Best game simulators 2012

Oh and it looks gob-smackingly good. What we said: "For the vast majority of the time, Golden Abyss is a cleverly constructed game that more than justifies its addition to a series already lathered in superlatives. While the absence of multiplayer means it won't last you as long as previous instalments, new control options have allowed the developers to line the seams of Drake's adventure with flashy tassels and detailing that make for a varied and entertaining outing - perhaps even more so than its big brothers.

At the very least, that should solidify Sony Bend's reputation as a trustworthy custodian for PlayStation's growing pile of first-party treasures. Longer than Uncharted 3, a story that did the job, visuals rivalling Drake's Fortune and great new characters meant that I had a lot of fun with this. Sure, the final boss is as anticlimactic as they come touch-screen QTEs, really? I was surprised by how intuitive reloading was, and motion sensor aim fine-tuning should be in every Vita shooter.

Markitron wrote: "It's an Uncharted game, that feels like an Uncharted game, that advances the series in terms of its collectables, that I can play on the toilet.

What we said: "You never feel weightless, but are still able to navigate the levels with far more grace than the hapless guards in your path. Avoiding them is entirely possible - every level offers a hefty points bonus for clean runs with no enemy encounters or kills - but the fun really comes from the ever-escalating ways you can toy with your foes. Snidesworth wrote: "Tightly designed, well-crafted and immensely satisfying.

The game clearly communicates information and teaches you how its mechanics work. All of the above makes for a fantastic stealth experience. Malek86 wrote: "A mixture of Abe's Oddysee and Thief, and a good one at that. Although a violent approach works well and will make the game easier, getting through a level completely unseen is extremely satisfying.

What we said: "Spelunky's astonishing creativity and the spectacular depth that opens up as you make progress make it easy to forget that it's also an extremely competent platformer, with tight, poppy controls that work far better on an Xbox pad than they ever did with a computer keyboard.

Playing feels tactile and physical yet precise and comfortable. It allows you to bounce around the world with ease, and focus on the meat of the game: the joy of discovery, the hilarity of death, the glorious secrets that pour from every crack. MrMarbles wrote: "Oh Spelunky, how the soundtrack for your Mines levels are firmly embedded in my psyche.

I remember my first couple of hours with this game, fumbling about, throwing rocks that bounced back into me. Result: death. Then standing on a ledge carrying a rock tip: always carry something , standing too close to a ledge, going off-balance and falling off, hitting the ground and having the rock falling on top of me. A new enemy, what does this one do? But many many, many, many hours later, the same red-turban-wearing spelunker is tactically leading the crazy shopkeeper to his death, stealing his gear and luring the Giant Ghost of Instant Death over gems to hike up their value.

Whilst still dying constantly. There's a steep learning curve for sure, and even when you have four players who know what they're doing tentatively but efficiently working their way through the levels, it still always inevitably goes to pot at some point, yet you'll be laughing and screaming throughout in the best possible way. Brilliantly designed.

Perfectly mixing roguelike and platforming elements. Also angry shopkeepers! I have played it and played it and played it and barely scratched the surface.

Simple to understand but with oceans of depth and endlessly fun moment-to-moment gameplay. Plus it's super cute. Just perfect. I have not completed it yet just got to the Temple and most likely never will. However, the sheer amount of fun of just starting a run and seeing how far you can get is fabulous. The randomisation of levels gives the game an unmatched reply value. No doubt in my mind, the best game released in What we said: "Life presents you with a number of crossroads, Catherine suggests, and it's only in choosing a way forward that you gain an identity.

In Vincent's case, it's the difference between being a mere protagonist and a hero. Even though Catherine is very story-driven it's also a game in the purest sense of the word as it's all wrapped around this amazing series of block puzzles that make for one of the most unique and mature games I've ever played.

Proof that Japanese gaming isn't dead. Hunam wrote: "A game about drinking as far as I could tell. You get rewarded for mixing drinks.

