Welcome to a new year, friendly robots. Unfortunately, the gaming news has been a bit slow through the end of 2012, as expected. So there’s really nothing to report this week. Instead, I’ll be doing yet another one of those “… of the Year” lists you’ve been seeing for the last week.
For my generally favorite high lights of the year, check out BSR!’s roundtable wrap-up. But, for my video game specific list, look no further.
Best Purchase of 2012 – PlayStation Vita
My purchase was actually the Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation bundle on its release date. It’s odd, but as much as I love video games I have never bought a console on release date. I tend to give it a few months to build a decent game library and let everyone else work out the bugs. This bundle, which released on October 30th, just over eight months after the original release, was perfect. Sure, it went down $50 for a Black Friday sale just a month later, but by then I felt I’d already gotten my money’s worth. Free games like, Treasure Park (best free game of 2012) and Frobisher Says, provide value the moment you open the package. The 4GB card is clearly not enough, especially with PS Plus now giving me Uncharted, Mutant Blobs Attack, and Retro City Rampage. I’ll be upgrading to a 16GB or 32GB early next year. Oh yeah, speaking of the Vita:
Best Vita Game of 2012 – Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation
This one is clearly up for debate and I am fully prepared to stand corrected as I play some catch up and get to some of the earlier releases for the device. I’ve heard great things about a number of other games that may prove to be great. I just haven’t had the time or the memory available. As for Aveline’s portable adventure, I enjoyed it a lot. Is it the best Assassin’s Creed yet? No. Is it better than the original game? Yes. Better than Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines from PSP? Yes. I might even say it’s better than Ezio’s third game, but not his first and probably not his second. The game has a few flaws, like not being able to climb in the Lady persona. But, the persona system was an interesting addition. Also, finally getting a little bit of the story from the Templar’s perspective was intriguing. The Citizen E segments break that perspective, but in a manner that’s very consistent with the series’ puzzling narrative.
Honorable mentions for this category should certainly include Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (rarely do I laugh so much when I’m so frustrated), Treasure Park (combined with Near, this keeps my Vita on me at all times – especially when I’m covering a lot of ground in the city), Zen Pinball 2 (which, thanks to the Marvel tables accounts for the majority of my play time on Vita), and Retro City Rampage (haven’t played enough to place it firmly on any kind of list but it promises great enjoyment).
Best Family Game of 2012 – LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
I’ve made no secret of my love for LEGO video games over the years. I was addicted from the first LEGO Star Wars, Jar Jar and all. They’ve improved in each iteration and franchise since that first uncontrollably flipping Yoda. While LEGO Lord of the Rings hasn’t made it into my console yet, I feel safe in saying that it probably doesn’t quite match up to zipping around an open-world Gotham as Superman or Martian Manhunter. The introduction of fully-voiced minifigs went over much better than expected. The first original story for a LEGO franchise game was also a pleasant surprise. This is some of the best interaction between Superman and Batman I’ve ever seen – and I absolutely adored Robin’s fanboy reaction to the last son of Krypton.
Best Downloadable Game of 2012 – The Walking Dead
This one caused a bit of a stir when it took the top spot at Spike’s VGAs. I wouldn’t say it was the absolute best game of the year, but it definitely proved a lot of things in my eyes. First and foremost, Kirkman’s post-zombocalypse world is the most entertaining locale for storytelling in the 21st century. Not only does it tell great stories in the comic book and television medium, but it makes for a great game in a genre long thought dead. That’s the second thing it proved to me: Adventure gaming still has a market and it can still be fun when done well. Telltale has long been pushing the episodic format, and this series is their vindication. For me, this game will likely be a generation-defining experience. The advent of app stores, Steam, PSN, XBLA, etc. really came into its own through this generation. What started as simply one more way to sell yet another crappy port of Galaga became a subscription service that can get you top quality games with some of the best story-telling in the industry.
Best Gaming Value in 2012 – PlayStation Plus
Do I sound like a shill yet? I promise, I’m not being paid by Sony. This subscription service is $17.99 for three months or $49.99 for 12 months. When it was only available on PS3, and when it only offered occasional discounts and sporadic free games it was worth it but not necessarily a fantastic bargain. When Instant Game Collection was introduced it became indispensable. Adding the IGC to Vita in November at no extra cost was an amazing bonus. Current games available for free to subscribers include BioShock 2, inFamous 2 (my game of the year 2011), LittleBigPlanet 2, Quantum Conundrum, Retro City Rampage, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, Final Fantasy Tactics, and ten others. These games rotate in and out regularly as well. Those are just the ones currently available. The first two episodes of The Walking Dead were part of the IGC for a short time and that’s when I got sucked in. Telltale’s Back to the Future was also available for a short time. The benefits can also extend beyond games. A PS+ sale recently got me a year’s subscription to Sony’s Music Unlimited for only $12, an 80% discount. If you play on Sony devices, there are a lot worse ways to spend your money.
Game of the Year 2012 – Mass Effect 3
I’m probably going to lose a lot of people with this one. Then again, since the extended cut DLC was released and we’ve had a little time away from the controversy, I think more people are beginning to recognize the greatness of this game. Certainly there is still some disappointment with the ending, but when isn’t there? The last chapter of a fantastic story has inherent disappointment. For my money, the decision-making, shooting mechanics, and other core elements of the franchise reached their peak in its final chapter. Did the decisions you made in the earlier games really decide your outcome? Not so much, but they made a much stronger impact than anything had done prior. Like The Walking Dead, your decisions changed moments in the game, but not the overall experience. Is that something we can look forward to in the future? I hope so. And if it does, you can bet it will be influenced by the strides Bioware made on this one. Beyond the controversy, and beyond the amazing story of Commander Shepard, Mass Effect 3 is also responsible for my conversion to online multiplayer. When I first heard they’d be “tacking on” a multiplayer mode, I was disappointed and simply assumed I would never play it. Then the beta released and I was so anxious to get back in that universe that I downloaded and immediately began playing. My instant enjoyment translated into the retail copy and I’m still popping it in occasionally for weekend operations ten months later. I’ve even started a fresh Commander Shepard in the original game with the intent of a new experience in my fourth playthrough of the final game. Aldo Shepard will be a serious playboy, tapping anything that opens up. He’ll also be reckless with his crew; I’m expecting only three survivors when the Reapers arrive (Kaidan or Ashley, and a couple from ME2 but not Miranda, Garrus, or Tali).
Most Anticipated 2013 – Grand Theft Auto V
Seems obvious doesn’t it? I didn’t include the category here, but my pick for best re-release of a retro title is GTA: San Andreas. Rockstar’s flagship franchise has always been a favorite of mine and the sheer scope of the new Los Santos is jaw-dropping. Three protagonists, submarines, the return of jets, possible attack dog companions…. How can you not be excited?
Oh yeah, there is something that can temper that excitement. The elephant in the room is a next-gen announcement from Microsoft and Sony. With the WiiU releasing back in November, it’s only a matter of time before we find out what the other two major players have in mind. Industry insiders and all business sense points to PS4 and neXtBox coming in 2013. So, officially, my most anticpated has to be GTA V if only because I know it’s actually happening. But I’m definitely on the edge of my seat as I anticipate what the new tech will bring.