So every year since 2004 I have been doing a Game of the Year poll on this forum. And here's the poll for 2012:
Vote here
There are a lot of Game of the Year polls out there, but the thing that makes this one interesting (in my opinion) is that although most GOTY polls just give you a list of maybe five of the best-selling games from the last year, and ask you to choose your favorite; THIS poll gives you a list of EVERY game that came out in the last year (more or less) and asks you to vote for [up to] your top 20, ranked by how much you liked them.
Here's last year's poll results if you want to see how this works. We actually wind up with a serviceable ranking of the top hundred or so games from the last year, with blockbusters, obscurities and cult hits mixed in side by side.
The poll is going up just a little late this year; it's the evening of Jan 20 right now, so I'll run until the evening of Jan 27 and then post the results.
Thanks everyone for the help with this poll!
(By the way, if you feel like using this thread to post how you voted, the last page of the poll script spits out what you voted for.)
Posts
These were actually the only seven games I played in 2012 that were released that year. Everything else I played was me discovering 2010/2011 games like Mount and Blade, or just playing lots of Starcraft 2.
I actually won't be surprised if Mass Effect 3 doesn't do so well. it came out VERY early in the year and i think some of the shine will have faded from it, with a lot of people only remembering the drama around the endings.
To my mind, it will either be Mass Effect 3, Dishonored, Assassin's Creed 3, Far Cry 3, or Halo 4 that wins. And I don't know about the last three because I didn't play them, so maybe they weren't good examples of the series.
Actually, it's kind of depressing that only one really big release this year (dishonored) was a new IP.
FUCK.
Oh well. Here goes nothing:
1. Thirty Flights of Loving (PC)
2. Nautral Selection 2 (PC)
3. Spec Ops: The Line (360, PC, PS3)
4. The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
5. Dishonored (360, PC, PS3)
6. Howling Dogs (Browser)
7. Dear Esther (PC)
8. Cyberqueen (Browser)
9. Hotline Miami (PC)
10. Dys4ia (Browser)
11. Teleglitch (PC)
12. Cart Life (PC)
13. Cry$tal Warrior Ke$ha (Browser)
14. Analogue: A Hate Story (PC)
15. Slave of God (PC)
16. Frog Fractions (Browser)
17. Unmanned (Browser, PC)
18. FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
19. Rat Chaos (Browser)
20. Tribes: Ascend (PC)
Seriously though I feel straight up bad for all the awesome games I haven't played that are probably better than at least Tribes: Ascend, which, well, at least it tried.
edit: just noticed you misspelled Natural Selection 2. Can that be fixed?
Anyway, here are the winners in my book:
1. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
2. Asura's Wrath (360, PS3)
3. Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)
4. Journey (PS3*)
5. Mark of the Ninja (PC, 360)
6. Dragon's Dogma (360, PS3)
faster than light
torchlight 2
borderlands 2
hotline miami
Mutumbo
The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
Mass Effect 3 (360, PS3, PC, WiiU)
Penny Arcade OTRSPOD 3 (360*, Android, PC, iPhone,)
Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
Dishonored (360, PC, PS3)
Torchlight 2 (PC)
Hotline Miami (PC)
Spec Ops: The Line (360, PC, PS3)
Orcs Must Die! 2 (PC)
FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
Mark of the Ninja (PC, 360)
Diablo 3 (PC)
Far Cry 3 (360, PC, PS3)
Tribes: Ascend (PC)
Gotham City Imposters (360*. PC, PS3*)
Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (PC)
Assassin's Creed 3 (360, PC, PS3, WiiU)
Guild Wars 2 (PC)
Gravity Rush (Vita)
Sniper Elite V2 (360, PC, PS3)
I owned a lot of games on that list, many still remain unplayed and many on this list are unbeaten. I really need to get through my backlog.
If Persona 4 Golden made the list, it'd be my #2.
