[01.] Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors -- Brutal. Intense. Thought Provoking. How could what is essentially a Graphic Adventure bring about such emotion? You'll just HAVE TO play it to find out! I played thru to ONE of the SIX possible endings and I assume it must have been the worst, as NO ONE survived! I cannot wait to play it again, and you KNOW that is unlike me! Clever puzzles and some of the most detailed writing you'll EVER read in a game makes this one of the MUST PLAY games for the best selling system of all time! (01/07/2012)

[02.] Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker -- (01/14/2012)

[03.] Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective -- Keiji Inafune and the Phoenix Wright team together crafted one of Capcom's best new games in a long, long time. Clever puzzle gameplay mechanics and the silkiest graphics ever seen in a DS title, all come together to form one of the best selling systems of all time's FINEST games! It's no spoiler to say ALMOST everyone in this game DIES at one point or another, but, that's OK, that's the point! How people DIE and how you bring them back are all part of the mystery of uncovering who you REALLY are! How it all plays out is GREAT, and Capcom REALLY outdid themselves in the character department this time! This is one game you simply MUST experience to fully appreciate. Trust me, you will NOT regret it! (01/15/2012)

[04.] Final Fantasy XIII -- Really a game that deserved more credit than it actually received. Yes, it was incredibly linear for 2/3 of the game, but the battle system was also incredibly creative! Every battle, every boss required you to think about how you had to fight it. From the simplest de-buff to the most powerful area spell, practically EVERY spell, role, accessory and item had a good use at one time or another. The graphics are still jaw-dropping to this day, and the IMMENSE size of some of the enemies you fought during the game and in the post game made for some MEMORABLE encounters! For those who complained there was enough freedom to do what you want and explore every nook and cranny, well Squenix gave you everything you asked for in the sequel. Storyline, events, people and places are all directly referenced in XIII-2, so playing the first, then the second delivers an AWESOME, totally fulfilling experience. IMO, Square still has it! (01/29/2012)

[05.] Final Fantasy XIII-2 -- Take everything that was in FFXIII, re-tune it, re-fine it and add sooo much more, and you get XIII-2! From Monster Capturing and Raising, to Open World environments. From Casino games to Chocobo Racing. A bazillion side-quests and Chrono Trigger like Time Travel. This is Square at its modern finest! 9 different endings, gobs of post game content, DLC battles against new and Classic Final Fantasy foes... it just goes on and on! The Ending isn't --NEARLY-- as horrible as people are making it out to be! If you are expecting everyone to live happily ever after though... well... Whether this story is resolved in future DLC or the already trade-marked XIII-3, it doesn't matter, it's just something you have to see! Back to back Final Fantasies COMPLETED -- in just under 113 hours! How's THAT for devotion? (02/13/2012) **LOL! I just realized now... I finished Final Fantasy 13-2 on 2-13! Oh, the irony! LOL!**

[06.] Mass Effect 2 -- Again! ...Time for 3! (03/07/2012)

[07.] Journey -- What an experience! I won't say a word about it, as to not ruin it for anyone else, but, MY GOD, a MUST PLAY! (03/13/2012)

[08.] Mass Effect 3 -- Never before (and probably never again) have we seen a series of games that made player's choices so relevant to the story. Practically everything you did and saw in ME3 was a conclusion to your actions in 1 and 2. I love the way it ended, because in my opinion, the entirety of Mass Effect 3 --WAS-- the Ending to the series as a whole. Besides having amazing cohesion and tying up so many loose ends, like no other game has done before, the gameplay KICKED ASS as well! Early in the game if you encountered a Brute or Banshee alone, it was cause to panic. Near the end, battles would have 4 or 5 Brutes and several Banshees to contend with almost at once! The building of skills, their application in Battle, and Powers and the combinations of them... along with functioning cover systems --and-- weapon modifications --and-- the ability to choose you own arsenal... THEN throw in ONLINE?! The defining game of this generation, imo! (04/10/12)

[09.] Radiant Historia -- The world is turning into a great desert and the warring countries of Alistel and Granorg do not seem to care. You take on the role of Special Agent, Stocke as he takes on missions for either the Military or Spec Ops. The fate of the entire planet changes when Stocke is critically injured and wakes to find himself in Historia. Historia is the place where the Holders of the Black and White Chronicles can move through time and alter the course of History. Moving through parallel and 'True' histories in tandem, Stocke becomes a hero unlike most others in an RPG that at first seems cliche, but becomes something so much more! Part Chrono Trigger, part Grandia, but almost wholly unique too, this game employs a Turn System and 'Stacking' system where you not only attack enemies with standard Specials and Spells but also manipulate their positions on the Battlefield for maximum effect. Something that seems so trivial at first becomes one of the most effective twists on the traditional RPG in YEARS! You move thru time, you change history, you are given multiple, mutiple side-quests that all affect the ending, of which there are dozens of smaller optional ones as well. You make friends, you lose friends as you learn your place in the world and the true meaning of the word Sacrifice. This game is from a relatively new development team, but this team is made up of former developers of such games as Shin Megami Tensei, former members of Tri-Ace, and yes, former members of the Radiata Stories team! (Didn't know that before!) The soundtrack is composed by veteran, Yoko Shimomura, best known for her work in Super Mario RPG and The Legend of Mana / Kingdom Hearts series! I wholeheartedly recommend this game! It stands to be one of the most underrated, BEST traditional RPG's of all time... If this were released on the SNES, it would have been given as high regard as Chrono Trigger and the other classics of that age! Given an almost unheard of Second Printing after it sold out then gained a tremendous following, it is most assuredly going to become VERY rare! Do. Not. Pass. This. One. Up! (06/01/2012)

