ZombieChimp's Best Game of 2012

With the end of 2012 in sight, what better time is there to look back over the year and decide on the game that beats all other games of 2012. Now when I say top games of 2012, they may not have been actually released in 2012 but they must have been near and I sure as hell played the bejeezus out of them during the year so they count.

I’m sure I’ve missed some, because quite frankly there were crap loads of games I could have played in 2012, and I couldn’t possibly play them all. So this is what we’ll do, I’ll list my top 5 games and then you can all use the comments bit below to add any you think should have been on the list. If nobody comments then I will just have to assume that the entire world agrees with me, and why the hell shouldn’t they.

So, with enough pre-ambular waffle out of the way here we go straight in at number 5 with…

5. Xcom Enemy Unknown

Considering that this game was only released in October 2012 and it’s made my top 5 list goes to show just how many hours I have racked up on this. The popular alien turn-based strategy game from 1993 got itself a 21^st century makeover complete with plasma-injected cut-scenes that show more than a little gore.

They kept everything that was great in the original and updated anything that would look old and dated by today’s standards.

I wrote a review on Xcom Enemy Unknown, which you can read here XCOM Enemy Unknown a Welcome Blast from the Past

4. Batman Arkham City

I know, I know Batman Arkham City was released in November 2011, but I hammered this game in the first half of 2012 and for some reason had a comeback just a few weeks ago. Batman Arkham City is another game that built on the success of it’s predecessor with great success. The combat was more fluid, the city was massive, and if you needed anything else Catwoman was thrown in as a fully functioning playable character with her own intertwined storyline.

What? Of course there’s a review it’s all right here for you. Arkham City, game review. A bigger better Batman

3. Mass Effect 3

Probably a controversial choice this one, and I have to admit I joined the countless throngs of Mass Effect players who were shocked and appalled when they discovered that the vast storyline they had created for years fizzled out to a simple choice of three different coloured endings.

Thankfully, Bioware recognised their mistake (though the forum fury would certainly of helped) and they released a patch that padded the rather sparse and pointless endings with a little more meat. Admittedly there were still a few things which either didn’t make sense or weren’t included but it was definitely an improvement.

Ok, so controversial endings aside Mass Effect 3 managed to fill up a lot of my days. II even took part in some multiplayer games, to increase my changes of a good ending, and for an unsocial gamer such as me, that’s quite an achievement.

Mass Effect 3 demo review? Yep this way. Mass Effect 3 Demo Released

2. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Ah, the MMO that just won’t go away, World of Warcraft, specifically the latest expansion Mists of Pandaria. A game that has crossed the boundaries of a love / hate relationship many times, and will probably continue to do so for a few years yet. There are always the same reasons not to buy before it’s released and the same weakness post release means I end up diving back in to WoW just to leave again £30 poorer and just as frustrated with it.

Surprisingly enough, Mists of Pandaria has broken the cycle, or at least if it is going to bore me it hasn’t started yet. It is almost inexplicable as to why, there’s just as much grind, there’s just as much raiding that I never have time to do, and it’s the same endless chase for gear but somehow, it’s not only dragging me in but it is keeping me there as well, and with a lot more patches due to be released, maybe Mists of Pandoria will be the expansion that keeps me interested until the next expansion.

As you’re probably expecting here’s some links if you’re interested in other World of Warcraft, Mists of Pandaria stuff…

Mists of Pandaria, to Buy or Not to Buy?Mists of Pandaria: Pre-expansion Hunter Changes Mists of Pandaria – First Thoughts

1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Could there really be any other game at number 1? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim flew out of rpg gaming heaven at the end of 2011, but I don’t think a week has gone past where I haven’t spent the best part of a day playing. What has put Skyrim at number 1? Well take your pick. Graphically it is superb, the landscape breathes and swells with natural beauty, towns and villages are alive with real people going about their daily lives and the dungeons are dark, and almost tangibly musty.

The biggest jewel in the Skyrim crown is the gameplay. As soon as the introduction is out of the way the rest of the game is completely non-linear; be and do whatever the hell you want. If you want to focus on stopping the dragon menace you can, if you’d prefer to break into innocent people’s homes and steal all their sweet rolls you can do that too.

And if the game wasn’t quite fulfilling all of your needs as an rpg gamer, there’s the Skyrim Workshop where you can create anything you want, new dungeons, new NPC’s, gold lame thongs… well, ok probably not those. Hmmm actually you probably could… you just shouldn’t.