Techno Gimp: Best game 2012: 9th Pocket-lint awards contenders

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Best game 2012: 9th Pocket-lint awards contenders. Gaming, PC gaming, Xbox 360, PS3, Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2012, Features 0

It is time to start cooking up your vote for what you think should be in the running for the best game of 2012. Gamers were spoilt for choice this year with more great titles than we can remember. Everything from the Xbox, PS3 even to app games, was jam-packed with goodies. If you have some ideas, put a vote in for the Pocket-lint gadget awards 2012.?

So what did we have jammed in our console’s disc trays? What games had us burning the midnight oil? Check below to see what we think were some of the best games in 2012.

Wipeout 2048

A launch title for the PS Vita, Wipeout remains one of the best games on Sony’s handheld. Boasting incredible graphics and the usual Wipeout gravity-based shenanigans, this was the game to have on your Vita at launch. Wipeout 2048 review

SSX

Reviving an absolute classic franchise was definitely a good move for EA. SSX combined all the snowboarding fun of the originals with new inventive play mechanics. Throw in a great soundtrack and graphics and you had yourself quite the snowboarding game. SSX review

Twisted Metal

Another revival, but this time a PlayStation 3 exclusive, Twisted Metal’s triumphant return was no bad thing. The game was all about vehicular combat in anything from an ice cream van to a helicopter. It had a great multiplayer mode and a single player which was much more robust than most expected. Twisted Metal review

Mass Effect 3

The epic conclusion to BioWare’s sci-fi trilogy was also arguably the best title in the series. Graphically stunning and with a script that was as watertight as any (minus the ending), this was a game into which Pocket-lint poured many an hour. Mass Effect 3 review

Journey

The downloadable game began to really make its mark in 2012: titles like Journey, especially, with its inventive gameplay style and unusual graphics. Simple yet beautiful, the game saw you travel across the desert solving puzzles and encountering other online players along the way. Journey review

Fez

Another download classic, Fez was the Xbox 360s answer to Journey. Again, unusual graphics and a clever gameplay style were what made this game. You negotiated a character through an 8-bit world while shifting perspective to solve puzzles. A long time in the making but well worth the wait. Fez review

Trials Evolution

The Xbox Arcade classic got an update in 2012, immediately negating any spare time Pocket-lint might have with which do anything else. Trials Evolution is all about physics-based motorbike racing, where you have to negotiate tough courses by simply tilting your bike forward and back while braking and accelerating. It sounds boring, but believe us, it isn’t. Trials Evolution review

Uncharted Golden Abyss

A game that got PS Vita fans seriously excited, the idea of Nathan Drake on a handheld made this the game to buy when you picked up Sony’s new console. Thankfully, it was also almost as good as its console cousins and succeeded in showing off just what the PS Vita could do. Uncharted Golden Abyss review

Max Payne 3

Rockstar’s classic shooter returned in 2012 in the form of Max Payne 3. Definitely one of the more dark and disturbing titles in 2012, this game had a gritty feel that is hard to describe. The gunplay also always felt fresh and graphically - particularly on PC - this was hard to beat.

The Walking Dead: The Game

Launching as part of a series of downloadable titles, the Walking Dead games have kept zombie fans more than happy throughout 2012. A clever art style and strong voice acting made for a compelling story. Gameplay itself was also different and, being a downloadable game, the price wasn’t bad either. The Walking Dead: The Game review

Diablo III

Click, click and click some more, that is Diablo III’s motto. A fiendishly addictive top-down role-playing game which was all about collecting loot and bashing monsters. We loved it - so much, that even now, nearly 30 hours in, this game still keeps our PC warm. Diablo III review

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs had a brief wobbly half way through development when it ditched the True Crime name and transformed into the title it launched with. Thankfully it made it on to shelves, providing a nice surprise when we reviewed it. Think of it like a filler until the next Grand Theft Auto, but a damn good filler at that. Sleeping Dogs review

F1 2012

Codemasters finally nailed the Formula One game this year with F1 2012. Getting handling, difficulty and gaming right has taken a good while, but it has been worth the wait. Our favourite F1 game yet? Most likely. F1 2012 review

Borderlands 2

With production values on the scale of Star Wars and more guns than Texas, Borderlands 2 was every bit the sequel it should have been. Improving on the original in every way, here was a shooter worth wasting time on in 2012. Bordlerands 2 review

Little Big Planet PS Vita

One of our favourite games on Sony’s portable, LBP Vita might have missed launch date, but it certainly gave us reason to dust off the console and do some playing. Like its console-based cousin, this is a game all about creation. Design a level, share it and play it, all from a single handheld. LBP PS Vita review

Fifa 13

The best football game got better in 2012. A clever first touch system which saw players fumble balls and randomly mess up passes added an even more realistic feel to the series. Couple that with an incredibly comprehensive number of game modes and all the stats and teams you could ever want, and you had the football game to beat. Fifa 13 review

Forza Horizon

Forza took to the open road in 2012, with Playground games doing some amazing work. Like an open world version of the Xbox 360’s Forza 4, with a clever festival mechanic, this was our favourite racing title in 2012. Forza Horizon review

Dishonored

Coming almost out of nowhere, Dishonored was a surprise treat in 2012. This game took big risks trying to combine stealth gameplay with a first-person shooter, but it worked. The payoff was an innovative and original title that we loved. Dishonored review

Halo 4

Master Chief is back and, boy, does it feel good to be in his shoes again. The jolly green giant isn’t so jolly anymore, as all sorts come under threat from the Covenant once again. ?Some graphical wizardry from 343 Industries?make this title look next gen, oh and it plays great too.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Another year, another Call of Duty. As inevitable as the sun coming up in the morning, we will end up spending every evening for a month trying to destroy an entire army of gamers online. This time Call of Duty went to the future, which definitely helped refresh what was becoming quite a stale franchise.

Assassin’s Creed 3

The end of what has become a fairly epic series of games based around protagonist Desmond Miles. Set in the 18th century during the American Revolution, this game takes the concept of Assassin’s Creed’s open-world stealth gameplay further than ever before. You also get to chop people up with a tomahawk, which is a nice touch.

Skylanders Giants

One for the kids, definitely, but still a brilliant gameplay concept perfected. Skylanders is about turning physical toys into characters within a game. You can unlock other areas and progress further, based around which toys you have. Expect it to be a wallet-breaker for mums and dads but an easy time-waster for the younger members of the family.

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