Your games of the year

[Lenny]

I'm glad this thread got started. I'll use it and our monthly GOTM threads to create a Game of the Year poll for 2012 like we did last year. Expect that poll end of Dec or early Jan 2013.

[96s10]

GOTY: The WarZ

[Big B-man]

I know the hate might spring with this one, but I'll explain:

-Halo 4

1.) I have not actually played any Halo game before, save for a demo of the original.
2.) I've played PC pretty much exclusively until recently.
3.) While the game really doesn't add anything new, what it did was solid and well executed. 343 did a great job, and it's been awhile since I walked away from a game that felt like a great experience. The focus was not to be "OMGBBQWTF did they do!" it was to put out a good product. I've played my share of crappy FPS's, and this is a compentant example of how to do an FPS right. Stick to core elements and get those right first before doing anything else.

[Activate: AMD]

GOTY: The WarZ

Not sure if serious

I know the hate might spring with this one, but I'll explain:

-Halo 4

1.) I have not actually played any Halo game before, save for a demo of the original.
2.) I've played PC pretty much exclusively until recently.
3.) While the game really doesn't add anything new, what it did was solid and well executed. 343 did a great job, and it's been awhile since I walked away from a game that felt like a great experience. The focus was not to be "OMGBBQWTF did they do!" it was to put out a good product. I've played my share of crappy FPS's, and this is a compentant example of how to do an FPS right. Stick to core elements and get those right first before doing anything else.

I can accept that logic, but I'm not entirely sure what it says about the state of gaming that competence and not greatness is enough to win GOTY. Sometimes a game that leaves you satisfied but doesn't reach is better than a game that reaches too far and falls flat. Sadly I feel like too many games lately do neither, and are simply re-treads of old games. I guess thats why I rated FTL so highly, its was like a breath of fresh air amongst the stale sequels. That said, I might be a bit of a hypocrite because i voted Borderlands 2 my #1 new game of the year

[kbohip]

GOTY: The WarZ

I've never heard of that game, but after seeing that Steam pulled it and offered refunds to anyone who bought it, I'm not thinking it's GOTY material.

[Keven]

Yeah, never saw Steam offer refunds for anything in the past 8 years. When they did for War Z, you know it's really a stinker.

[Big B-man]

Not sure if serious

I can accept that logic, but I'm not entirely sure what it says about the state of gaming that competence and not greatness is enough to win GOTY. Sometimes a game that leaves you satisfied but doesn't reach is better than a game that reaches too far and falls flat. Sadly I feel like too many games lately do neither, and are simply re-treads of old games. I guess thats why I rated FTL so highly, its was like a breath of fresh air amongst the stale sequels. That said, I might be a bit of a hypocrite because i voted Borderlands 2 my #1 new game of the year

Fair enough.
Also, I forgot to add that I think it's the only game that came out in 2012 that I played in 2012. I did play other great games, but they were out of the running.

Still, I was surprised by how good of a package Halo 4 is, and I wasn't expecting to like it this much.