Steam: abunchofdaftpunk | PSN: noautomobilesgo | Lastfm: sjchszeppelin | Backloggery: colincummings | 3DS FC: 1392-6019-0219 |
1. Far Cry 3 (360, PC, PS3)
2. The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
3. Sleeping Dogs (360, PC, PS3)
4. Mark of the Ninja (PC, 360)
5. Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)
6. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360, PC, PS3)
7. Trials Evolution (360*)
8. Journey (PS3*)
9. Cook Serve Delicious (iOS, PC)
10. Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World (Browser)
11. Spec Ops: The Line (360, PC, PS3)
12. New Super Mario Bros U (WiiU)
13. Hexagon / Super Hexagon (Android, Browser, iOS, PC)
14. Frog Fractions (Browser)
15. Sound Shapes (PS3*, Vita*)
16. Dust: An Elysian Tail (360*)
17. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
18. Assassin's Creed 3 (360, PC, PS3, WiiU)
19. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (360*, PC*, PS3*)
20. Lollipop Chainsaw (360, PS3)
Yep. Yep that looks about right.
1. Mass Effect 3 (360, PS3, PC, WiiU)
2. The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
3. Halo 4 (360)
4. Crusader Kings II (PC)
5. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (360, PC, PS3, WiiU)
6. Hotline Miami (PC)
7. Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
8. Torchlight 2 (PC)
9. Frog Fractions (Browser)
I've literally just started Spec Ops and I'm only a tiny way into Lego: Lord of the Rings so I thought I'd best leave them off
Hmm didn't play many games from this year really, though since I got a new computer a few months ago I've been playing quite a few games from previous years so I'd like to say that both Arkham games, Saints Row 3, Space Marine, Bulletstorm and Civ 5 would have places pretty high up on my lists for the years they came out
How do I go back and change my #1 to Cry$tal Warrior Ke$ha?
Nah just kidding, but that was...pretty great for what was basically a choose your own adventure browser game
Also you put Dikembe Mutombo on your list, which makes you a rad lady in my book
I am almost willing to bet money that The Walking Dead takes it
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
Time to get cutting.
1. The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
2. Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
3. SpaceTeam (iOS)
4. FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
5. Diablo 3 (PC)
6. Spec Ops: The Line (360, PC, PS3)
7. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PC, PS3, 360)
8. Middle Manager of Justice (iOS)
9. Binary Domain (360, PC, PS3)
10. Frog Fractions (Browser)
11. Quantum Conundrum (360*, PC, PS3*)
12. Natural Selection 2 (PC)
13. Avengers Inititive (iOS)
14. Curiousity: What's in the Cube (iOS)
"Curiosity: What's in the Cube" is misspelled, btw.
Didn't play as many triple A titles as I'd like, or games in general I guess. Next year should be a little different, hopefully, between the Q1-ageddon and new console launches (Please let there be new console launches)
Anywho, this is probably just bias, but I think the Walking Dead.. er.. walks away with the #1 spot.
Haven't played much from this year. I'll give an honourable mention to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but since I've only actually watched other people playing it, I can't really vote for it myself.
I've got copies of quite a few games for this last year sat in my collection - Lollipop Chainsaw, The Walking Dead, Lego Batman 2 and XCOM to name but a few - but I just haven't gotten around to playing them yet.
Then you are blind
It does not play at all like any other adventure games
Ask me, because I think adventure games are boring bullshit, and The Walking Dead is not
I don't want to sound like an asshole, but the license is not what is great about this game. Telltale games have had better licenses in the past. Back to the Future was a bore, and Jurassic Park was apparently egregiously bad. It is all about the characters, choices, and unconventional gameplay (for an adventure game) taking precedence here. And there's never any of that dopey adventure game bullshit of trying to find how random item X fits into random scenario Y in an insane way. But yeah, everyone talking about it and the fact that it won so many GOTY awards should have tipped you off that there was something different about it.
Also the comic is shit and the show fluctuates wildly in quality, I played the game before I bothered with either of those, and neither is required to fully enjoy the game. It is easily the best product of that particular license.
I think this is the first time I've voted for this that I haven't voted for the full 20.
