and Persona 4, setting the stage for what should be an absolutely mindblowing
experience in the sure-to-come Persona 5. Oh, did I forget to mention that it's
a fighting game? And that it’s not just any fighting game, but one with an
approachable engine and enough depth to satisfy any aficionado of the genre?
Strong combat and a strong story in the same title? You don't see that
everyday.
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8> Papo & Yo – REVIEW
Videogames have plenty of room to grow. They don't all need
to adhere to the same sorts of ideas, and they don't all need to provide the
same sort of experience. It’s not required that players have fun, and they
don't always need to be king of the world. Papo & Yo is what I would
describe as an autobiographical project, and the adventure its main character
takes is more about what the director was thinking and feeling as the child of
an alcoholic father than it is about solving puzzles or having doodads to
collect. The visuals were strongly imaginative and the themes were quite clear.
The ending was an absolute revelation. Although not to everyone's taste, the
tale resonated with me on a core level, and I have nothing but respect for the
message that was imparted by the time credits rolled.
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7> Dragon’s Dogma – REVIEW
Although I'm a big fan of Western-style RPGs, I've always been
a little confused by the insistence of developers to focus on turn-based
systems, or systems which rely heavily on standing in one place and waiting for
cooldowns before spamming the next sword slash or magic attack. It's almost as
though having quests and an epic story somehow exclude the ability to have
fast-paced action. Dragon’s Dogma rectified that by asking players to actually
fight their battles, and it was an absolute breath of fresh air. The classic
tones of Dungeons & Dragons were great, the asynchronous multiplayer Pawn
system was ingenious, and although there were a few fairly sizable errors made
along the way (get to the fast travel sooner!) the ending of the adventure was
not only totally unexpected, but put much of the experience beforehand into a
different light. It's certainly not perfect, but it's a great start. If Capcom
listens to player feedback, the sequel should be absolutely amazing.
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6> Mass Effect 3 – REVIEW
Mass Effect is one of my favorite games of all time. It was
an incredible experience that has stayed with me ever since I rolled credits,
and thinking about it eve now brings a smile to my face. No one was more
excited than I was to begin Mass Effect 2, but in my eyes, it went off the
rails and ended up as a bitter disappointment. I wasn't sure that BioWare could
right their wrongs with Mass Effect 3, but I’d have to admit that they did,
despite a few missteps. As someone invested in the characters and universe, I
appreciated the time they took to wrap up so many connections and threads, and
in essence, the third game is essentially one long epilogue to the series
overall. There were many great moments and conversations which left me feeling
quite satisfied about the state of affairs prior to the actual ending -- and
that ending itself? I'm one of the very few who thought it was just fine the
first time, prior to the fan outcry and subsequent tinkering. Although it didn’t
quite reach the same heights with me that the first game did, Mass Effect 3
managed to bring the trilogy to a close in a great way, and I respect it for
that.
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5> Binary Domain REVIEW
If there were one game to not judge by its cover this year,
I think my vote would go to Binary Domain. On its surface, it seems like
another bro-shooter that doesn't stand out in any way, and being developed by
Sega didn't inspire confidence in a lot of people. However, not only do the
shooting mechanics deliver the most satisfying robot-wrecking action of the
year, the writers went above and beyond what anyone expected by crafting a
science-fiction story that was legitimately interesting and thoughtful. On top
of that, there were light RPG mechanics included which asked the player to
maintain relationships with the members of their squad, the ramifications of which
ran deeper than most players and reviewers were aware of. Overall, Binary Domain
took what could easily have been a standard genre entry and hybridized it into
something unexpectedly sophisticated.
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4> Mark of the Ninja – REVIEW by Sparky Clarkson
I like ninjas and I like stealth games, and really, does
anything go together better than these two things? It seems like a total
no-brainer, yet the games industry has struggled time and time again to deliver
something that fits the bill. However, Nels Anderson and his team managed to
blend these elements together in a form that not only works, but works
wonderfully. Surprisingly, the move to 2D felt natural and appropriate, and the
brilliant way the game constantly gives the player feedback about their
visibility and audio profile is one of those elegant solutions that makes you
slap your forehead and wonder why no one thought of it sooner. Toss in
fantastic animation and a number of in-game systems that encourage different
playstayles, and it's easy to see why this one is on the list.
