Pick 5: Our Top 5 games of 2012

It's that time of the year again. Last year was a beast! Tons of games landed on 2012 on different kinds of platforms that I'm surprised we survived the year. We look back and pick the the top 5 games of 2012. When you talk about the best games, we all have our own personal favorites, but here's ours. Don't hold your breathe, this post is going to be a long one.

Carlos' Top 5 of 2012

What a great year. Thanks to 2012, the list of games I'd like to play have doubled. Max Mayne 3, Sleeping Dogs, FTL: Faster Than Light, Darksiders , and Trine 2, these are just some of the games I still want to try . I'll eventually find some time to look back and play them, but for now, here's my top 5.

# 5 Mass Effect 3 (PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC)

Screw everybody that call this a horrible game because of the ending. In truth, this is the best Mass Effect has ever been. It’s true that Bioware did not deliver in wrapping up this beloved series, but people forget the epic journey that led to that disappointing end. The combat was fluid, the game looked amazing, and they wrapped up every character we grew to love in three games perfectly. You have no idea how big my smile was when my Shepard and Garrus was shooting for fun at the citadel, talk about the what we went through, right before we headed out for the final battle. No matter what, Mass Effect 3 delivered in all fronts… except the last 15 minutes.

# 4 Dragon’s Dogma(PS3 / Xbox 360)

I love seeing new IP’s try to make a name for itself. This one in particular, Dragon’s Dogma, scratched an itch that I had for years. A game that borrowed features from games like Shadow of Colossus or Monster Hunter made it stand out from the crowd. The ability to climb the big monsters of this game and it’s unique pawn system kept the game fresh all throughout my playthrough. This game is also pretty deep in character customization with each class bringing a completely different set of skills. The world is large and viscous. It provided a sense of challenge that requires preparation before heading outside the gates of Gran Soren. If Capcom makes a sequel, I’m on board 100%.

# 3 XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown was one of my most anticipated game of 2012, and it did not disappoint one bit. A re-imagining of the 1994 classic with the same name, this game captures everything that made the original game so great. Gameplay on the field and during base management was well polished, making this a game that can just suck you in for hours. It’s one of the hardest strategy games you will ever play, but if you stick with it all the way in the end, the feeling after a successful mission is oh so satisfying, especially when someone doesn’t die in your squad, and that is rare. Just like the old game, I will definitely see myself popping the disc every now and then for another go at XCOM.

#2 The Walking Dead (PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC)

It’s rare to see a game that gets all this attention just by character progression and narration. The Walking Dead deserved that attention because it had one of the best story I've ever encountered in a video game. It has a good number of interesting characters and a comic art style that fits the world of The Walking Dead. This game is all about player decisions. Hard decisions that pressures the players with consequences that make you stop and think. Will it be good for the group if I choose this? Or will this benefit Clementine? It’s all about Clementine. When you get to the first three episodes, you will feel this responsibility over this little girl, as if you will move heaven and earth just to protect her from this doomed world. This game was a breath of fresh air, and deserves my number 2 slot.

#1 Guild Wars 2 (PC)

When I sat down to write my top 5 my number 1 slot was already filed. Guild Wars 2 is a prime example that the standard formula of MMORPG's can be broken and find success. This game brought back the fun in leveling a character. The combat always keeps you at the edge of your seat, and exploring has never been this fun in an MMO. Cooperation with other players is greatly encouraged too, even if you don't like playing with others you will find yourself fighting a giant with a bunch of players that appeared out of  nowhere to help. The world of tyria is massive, and the game looks amazing, It's hard to believe that this game has no subscription fees with the amount of content this game has to offer. PVE, PVP, WorldvsWorld, I can never get enough of GW2.

Miggy's Top 5 of 2012

I'm at that spot again where I wasn't able to play a lot of games that were released in 2012. The real world just likes to kick my ass that way. Yes, Migoy is still playing catch-up. However, all is not lost. Even with my lack of modern game dosage, I do still have a top 5 for 2012.

#5 Hitman Absolution (PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC)

Having missed out on the Hitman franchise, it's nice to see that the series was not abandoned. While not being a full return to form factor, Hitman: Absolution still gives you (the player) a good feeling of satisfaction when completing missions with pure stealth. Sure there are fixed segments where you just have to haul ass in an action-movie-esque fashion but I like being giving the option to either sneak buy or just gun it down. Though gunning it down, in my opinion, has become stale these past years.

