Your contenders for GOTY?

[ImpulsE69]

I tend to buy/play games a year or so after they were released...so I haven't played any of these

 

[clamum]

Really, Walking Dead? I figured it to be a cheap shitty game that accompanies movies or TV shows, but if it's that good I'm surprised.

 

[KaOTiK]

Really, Walking Dead? I figured it to be a cheap shitty game that accompanies movies or TV shows, but if it's that good I'm surprised.

It is very good. Lots of moral decisions to make and a lot of times you have like 5 seconds to make them due to what is happening. Makes it intense and you care about what you do.

 

[Martimus]

Really, Walking Dead? I figured it to be a cheap shitty game that accompanies movies or TV shows, but if it's that good I'm surprised.

I have never read the comics or saw any of the tv shows, but I find the Walking Dead to be the best Adventure game i have played, and I love Adventure games.

 

[Dankk]

Really, Walking Dead? I figured it to be a cheap shitty game that accompanies movies or TV shows, but if it's that good I'm surprised.

You figured wrong. It's an extremely story-driven title, kinda like Heavy Rain (but better IMO) that focuses heavily on writing, characters, drama, and emotion. It's one of the most refreshing and engrossing games I've played in a long time.

In fact it's garnered so much critical praise and commercial success that they're apparently working on another season.

 

[gorcorps]

There weren't any really standout 10 out of 10 games for me this year like last year when we had Skyrim and Witcher 2. Last year also had some really great games like Deus Ex:HR, Portal 2 and Dead space 2. For me this year had a lot of really good 8 out of 10 type games but none that really stood out ahead of the others...

Agreed. I've played lots of good games this year but nothing is striking me as THE GOTY.

Borderlands 2 is very good, but didn't do enough different from the original so still felt a bit stale.

Torchlight 2 improved over TL1 a lot by having solid mp and a more open world. This was probably the best value of the year at only $20 ($10 if you waited for the fall sale).

Guild Wars 2 seems okay, but I haven't put enough hours into it. Doesn't seem to be as epic as I was led to believe but that may be because I'm not playing with people I know, and am probably still in a noobish area where there aren't as many people.

AC3 seems like a great game so far, but is hampered by some technical issues and hasn't really evolved in gameplay since AC2. It's still near the top of the list for me though.

ME3 started good, but I got distracted and haven't been back to it. Not really enough to form much of an opinion.

If we go by time alone I've probably played more Zen Pinball 2 on my Vita than anything else :awe:

 

[thespyder]

AC3 seems like a great game so far, but is hampered by some technical issues

This is by and large why I hesitate to nominate Xcom. While it is a good game, there are some technical and balancing issues that really hamper it from being a great game. Plus, not much in the way of replayability.

to me, GOTY should be something that is a critical achievement both technically and in advancing the genre/franchise (or at least being massively playable for long periods of time).

 

[Arg Clin]

I suppose I'll go with ME3. Despite the epic failure to deliver on a worthy ending. Still a solid game, even if nowhere near ME1 or other games of Biowares golden age.

I don't think 2012 will be remembered as a great year for gaming.

Alternatively: Torchlight II is good fun. Quite surprisingly.

 

[Dumac]

Dark Souls: PTD edition gets my vote, despite being a re-release.

Only exciting game for me this year really.

 

[badb0y]

Assassin's Creed 3 was really good and so was BL2. D3 isn't even in the discussion at best it was a decent game. I enjoyed ME3 but was kind of disappointed with the ending.

 

[BudAshes]

Borderlands 2 no contest.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Single Player: Dishonored
MP: Guild Wars 2
Overall: AC3 which IMO is easily one of the most full featured games I've played in a long time. Yes the gameplay is tired but the sheer amount of info and things to do is almost like GTA in some ways.
RPG: ME3 even with the flaws or GW2
Shooter: Borderlands 2

I did also really enjoy Max Payne 3. I'd give that a nod for overall as well.

 

[videogames101]

Dishonored!

 

[badb0y]

Looks like I am picking up Dishonored and The Walking Dead soon.

 

[thejunglegod]

I think what GW2 did to the stale MMO genre itself makes it deserve GOTY. Not to mention countless hours of fun, special events and value for money.