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3> I Am Alive - REVIEW
After a prolonged development cycle and several near-disastrous
twists and turns, it was a bit of surprise to see I Am Alive finally become available
for download. It had been so long in coming that I had almost written it off as
vaporware, but I'm incredibly glad it endured through its painful tribulations
-- what it brings to the table is a harsh, unflinching look at post-apocalyptic
life with an intensity that few games have dared to attempt. The content is a
bit shocking at times, perhaps even offensive, and that raw tone combined with
a game design which keeps the player constantly underpowered and on the brink
of death adds up to a very mature, bleak experience which is often more about
the will to continue than it is about dominating the landscape.
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2> Dokuro – REVIEW
What's that? You haven't even heard of this game? Have no
idea what it is? No worries, you're not alone -- this incredibly charming and
clever puzzle/platformer is only available on the Vita, and arrived with very
little fanfare and practically no PR. In fact, at the time I'm writing this,
it's only been reviewed by thirteen outlets. Compare that to somewhere around 150 for Black
Ops II, and it gives you an idea of how few reviewers were even aware of it.
It's a real shame, though... Dokuro has a fantastic art style, truly brilliant
puzzle design, just the right amount of action, and it's a perfect fit for the
hardware it's on. In every respect, this small-scale tale of a hard-working skeleton in love
is an absolute champ.
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Like I said, not really a surprise.
Although plenty of people have made the joke that I picked two
zombie-themed games for top honors in a row, I didn't pick The Walking Dead because
I’m a horror game superfan. No, the truth of the matter is that Telltale took
one of the strongest properties in entertainment today and turned out the best
material they've ever created.
The story of Lee, Clementine, Kenny, and the rest of the
survivors in a post-zombpocalyptic world isn't as engaging and gripping as it
is because of the zombies, but because the characters are portrayed as believable,
realistic human beings trapped in a nightmarish situation and it's far too easy
to relate to the struggles they go through and the choices they make.
It's been a long time since I've felt a connection to characters
as strong as the one I felt here, and it just goes to show that videogames have
plenty of room to grow. There is an entire world of emotion to explore and
endless stories to tell which have nothing to do with photorealistic graphics
or ever-more-massive online multiplayer. I am quite hopeful that the door
opened by The Walking Dead will lead the entire medium in a rich,
new direction.
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…And there you have it, my top ten of 2012.
Agree? Disagree?
Send an e-mail to Podcast (at) Gamecritics
(dot) com and give me your top three games of 2012, along with your worst game
of 2012.
We will tabulate the votes on our end-of-year podcast and announce the
reader/listener choices. As incentive to enter, four people will be chosen to receive $20 credit
to the download service of their choice! Steam, XBLA, PSN, the Nintendo eShop,
iOS… Whatever you want!
Speak up before December 28th, and let us know what you think!
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Great list Brad, especially the top 4!!!
Great read an an interesting list and whether or not I agree (Walking Dead at Number 1) with them or not (Binary Domain, are you mad bro!?) doesn't matter because you gave your reasoning and that's all that really matters.
There's a few here I want to get stuck into at some point (Tokyo Jungle, Papo & Yo), others I've bought and not gotten round to yet (I Am Alive, Dragon's Dogma) and others I don't have the options to play (Persona 4: Arena, Dokuro), so as a read it's been incredibly enjoyable, thanks.
As others have said, great read, Brad. I just started following you this year and you've opened my eyes to games I never would have tried had I listened to the "traditional video game media". Keep up the great work, looking forward to more of your thoughtful criticism!
I was surprised not to see Trials Evo on the list, though, given your fairly effusive praise. Any comments on the exclusion?
Jay> Thanks!
Nokkon> Thanks!
Dan> Thanks for reading!
As for Trials Evo, it's a fab game but since it was just an iteration of the previous Trials (also awesome)I felt I should leave it off to make room for something else.
That said, I do have an Honorable Mentions post coming soon, so you can definitely expect to see it there.