December 2012: What’s your favourite games from this years selection?
Remember! You can keep updated on new competitions and giveaways by liking our facebook fanpage! Or better yet, subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page. Sent out monthly.It’s christmas time, and boy do I have a present for you guys! We are giving away a copy of “Rise of the Guardians” for Xbox 360.
Scissored from the british Amazon website:
Let your imagination soar in Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game as you play as one of the classic childhood legends, including: North (aka Santa Claus), Tooth (aka the Tooth Fairy), Bunnymund (aka the Easter Bunny), Sandman, and Jack Frost.
In this action-packed adventure game, each Guardian has their own set of upgradable and extraordinary abilities that will help you take on the evil spirit “Pitch” and his infectious nightmares.
Along the way, you’ll unlock new powers and spellbinding special moves that will increase your character’s strength and skills throughout the game, plus you can unleash cool team attacks with your fellow heroes. With drop-in-and-out multiplayer action supporting up to four players on consoles, you and your team of Guardians will work together to protect the hopes, beliefs and imaginations of children all over the world!
This months debate: Which of this years games is your all time favourite? I’ll give you a rundown of mine from this years selection. Next month it’s all about the packshots as I also did last year.
Biggest launch
Diablo III (review)With more than 3.5 million sold copies in the first 24 hours of the launch, there really is no contender for this status. Despite launch problems, servers melting and hacking claims, Blizzard managed to pull it off.
Best games
Mass Effect 3 (review)Rounds off the Mass Effect trilogy – and even with mixed reception, the game sold well. Bioware responded with making and releasing a DLC going by the name Extended Cut – for free. Good Guy Bioware.
Sleeping Dogs (just played)With lots of GTA elements (mad driving, missions and shooting), you’re the law this time. With melee combat that feels like it took inspiration from the recent Batman games, this game is pure fun.
Borderlands 2 (review)Just as nuts as it’s predecessor, Borderlands 2 manages to expand on the story in the wasteland. There’s a little more colour to the whole scheme, but the fun puns has been kept.
Forza Horizon (review)In my opinion, this is by far the driving game of the year. With bright colours, curvy roads and a big party, this games makes every other racing game fade.
Far Cry 3Highly anticipated and very well received, I’ve yet to see or hear a criticial review.
Best downloadable
Deadlight (review)Short and sweet, I had a little flashback to LIMBO, yet this game required a little more timing at certain moments. Very recommended.
Best handheld
Gravity Rush (review)One of the games that truly amazed me – and so far holds this site highest review score. New gameplay mechanics, a well written story and a good execution makes this game remarkable.
Best indie
FezWinning and being nominated to several awards brings this game on the map.
Best party games
Twisted Metal (just played)The Twisted metal got a reboot, and I must admit that they did it pretty well. This years TM game is mindblowingly fun and all about flying pieces of metal and heavy weaponry.
Mario Party 9There’s no way this game is not gonna appear here. You can convince anyone, even non-gamers to make a punch at this game.
Fifa StreetI actually think Fifa Street beats this years regular fifa game. With a bigger library of tricks, there’s a whole other challenge going on.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (review)We’re back in the alternative world of deception, family feuds and world domination, all solved with fist fights.
Dance Central 3 (review)Invite your girls home to a dance off in your own living room, everybody will have fun with this game.
NintendolandNintendo are great at making games that engage more than one player at once, and refer to games we played as kids in the garden. The lead title for their new console is no exception.
Playstation All-Stars Battle RoyalePlayers around the world calls this game Sonys version of Super Smash Bros., and the demo kind of let many people down. Luckily the final game introduced players to more combat moves, which was a huge step up from the demos.
Best games for kids
Skylanders GiantsMore figurines to collect. And the kids have something to show off on the shelves.
Book of Spells (review)Many kids will love the experience of the magic in this game – and with peripherals as the Move controller and the Wonderbook, it’s quite easy to get immersed in the game.
The great relaunces of the year
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (review)The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a solid reboot of the Metal gear series, and it’s amazing to play on the Playstation Vita.
Kirby’s Dream CollectionI’ve seen gamers mention this collection a couple times, and always in a positive manner.
Jet Set Radio HDAn anticipated and well-received relaunch has to be here.
The time spender
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (review)An alien attack is going on, and you have to defend the earth, Use your skills as general, major and soldier to defeat the culprits.