You get rewarded for getting hammered every night. I think there was also something in there about the importance of perspective on your own life too, but mostly it was about getting hammered. Discalceaterabbit wrote: "Watch entire days dissapear as you watch your dynasty slowly extend their tendrils throughout Europe. Starting as the King of Scotland but eventually weaselling my family line to be the heads of all of Scandinavia is a personal highlight.

OrgasmicMutton wrote: "I'm never usually one for grand strategy games but the epic stories this game results in won me over. One of the few games where everything going wrong feels so right. What we said: "Ubisoft Montpellier has indisputably crafted a delightful, playful, occasionally exhilarating platformer.

But while this is a game whose visuals point to a bright, alternative future, its systems too often rely on the dusty past. Half of a classic, then. It's the Vita's go-to platformer, but I mostly played it with my non-videogaming partner on the PS3. DrDamn wrote: "Works very well on Vita and the only title which challenges, and in many respects surpasses, the mighty Mario. The beautiful landscapes, quirky animations and fluid controls make for one of the most elegant and charming 2D platformers of all time.

Where Mario is becoming stale, Rayman feels fresh and unique. It looks and plays absolutely fantastic on the Vita screen. What we said: "More than a few Dota 2 players practically spit in each other's faces. Like the original Dota, Valve's Source Engine update has no sense of sympathy.

That's not what you play it for. Nor is it what you expect from the remake of a game whose beginner's guide is simply titled 'Welcome to Dota. You suck. Even though it hasn't been released. Hugely entertaining game. And yet the community might as well be a giant quivering pile of gelatanous urine for the trash talk. It gets you annoyed and incensed when you see people mouthing off - and then all of a sudden you too are doing it because you see the mistakes in your team.

Their build choices and item decisions and tactical awareness. You have the best of intentions of telling them where they've gone wrong but somewhere between your mind and your hands you tend to freak out and end up mashing the keyboard with obscenities and trollish repetitive comments that seem to never get old. What's worse is you don't feel bad about it either. You feel justified. This one person is ruining something you have to experience for the next 40 minutes because they were too inept to simply read up on how the character or role should be played and put that into practice.

The community also manages to be the best community found in a MOBA game, with a newbie friendliness that's almost strange to find a game like this. It has changed our view of multiplayer gaming. Never have we had to work so much as a team. What we said: "Ambition is the word that best describes Black Ops 2 - and that's remarkable enough in itself.

This is still Call of Duty, with all that entails, and anyone who has resisted the series so far likely won't be won over this time either. For the fans, though, Black Ops 2 offers the rare sight of a series at its height choosing to experiment and change rather than stay loyal to a proven, but tired, formula.

It may be a small victory in the battle for fresh blockbuster thinking, but it's a victory nonetheless.

Those hoping to see Call of Duty knocked off its perch will have to wait another year. I didn't really get along with Modern Warfare 3 and the story, maps, and small changes to this game have provided me with hours of shooting people in the face. If I feel like some mindless fun where I don't have to concentrate too hard, usually after a crappy day at work, this is the game I turn to.

Lamentation wrote: "The best COD yet. The Create-A-Class and scorestreaks are amazing fun to use. Little improvement to Zombies and an average campaign, but the very balanced multiplayer can hardly be improved upon. What we said: "It's another small step forward for the series, but that's not quite enough to dispel the suspicion that Codemasters' F1 team doesn't have the resources to create iterations compelling or different enough to justify the annual churn.

F1 is a good game, but it's some way off from being the classic it could be. Interested to see what Codies can do with F1 next-gen Codemasters is inches away from the perfect F1 experience this year. McPhilen wrote: "Easily my favourite game to drive a car on. It feels fantastic to hook up a perfect lap on F1 , which is something I don't normally get from a racing game.

It requires some serious precision and car control, and it really is a good game. What we said: "If the first Torchlight capitalised on the continued absence of Diablo 3, the second feels like a genuine alternative to it. It's a colourful, heartfelt and well-judged spin on one of the most reliably engrossing genres knocking around.

Pick a class, choose a pet and set a course for Plunder Cove. Nanonine wrote: "Outshone Diablo 3 with its colourful and easygoing world. Best co-op experience this year. A larger world full of a much wider variety of areas and enemies. Tons more loot to be whored. Pitch-perfect combat of an incredibly satisfying nature and four very distinct classes to enjoy.

Runic absolutely nailed it and this is a game I'll be going back to long after ends. Torchlight 2 is a major improvement on the original Torchlight with better loot, more varied level and monster design and a commitment to the community that many developers could learn from.

What we said: "Hitman: Absolution is a slick, responsive and mechanically confident game - and on occasions it's one of the most satisfying stealth games in a year that already includes Dishonored - but a range of compromises to Hitman tradition mean it's still going to rub some people up the wrong way. Ferral wrote: "The series needed this boost and a slight change in design for the better.

Instead of huge open playgrounds you get big chunks of a level to work through. This game does upset the series purists. I have been playing Hitman since the first game many years ago but have enjoyed Absolution and the way they have done it.

It is a decent new point in the series that will bring loads of new players to the world of What we said: "You can always choose PES instead this year, because after a few years of rebuilding it now offers a credible alternative. If you do go with FIFA 13, however, then you will find more ways to play it, all of them detailed and engaging, than ever before, and you will probably still be playing it when we're back here again in a year's time for the next instalment.

Fully realises the promise of Impact Engine and, more importantly, it's lots of fun. Holzbeck wrote: "Not much to say about this. Added some nice new features to the Career modes. The First Touch Control feature can make you pull your hair out, but apart from that can't fault it. All the small changes has made this the best football game ever. TC wrote: "Such a complete, well-rounded footballing package, not a single male in the world can resist its lure.

I sprinted for 15 minutes into town to make it to the midnight launch on time. What we said: "This is largely about the thrill of zipping through the sky, spotting a distant building, and wondering what Sony's magpie artists have put up there for you to find. Kat may be a superhero, but it's telling that she spends a lot of her time behaving as a tourist. Hekseville's a great place for a holiday, in other words, and Gravity Rush makes for a wonderful return ticket.

All aboard? Vallaurian wrote: "A quirky gem that held my attention for many weeks. Beautiful visuals and an unforgettable score added to the feeling of becoming a real superhero. Surely no game has done flying so well. The steampunk world was refreshingly different and only the truncated ending prevented Gravity Rush from attaining true greatness.

Brilliant story, likeable characters and mind-bending anti-gravity shenanigans! Apaar wrote: "A unique treat with the best female lead in any game ever. Superb art design and wonderful music. Kangoo wrote: "A perfect example of what the Vita is capable of. Looks beautiful on the Vita's screen, brilliant design and unique use of the touch-screen. But nothing can match the creation of Kat, a genuinely lovable character who deserves a sequel.

What we said: "Diablo 3 is more than slick, and more than deep. It's a turbo-charged romp through the conventions of action, role-playing and online games that plays to the gallery but tears up the rulebook on the sly. It has been awfully compromised by its launch and by the lack of an offline mode, but it deserves better than to be remembered for that. And I'm certain it won't be. DjFlex52 wrote: "Despite its overblown shortcomings, Diablo 3 was as addictive as any game I've played the last few years.

After all the patches it also managed to add a lot of substance to the endgame, but well before that the journey to inferno was already the best dungeon romp you could find, and the Hardcore mode offers emotions not found in any other game around.

Phattso wrote: "There's a lot wrong and, especially living in Asia, the online requirement is a massive problem, but this is still an amazing achievement. It has that click-kill-loot loop down to perfection. This is the only game I played for nearly three months of this year. Hats off to Blizzard for supporting the Mac day-and-date with Windows as well.

Rack wrote: "Diablo 3 turned building a character into a whole game. I have my character who stuns enemies before pelting them with AoEs, but what can I do with a skill that reflects all damage dealt to me? The whole game right until level 60 was a delightful journey of discovery, and when you were done? There were another four classes to try out. Turn off the real-money auction house, find yourself a nice crossbow and quiver, and watch your Demon Hunter blast through hordes on minions like a hot knife through butter.

