Games of the Year so far (otherwise known as xmas pressie list ideas)

[Tei]

$60 in Steam Wallet

[coldvvvave]

XCOM

10char

[Boris]

FTL and XCOM, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and Mass Effect 3.

[Feldspar]

Games released this year that I've bought: XCom, Guild Wars 2, FTL, Warlock, quite possibly a few more indie games.

I guess XCom wins there, on managing to successfully update and not just copy a classic.

[Unaco]

I think mine will likely end up being Dishonored... heard so much good about it, and what I've played I've loved. But haven't had time to sink into it fully myself. Planning to this afternoon/weekend. Currently only on the 1st proper mission, but it's ticking all the right boxes so far.

Very closely behind that (ready to step forward should it stumble, or bury a knife in its back, steal away its wife, murder its children and make the GOTY crown its own) would be Crusader Kings 2, most likely... again, if I had the time to play it. Only put in 10 hours or so thus far, but they were a lovely 10 hours.

But, if I had to choose a Game Of The Year this very moment, it would probably be DayZ... even though I haven't played it since May and when it was all exploding. The time I had in it was great, the stories I came out with were great, the stories I've heard from everyone else were great, the idea of it is great, the ideas it gave me about what gaming could be are great, what it did for the ArmA gaming community was (mostly) great (obligatory link to the RPS ArmA2 forum), what it's done for gaming as a whole is great (I hope, as long as other devs/publishers learn from it).

Special mentions for FTL (good game, but I felt there wasn't enough to it for it to be great), and PlanetSide2 (great game, but I don't think it'll properly get into its stride until it's released, and the communities and factions and leadership and all that have built up). Special mention for Dark Souls as well... as my disappointment of the year. Really didn't click for me. Port was abysmal, it felt obtuse, some peculiar design choices and systems in it, and gruelling difficulty was a poor substitute for challenge imo... combat system was good, and it looks like there's a lot of content to it, but I really didn't enjoy it.

tl/dr

DayZ
Dishonored
CK2
(order subject to change)

[Dariune]

Crusader Kings 2 and Elemental:Fallen Enchantress were my games of the year this year.

But at risk of sounding overly negative, they really didnt have much competition as far as I am concerned.

[Cooper]

Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami


(also XCOM and FTL)

[Namdrol]

Special mention for Dark Souls as well... as my disappointment of the year. Really didn't click for me. Port was abysmal, it felt obtuse, some peculiar design choices and systems in it, and gruelling difficulty was a poor substitute for challenge imo... combat system was good, and it looks like there's a lot of content to it, but I really didn't enjoy it.

Did you play Demon's Souls before Dark? I put probably 90 hours into Demon's Souls and really loved it. The minimal and intriguing story, the nexus/death/persistent mechanic, and the fact that each world was distinct and unique and exceptionally well designed.

Dark Souls just didn't click for me either. The bonfire mechanic felt too much like a checkpoint system. The fact that is was a sequel meant it was going to feel like a rehash. IDK why exactly, but it was my biggest disappointment of the year as well.

[onestepfromlost]

Xcom, ftl and borderlands 2 up there for me. No love for dragons dogma from earlier in the year either?

[NathanH]

Crusader Kings 2 is by far the best game of the year and the best game released since Baldur's Gate 2.

Next come XCOM and Mass Effect 3, two very good games, and just a little behind those is Torchlight 2.

[squirrel]

Unfortunately no one vote for Diablo 3. Greatest "trap" this year. (over here we refer to over-hyped game as "traps", those who wasted money on them are therefore trapped.)

Only few vote for games out in the spring? I guess so. I played Syndicate but that is easily forgotten.

[mashakos]

Probably Max Payne 3 for me. Love me some scripted action.

[squirrel]

Probably Max Payne 3 for me. Love me some scripted action.

Are there enough gamers to play online?

[TechnoJellyfish]

Hm, I just realized that I haven't played all that much 2012 releases. From what I have played:

Crusader Kings II: A strategy game that makes me actually care about what's going on; also a game that manages to create a very unique experience with every new game.

Guild Wars 2: The first MMO that held my interest for more than 5-10 hours. Way more. Also: Fantastic. Artwork.

And I also gotta vote for Max Payne 3. At least from a sentimental (loved the original to death) and technical standpoint. Probably the best PC port/version of 2012 (it ran maxed out on my ~ 5 year old hardware). Also didn't look too bad.

Probably some strong contenders I've yet to play:

Borderlands 2
XCOM
Dishonored
FTL
Hotline Miami

[The JG Man]

Let's see, of the new games I've bought and played this year:

Mass Effect 3, Darksiders 2, Borderlands 2, Torchlight 2, Planetside 2 and Sonic 4: Episode 2.

None of them? I can't remember if I read it on another forum or heard it in a podcast or something, but I feel like this year has been full of "GOTY-runner ups!" as opposed to "GOTY!" All of those games have flaws, some more than others (cough S4 cough ME3 cough) but none of them have out-right stood out to me as a clear winner. Evidently I've been playing the wrong new games.

[sk2k]

The Real Texas (Sorry guys, i have to mention this game again. :) RPS left this fantastic game in the cold. )
Dishonored
The Mark of the Ninja
Legend of Grimrock

[popej]

Dark souls
FTL
edit: Borderlands 2
Dishonoured although there's not much game for the price (even if you do play it on very hard with all the aids off and explore every nook and cranny)

[Heliocentric]

Why must the forums ride this release date mandated merry go round every year?

[Mohorovicic]

Because we(they?)'re Humans who live in Society.

[Hypernetic]

Going off time played and the amount of fun I've had? League of Legends and TF2.

Obviously neither of those games were released this year, but they are both constantly updated with new gameplay elements (weapons/game modes in TF2 champions/other stuff in LoL).