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Captain Hindsight on the 2012 Game of the Year List

 

Hello and thank you for taking the time to check out my first blog post of 2013! 2012 was a great year for both gaming and myself, culminating in a fantastic list of titles that brought hours upon hours of entertainment to gamers worldwide. I think it’s most important to really acknowledge that considering we are right at the end of the longest generation of consoles, developers like Ubisoft, Bethesda and Konami continue developing and producing AAA titles for this generation while working secretly on new projects with new hardware. Back on topic however, tradition states that I take another look at my list of 2012’s top 10 games and reconsider my choices through the power of hindsight, so let’s crack on!

The original top 10:

10] Resident Evil 6

09] Hitman: Absolution

08] Dishonored

07] Far Cry 3

06] Mass Effect 3

05] Journey

04] The Walking Dead

03] ZombiU

02] Max Payne 3

01] Borderlands 2

Last year I made a few amendments to my list and shuffled some stuff around, but to be perfectly honest I am very happy with the games I’ve chosen. The only title I look at on that list and question it’s position is Zombi U. There’s no doubt in my mind that Ubisoft’s Wii U exclusive is a fantastic title that brings to the table a type of horror the industry has been missing for a few years now, but is it really better than all the other titles on that list? The answer is probably no, as a technical achievement it is sub-par to every game on that list bar Resident Evil 6, so perhaps the list should have looked like this:

10] Resident Evil 6

09] Zombi U

08] Hitman: Absolution

07] Dishonored

06] Far Cry 3

05] Mass Effect 3

04] Journey

03] The Walking Dead

02] Max Payne 3

01] Borderlands 2

There you go, that sits considerably better in my book!

Now let’s have a quick look at some of the games I completely overlooked from the list. Those of you who know me will understand why the likes of FIFA 13, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Assassin’s Creed III failed to make the list – they are undoubtedly big sellers but they are not what I’d consider new products for the industry. Titles like the aforementioned are the reason developers choose to restrict their creativity and as a result, stifle the industry. When a developer produces an idea and requires financial backing, it’s unsurprising that investors will be looking for a guaranteed profit and games that mimic big hitters are more likely to get the go-ahead to be created. This is completely understandable but simultaneously a serious issue in the industry and that’s why online sites like Kickstarter are so awesome because some of our favourite independent developers can accumulate funds to create games that wouldn’t necessarily get funding from big investors.

As for 2012 itself, overall it was an impressive year for gaming. Aside from a quality top 10 list the fighting genre was pretty much completely resurged thanks to Street Fighter x Tekken, Tekken and Dead or Alive 5 – considering it was a dying genre fighting fans have a massive thank you to give to Capcom because Street Fighter IV started this whole new revival.

2012 also saw the release of Sony’s PlayStation VITA. This slick new handheld boasted incredible potential with PlayStation 3-like graphics, cross-play functionality with Sony’s home console and a bunch of AAA titles spawning from hits like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty. Unfortunately the VITA has failed to take off due to perhaps the high price tag or maybe the lack of any original content on the machine. Sony were trying to give gamers home console games on the move and perhaps what they’ve realized is gamers want mobile and handheld games on the move and home console titles for just that, their homes. It’s a strange argument but the massive popularity of the Nintendo DS and all subsequent aiterations suggests there’s a very specific style of game people want to play on the move and the VITA lacks those games. Let’s not also forget that App gaming has proven to be an unstoppable force with games coming out for as little as 69p – why would anyone pay £34.99 instead?

Nintendo were definitely the hardware kings of 2012 as their new 3DSXL hit store shelves back in August. With a beautiful new screen, increased size and battery life, this was definitely the way portable gaming should be experienced if you wanted a dedicated handheld gaming device. A host of cool titles like New Super Mario Bros. 2, Paper Mario and Resident Evil: Revelations all made the 3DSXL a worthy console for gamers to purchase this year, especially those who waited and didn’t buy the first 3DS (me!).

Then of course came the start of the next generation of home consoles. Nintendo finally released the Wii U, which can only be described as a giant HD DS experience. Boasting superior power to the Wii, Nintendo’s new machine now competes on the same level as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 while providing an intriguing GamePad that innovates and recreates how you play games. While still in its early phases little can be said about the Wii U other than currently, I’m really enjoying the machine. What will happen when Microsoft and Sony’s new consoles come out I can only guess but logically speaking those machines are going to be super powerful and in terms of that alone, will blow the Wii U out of the water. However, Nintendo have never been about powerful hardware and their success is always been reliant on their amazing games. Ultimately if developers support the Wii U the machine will be a resounding success.

What does 2013 have in store for us? Hopefully at E3 in June Microsoft and maybe even Sony will unveil their new consoles and perhaps by the holiday season of ’13 we might even be able to get our hands on them. If you want something a little closer to look forward to, big titles like Dead Space 3, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Devil May Cry and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch are all big hitters coming out in the first quarter of 2013.

So there you have it guys and girls – I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed reading my content in 2012 and look out for further articles this year. Remember; let’s enjoy gaming after all, that’s what it’s about!