The Escapist's Game of the Year 2012

[soren7550]

The sci-fi action role-playing game caused a bit of a stir this year, but the controversial ending didn't stop it from being chosen as the best game of 2012. Perhaps it was the Extended Cut that quelled the uproar and put Mass Effect 3 on top for Game of the Year. Maybe the continued DLC support, with the most recent Omega having just come out in November, kept it fresh in the minds of gamers everywhere. Whatever the reason, we here at The Escapist are officially calling Mass Effect 3 our community-picked Game of the Year 2012.

I think it's more akin to the fact that aside from the last ten minutes, Mass Effect 3 is a very excellent game that's almost flawless.

I wouldn't say that it's the DLC support, since people here don't seem to care much for the multiplayer, and the paid single player DLC has been overpriced each time ($35 USD for 4 or so hours of content? The hell?), not to mention that From Ashes was clearly cut from the game to sell as day one DLC, and that Omega wasn't that good.

 

[Saviordd1]

I...
what? How is this possible?

Gah this isn't right, ME3 doesn't deserve that. The Walking Dead deserves it by miles.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Huh, you'd think with all the ME3 whining, it would be lower. Personally I think The Walking Dead deserves it more.

As I suspected, it seems that the majority of people who liked/weren't bothered by Mass Effect 3 were perfectly happy to like it in silence.

I think that's a very respectable list over all.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I was seriously hoping that Borderlands 2 would be higher than that, but I'm okay with that.

A little surprised that Mass Effect 3 won, but seeing as how that game was talked about a lot around these parts I shouldn't be all that surprised. I really should play that series at some point.

 

[Andy Shandy]

I'm shocked that my choice (Spec Ops: The Line) was as highly placed as it was. Didn't think it would get anywhere near where it did =D

And while I would say that Mass Effect 3 is a worthy winner though (99% of the game was amazing), I'm also flabbergasted after all the...well, let's call it discussion. Maybe people realised that pretty much the whole game up until that point was absolutely stellar.

In before people accuse the site of being bought out by EA despite this being a community based vote.

Shame TWD didn't take it but it got second, which is just as good. Kinda.

It can't win every Game Of The Year award! It's just unfair! =P

Shame to see Black Ops II coming last, although I suppose being in the top 20 games of the year is an accomplishment in itself.

 

[KefkaCultist]

I consider this a victory since my vote of P4 Golden beat out Halo 4, AC 3, Blops 2, MoP, AND Diablo 3.

I'd say that's worthy of praise considering Persona is a comparatively lesser known series.

 

[Uszi]

Eh, wish I had voted.

Again, ME3 was a good game. The end just sucked. I think if you were a hardcore fan, maybe the ending sucked enough to make you dislike the entire game, but maybe not. Nothing says you can't like the game if you disliked the ending.

I'm actually really impressed with how the community voted. CODBLOPS had .33% of the vote? Snazzy!

 

[USSR]

This.. can't end well.

Ah, well. I loved Mass Effect 3 down to the bitter bone of an ending.
The game was amazing, and well deserved of the title imo.

 

[Uszi]

I didn't see much of Mass Effect 3 being discussed nor getting love in the thread as we were voting for top game, I guess many just put aside their disliking of the ME3 ending and just wanted to show their love for the game overall. If it wasn't for that ending, ME3 would hold up on it's own quite well.

But I am honestly surprised, the majority voting for it after all this time especially with games like The Walking Dead coming up which is no surprise to me as why it won #2 place here. I am a good sport and will clap my hands for Mass Effect 3 for winning, but I fear we won't see peace in this thread for long.

I agree, and I think the reason why people were so down on the end of ME3 was because of how good the rest of the game was. If ME3 was a bad game overall, the bad ending wouldn't have been the controversy. To vote bomb a good game because of the end is silly, especially in a community contest like this one.

Anyway, if there's going to be a flame war, it's because people are making the following goofy argument:

"ME3 won, so a majority was not bothered by the endings."

This argument is not really consistent, and so far every, "I didn't like the endings," post has generally discredited it. One's overall opinion of the game is not dictated by how one felt about one part of the game, i.e. the ending. I thought 99% of my ME3 experience was wonderful. I just really, really hated the ending.

 

[shrekfan246]

I'd probably put Walking Dead as my #1 game of the year, with Journey coming in a close second and Persona 4 Golden third, but I can appreciate this list.

All five of those top five games were/are a lot of fun for me.

 

[Riobux]

Huh, you'd think with all the ME3 whining, it would be lower. Personally I think The Walking Dead deserves it more.

I'd pretty much say that. Mass Effect 3 personally wasn't great, but if other's like it that's fair enough. However, I haven't even heard anyone put Mass Effect 3 as their game of the year.

 

[Caffeine_Bombed]

I've yet to play ME3 so I can't really argue for or against this anyway. I will say I'm (for lack of a better word) suprised it got the number 1 spot. It just seemed that the vast majority of discussions were based around the ending and how BioWare fucked up. I really didn't see a lot of positive feedback for this game. In all honesty I wasn't even expecting it to reach the top 3.
Would have been good to see it win, but I'm glad The Walking Dead (my own vote) came so very close!

 

[Erttheking]

This is nothing short of an OUTRAGE!....WHY IS FTL SO LOW ON THE LIST!? I guess it's a good thing I voted for the underdog because apparently it needed the freaking support.

As for ME3...eh...not really sure what to think about it. Haven't played the game in months and I recently deleted all of my save files for all three games because the ending disgusted me that much, but I'm not really angry that other people still like it. Maybe a little disappointed, but I really can't fault them for it.

 

[shadowmagus]

...I recently deleted all of my save files for all three games because the ending disgusted me that much...

It is feelings like these that those who did vote for ME3 simply voted and then faded back into the crowd. The like the game, and they support the game, but trying to stand up and support it gets them labeled as "biodrones", "apologists", "casuals", and they don't feel the need to defend something they like against people who have a deep abiding disgust for it. People are wondering why no one is talking about ME3 being their game of the year despite it winning, that's why.

 

[Dfskelleton]

I am very pleased with how well Spec Ops: The Line did. 3rd place among 20 or so games is pretty good! It deserves all the praise it gets.

 

[shintakie10]

Mass Effect 3 over Spec Ops the Line and The Walking Dead? Boo I say. Boo!

On the plus side Spec Ops the Line and The Walking Dead didn't do poorly compared to ME3 and they absolutely trounced the rest of the competition so its not all bad.

Edit - Aside from ME3 winnin though, my biggest surprise was that Journey didn't even make top 5.

 

[mattttherman3]

So the escapists got it right! Awesome. I compltely agree with this choice.