2012 in Games: ‘Mass Effect 3’ among favorites
People often ask how I choose my favorite games of the year. It's easy. They entertained me more than other games. They weren't saddled with fun-ending problems. I think about them occasionally because they stirred my brain. And if I wanted to replay games from 2012, I'd replay these:
1. "Mass Effect 3" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - This adventure is as big as three novels or 20 sumptuous movies. It took me 55 hours to reach the climax. I loved every moment.
You portray Commander Shepard - as a man or a woman (that's your choice). You command a spaceship in a sci-fi future war against a sentient robot race and others.
You choose dialogue options and kill-targets; form alliances and demolish villains; engage in cover-shooting battles; and seduce underlings on your spaceship. It is epic good times.
2. "Hitman: Absolution" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - You portray world-class assassin Agent 47, sneaking around mansions, farms and public squares. You can choose to stealthily eliminate only the top baddies, or go guns-ablazing and kill their henchmen, too. A perfect game.
3. "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - You portray a U.S. special op, sneaking through secret ground missions, taking out bad guys, extracting prisoners and gathering intel. Superb.
4. "Lollipop Chainsaw" for Xbox 360 and PS 3 (rated "M") - This creative absurdity starts dumb but soon becomes a fun and funny, tongue-in-cheek, T&A hack-and-slasher. You (a high school cheerleader) chain-saw zombies.
5. "Borderlands 2" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - You travel deserts, caves and towns across a violent "Mad Max"-type planet, slaying sadistic people and creatures, while halting warlords.
6. "Dishonored" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - As a warrior, you use supernatural powers (teleporting, stopping time) plus guns and swords to overturn an evil empire on a steampunk planet.
7. and 8. A tie between "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" for Xbox 360, PS 3, Wii U and PC (rated "M"); and "Halo 4" by Microsoft for Xbox 360 (rated "M") - The two best online multiplayers.
9. "NCAA Football '13" for Xbox 360 and PS 3 (rated "E") - The best sports game of 2012.
10. "Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning" for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC (rated "M") - A very good action-role playing fantasy set on a fictional planet resembling Earth as a king-and-dragon landscape.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: 11. "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron." 12. "Spec Ops: The Line." 13. "Final Fantasy XIII-2." 14. "Major League Baseball 2K12." 15. "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings." 16. "Pro Evolution Soccer 2013." 17. "Hot Shots Golf World Invitational." 18. "The Darkness II." 19. "Prototype 2." 20. "NBA 2K13."
("Mass Effect 3" by Electronic Arts retails for $30 for Xbox 360, PS 3 and PC; $60 for Wii U - Plays addictively fun. Looks great. Challenging. Rated "M" for blood, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence. Four out of four stars.)
Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@
reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.
2012 in Las Vegas
TOP GAMES
Here are the Top 10 best-selling video games at full retail price, according to GameStop.com.
1. "The Walking Dead" (Telltale Games) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, sexual themes)
2. "NBA 2K13" (2K Sports) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, Wii U, PSP, PC, Wii; rated "E"
3. "Just Dance 4" (UbiSoft) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, Wii U, Wii; rated "E 10+" (comic mischief, lyrics)
4. "Just Dance 4" for Wii U
5. "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" (Activision) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, Wii U, PC; rated "M" (use of drugs, strong language, intense violence, blood, gore, suggestive themes)
6. "Madden NFL '13" (EA) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, Wii U, Vita, Wii; rated "E"
7. "Angry Birds Trilogy" (Activision) for 3DS; also available for Xbox 360, PS 3; rated "E" (comic mischief)
8. "NBA 2K13" for PS 3
9. "Halo 4" (Microsoft) for Xbox 360; rated "M" (blood, violence)
10. "Far Cry 3" (Ubisoft) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, PC; rated "M" (blood, gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs)
(Ratings: "E" for "Everyone"; "T" for "Teen"; "M" for "Mature 17+")
NEW AND COMING SOON
"Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed" (Sega of America) finally is available for Sony's hand-held Vita game system.
It's already available for Wii U, Xbox 360, PS 3 and 3DS.
"Racing Transformed" is a kart-racer with weapons - a cartoonish combat-racer in the vein of "Mario Kart."
You can portray one of many Sega all-stars, such as Sonic and Knuckles, but also a few newcomers, such as Danica Patrick.
The most remarkable thing about the game is it builds racing courses on old sets from classic games that were not originally racing games, including "Super Monkey Ball" and "Panzer Dragoon."
You drive not only cars, but boats and planes in this sort of transformer-vehicle road race. You must master car-drifting and other ploys, in addition to the weapons-firing.
It comes with an online multiplayer. The Dec. 18 release retails for $30 for Vita. It's rated "E 10+" for animated blood, mild cartoon violence and mild language.
(Ratings: "E" for "Everyone;" "T" for "Teen;" "M" for "Mature 17+")
- By DOUG ELFMAN
