The Best Videogames of 2012

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
Publish Date: December 31, 2012
Comments: ↓ 22 user comments

PC games

PC Games
90+ Games by Year (2007 - 2012)

2012 Avg. Metascore	70.3
vs. 2011 Avg.	70.0

A total of 114 computer games received positive reviews from critics last year, the highest figure for any gaming platform in 2012, an an increase by 13 compared to the total of green-scoring PC games released in 2011.

That improvement was at the lower end of the green score scale, however, as only four PC games achieved a 90 or higher in 2012 (or three, if you include only those games with at least seven reviews), matching the lowest yearly total of "great" PC games in the last six years. Just one of those great titles this year was exclusive to computer gaming: the MMORPG sequel Guild Wars 2, which emerged from a five-year development process to win over both critics and Metacritic users.

Best PC Exclusives, 2012
#1		#2		#3		#4		#5

	90		89		88		88		86
Guild Wars 2 NCsoft		Thirty Flights of Loving Blendo		Torchlight II Runic		Diablo III Blizzard		Football Manager 2013 Sega

Best-Reviewed Computer Games, 2012
	Game	Publisher	Metascore
1	Dishonored PC Game of the Year	Bethesda Softworks	91
2	Mark of the Ninja	Microsoft Game Studios	91
3	Guild Wars 2	NCSOFT	90
4	The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Left	Telltale Games	89
5	Borderlands 2	2K Games	89
6	Thirty Flights of Loving	Blendo Games	89
7	XCOM: Enemy Unknown	2K Games	89
8	Mass Effect 3	Electronic Arts	89
9	Far Cry 3	Ubisoft	88
10	Torchlight II	Runic Games	88
11	Diablo III	Blizzard Entertainment	88
12	Max Payne 3	Rockstar Games	87
13	Battlefield 3: Armored Kill	Electronic Arts	87
14	Football Manager 2013	Sega	86
15	Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai	Sega	86
16	Black Mesa	Black Mesa Modification Team	86
17	Tribes: Ascend	Hi-Rez Studios	86
18	Rayman Origins	Ubisoft	86
19	Out of the Park Baseball 13	Out Of The Park Developments	85
20	Hotline Miami	Dennaton	85
21	Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition	Namco Bandai	85
22	The Walking Dead: Episode 3 - Long Road Ahead	Telltale Games	85
23	The Walking Dead: Episode 2 - Starved for Help	Telltale Games	84
24	PlanetSide 2	Sony Online Entertainment	84
25	FTL: Faster Than Light	Subset Games	84
26	Orcs Must Die! 2	Robot Entertainment	83
27	Alan Wake	Remedy Entertainment	83
28	Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP	Superbrothers	83
29	Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	Valve Software	83
30	Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion	Stardock	82
... and the worst:
177	Deep Black: Reloaded	Just A Game	39
178	Realms of Ancient War	Focus Home Interactive	39
179	Legends of Pegasus	Kalypso	35
180	Hoodwink	E-One Studio	29
181	Fray	Brain Candy	27

Games are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding. Only games with 7 or more reviews are included in this and other rankings on this page.

Nintendo 3DS/DS

Nintendo 3DS / DS
3DS Avg. Metascore	66.2
DS Avg. Metascore	67.6

The past year wasn't especially memorable for 3DS gaming. While Nintendo's newest handheld platform seemed to get the better of its rival Sony device (then, the PSP) in 2011, this year brought tougher competition in the form of the Vita. And 3DS owners found no new "great" games awaiting them in 2012, while the device's highest-scoring title, Colors! 3D, wasn't even a game. Still, the average Metascore for 3DS releases in 2012 was up nearly 3 points, and there were 10 more positively reviewed 3DS games released this year (24 total) than the year before.

The fading DS platform also contributed a few more well-reviewed titles, though the number of scored releases for the DS fell from 61 in 2011 to just 14 in 2012. (Half of the latter received fewer than 7 reviews and thus are not included in the list below.)