[10.] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim -- Just under 90 hours, Alduin is no more! (07/05/2012)

[11.] Dragon's Dogma -- I'll write something later! (07/30/2012)

[12.] The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition -- Fuck JRPG's and their dumb " ...'s " Fuck The Elder Scrolls and their absence of plot. Fuck BioWare games and the color-coded Ends. You want a Real, Mature adventure? Let me introduce you to Geralt of Rivia, my friends!

The credits role on The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition, and, I must say, what a well-woven & satisfying, story, game and ending! I took the mostly Magic path so my gameplay was challenging and fun. I also took the (seemingly) less popular Iorveth path, so I got to see Dwarven Cities, Spectral Battles, Nymphomaniac Dragons and Lesbomancy! Unlike most Adventure games these days, the story actually makes sense and allows you to tie up as many loose ends as you wish (save for the storylines reserved for the inevitable sequel!)... Even the Ending Cinematics reflect the choices you made, or did not make. No other game this generation has done multiple endings as well, and many of the 'AAA' Teams could take A LOT of notes from what this Polish Developer has accomplished with this game. EXCELLENT! (08/18/2012)

[13.] Pokemon Black -- Over 150 BRAND NEW Pokemon were created for this game, many of which have dual properties like Flying and Psychic or Insect and Fire. Makes teams much more diverse, makes battling much more strategic. Brings the total count of Pokemon to 649 in all; ALL of which can be brought into this game! Graphics are VASTLY improved over past games with lots more frames of animation for the Pokemon themselves and 3D terrain for the world itself. Once passing a certain point in the game, you can put your Pokemon to bed, where they will begin to dream; you can explore their dreams (an online website full of mini-games and a room to decorate) and find rare items and Pokemon from generations past, which can then be brought into the "real" world through the Entralink. Finish the story-line of the game and you can explore previously closed-off areas to recruit past pokemon (and battle them) the old-fashioned way! 60 hours+ into the game at the "end" and there's STILL --TONS-- left to do! WOW! (08/22/2012)

[14.] Deadlight -- Prince of Persia, Flashback, Out of this World... think of these games in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested setting and you've got Deadlight! It's a short game, and the story built around it is pretty transparent, but it's still a good weekend's worth of fun! There are playable Tiger (or Game 'n Watch) like handhelds you can find and 80's references abound! All in all worth it for a Downloadable game! (08/23/2012)

[15.] Resident Evil: Revelations -- My first-ever completed Resident Evil! I've tried them all, but never got that far in any of them except for 4. I found 3 things helped me stay motivated enough to get through this one: (1) Portability. (2) Action + Puzzle Elements. (3) The 3D. I've never had much patience to sit in one spot for too long and the RE games kinda almost require you to keep your skills honed and play from beginning to end within a reasonable amount of time; solving puzzles also helps when you remember where you are on the map and you don't lose focus on your objectives. This wouldn't have all been possible had I not had the ability to take the game with me. The perfect blending of the two primary RE styles, presented in 3D sealed the deal for me. What an excellent portable game; graphically, action-wise and presentation. I had a lot of fun and now cannot wait for 6! (09/11/2012)

[16.] Borderlands 2 -- I hardly ever write reviews; I did for Borderlands 2! Read it and you'll understand WHY. What more can I say? (10/20/2012)

[17.] Little Inferno -- Is it a game? You'll find yourself asking that very same question. Who or what's being played? Sit through the few hours it takes to get through Little Inferno and you'll get your answer. Don't blame me if you don't like what you hear though! Brilliant! (12/25/2012)

[18.] Paper Mario: Sticker Star -- Better than Super Paper Mario, but not as good as previous Paper Marios or Mario and Luigis. The story is bare-bones, but the best thing of all is ALL the classic Mario World enemies present in the game! Less of an RPG and more of a Mario World with battles that use Stickers, complete with a Mario World style map. It was a lot of fun and lasted waaay longer than most games of this type, but I'd like to see a return to humourous writing, badges and secondary party members in the next game! (12/30/2012)

1. 19th of January:

Trine 2. Purrty. Purrdy good.

2. 22nd of February:

Da New Guys. Wrestling is funnier when it isn't real fake wrestling.

