Apr 24
The Walking Dead 2012
Why it still holds upA story built around one relationship is why it still plays well: the voice acting carries it, and the choices come under time pressure.
2012 games that still hold up
Games
Apr 24
The Walking Dead 2012
Why it still holds upA story built around one relationship is why it still plays well: the voice acting carries it, and the choices come under time pressure.
Mar 6
Mass Effect 3 2012
Why it still holds upBecause so much of it rests on those earlier choices, the trilogy played in order from the first game still gives it its full weight today.
Mar 13
Journey 2012
Why it still holds upWith three controls and a world that keeps introducing something new instead of repeating, it is still worth the few hours it takes.
Oct 9
Dishonored 2012
Why it still holds upLevels with several ways in, and a world that reacts to how you played them, are the reason to play it today.
Dec 7
The Cat Lady 2012
Why it still holds upA tense, atmospheric adventure whose dialogue choices change what you see later is the reason to play it now.
Sep 18
Borderlands 2 2012
Why it still holds upA huge range of guns and builds, shared by friends in co op, still gives it reasons to replay today.
Nov 29
Far Cry 3 2012
Why it still holds upFive core systems, sneaking, shooting, driving, exploring and hunting, all feed the same leveling system, so the same encounter plays out differently depending on stealth, firepower and wildlife, and that is the reason to play it now.
Feb 16
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 2012
Why it still holds upRevisiting choices so that information from one route opens another still drives the game now.
Nov 8
Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2012
Why it still holds upA slow daily rhythm tied to the real calendar, with the town itself as the thing you build, still sets its pace.
Apr 19
Fire Emblem Awakening 2012
Why it still holds upGrid tactics in which unit relationships change combat results, with permadeath as an option, are why it still plays well.
Oct 23
Hotline Miami 2012
Why it still holds upWith one hit deaths, doors, sight lines and scarce ammo, each room becomes an almost puzzle like problem, and that still makes it fun to replay.
Sep 7
Mark of the Ninja 2012
Why it still holds upWith every sound and sight line shown, stealth is still a matter of planning today.
Sep 14
FTL: Faster Than Light 2012
Why it still holds upShort runs and random generation still let you try a different mix of weapons, systems and crew every time today.
Jul 4
Spelunky 2012
Why it still holds upSince every run generates new layouts, success depends on learning the game's rules rather than memorizing a route, and that still asks for attention today.
Feb 14
Crusader Kings II 2012
Why it still holds upRules that interlock, rather than a script, still turn each campaign into a different family story today.
Oct 9
XCOM: Enemy Unknown 2012
Why it still holds upVisible hit chances and a strategic layer where every choice costs something elsewhere still keep each decision a readable risk today.
Jul 26
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 2012
Why it still holds upA loop of investigating a scene and then matching evidence against testimony in a trial still keeps each case a puzzle of whose claim does not fit today.
Jun 26
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Why it still holds upOrdinary shooter systems turned toward the protagonist's choices, with missions, hints and environment all pushing one theme, still make it play as one argument today.
May 15
Max Payne 3 2012
Why it still holds upWeighty animation, cover that breaks and bullet time still make each gunfight feel physical today.
Jun 23
Pokémon Black Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upA journey with this much around it, and a harder way to play it again, still leaves plenty to do after the story today.
Oct 23
Forza Horizon 2012
Why it still holds upA road map where the next race is always close still makes it easy to pick up today.
Sep
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R 2012
Why it still holds upReading your opponent is the contest today, as throws can be broken and a parry shortens block stun.
Aug 14
Sleeping Dogs 2012
Why it still holds upFights and chases set in a city you can roam between missions still keep it worth playing today.
Oct 12
Chaos on Deponia 2012
Why it still holds upPlayed now, it is still a box of puzzles: collecting, combining and plugging things in is how every problem gets solved.
Dec 5
Primordia 2012
Why it still holds upBecause choices change the ending, a replay today turns up things the first run left behind.
Apr 13
Fez 2012
Why it still holds upEvery room is still a puzzle about perspective, with a view you can turn to realign the world.
Jun
Pokémon White Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upA steady loop of exploring and battling, with new places that hold new Pokémon, still gives it its pull.
The House in Fata Morgana 2012
Why it still holds upA story told across several eras is a good fit for patient readers, today as before.
Feb 27
Ib 2012
Why it still holds upThe rose is still a health bar that is a flower, among monsters that are paintings.
Sep 12
The Room 2012
Why it still holds upA quiet hour with a tactile puzzle is still what this game offers.
Sep 19
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita 2012
Why it still holds upPushing scenery out from behind with the rear pad is still its own trick today.
Jul 19
Fieldrunners 2 2012
Why it still holds upA choice of six weapons before each level gives you a plan to test.
Dec 5
Yakuza 5 2012
Why it still holds upEach of the five characters has their own side activities, which still spread the game out.
Mar 22
Kid Icarus: Uprising 2012
Why it still holds upEvery mission is still a wager you place yourself, by betting your own hearts to set the difficulty.
Nov 15
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 2012
Why it still holds upA vehicle that keeps changing in mid race still gives every lap three kinds of driving today.
Feb 9
Gravity Rush 2012
Why it still holds upFlipping gravity to cross an open city is the hook, and it is still worth trying.
Aug 28
Guild Wars 2 2012
Dec 10
Mad Father 2012
Why it still holds upA girl alone in a house of secrets still gives the horror a personal angle.
Apr 11
Legend of Grimrock 2012
Why it still holds upA dungeon you can choose to map by hand still rewards anyone who tries it today.
Aug
Super Hexagon 2012
Why it still holds upSixty seconds is still the win today, and each loss takes five seconds.
Feb 21
Asura's Wrath 2012
Why it still holds upA burst gauge that ends each fight still keeps the action and the story in one piece today.
Aug 20
Thirty Flights of Loving 2012
Why it still holds upIt still rewards a second look, a story you piece together yourself in a quarter of an hour.
Apr 18
Trials Evolution 2012
Why it still holds upFaults and medals still turn every track into another try today.
Mar 22
Angry Birds Space 2012
Why it still holds upPlanets that bend each shot still give old rules a fresh angle.
Sep
Rayman Jungle Run 2012
Apr 10
Skullgirls 2012
Why it still holds upSimpler inputs and a way out of long combos still make it a friendly place to learn fighting games.
Nov 18
New Super Mario Bros. U 2012
Why it still holds upBoost Mode still lets a fifth player build the floor today.