Best 3DS Exclusives, 2012
#1		#2		#3		#4		#5

	89		85		83		82		82
Colors! 3D Collecting Smiles		Crashmo [Fallblox] Nintendo		Kid Icarus: Uprising Nintendo		Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask Nintendo		Resident Evil: Revelations Capcom

Best-Reviewed 3DS Games, 2012
	Game	Publisher	Metascore
1	Colors! 3D 3DS Game of the Year	Collecting Smiles	89
2	Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward	Aksys Games	87
3	Crashmo	Nintendo	85
4	Kid Icarus: Uprising	Nintendo	83
5	Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask	Nintendo	82
6	Resident Evil: Revelations	Capcom	82
7	Art of Balance Touch!	Shin'en	82
8	Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone	Nintendo	81
9	Mutant Mudds	Renegade Kid	80
10	The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave	Genius Sonority Inc.	79
11	ZEN Pinball 3D	Zen Studios	79
12	Theatrhythm Final Fantasy	Square Enix	78
13	Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D	Konami	78
14	New Super Mario Bros. 2	Nintendo	78
15	3D Classics: Kid Icarus	Nintendo	77
16	Ketzal's Corridors	Nintendo	76
17	Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure	Sega	76
18	Crimson Shroud	Level 5	76
19	Tales of the Abyss	Namco Bandai	75
20	Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance	Square Enix	75
... and the worst:
51	One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP 2	Namco Bandai	49
52	One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP	Namco Bandai	46
53	Johnny Kung Fu	UFO Interactive	44
54	Block Factory	Enjoy Gaming	42
55	RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D	Atari	39

Best-Reviewed DS Games, 2012
	Game	Publisher	Metascore
1	Pokemon Black Version 2 DS Game of the Year	Nintendo	81
2	Pokemon White Version 2	Nintendo	80
3	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2	Atlus Co.	80
4	Pokemon Conquest	Nintendo	80
5	Inazuma Eleven 2: Firestorm	Nintendo	74
6	Inazuma Eleven 2: Blizzard	Nintendo	74
7	Thundercats	Namco Bandai	28

PlayStation Vita and PSP

PlayStation Vita / PSP
Vita Avg. Metascore	69.7
PSP Avg. Metascore	71.2

Three out of 2012's four highest-scoring handheld games (not including iOS) were found on the PlayStation Vita, and the first-year platform also edged out both Nintendo handhelds in average Metascore for 2012 releases. The Vita also managed one 90+ release: Persona 4 Golden, a port of the PS2 game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.

The number of scored 2012 releases for Nintendo's 3DS and Sony's Vita were virtually identical (77 vs. 76), but nearly 45% of the Vita's games received positive reviews compared to just 31% of the 3DS titles. Nintendo, of course, still has the edge where it counts: in hardware and software sales.

Best PlayStation Vita or PlayStation Portable Exclusives, 2012
#1		#2		#3		#4		#5

	88		87		83		83		82
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita Sony		Velocity FuturLab		Lumines: Electronic Symphony Ubisoft		Gravity Rush Sony		Super Stardust Delta Sony

Best-Reviewed PS Vita Games, 2012
	Game	Publisher	Metascore
1	Persona 4 Golden PS Vita Game of the Year	Atlus Co.	94
2	Rayman Origins	Ubisoft	88
3	LittleBigPlanet PS Vita	Sony	88
4	Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack	DrinkBox Studios	86
5	Sine Mora	Digital Reality	85
6	Mortal Kombat	Warner Bros. Interactive	85
7	Sound Shapes	Sony	84
8	Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward	Aksys Games	83
9	Lumines: Electronic Symphony	Ubisoft	83
10	Gravity Rush	Sony	83
11	BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend	Aksys Games	83
12	Super Stardust Delta	Sony	82
13	Metal Gear Solid HD Collection	Konami	81
14	Uncharted: Golden Abyss	Sony	80
15	Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3	Capcom	80
16	FIFA Soccer	EA Sports	79
17	Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game	Electronic Arts	79
18	Street Fighter X Tekken	Capcom	79
19	WipEout 2048	Sony	79
20	Retro City Rampage	Vblank Entertainment Inc.	78
... and the worst:
61	Spy Hunter	Warner Bros. Interactive	50
62	Dungeon Hunter: Alliance	Ubisoft	49
63	Asphalt: Injection	Ubisoft	49
64	Ridge Racer	Namco Bandai	44
65	Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified	Activision	33

Best-Reviewed PSP Games, 2012
	Game	Publisher	Metascore
1	Velocity PSP Game of the Year	FuturLab	87
2	Wizorb	Beatshapers	79
3	Gungnir	Atlus Co.	68
4	Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time	Atlus Co.	67
5	Unchained Blades	Xseed Games	61

What do you think?