#4 Dragon's Dogma (PS3 / Xbox 360)

I had no interest in this game prior to seeing and then playing the public demo that was released. Having not seen any gameplay or trailers up to that point, I just thought that Dragon's Dogma was just a weaker Skyrim. The fact that it was published by Capcom (evil, modern Capcom) didn't really help it either. I changed my mind instantly after seeing the combat and then eventually trying it out myself. I am still far from completing this game and it does have some glaring problems but my initial impression of it's world is still up there plus seeing the image of a giant cyclops coming out of the night shadow still gets the heart racing.

#3 Max Anarchy(PS3 / Xbox 360)

Though a bit of a grey area in terms of release, I did import a copy of Anarchy Reigns (Max Anarchy in Japan) which did get released in 2012. Being a huge fan of anything that Platinum Games releases, this was a no brainer. With it's insane cyber-punk world, fun brawler / beat-em up style of combat and having Bayonetta as a DLC character. Anarchy Reigns should be on everyone's list of best 2013 games.

#2 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PS3 / Xbox 360 / Wii U)

It may just be Tekken 6 but with more characters and a gimmicky tag system but this game is near perfect. Tekken 6 was great, add to that the added depth that new tag mechanic brings in plus a magnitude of characters from both old and new Tekken games, a rich character customization menu and a fantastic online netcode. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 should be a standard in everyone's game library.

#1 Persona 4 Arena (PS3 / Xbox 360)

This may not be the most popular game around or the most diverse. Having only 13 characters in a time where the standard character count in most fighting games are 40 and above, it doesn't sound too appealing. However, even with only 13 characters in the roster, I still find myself baffled by most of the cast when facing characters that I am unfamiliar with. You'd think with the small amount of characters, I'd have tried all of them at least once. With great looking sprite animation, an easy to pick up but hard to master combat system, a very good netcode, and still so much to explore. Persona 4 Arena, or "Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena" as it is called here in Asia, still takes the number 1 spot on my top 5 games in 2012 list.

Joseph's Top 5 of 2012

Whew, 2012 was quite a year! I finally acquired an old-school PS3, started up a farm with my family and caught up with some of my backlog. Didn’t get the chance to pick up too many AAA titles, since I buy mostly used games, but for the most part I enjoyed my purchases. Games I wish I could have played include Zone of the Enders HD Collection, Darksiders II, Legend of Grimrock, Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed III, Tales of Graces f, Torchlight II, Nintendo Land and ZombiU. But alas, I’ll have to have a look into those some future time. These are my favorites of 2012.

Runners-up: The Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb DLC (PC), Kid Icarus Uprising (3DS), Katawa Shoujo (PC)

#5 Tales of the Abyss (3DS)

The only reason this game is only #5 is that it’s essentially a port of a hard-to-find PS2 title. As a JRPG lover, I may have some bias towards the genre, but despite its setbacks including a main character that is annoying at first and takes some time to come into his own, I heartily recommend this game. The Tales series’ trademarks are all here in one lengthy package: dozens of hours of gameplay, voice-acted cut scenes, numerous character skits, a wide world to explore and a story filled with colorful characters and rich political intrigue. The tried-and-true battle system is relatively unchanged and easy to get into, and Artes can be assigned to four buttons on the touch screen for ease of use. If you’re itching for an epic JRPG fix on the go, look no further.

#4 Sonic 4: Episode II (PSN)

I’m going to get some flak for this one, I’m sure, but this one hit me right in the childhood. Hot off the heels of Sonic Generations, Sega releases this gem. Forget the terrible Sonic 4: Episode I, this is the real deal. Levels have the same nostalgic feeling as the Genesis games, especially those from Sonic 2, the series’ best. It’s like somehow Sonic Team remembered how to do old-school Sonic again. Even the music is better, and the bosses tough and memorable. Getting that last Chaos Emerald is nearly impossible unless you have a second player helping as Tails. Definitely worth it for any Sonic diehards out there (yes, all two of you).

