Best Games of 2012

These are my top 10 games of 2012. While a little underwhelming when compared to last year, there are still some amazing releases this year, even if they are in short supply.

From Left to Right, my justifications:

Borderlands 2:
This game is insanely fun. The looting is addictive, the weapons are really fun, and the co-op is a blast. I've beaten the game twice so far and am starting a third playthrough with a group of 3 other friends. The writing is also fantastic and has a pretty entertaining story.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2:
Modern Warfare 3 was very underwhelming for me. I barely played any of it. But Black Ops 2 is just so much fun. Black Ops was my favorite Call of Duty, but this game improves so much upon the old game and retains whatever it is that makes me keep on playing Call of Duties.

Rhythm Heaven Fever:
My one Wii game I bought this year
I love rhythm games and this is the epitome of the genre. Entertaining mini-games that remind you of a Wario Ware game allow for super entertaining visuals to go along with your rhythming.

Tribes: Ascend:
This year, I started to play a lot of PC titles and Tribes was one of them. I love the fast-paced-ness of it and the classes are fun to experiment with. And you can't go wrong with jetpacks

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale:
I'm a huge Playstation fan. I'm also a huge Smash Bros. fan. Put them together and HOLY CRAP THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!! Ever since it was announced/rumored, I've been following it religiously until release. This game is a ton of fun and earns a strong place in the 'Mascot Brawler' genre. And it is NOT a blatant Smash Bros. clone!

Assassin's Creed III:
Assassin's Creed Revelations was a bit lack-luster for me last year, mainly because it was more of the same with very little variety. But Assassin's Creed III feels like a brand new game while still keeping many familiar aspects of the series. The gameplay is where this game shines and even the story is pretty interesting. But Ubisoft is still pretty bad at making endings for these games :/

Mark of the Ninja:
I'm surprised how well this 2D stealth game works. The mechanics of this game are very interesting: how much noise you make, how much you can see (clearly), and the weapons you have at your disposal. It all makes for a very unique game.

The Walking Dead:
Ok. I didn't play this game myself, but I did watch my favorite internet gaming show, Video Games Awesome, do a complete playthrough and was engaged the entire time. The story is excellent, the characters are great, and there are a lot of funny moments despite the shit that's going on.

Journey:
This is my game of the year. This game is just so unique and beautiful. The graphics are gorgeous, the story is told so well, and the atmosphere is unparalleled. The soundtrack is also remarkable (well worth the Grammy nomination it received). The multiplayer aspect of it is also very interesting. With seamless connecting with other players and with no way of knowing who he/she is and no way of communication aside from pulses from your character, the relationship you form throughout your Journey is one of a kind.

The Unfinished Swan:
Another beautiful game. The Unfinished Swan is artistic and intriguing the whole way through. With its unique style of revealing the world through paint splatters, it makes for some gorgeous scenes that left me in awe at times.

Well there are my top 10, but here are some honorable mentions that I couldn't fit:
Prototype 2
Street Fighter X Tekken
Nintendo Land
Scribblenauts Unlimited

That's all for this year!

Happy Holidays everyone and here's to another great year in gaming!

-Pacduck