What we said: "It tries to do something special, and it tries to create something memorable and something strange. In Dubai itself, it genuinely succeeds, perhaps because the reality of the place is already so gaudy, so cloyingly, oppressively weird, that it provides a good hard shove in the right direction before the first bullet's been fired.

There are such a lot of shooters these days, and so many tend to blur into each other if you're not careful. This one won't, however - and that's quite an achievement.

War is horrible and it's about time a game reflected that. The way it plays is as a bombastic third-person man-shoot. What it does with that is everything it can to mess with your head.

In an industry currently dominated by jingoistic military shooters The Line is a subversive little gem. Marjin wrote: "An incredibly brave experiment in interactive storytelling, an indelible descent into madness and an unambiguous condemnation of every other military shooter on the market. Are you not entertained!? What we said: "The inclusion of an enormously detailed track editor - the same tool developer RedLynx used to make the levels you're paying for - means that talented amateurs will be able to drag more life out of the game than you initially get for your Microsoft Points.

But in truth, Trials Evolution is already fantastic value for money. It offers simple, one-player gameplay that uses leaderboards to provoke excitement and competition among strangers, and in this sense it has a lot in common with the original Xbox Live Arcade games. The way that it makes its challenging content accessible to a majority of players, however, is what singles it out as one of the best.

I am always blown away by what the community has come up with when I load up Track Central and, even though I met my difficulty wall, I can still dip in and have fun in new levels any time. AnsemsApprentice wrote: "Creatively, one of the best arcade games out there, with wonderfully varied level design made more wonderful by a thread of childish humour throughout, covering everything, even death, in a warm fuzz.

What we said: "PlanetSide 2 is much like Guild Wars 2 - a game that will live or die based on its ability to keep its server populations buzzing. For now though, give or take some nasty server problems, it's worth putting those fears on the back burner. There'll be time enough tomorrow to worry about the grand game and its future. Great graphics and gigantic continents to run around and kill each other in. PlanetSide 2 is everything PlanetSide 1 wanted to be and the bump in technology really does help.

Namely, that all other multiplayer FPS games are utterly pathetic by comparison. When you storm down a hillside with hundreds of allied infantry by your side, or roll ominously towards an enemy facility in a column of 50 tanks, or make a swooping bombing run on a bridge stand-off between hundreds of players, you can't help but think: why aren't all games like this?

JonnyCigarettes wrote: "I played PlanetSide 1 and miss the hacking and the jammer grenades. And combat engineering. And my Vanu mosquito. And the Lancer. And a coherent lattice system. And base drains and an inventory. And warp gates that actually warp and having 10 continents to choose from. I also miss the sense that I'm playing a game rather than electively bailing out an ailing Sony with every begrudged upgrade.

PlanetSide 2 is still an astonishing experience. For the Vanu! Deletys wrote: "At this moment PlanetSide 2 is one third the game I expect it to be someday. Regardless, even at its present form, it is incredibly promising and fun experience. What we said: "This is a supremely tight version of a classic game that gracefully navigates the limitations of its platform.

The pad controls are taut, fast and logical. The Xbox 's small memory and the lack of dedicated online servers means the worlds created in this Minecraft are smaller, and can never live online independently of their creators. On the other hand, it has never been simpler to share your Minecraft creation with a few friends; there's support for split-screen local multiplayer a potential killer app for some fans , and simple toggles dictate whether your game will be online and open or invite-only.

It has everything - collecting, surviving, creating You can build a fortress and fight off hordes of zombies, or play a calming game with friends and just build a wonderful world. And it still proves innovation will always triumph over shiny graphics. MysteryLamb wrote: "The defining sandbox game - and a generous one at that which keeps improving.