#3 Final Fantasy Theatrhythm (3DS)

The most played game on my 3DS by far, Theatrhythm is a dream come true for any Final Fantasy fan who enjoys rhythm games. It’s fast-paced and addicting, and the randomized Dark Notes kept the challenge coming. I was stuck living in a trailer with no Internet access for months, and I can’t tell you how many long nights I spent lying in bed playing this game. With almost all of the best Final Fantasy field and battle songs available either in the game or available as DLC (the downloadable “Force Your Way” from FFVIII is the most challenging song I’ve ever encountered in a rhythm game), this is really a must-have for collectors.

#2 Journey (PSN)

If you had told me that one of my favorite games of the year would be one in which you wander across a desert landscape having vague interactions with other players and jumping across ancient ruins, I would have laughed. But there’s something positively magical about this short but sweet title. Maybe it’s in the presentation, or the way the story is told piece by piece, without a single word spoken or read, lending the whole experience a universally appealing quality. Sony’s Santa Monica Studios really delivered with this beautiful, atmospheric game that’s both simple and wildly ambitious. You can take the journey alone if you remain offline, but it’s more fun to replay the game multiple times with different people. You’ll never have the same experience twice.

#1 The Last Story (Wii)

For my top pick, I’m endorsing a game that is sure to become a cult classic among JRPG fanatics. Mistwalker Studio’s latest effort is much better than it had any right to be. After producing the underrated Lost Odyssey and straightforward but enjoyable Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, Hironobu Sakaguchi breaks new ground once more with the first game he’s directed in almost a decade. The Last Story is a surprisingly strong reinvention of the action-RPG, featuring an epic, fully voice acted story (the British dubbing is great), and a real-time battle system that’s easy to learn, but tough to master. Who would have thought that you could put a cover system in a JRPG and have it as one of the centerpieces of the battle system? Well, here it works wonders. Focusing your control on one character but always needing to keep your teammates’ positions in mind, sniping far-off enemies and being aware of your surroundings allows for fun, fast-paced fights. I haven’t tried the acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles yet, but this is the best JRPG I’ve played on the Wii.

That's our top 5, what about you? What games deserve to be on your list?

Monday Impressions: Dead Space 3 Demo

 

Last week, Xbox 360 players who signed up for the early access of the Dead Space 3 demo got an email that included a redeemable code that allows you to download the demo. I was one of those lucky few that got the mail. As I waited for the download to finish, I was praying that this demo would remove all the doubts I had with the game. But sadly, it just remained the same.

The demo was really all about showcasing all the changes done for the third game. The drop-in. drop-out co-op, the very deep weapon customization, and the new setting. You can't really get a grip about the story in the content given so people worried about spoilers, you won't get any. in fact, this demo is actually the content shown during last year's E3, so nothing new for people have seen it. This is all about getting the feel of the changes.

The new Bench system

The bench system now allows weapon crafting and it's just amazing, it allows you to make any weapon you want. Want a plasma cutter that shoots nails as an alternative? Or a machine gun that can also push back anything in front of you? There are eight ways to customize your weapon, so the combinations felt endless. I spend more time on the bench than in the playable demo because I was having fun being all creative with my weapon designs. After finalizing your weapon, you can even sent the blueprint of that weapon to a friend, or store it just in case you decide to build it again in the future.

With this new weapon customization, they got rid of currency in the game. Resources is now what's needed to survive and you can literally find it everywhere in the game. Instead of buying items and equipment from the store, you head over to the bench and create weapon parts and healing items using the resources you picked up along the way. It turned out interesting because you are placed in a position to carefully manage where to use your resources. Should I create upgrades for my weapons? make more parts? Or use them to make healing items. It brings more thought as you hit the bench since some items require certain resources that are also required in weapon upgrades.

After going crazy over at the bench, I finally went on with the demo. At first glance I noticed how amazing the game looked. During the demo, there are a couple of amazing views of this snowy graveyard. Visceral Games definitely did a good job with the game's location and background visuals. This was the first time I stood there and enjoyed the scenery in a Dead Space game, but maybe because this is the first time they constructed large-scale areas. I wasn't digging the whole snowy environment at first, but experiencing it first-hand made me think this could work. It gave me a Lost Planet vibe, which is actually a good thing.

