The 25 Best Video Games Of 2012 (So Far)

Image via Complex Original

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable
Publisher: Aksys Games

Whenever a new Blazblue game comes out we always get excited. It's part fighter and part anime which means all dope. All of the characters came back along with a new "Calamity Trigger" story mode and smoother animations. Even with all that, it's really the over the top special moves that won us all over again.

Platform: PlayStation Vita
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Finally a Vita game that makes good use of the device's motion sensor. Using Kat to manipulate gravity is dizzying but so much fun. Games like this push the Vita in the right direction making us excited to see what else is on the horizon.

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Vita
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Reminiscent of the side scrolling shooters from yesteryear, Sine Mora occupies a special place in our hearts taking us back to the days of Contra with weapon power-ups and laser dodging. It doesn't hurt that the graphics quality borders on insane.

Platform: PlayStation Vita
Publisher: Ubisoft

Setting a puzzler to a collection of classic electronic tracks was a genius move as it keeps us playing non-stop. We recommend Lunines Electronic Symphony for long trips since time seems to fly by during gameplay.

Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive/Kadokawa Games

People either love or hate Lollipop Chainsaw and we're riding for the love side. Juliet Starling's zombie fight with her boyfriend's head hanging from her hip is just the type of wacky, ultra-violent hi-jinx we never knew we'd appreciate. Suda-51 is one twisted dude to come out with this one but what does our fanaticism say about us?

Platform: PC
Publisher: Red 5 Studios

As another one of the many free-to-play games popping up, Firefall paved its own lane with PVP battles and a massive cooperative play. Not being tied to a specific class switches up the action so we never get bored defending a beaten down Brazil from The Chosen.

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

As one of the tougher puzzlers to come out in a while, the adorable little marshmallow looking rascal makes it even more difficult to get too frustrated. The gameplay mixes two-dimensional platforming with incredible three-dimensional elements. It's the type of title that you have to see with your own eyes to really appreciate because words alone doesn't do it justice.

Platform: PC
Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios

Meh, just another shooter right? Not even. Tribes: Ascend was the talk of this year's PAX East and E3 giving the latest cog in the Tribes machine a ton of well deserved attention. We believe the hype and so should you.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Publisher: Capcom

Some call it an interactive anime or the game the Dragon Ball Z franchise sorely needs and we agree. Asura's Wrath is strangely compelling and the larger-than-life boss battles, gripping narrative and even grumpy old Asura intertwined to weave an action-packed thriller that we needed to have in our lives ever since the demo.

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, PC
Publisher: Autumn Games/Konami

Just the idea cute anime girls beating the snot out of each other is a winner even before adding in a killer fighting engine. We waited a long time for Skullgirls and when it arrived, it was just as good as we all hoped.

Platform: iOS
Publisher: Action Button Entertainment

Don't think just because a game comes out with old-school 8-bit graphics that it can't be awesome. Ziggurat is one of those titles that reminds you that a great game is a great game regardless of it's engine. As the last person on earth, you're faced with gunning down aliens that try to get at you on top of a ziggurat. No matter how many times you play, you'll always think you had a chance at taking out that last space bastard before you die.

Platform: PlayStation 3, PSP, Mobile
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

The funniest thing about Sony's collection of classic Kratos is that we wound up buying the games we already had all over again just to play in HD. There's just something about seeing a pissed-off mythological being rip the wings off of griffins in mid-air.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Publisher: Atlus

All the action and bow-chicka-wow-wow of the hit cable series got packed into the the video game keeping us entertained for hours. Brace yourselves, the gaming nerds are coming.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, iOS, Mac OS X
Publisher: Telltale Games

The zombie craze shows no sign of slowing down and with the success of The Walking Dead comic and television show there's no wonder why the video game wouldn't be a hit.

Platform: Xbox 360, PC, Mac OS X
Publisher: Atari

This RPG caught a few of us by surprise with its stunning graphics and storyline. Since it's release we've been riding with Geralt through his adventures in bloodshed and twisted politics.

Platform: PlayStation 3
Publisher: That Game Company

A game featuring a humanoid being running through the desert towards a beacon of light while collecting pieces of cloth sounds like a foolish investment but That Game Company made it work. From the relaxing new wave soundtrack and emotion stirring story progression Journey revolutionized gaming and proved that thinking outside of the box wasn't an express ticket to a failed game.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Publisher: 2K Games

Just making it into our list by a hair, 2K Games' third-person shooter is one of those games that doesn't rely on bullets and blood to be entertaining. The storyline made it hard to put down the controller and kept us on edge waiting to see what happens next. Not only is it a game that will satisfy gamers looking for the perfect headshot but there's also a super-easy mode for newbies to have fun as well. A perfect mix of tactical combat and blazing gunfire action.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC, iOS
Publisher: Capcom

Fighting game aficionados waited for years to see Street Fighter characters go up against the stars of Tekken and when it finally happened, a sigh of satisfaction was heard throughout the world along with the complaints of sore thumbs.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Publisher: Square Enix

The much needed upgrade to the disappointing story in Final Fantasy XIII we saw some changes that made us enjoy the game a bit more. Downloadable content even further enhanced what fans were looking for. A great save indeed.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft

Before the shooter hit stores, Ubisoft did a big celebrity push with their Team Ghost squad. The company didn't even need it as gamers jumped all over the latest release from Tom Clancy's military games.

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Publisher: Mojang

Brining a classic like Minecraft to a console after a long reign on PCs proved to be a sureshot as the Xbox Live version turned out to be the best selling game on XBLA in forever. Who would've thought the pixelated builder would burn down the gaming block the way it did?

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Publisher: EA Sports

EA Sports had a tough job of bringing extreme winter games excitement to a console and boy did they do a great job. Even if you never strapped a board to your shoes and shredded powder in real-life, you felt like it after playing.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii U
Publisher: EA

Call it a disappointment if you will, but we would have braved just about anything to see the climax of one of our favorite franchises. Mass Effect 3 stood out in so many ways that it inspired new fans to go back through the first and second games to make all new choices to see where they'd end up in this monster of a title.

Platform: PC
Publisher: Blizzard

Fans of the dark and sinister RPG can't seem to get enough of Deckard Cain and his team. Diablo III was such an anticipated title that when it finally released, Blizzard's servers fizzled leading to the hilarious "Error 37" meme. When players finally got on to play, many sleepless nights and used sick days went by.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Publisher: Rockstar Games

The third installment of the Max Payne series saw a withered and broken down version of Max in the seedy underworld of Brazil. Plenty of action-packed gunplay made this a title that can be replayed over and over without its appeal ever fading.