Man, I played way more games than I thought last year. Tough decision for #1 too, Hotline Miami and Mark Ninja are both so great.
The writing is good. And it lacks obtuse adventure game puzzles.
That's pretty much it. But the writing is, like, really, really good.
2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360, PC, PS3)
3. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
4. FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
5. Penny Arcade OTRSPOD 3 (360*, Android, PC, iPhone,)
6. Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
7. Asura's Wrath (360, PS3)
8. Diablo 3 (PC)
9. Torchlight 2 (PC)
10. Ys Origin (PC, Vita)
11. Mark of the Ninja (PC, 360)
12. Dustforce (PC)
13. Hotline Miami (PC)
14. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3/360/PC)
15. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare (PC)
16. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360, 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii)
I played a shit ton of downloadables this year I guess!
Xenoblade gets the vote it missed in the past.
Lego Batman was actually a lot of cheesy, goofy fun.
Dragon's Dogma (360, PS3)
Assassin's Creed 3 (360, PC, PS3, WiiU)
Darksiders 2 (360, PC, PS3, WiiU)
Skylanders: Giants (360, 3DS, PS3, Wii, WiiU)
Journey (PS3*)
Tokyo Jungle (PS3)
Natural Selection 2 (PC)
Dishonored (360, PC, PS3)
The Room (iOS)
PlanetSide 2 (PC)
Bad Piggies (Android, iOS, PC)
Legend of Grimrock (PC)
Far Cry 3 (360, PC, PS3)
SpaceTeam (iOS)
Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)
Torchlight 2 (PC)
FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360, PC, PS3)
Mark of the Ninja (PC, 360)
Fingle (iOS)
Dragon's Dogma really is my Game of the Year. I loved all of that game. Tokyo Jungle surprised me. And Fingle got me some alone time with the wife!
e: On The Walking Dead: I played through the first chapter to the end, then didn't buy anymore and didn't add it to my list. That's not what I'm looking for in a video game. Other people do, that's their thing, not gonna hate.
PSN: Dyvion -- Eternal: Dyvion+9393 -- Genshin Impact: Dyvion
Anyway:
The Walking Dead (iOS, 360, PC, PS3)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360, PC, PS3)
Borderlands 2 (360, PS3, PC)
Dishonored (360, PC, PS3)
Dragon's Dogma (360, PS3)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3/360/PC)
The Darkness II (PS3, 360, PC, OSX)
Dust: An Elysian Tail (360*)
Trials Evolution (360*)
Mass Effect 3 (360, PS3, PC, WiiU)
Spelunky HD (360)
Alan Wake's American Nightmare (360*, PC)
Sine Mora (360*, PC, PS3*, Vita)
Angry Birds Space (Android, BlackBerry, iOS, PC)
I played a lot of downloadable titles this year and didn't buy as many AAA releases. I guess that's because a lot of stuff I wanted came out at the end of the year when I didn't have the money and what games I bought, lasted me a long time.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Everyone knows Dark Souls is gotyay anyway.
I'm not sure why the US is getting special treatment here. The english version of Xenoblade came out in 2011 first, the orginal version came out in 2010...but because the US got it in 2012, it's on the list?
Dodgy. Mark the thread as NA then.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
It's always gone for finished products, first release in U.S.
Ah, ok. NA it is then. Apologies.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
1. Crusader Kings II
2. Mass Effect 3
3. Orcs Must Die 2
4. Spec Ops: The Line
5. XCom: Enemy Unknown
Yeah, here's the listing from the nomination thread:
NA is arguably the largest market for games, and it makes it easy to keep track of everything. If Xenoblade had been on the list in 2010, who here played it then, in Japanese? It then would have been disqualified from 2011, and even if we limited it to English, it would have been screwed over in 2011 because only Europeans and Americans who gave enough of a shit to import would have been able to vote for it.
I get the reasoning, and it makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
Plus, I think in our hearts we all know that only terrible, terrible people wouldn't have voted for Dark Souls.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW