These Were The 15 Hottest Games of 2012’s Holiday Season
Borderlands 2 -September 18 – Borderlands 2 was the first big fall release of 2012, coming out on September 18. The sequel takes place five years after the original game and follows many returning characters and some interesting new ones. It proved to be critically successfully yet we are still waiting for the next game in the series.
Resident Evil 6 – October 2
Dishonored – October 9 The first Dishonored game released on Oct. 9 to general critical acclaim. We were introduced to Corvo, who was forced to become an assassin in Dunwall after being framed for the murder of the Empress his was sworn to protect. The stealth gameplay, and the freedom you were given to complete mission, made Arkane’s game so great. It was popular enough to lead to a sequel, which released in 2016.
Forza Horizon – October 23 – The first in the open world Forza spin-off came on October 23. As most would expect given the calibre of the main line series, the driving is top-notch, but it was all surrounded by a wonderfully detailed and expansive world. The music/driving festival idea is novel and Forza Horizon is now one of the premier open-world racing series.
Medal of Honour: Warfighter – October 23
Assassin’s Creed 3 – October 30
Need for Speed: Most Wanted – October 30
Halo 4 – November 6 – The seventh Halo title, and the final one on Xbox 360, released on November 6. Being a direct sequel to Halo 3, taking place four and a half years after, it continued the story of John-117 and Cortana when who left abandoned on the remains of the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn. It was the first game in the series to be developed by 343 Industries.
Harvest Moon: A New Beginning – November 6 Releasing on Nov. 6, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning was one of the biggest 3DS releases of fall 2012. It introduced the ability to customize both you character and the world your adventure takes part in. You could change the appearance of your house and the village to add a little personality to the standard Harvest Moon gameplay.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – November 13 As you would expect, Call of Duty’s annual release came in early November. 2012 was the turn of Treyarch and their game was the second in the Black Ops sub-series. It was the first CoD game to feature futuristic warfare and the story branched in different ways depending on the player’s choices. Black Ops 2 also saw the debut of the ‘Pick 10’ system in multiplayer, which has since been changed for other titles in the series.
New Super Mario Bros. U – November 18 Nintendo’s Wii U released in November 2012 and its big launch title was New Super Mario Bros. U. It followed the standard side-scrolling gameplay of 2D Mario games but had features that took advantage of the Wii U’s gamepad. It was well received and generally considered to be the best of the Wii U’s launch games.
Hitman: Absolution – November 20 Before this generation’s episodic Hitman game, IO Interactive released Hitman Absolution. It was a beautiful game with detailed and well designed locations but people were concerned by the linear structure of the missions. Players didn’t have as much freedom to approach situations as they had done in previous games, but they were still mostly enjoyable.
Persona 4: Golden – November 20 The PlayStation Vita is the home of handheld JRPGs so when Persona 4 made its way to Sony’s portable on Nov. 20 in the form of Persona 4 Golden, fans were understandably excited. It was an expanded version of the PlayStation 2 original and boosted sales of the Vita itself. It is one of the most popular and highest rated games to have ever released on the often ignored console.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead (Last 2 episodes)
Far Cry 3 – December 4 Released on Dec. 4, 2012 was the title that made the Far Cry series as huge as it is now. Far Cry 2 was good but some players found it frustrating and repetitive at times. The third game relocates to a stunning island and gives you as much freedom to cause havoc as you could wish for. Add Vaas, one of the best video game villain from the last decade, and you’ve got a wonderfully enjoyable action adventure.
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Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 was the first big fall release of 2012, coming out on Sept. 18. The sequel takes place five years after the original game and follows many returning characters and some interesting new ones. It proved to be critically successful, but we are still waiting patiently for the next game in the series.
Resident Evil 6
Capcom's sixth core Resident Evil game released on Oct. 2. It continued the theme set by the previous game by sticking to a third-person shooter format rather than a survival horror one. The game follows four protagonists with interwoven storylines, and is one of the best selling games in the long-running series.
Dishonored
The first Dishonored game released on Oct. 9 to general critical acclaim. We were introduced to Corvo, who was forced to become an assassin in Dunwall after being framed for the murder of the Empress his was sworn to protect. The stealth gameplay, and the freedom you were given to complete missions, are what made Arkane's game so great. It was popular enough earn a sequel, which released in 2016.
Forza Horizon
The first in the open world Forza spin-off came on Oct. 23. As most would expect given the caliber of the main line series, the driving is top-notch, but it was all surrounded by a wonderfully detailed and expansive world. The music/driving festival idea is novel and Forza Horizon is now one of the premier open-world racing series.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter
Another game that released on Oct. 23 was the second game in EA and DICE's Medal of Honor reboot. It followed the story introduced in the first game and looked at the impact war has on the home life of soldiers. It wasn't received well generally by players or critics and we haven't seen another entry in the series since.
Assassin's Creed 3
Following the popular Ezio trilogy was going to be a tough task. The third numbered Assassin's Creed game released on Oct. 30 and took place during the American Revolution. It followed a new character, Haytham Kenway, as well as continuing the story of Desmond in the modern day world.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Re-using the name of the popular earlier entry in the series, Criterion's Most Wanted released on Oct. 30. Once again, it featured a large open-world map with both rural and urban areas to explore. You could take part in time trials, standard races, and other target based trials.
Halo 4
The seventh Halo title, and the final one on Xbox 360, released on November 6. Being a direct sequel to Halo 3, taking place four and a half years after, it continued the story of Master Chief and Cortana where UNSC Forward Unto Dawn crashed on Requiem. It was the first game in the series to be developed by 343 Industries.
Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Releasing on Nov. 6, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning was one of the biggest 3DS releases of fall 2012. It introduced the ability to customize both your character and the world your adventure takes part in. You could change the appearance of your house and the village you live in to add a little personality to Harvest Moon's standard farming gameplay.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
As you would expect, Call of Duty's annual release came in early November. 2012 Treyarch's turn and their game was the second in the Black Ops sub-series. It was the first CoD game to feature futuristic warfare, and the story branched in different ways depending on the player's choices. Black Ops 2 also saw the debut of the 'Pick 10' system in multiplayer, which has since been changed for other titles in the series.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Nintendo's Wii U released in November 2012 and its big launch title was New Super Mario Bros. U. It followed the standard side-scrolling gameplay of 2D Mario games but had features that took advantage of the Wii U's gamepad and its touchscreen. It was well received and generally considered to be the best of the Wii U's launch games.
Hitman: Absolution
Before this generation's episodic Hitman game, IO Interactive released Hitman Absolution. It was a beautiful game with detailed and well designed locations but people were concerned by the linear structure of the missions. Players didn't have as much freedom to approach situations as they had done in previous games, but the set-pieces were still mostly enjoyable.
Persona 4: Golden
The PlayStation Vita is the home of handheld JRPGs so when Persona 4 made its way to Sony's portable on Nov. 20 in the form of Persona 4 Golden, fans were understandably excited. It was an expanded version of the PlayStation 2 original and boosted sales of the PS Vita itself. It is one of the most popular and highest rated games to have ever released on PS Vita.
Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1
The whole of the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead released in 2012, with the final two episodes coming in the fall months. Those episodes concluded Lee and Clementine's story in a emotional but perfectly executed way. It also catapulted Telltale to where the are now, with Batman, Marvel, and Game of Thrones seasons out there for people to play.
Far Cry 3
Released on Dec. 4, was the title that made the Far Cry series as huge as it is today. Far Cry 2 was good, but some players found it frustrating and repetitive at times. The third game relocates to a stunning island and gives you as much freedom to cause havoc as you could wish for. Add Vaas, one of the best video game villains from the last decade, and you've got a wonderfully enjoyable action-adventure.
About the author
Tom Hopkins
A Film and English graduate from London who plays far too much FIFA. Playing Games since 1999. Favorite Genres: Third-Person Action, Racing, and Narrative-Driven.
