In celebration of 2012’s closing, I will be wrapping up my personal top ten games of 2012 with the five titles I felt stood apart from the crowd and delivered an experience that I will never forget, THIS IS NICK’S GAMING VIEW!

Hello everyone and welcome to Nick’s Gaming View, you are here with your host, Nick McCandless. Continuing on with the list at #5, Electronic Arts races back onto my list with the surprisingly stunning open-world racer, Need for Speed Most Wanted. Developed by Criterion Games, the same team behind the Burnout franchise, Most Wanted redefines the declining racing series delivering an open-world environment mixed with intense racing mechanics justifying the placement of the latest title in the Need for Speed series.

Sneaking in at #4, the title I feel is the most underappreciated of 2012, Twisted Metal released with fire blazing with the classic Twisted Metal gameplay integrating new mechanics and a robust online multiplayer element creating hours of entertainment. It’s not very often you see a title reemerge after years of silence and deliver an even better experience, but thanks to David Jaffe and the team over at Eat Sleep Play, Twisted Metal earns one of my top spots for 2012.

Here is where things get tough and decisions become more crucial than ever. To earn a spot within my top three, the experience must be groundbreaking, memorable, and downright awesome. When Ubisoft declared that Assassin’s Creed III would be the best game to ever come out of the publisher, I originally thought they were just revving the hype train as many companies do, but I later learned this was not the case. Assassin’s Creed III is game with massive scale featuring gorgeous environments topped off with engaging story and twists that caused my jaw to drop. While the four-hour long tutorial is pretty tedious, once you endure the pain, the ride provided is one that defines the franchise.

Coming in at #2, Halo 4 is undeniably my favorite first-person shooter to launch this year. Despite Bungie’s absence, 343 Industries made it clear that they were responsible for delivering the best Halo experience to date and while that is debatable, the overall package Halo 4 delivers between the campaign, multiplayer, and Spartan Ops, is something our industry lacks, especially at the level of quality in which Halo 4 offers.

Well here we are, the Holy Grail. What game topped all others for 2012? Which game provided the best overall package with endless hours of gameplay and entertainment? While the decision had my mind boggling for hours, I came to the conclusion that Borderlands 2 is my Game of Year for 2012 delivering an extensive campaign that doesn’t feel strung out, co-op defining elements that developers will be tempted to duplicate in the future, and a variety of intense weapons that can only be found in the Borderlands universe. As one who was just satisfied with the original Borderlands, I must admit Bordlerlands 2 is a game I hold close to my heart and one that will remain in my heart for years to come.

Well that concludes today’s episode of Nick’s Gaming View and my top ten games of 2012 but be sure to follow me on Twitter @NickMcCandless and let me know what you feel stood out during 2012, the year gaming reached an entirely new level.

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