Iga_Bobovic said:

You do realize that books also do the same thing right?!

Without the "graphic" part.

3. Early March:

Binary Domain. More Japanese than it first appears.

4. 31st of March:

Yesterday. Reverse learning curve, and Mass Affected ending. Still enjoyable while it lasts. It's also very short.

5. 21st of May:

Torchlight II Closed Beta.

Ahem.

6. 25th? of May:

Awesomenauts.

Ahem.

7. 7th of June:

Swords & Soldiers: Super Saucy Sausage Fest.

1,000 cows/10.

8. 19th of June:

Yakuza: Dead Souls.

Amazing zombie virus and deus ex machina.

9. 27th of June:

Yakuza 2.

Even more annoying than Dead Souls. Even better too. Dat finale.

10. 12th of July:

Trine.

Went back to this after a break. Seemed horrible after Trine 2 at first, but after awhile there were some great platforming moments. And it even had its own exploitable thingy like Trine 2! (Which looks like it might have been patched out.)

11. 17th of July:

Rayman Origins.

At its best it is second to none. At its worst it's still pretty good. Awesome game.

12. 21st of July:

Alan Wake American Nightmare.

Backtracking, terrible level design, puzzles that aren't puzzles, Team America school of animation, worse writing than that which it pays homage to. Still liked it, though. Surprisingly good shooting.

13: 3rd of August:

1953 - KGB Unleashed.

Escape the Bunker, Aspro, Escape the Bunker...

14: 19th of August:

Papo & Yo.

Terrible opening that is basicaly a really bad, drawn out tutorial. One platforming section and one puzzle in the whole game. One fatal glitch. Lots of pop in, slow down, and I couldn't even get the damn thing to work in widescreen. Still pretty awesome, though.

15: 29th of August:

Orcs Must Die! 2.

If only you could switch between characters!

16: October 11:

Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2.

Feminism and fan service.

17: 1st of November?:

Deadlight.

Co-written by Cormac McCarthy.

18: The 6th of December:

The Unfinished Swan.

Terry Gilliam?!

19: The 9th of December:

Resident Evil 5.

Almost for the third time...

20: The Book of Unwritten Tales

20! Read 'em and weep!

1. Peace Walker - Too much content, omg. The campaign is fun and exciting. But its the insane amount of extra content that really keeps me hooked.

2. Wario Ware - 3 second mini games actually do work when put into a story mode. Who knew. Fun game.

3. Sonic CD - The most crazy old Sonic game and my least favority but the port is amazing.

1. Uncharted 3 - Kinda disappointing compared to its predecessor, but still enjoyed it. Fucking hard as balls though.

2. The Darkness II - Colour me surprised, Digital Extremes managed to retain the quality of the story/world of the Starbreeze game, whilst making the actual gunplay more satisfying. Definitely worth checking out.

3. Mass Effect 3 - Satisfying conclusion to the saga. Second favourite game in the series.

4. Assassins Creed Revelations - Not as good as the two games preceding it, but satisfying, none the less.

5. Asuras Wrath - Yes, it's all QTEs. Yes, it's 6 hours long. BUT IT'S FUCKING WORTH IT. Get the DLC to boot!

6. The Walking Dead Episode 1 - Interesting start to the series. Choices kinda sucked.

7. Mafia II - Took a little over a year, but finally mustered up the courage to finish it. Worth it too, even if there's way too much driving.

8. Prototype 2 - Kind of an improvement over its awful predecessor, but not by much.

9. Dead Space 2 - Cannot believe it took me 18 months to finish the game. Totally worth it too. Finished it right after seeing what Visceral is doing to DS3

10. Silent Hill 2: Finished the PS3 version (shit port, but I couldn't be arsed hooking up my PS2 copy), and while the game hasn't held up fantastically, some of the story elements are still pretty good, and the sound design is still bloody amazing.

11. Lollipop Chaisaw - The latest identikit game by Grasshopper Manufacture. Game has a crazy sense of humour and a good soundtrack, but kinda shite gameplay.

12. Enslaved - Dug quite a bit, save for the ending. The fuck was up with that?

Trine 2.

Excellent graphics, and solid gameplay. The freedom in the puzzles is nice, but it does mean that you can solve everything with the wizard. Not to mention the fact that technically you can just fly past every single platforming puzzle. Platforming controls are nice and responsive, though. Better on a keyboard than many console platformers these days due to it not being overly floaty.

I thought Bastion was going to be more like that other legend of game.

Edgecrusher's Games of 2012:

   8.6     8.0     8.5     9.4   9.7   9.1   8.5 9/10

  7.8  8.5  8.6  7.6  8/10  8.7  8.2  8.6

   8.1   8.5 8.4 8.1 8.8 8.6 9.1 8.0 9.0 8.4

^Final Fantasy VII is bringing down my average. It's been a good year for gaming for me so far. Next up is either a 4th attempt at Mass Effect of Batman Arkham City.