Dead Space heading the wrong direction

The way you control Isaac/Carver is the same as previous games with two additions - The cover system, and rolling in any direction. The rolling is not a problem, but the cover system is just bad. How do you do it? Just press the aim button when you are behind cover. It's no sticky cover system, thank god, it's simply you ducking, and if you press the aim button again, you stand up just a bit to shoot. You get introduced with this feature when you encounter your first batch of human thugs shooting at you. It's a cover system I can work without really. I don't see any difference if I decide to strafe from out of cover then into cover. It's not like this is the first time a Dead Space game included enemies that shoot at you.

I played the demo twice: First alone, then co-op for the second run. Playing alone, you get the usual conversations with characters seen in previous games, while playing co-op, you get additional banter between Isaac and Carver. But we all know about the change in dialogue thanks to the many trailers reminding us of it. What surprised me was, alone or with a friend, the amount of tension is about the same. No change in gameplay, with co-op you just have someone tagging along. With all the big necromorphs, gun fights with soldiers, and co-op mode, it felt like a whole different game.

The audio, which is a big factor in games like these feel a bit lacking. The heavy snow effects and constant action overwhelms any audio that tries to give that scary atmosphere. I didn't get the same effect when I first tried out the first two games. Hopefully as you go farther into the game, they give you the good old creepy scenarios forcing you to enter in order to progress. There will definitely be areas like that, but the big question is - Did the scary elements of Dead Space 3 go way down? It feels that way from what I experienced.

Will you be getting the full game?

When I finished the demo, I had no urge whatsoever to put down a pre-order. I was more worried than ever. Dead Space 3 feels like a game that I'll regret buying on day 1. Yes, this is just a demo, but it gave me a good picture of what I'm getting into. I want a survival horror that requires me to take it slow, save your bullets, and play smart. I don't think I'll be getting that here. You most probably will get a great co-op experience, but that's not what I'm after in this franchise. If this is the direction they plan on taking moving forward, the future of Dead Space doesn't look good.

The Demo comes out tomorrow, January 22.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and its boss battles

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is out next month and Konami just released yet another trailer that focuses on the game's boss battles. No, they are not huge monstrosities that cover half the screen. It is simply cyborg bosses with unique concepts backing them up. Check out the trailer below.

 With a game that's all about going over the top, Platinum Games is showing that you don't need a big baddie to bring out good boss battles. They look like a lot of fun, especially the boss that's made up of sliced pieces of himself.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is out on March 19 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. And I can't wait to just get the game, kick back, relax, and just mindlessly slice everything up like a maniac.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel Overkill trailer

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel gets a new trailer that goes all out with explosions, destruction, and more explosions. 

Devil's Cartel is equipped with Battlefield 3's Frostbite 2 engine. Just wanted to throw that out since that was a lot of destruction shown in less than 2 minutes.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel comes out on March 26, for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Pick 5: Franchises that need a reboot

With the release of DmC this week, it was only fitting to place this week's Pick 5 about reboots. Which franchise deserves a reset? Successful or forgotten, there are titles that we wish their developers could just toss everything and recreate it. Here are five video games that need a reboot..

Turok

Remember the N64 version of Turok? Turok: Dinosaur Hunter? I'm not sure about you guys but this game was one of my personal favorites during the N64 era. Released in 1997, this game was named a Doom clone, but I don't think Doom had Raptors spawning right in front of you. In a span of 6 years, the Turok franchise spawn four sequels:Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Turok: Rage Wars, Turok 3: Oblivion, and Turok: Evolution. As the series moved forward, it slowly lost its edge and became a standard shooter.

Fast forward to 2008, we find Turok, a reboot of the series for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. But it fell head first to the ground and never got back up. Turok, which is actually based on  a comic book series of the same name, still has a lot of potential. An FPS dinosaur hunter with Far Cry 3 quality would come out as a day one purchase in my book, granted that I get to fight a T-Rex with a bow and tons of exploding arrows on hand. You never know, a second reboot might be the charm.

Xenogears

Back in the Playstation one days,  JRPGs were everywhere! Just like how FPS are today. Wild Arms, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, Tales of Destiny, Legend of Mana, Legend of Dragoon, oh I can go on and on. While I could simple say any of those titles mentioned deserve a reboot, one title sticks when I think about a JRPG reboot, and that is Xenogears. A true classic and one game that I could replay over and over.