The overlooked
Inversion (review)A war broke out, leaving many people both death and lost. You’re looking for your daughter, while defeating the intrusion of the aliens to protect earth and the human kind.
Lollipop Chainsaw (review)There is nothing like madness a teenager can make if they have a chainsaw at hand. Defeat the zombies while cheering.
Most inventive
The Unfinished Swan (just played)It’s not often game developers think out of the box, trying to be out of the ordinary, not when there’s already proven ways to make a game that sells. They have with The Unfinished Swan – you have to paint the world around you.
Surprisingly good
SSX (just played)I expected quite a bit from this reboot, and I was not disappointed – with new gameplay mechanics and mountains from the real world, the developers did a really good job. I still think they should have kept the subtitle “Deadly Descents” – yeah I’m quite tired of all these reboots of old games with the same titles.
Tokyo Jungle (just played)Another game that’s out of the ordinary. Humans are dead, and you are taking control of various animals through out the city of Tokyo, where nature is in the process of taking over. Survive.
The over hyped
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIActivision has made yet another Call of Duty game – and as always, the fans eat it up. I can’t but help wonder why. They complain the game is the same, yet buys it.
Could have been so much better
Wrecked: Revenge Revisited (just played)Just as Things on Wheels disappointed me a couple years ago, this game did so too. Not as severely though, but I’m not going to boot the game up again. I have better RC and Kart racers in my game collection.
The ones I avoided
Touch my KatamariAt first glance, I thought this game would be huge fun from the teaser trailer and I thought it looked neat with the Vita’s functions. When I got to try it, the game was simply too “high” for me to cope with.
007: LegendsThis is essentially a reboot of older James Bond games to promote the new Skyfall movie – Skyfall part for the game was released as free DLC. This looks like a failed attempt as opposed to the aforementioned games.
So what are your games? Comment below, and remember to use an active e-mail address in the e-mail box. Every comment, even if you only have one game you really loved to play (or hated), you are eligible to the giveaway, if you fulfill the below requirements.
Eligibility: The Contest is open to legal residents of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the Baltic Countries.
How to enter: This will be Decembers debate. Read the introduction above and tell us your own version. Remember to use an active e-mail address that you can access when you submit the comment to enter the contest (this will not be published, but I will be able to view it).
Ending: December 31st, 2012, midnight +GMT. Sometime during January 2nd I will choose a winner. One randomly drawn eligible comment will win the prize. The winner will be contacted by me via e-mail (remember to use your correct e-mail address when commenting!) and will have to own or have access to a Xbox 360 to make use of the prize.
Disclaimer: In case the discs are broken while shipping or the game can not be played for one reason or another, I can not compensate for the loss. All winners are responsible for the payment of any and all taxes and/or licenses and/or other related local, State, Federal fees that may apply to such winnings. Taxes on prizes are solely the responsibility of the winners. If the winner wants shipping insurance or a specific delivery method, this will be solved with me. Gamingirl.com is in no way responsible or associated with Namco Bandai or D3 Publisher other than a good business partner. This prize is sponsored by Namco Bandai.
Tags: editorial, favourite games, list
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Written by Twinkling82
Getting sucked into games by Super Mario as a kid, gaming got on hold during her teens. Lured into gaming with the 7th generation by GTA IV, and a few years later intrigued by reviewing games, and now she's running gamingirl since 2009. 
One Comment for December 2012: What’s your favourite games from this years selection?
2 December, 2012 at 00:17
Best release of the year for me hands down has to be Borderlands 2. One of my favourite games, and they haven’t slacked out on the sequel. The characters were all well done IMO, and it’s just generally a fun game to play, especially if you are playing it with someone else.
MMO wise, Guild Wars 2 was great, for a time. I’m not gonna lie, the 300 odd hours I put into the game were fun, and the game itself is beautiful. It’s a shame there were so many bugs at the end when I was still playing, but hopefully, I will be back to it again some time when they have been ironed out!
For my handhelds I’m gonna have to say Pokémon Black2 because I am a massive Pokémon fan! It’s not a different concept to the rest of them but hey, I am compulsive Pokémon game buyer.
Fez as well, for my 360 Arcade was awesome! Such a nice cute concept and I love it. It was nice just to sit down and relax and chill out on it.
I think those are the only games I have actually bought on release this year bar Diablo 3, which is okay, but not nearly good enough for the hype, which is sad.