What are your favorite games of the past year? Let us know in the discussion section below, or cast your vote for your favorites in our Best of 2012 Users Poll.

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Comments (22)

First to Last
Latest

gustarivrag
- Aug 13, 2013 1:42AM
Mass Effect 3 is one of the greatest games i ever played. With a very weak and not so choice-dependant ending, that's all. And the ending was updated after people complained about it, and was downloadable for free. So get over it, most of the poor user reviews were mostly given cause of the mentioned ending and not the game itself,or the hate for the EA company which bought the Bioware and then people spammed those grades cause they usually react like cattle.
aadms
- Jul 10, 2013 6:43AM
Mass Effect3? That game killed the entire series.
WestLil0
- May 30, 2013 8:50AM
Don't know how any PC game that receives very low scores from users can even make it on this list. For example, Mass Effect 3 has a metacritic user score of 4.7! You have it at 89! Perhaps an annual review of the most popular games by USER score would be more accurate?
africanboy
- Mar 31, 2013 3:06AM
i love this site
NotTodayThanks
- Mar 18, 2013 2:43PM
The opening statements in this article assume, erroneously, that the reviewing marketplace is the same from year to year. Which they're not. Not even close. Over time reviewers have become much harsher, especially toward the end of a console cycle. A game that would have been a 95 in 2005 is not a 95 today...
KevHart
- Feb 15, 2013 5:57AM
Well i hope the year 2013 will be better in game ways, i hope we see some awesome games for computers way!

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quitingBacon
- Feb 8, 2013 5:31PM
Hey there's an error on that list!

The Xbox 360 version of Walking Dead has 9.2, not 9.5. The PS3 version has 9.5, though out of 4 reviews. Also all three versions should appear on the list since they are all above 9.0. 4 reviews is a really low number and all three versions are functionally identical. While Walking Dead still holds the top rated spot it does demonstrably out of noise.
watithink123
- Feb 7, 2013 12:21PM
Haven't tried the walking dead game yet but out of all the games this year, far cry 3 is my goty.
kreegan64
- Feb 1, 2013 10:44AM
from 09-12 here are the big 3's Average game score----Number of games----% of Good games. They're in the order of PS3/360/Wii(U)

(09 has a median score instead of an average score)

2012: 70.3/69.5/68.3----204/243/53----41/42/45
2011: 69.5/68.9/62.2----253/261/69----38/43/20
2010: 70/67.8/64.6----231/260/156----44/39/29
2009: 72/70/67----228/279/362----43/35/28

The average score for the Wii(U) has rose in over 6% but this may be due to the U being released in 12, the 360 has varied little, and the PS3 remained around 70. The Wii is drastically dropping in amount of games, the 360 is continuing a steady decrease, and the PS3 has dropped after a slow growth span. The percentage of good games for the Wii has greatly increased from a dropping 20% to over double (due again to the U most likely) the 360 has been rising, and the PS3 is rising slightly from a slightly lowering streak.
kreegan64
- Feb 1, 2013 10:01AM
At the time of this posting, the 90+ group and their user review differences:

Walking Dead-8.4 (-1.1)
Persona4-9.3(-0.1)
Mass Effect 3-4.6/5.4 (ps3/360) (-4.7/-3.9)
Journey-8.7(-0.5)
Xenoblade-8.3(-0.9)
Dishonored-8.1(-1.0)
Mark of the Ninja-7.8/7.4(PC/360)(-1.3/-1.6)
Borderlands 2-8.2(-0.9)
Farcry3-8.6/8.7 (ps3/360)(-0.5/-0.3)
Trials Evo.-7.9(-1.1)
Okami HD-9.2(+0.2)
FIFA Soccer-5.9(-3.1)
Guild Wars-8.0(-1.0)
NBA 2K13-7.9(-1.1)
XCOM: EU-8.6(-0.4)

Only Okami HD has a positive difference between user and reviewer scores, the rest have the user scores lower than the reviewer scores. They should put user 90+ groups in these lists (with a quota for the of user scores of course)