Aside from the great sprite animation that blended well with the 3D graphics, what drew me in the most was the game's martial arts combat system, which allows players to make combos and discover new skills when applying the right combination. These mechanics were also used during the mech battles when the characters pilot their mechs called "Gears", which served as a whole different take on the combat. It was a great system and to this day I still hope to find an RPG similar to that style.

Xenogears was first released for Playstation in 1998, and it was only until 2002 when another title emerged, but not as a sequel, but as a "spiritual successor". Xenosaga trilogy was revealed and is a re-imagining of the Xenogears universe. Sadly nothing about Xenosaga got my attention. It was a different game, I quickly lost interest and did not even bother with the second and third game. It was successful though to a certain extent, but development stopped when the trilogy was complete.

They had a good thing with Xenogears, and if they reboot Xenogears and not go through the Xenosaga route, I can see it being a more successful franchise.

Resident Evil

Well this was a no brainer. Resident Evil. A franchise that defined the survival horror genre. First released in 1996 on the PlayStation, Resident Evil was one of the few games that would make you jump while playing. Everybody remembers the first cut-scene when Chris encounters his first zombie. This is a classic franchise that just kept growing after each title release. But sadly, Resident Evil evolved into a more action-oriented franchise. Exhibit A: The Resident Evil movies, Exhibit B: Resident Evil 6. Resident Evil slowly exited the survival horror genre and quickly jumped into the lines of action adventure and third person shooter.

The evolution was noticeable during Resident Evil 4, the first Resident Evil game that abandoned the still camera method of past games, and replaced it with an over the shoulder camera. Plus, no more zombies. Then Resident Evil 5 came and introduced co-op for the first time. Again, no traditional zombies, and had gameplay that was more about the action than anything else. Then the evolution was complete. The Resident Evil franchise has finally transformed itself into a non-resident evil  game in Resident Evil 6, with all the Hollywood explosions and mindless shooting that would make any of those Resident Evil movie directors proud. Don't get me started with the story.

This franchise screams for a reboot. Go back to your roots Capcom. Get the story close to at least  sane levels, and Get this generation of gamers a good scare for once. Capcom has clearly ran out of ideas with their latest entries, and it only makes sense to just start over.

Baldur's Gate

Before Bioware paired up with EA, they were once known as the creators Baldur's Gate. This fantasy RPG is a true PC classic. The first game was released back in 1998 and I still remember my love of the magic missile spell and the amazing feature of pausing combat by simply pressing a button in order to plan out your moves. From the release of the first game all the way up to 2001, Bioware has released an expansion for the original game, a sequel, and an expansion for the sequel.

From there, Bioware moved on, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was born. With a new developer on hand, they tried to make something different with Dark Alliance, and it became an action RPG game  similar to Diablo. The hack and slash did well enough to earn itself a sequel, but after that, no more Baldur's Gate game. The last game with Baldur's Gate in its title was Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 released in 2004. It has been nearly a decade since we got another Baldur's Gate game and it's a shame really. Atari released Enhanced editions of the first two games last year, but no true sequel until now. With the big success of Dragon Age (successor to the Baldur's Gate franchise since they share the same gameplay mechanics), I think Bioware should really consider Baldur's Gate again.

Crash Bandicoot

PlayStation One's original mascot in my eyes, Crash Bandicoot is one game that needs to return. Crash Bandicoot first appeared in 1996 under the now famous developers Naughty Dog ( Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, The Last of Us), this platformer was one of  my favorites growing up. It was no Mario, but it's definitely Sony's best in that genre. From 1996 - 2008, 7  main Crash Bandicoot titles were made, with the last four titles not developed by Naughty Dog. Spin-offs like Crash Team Racing and other titles brought the franchise to other genres, but they were nothing compared to the original three.

The last  game released was Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2, which is an iOS title released by Activision. Why the sudden disappearance? I'm not too sure, but I'm sure it has something to do with legal rights to the series. Hopefully a miracle happens, and we see Crash make a glorious comeback. I'm still holding the torch demanding Sony to include Crash Bandicoot in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. The game just seems wrong without him.

What about you? Got any games in mind that are in dire need of a reboot? Hit the comments below.