With only 3 weeks remaining until the start of a new year, we here at The Koalition didn’t want to go into 2013 without acknowledging some of our favorite games of 2012. For the next couple of days, each editor will be talking about 5 games that they enjoyed playing this year. I’ll be kicking off the festivities today with my list of choices. What were your favorite games of 2012? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
5) Mark Of The Ninja
When Klei Entertainment debuted Shank back in 2010, I became drawn to their beautiful art style as it flourished from one game to the next. In the years that followed, I attended several industry tradeshows and heard various rumors about an ambitious personal title that the studio was working on. That title ended up becoming Mark Of The Ninja, a brilliant 2d side-scroller with stealth elements. Fans familiar with the Shank series would know that the game is highly action oriented and ironically Mark Of The Ninja evolves that formula by giving you options on how to approach a situation. The end result is a seamless gameplay experience with stunning visuals to boot. The creative team really thought through each scenario in painstaking detail, and its one of the main reasons why this is the best game the studio has released thus far.
4) Max Payne 3
Rockstar games infamous take on the popular Max Payne franchise proved to be just the fresh approach that diehard fans were looking for. Despite several delays by the publisher, the studio delivered a cinematic gem of a game with the vibe of popular crime movie thriller’s like Michael Mann’s HEAT. I would argue that this game also wins my vote for the best shooter of 2012. I’ll be interested to see if Rockstar decides to do more with this series in the future.
3) Far Cry 3
Ubisoft has enjoyed massive success this generation thanks in part to both the Assassin’s Creed, and Splinter Cell franchises. Once the studio unveiled Far Cry 3 to the masses last year, I instantly fell in love with the thought of an open world first-person shooter set on a tropical island. In playing through the game so far, I can honestly say that this has turned out even better then I originally imagined and gives me further confidence that Ubisoft will continue to amaze in 2013 and beyond.
2) Sleeping Dogs
When Square Enix picked up the True Crime license from Activision, I literally feared for the life of the franchise. Imagine my surprise when United Front Games released a masterpiece truly befitting of the original. The combination of an open world Hong Kong, an intuitively deep combat system, and a compelling storyline all made this game a certified sleeper hit. I’ll be very eager to see where Square Enix takes this series moving forward.
1) The Walking Dead
Robert Kirkman’s insanely addictive zombie apocalypse series soared to new heights in 2012 thanks in part to comic, television, and video game adaptations. Telltale’s version of The Walking Dead is beyond impressive because it takes storytelling and choices to a whole new level, while also keeping their signature style of crafting engaging point and click adventure games intact. Another reason why I consider this the best game of the year lies specifically in the character performances and how each response provokes some level of emotion. If for any reason you still haven’t played this game, then I would urge you to do so before it’s too late.
