Industry picks: The best games of 2012

It’s December, and as is customary, every gaming website is rounding up the best the games industry has had to offer this year. We’re doing things a little differently though.

Rather than picking our game of the year or having gamers pick theirs, we reached out to those within the Indian industry to tell us which games they enjoyed playing the most this year.

Niroop Mohandas
CEO, Ironjaw Studios

Diablo 3

Being a huge Diabo fan, it’s all about the loot! The item drops and the re-playability with different classes and difficulties made it my favourite this year.

I also loved: Dishonored

Varun Ramkrishna
PR and marketing, Origin Marketing

Hitman: Absolution

I was a little worried about whether I would like the game or not because this was my first experience with Hitman, but the open-ended gameplay and the choice given to you – to be stealthy or action oriented – really made me love the game and left me wanting more.

I also loved: Assassin’s Creed 3

Timir Rao
National business manager – game distribution, Milestone Interactive Group

Dishonored

I’m big fan of stealth-based games, and Dishonored, with its unique Steampunk (or Whalepunk?) setting and free-form approach to gameplay really stood out for me this year. The world created by the guys at Arkane Studios is intricately detailed and holds huge promise for future instalments.

I also loved: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

Yogesh Advani
Assistant manager – marketing, Game4u

Sleeping Dogs

It’s after a long time that I’ve really enjoyed playing an open-world game. I loved the game environment, riding bikes, cop chases, and the melee combat with different combos and environmental attacks. I remember playing the ‘Club Bam Bam’ mission, where you could destroy the whole aquarium with an environmental attack. The fact that the game had an interesting storyline didn’t hurt either.

I also loved: Dishonored

Sleeping Dogs

Jitesh A Panchal
Lead game designer, Ubisoft

Dragon’s Dogma

Dragon’s Dogma successfully blended excellent combat with a true vast open world. It happens to combine great elements from other cult games and executes them with surprising finesse. I really loved the way it managed to bring social context through character pawns of other online players.

I also loved: Torchlight 2

Rajat Ojha
Managing director, TAGS

Journey

Playing journey has been the most unique experience for me in a video game. It kept on playing with my senses of wonder. Its minimalistic yet beautiful graphics blended perfectly with solid mechanics to take me on an emotional journey. The unique co-op with minimal interaction stood out for me as well.

I also loved: Max Payne 3

Sat Mayekar
Community manager, E-xpress Interactive

Forza Horizon

Having been a professional gamer specialising in racing games, there was no better game out this year than Forza Horizon. Everything from the sound and graphics to the controls and open world left me speechless.

I also loved: Hitman: Absolution

Amar Ratnam
Manager – buying, Games the Shop

Sleeping Dogs

An undercover cop story with a beautiful open world, fast cars and gangsters brings a lot of drama and action. I loved the mix martial arts combat moves, and the hand-to-hand combat system reminded me of Rocksteady’s Batman games. An amazing game that draws great inspiration from Hong Kong cinema.

I also loved: LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Journey

Prashant Thakkar
Partner, Intencity.in

Journey

Not many games in this generation have stood out for me like Journey did. It is a beautifully crafted masterpiece, exhibiting brilliant effects and a wonderful story. The most remarkable aspect of the game was how it pairs you up with a complete stranger, which made for some awesome moments in my journey.

I also loved: The Walking Dead

Gnanashekar
Games Evangelist, Flipkart

Assassin’s Creed III

An amazing storyline and a great successor to the earlier games. I loved the gameplay and how the game gets you into the story and history.

I also loved: Max Payne 3

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