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[SomeoneSimple]

I think what GW2 did to the stale MMO genre itself makes it deserve GOTY.

While GW2 is a pretty good game and personally, I thought it would shake up the MMO world for good. After 500 hours of play time, I'm quite disappointed, on many points its not all that different from 'Generic MMO #230'. In many ways it actually takes a serious step back, it also has some very glaring issues that caused me to stop playing and made me lose interest for future content.

Endgame aside from sPvP or dungeons is nothing but zergs, with tons of culling issues; WvW zergs, Plinx zergs, karka-event-zergs, etc.
Low-/mid level zones are completely abandoned, just like any other MMO.
Getting a dungeon party together is a flashback to 1999, where we have to stand idle in a big city, spamming chat.
Getting high-tier gear (dungeon-gear, named exotics, ascended, legendaries) is an (expensive) grind; much worse, and much more boring then traditional MMO's.
Very limited character (role) customization once you've taken a closer look at its mechanics.
Ingame performance is very underwhelming at times, e.g., Lions Arch or near zergs.

So, in my book: Good value for money, certainly. GOTY or exceptional MMO, no, not really.


More ontopic, I honestly don't know what game deserves my 'GOTY' stamp. Games I was looking forward to where GW2, TL2, BL2 and Planetside 2. Those are good games, but all of them have their flaws.

I guess for me, the closest to GOTY would be Max Payne 3. It really surprised me. Solid gameplay, interesting story/storytelling and great graphics. This might've been due to low expectations, trailers really made it seem like they butchered the franchise by skipping the whole 'film noir' Max Payne atmosphere, but I enjoy playing through it and left behind a great impression.

 

[Borealis7]

minion votes for borderlands 2.

 

[Baptismbyfire]

Crusader Kings 2, clearly.

\

I definitely agree for strategy games. Don't they have GOTY for each genre?

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Borderlands 2

I would love for Fall of Cybertron to get some love but if I had to vote for a game I knew would be in the running then BL2 would probably get my vote.

I have to say I have been impressed with Planetside 2 and Diablo 3 in recent weeks as well.

 

[gorcorps]

While GW2 is a pretty good game and personally, I thought it would shake up the MMO world for good. After 500 hours of play time, I'm quite disappointed, on many points its not all that different from 'Generic MMO #230'. In many ways it actually takes a serious step back, it also has some very glaring issues that caused me to stop playing and made me lose interest for future content.

I mainly picked up GW2 because people told me the combat system wasn't the usual "push button and watch animation" type as is typical in MMOs. Well I'm wondering wtf they were smoking because aside from being able to dodge that's exactly what it is. The game brings nothing new in the form of combat like I expected, and because the starter areas are barren (at least in the server I am now) I don't feel like I'm playing online at all. I generally don't touch MMOs because they aren't my thing, but I was convinced this one was different. It really isn't...

 

[Jeffg010]

Torchlight 2 for me. The only game I put in more then 100 hours. It fixed everything that was wrong with Torchlight 1 that I hated.

Worst game of the year was D3

 

[Gunbuster]

Borderlands 2.

 

[thespyder]

After 500 hours of play time, I'm quite disappointed,

???

I don't know about the rest of you, but this statement alone makes me seriously question any reviews this poster makes. LOL.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

???

I don't know about the rest of you, but this statement alone makes me seriously question any reviews this poster makes. LOL.

Personally, I think he worked on Max Payne 3....lol

 

[SomeoneSimple]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this statement alone makes me seriously question any reviews this poster makes. LOL.

I was already expecting a comment like this. :hmm:

However, if you don't pull the quote of out its context and read carefully, you'll understand what I'm saying. I haven't said that GW2 was a disappointing game, quite the contrary:

While GW2 is a pretty good game and personally, I thought it would shake up the MMO world for good.
[...]
Games I was looking forward to where GW2, TL2, BL2 and Planetside 2. Those are good games, but all of them have their flaws.

I did say I was disappointed that, for me, GW2 wasn't the Messiah of MMO's I expected it to be. And yes, those 500 hours (had 8 weeks of vacation with horrible weather) where mostly fun, just not GOTY-fun.