One marathon hour gameplay session later, I understood completely. Their first experience with the Ender Man was hilarious and heart-warming. Was cool to share my hobby. What we said: "Even now [May ], with DayZ as laggy, unstable and awkward as it is, it's immediately apparent that something special is being discovered here. Something that taps into the same zeitgeist as Dark Souls or EVE Online whose subscriber numbers have been growing for almost a decade ; that desire for heroism to be heroic, for villainy to be villainous.

I'm not sure when the AAA developers are going to start heeding that desire, but it'll be a great step for gaming when they do. Cosquae wrote: "Created a whole new genre, a million and one stories of death defiance and catapulted an old soldier sim to the top of the Steam charts all summer long.

Not bad for a mod. With the current generation of consoles coming to a close and the next one just around the corner, the year ahead is shaping up to be one of the most exciting the gaming industry's ever seen — and the quality of the new releases just over the horizon looks better than ever, too. All this week we're going to be highlighting some of our favorite upcoming titles scheduled to release in , breaking them down by genre to help you get up to speed on what you'll be playing between today and this same time next year.

First up? Racing games. Have you played F1 ? YES NO. Was this article informative? In This Article. F1 is the next installment in the popular F1 racing series. Not to mention, the wide range of peripherals you can get to make the flight feel a bit more authentic. Genre: Construction and management simulation.

This is the spiritual successor of the classic tycoon franchise where players are in control of a theme park. Within the game, players are given total control of how to build a park up which means not only adding rides, but food services, restrooms, decor, and even adjusting the terrain to go with the theme of your build.

PS4, Xbox One 29 January [2]. Genre: Survival. This War of Mine is a pretty different simulation game compared to the other games on this list. In this game, players are tossed in control of a group of survivors caught in a city held under a war siege.

Whereas in this game, players are not soldiers but everyday individuals that are attempting to survive the harsh realities of battle. This means going out at night to find resources. Morals will be put in question as you seek out goods and keep those in your care safe. Dyson Sphere Program puts players into the future where Earth has run out of resources.

However, a new system has been put in place to retrieve precious resources from other planets. In this game, players are setting up factories on a planet and obtaining the resources and energy to send back for humanity.

This game is currently available on PC through early access, so you can expect a few changes and updates to pop up while the developers continue developing for a full game release.

Genre: Sandbox , simulation. Space Engineers allows players to strap on a spacesuit and start the exploration themselves with this game focusing on building, exploration, and surviving the elements of different planets. Overall, this is a sandbox-style game where players are tasked with exploration.

TheHunter: Call of the Wild is your standard kind of hunting game. House Flipper was a pretty big game when it first launched so you might have spotted some of your favorite YouTubers or streamers playing through this game.

Here in this title players are given a pretty beat-up home to renovate and fix up. This could mean making some simple repairs or completely gutting the home to rearrange the rooms.

With an array of tools, players can break down walls, clean messes, add new fixtures, place up additional walls, to even dressing the home up with decor in hopes of selling the house for a profit. Genre: Combat flight simulator. This is a free to play battlefield type of game.

Players can jump into a wide assortment of vehicles to complete missions which can be a ground attack aircraft to heavy-duty tanks. Furthermore, being a free to play game, you can expect this game to also feature DLC to support the game.

In the mix you could have mammoths, Spartans to Vikings all in a grand battle as you watch to see who would come out on top. The Sims has been around since and so far The Sims 4 is the latest base installment available. This is a life simulation video game franchise where players are given control of creating a group of Sims and then place them into the world. From there, you can tweak their homes, provide care for the created characters, and help them stay in a positive mood. Released as expansions, players can add quite a bit into their Sims world.

This includes additional decor, adding careers, seasons, to even changing up where the Sims might live such as a city or a university. For instance this past year alone we saw two expansions, one game pack, and two stuff packs. The developers are cramming new things for players to do with their Sims regularly so it might be a good while before we get the next major installment to The Sims.

They can be satisfying but few nail the realism of how a vehicle would behave during a crash or driving through rough terrains. In real-time, you can see how the metal would react to being smashed by another vehicle or by a solid piece of terrain. You can see how the body of the car would shift or wobble just as it would in real life.