GameGeex

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Assassin's Creed III

"There are few things I like more than when a movie or game hits you with a surprise plot twist that in retrospect, they had been dropping clues about all along. UbiSoft has polished their 'Creed to a razors edge, now if only they could polish out a few more of the bugs."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Assassin's Creed III

"M Night needed to pay attention and relearn what he showed us in the Sixth Sense. Oh and AC3 is truly a fantastic experience marred by only a scattering of insanity causing bugs."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Journey

"There is just so much brilliance in this game, but its greatest beauty is its power to tell a story without a single word of discernible written or spoken dialog. "

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Skullgirls

"The way these girls give their all to mutilate each other (and sometimes themselves) for our sanguine pleasure brings a single, stoic tear to my eye."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend

"The Blaz has been extended without the use of pharmacological products. There is no lack of combos in this excellent 2D fighter."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Skullgirls

"It's not often that a game plays homage to the silent movie era, and for that alone I have to give Skullgirls the nod. It doesn't hurt that it's a game featuring an all female cast that doesn't resort to stereotypes."

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Dead or Alive 5

"There is a lot bounce, if you know what I mean."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition

"It's last year's Mortal Kombat with all the purty DLC."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
The Schedule

"I may not be as busy as the other staff around these parts but battling an immovable schedule to find precious game time through the day is hard. Guess i'll have to take -100 points in Sleep..."

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Halo 4

"Master Chief is a sexy beast, and the multiplayer is flawless."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Borderlands 2

"When you absolutely, positively have to kill every last mother humping Skrag in the desert, accept no substitute."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Borderlands 2

"We needs guns, over 87 bazillion guns!"

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

"Last year, this game's predecessor received all the awards, obviously and literally I might add. However, there were just too many games this year for that happen. Still, it gets best shooter for me, rawr."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Borderlands 2

"I'm not one for First Person Shooters, but Clap Trap alone is worth the price of this game. Purchase it now Minion!"

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Binary Domain

"Sure it failed delivering what would have seemed like a natural co-op option and the voice controls got you killed more then your brainless partner but the story was great."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Spec Ops: The Line

"Because it's the only one I actually played. But no, seriously, this was a game i'd consider a hidden gem. It took that shooting-game story mode to a whole new level"

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
The battle that wages outside after school

"Just about every day the clock hits 3:30 and we can hear the battle begin outside as the children wage imaginary war. Or maybe the war is real, they never stop long enough to explain."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Mark of the Ninja

"Ninja Vanish! Then return and make a bloody mess from the shadows."

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Street Fighter x Megaman

"Capcom combined the two biggest franchises into the same game. They finally made up for there greediness of making copies of the first title and calling it ultimate or some stupid crap like that."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Rayman Origins

"This game really made me a believer in the 2D platformer again. Rayman's overwhelming charm and the innovative stages and mechanics all worked so very well together."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Fez

"Sure it took about 5 years for this one to pop up but it was worth the wait in the end."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
My little brother

"Going to the park is one thing but trying to leave is another. After several minutes of chasing a child through a rather small playground, jumping from ladder to ladder and slide to slide, you feel a sense of accomplishment once the child has been apprehended. You also get exercise!"

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Darksiders 2

"Sure, this game bills itself as an Action RPG, but spend 20 minutes in Death's grim shoes and you will realize that he spends most of his time clinging to ledges, running along walls, and figuring out the best way to get to the next hard-to-reach platform."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition

"Now even us PC gamers can have our arse handed to us."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Diablo III

"While its "end game" content needs better definition, playing through the single player story was for me one of the most emotional and epic experiences I've had this year that didn't involve the birth of my son."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

"The amount of action there is on the battlefield's of Call of Duty shoots up ten fold once yours truly pulls out the RPG. Nothing says action like serving a full platter of rocket-propelled grenades into someone's virtual mouth. Heck, I don't even mind eating one myself!"

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Torchlight II

"It's always great to see innovation on an already strong premise, and Runic has done that in spades with this sequel. Co-op play in a massively expansive world that still retains the charm of the original game? Yes please!"

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Minecraft XBox 360 Edition

"Nothing like kicking back with your kids and killing some zombies on the Xbox360 and a bigscreen. Oh did I mention this was Minecraft?"

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Dragon's Dogma

"The sheer amount of detail in Dragon's Dogma can be overwhelming at times - while it is no Skyrim, it is a beautiful world to live, hunt, explore, and run for your ever loving life in. (and yes, that last one happened to me often)"

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Borderlands 2

"Walking around a huge world WITH GUNS!?!?!?! All it takes for me to vote."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Minecraft XBox 360 Edition

"Really this is just an excuse to list the greatest sandbox game of all time twice. I have to thank Mojong for creating this version so that I can continue to laud their genius. "

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
The Last Story

"I feel like such a vagrant playing RPGs on my Wii."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Cosplaying

"Nothing beats the chance at dressing up as a Japanese School Girl... Not that I do..."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

"Poke-WoW! Gotta catch'em all, it's me and you. Cause grouping is what we do, Poke-WoW!"

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Tera

"The elements of an action game mixed with a role playing game forged into one sexy world."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

"I am so reluctant to vote for this one. At first glance, I thought the commercial was for KungFu Panda 3, but alas, my dreams were crushed."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

"While at its core there is very little true innovation with the latest World of Warcraft expansion, the addition of the Pet Battle system as well as the joyous experience that is questing through Pandaria really shows off Blizzard at their best. No doubt WoW will continue to dominate this category until Titan itself steps up to take the title."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Star Wars: The Old Republic

"It may have come out last year but it just went free this last quarter. Oh and did I mention it's Star Wars, cause it's Star Wars. Let's not forget Bioware crafted it, they don't develop they craft. I'm pretty sure they are staffed by Jedi."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Guild Wars 2

"Hats off to ArenaNet for putting some serious thought into how not to be just another EQ/WoW clone. While still rough around the edges, GW2 is a breath of fresh air that doesn't dip into your wallet every month."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Guild Wars 2

"Beautiful art direction and solid story-driven questing make this a masterpiece of gaming. No it didn't reinvent the MMO like we expected, but it's still a gem of a game, and anyone who enjoys fantasy games -- even those who don't like MMOs -- will enjoy this one. After all, it's pretty much a single player title."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Guild Wars 2

"Guild Wars 2 brought something good to the MMO World. A great game overall. Still a few fixes that need to be addressed but enjoyable all around."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Towns

"Ever wanted to run the town that supplies the heroes for their adventures? I did."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Vibration On

"Almost every game has it. And every now and then, my controller will glitch and continuously vibrate. That's my que to just stop everything and massage my back. Quite stimulating if you ask me. Though, that usually does mean the game takes a turn for the worst and we start losing, but that's not my problem. Oh wait... SIMULATION GAME... Nevermind."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
None

"I can't in good conscience recommend a motion game, they are all pretty bad and depend on "perfect" conditions in their environment to play. If you can setup a clean room with just the right lighting and space then perhaps there is a "best" out there for you. For now the best motion control game for me happens behind the closed door and involves hot coffee."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Dance Central 3

"On the surface this is just another entry in the strongest dance franchise out there, easy to ignore -- until you check out the story mode. Once I started dance battling to save the world, I was hooked and you will be too."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
The Los Angeles Lakers

"It's quite a puzzle, and a rather difficult one at that, to try and figure out what's wrong with a team full of all-stars. Ok, ok, only half of them are playing but still, it's still so puzzling, we just never win."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Bad Piggies

"Rovio once again brought me lots of casual commuter joy with Bad Piggies. It's a sandbox of physics and miscellaneous parts to play with. Hell you even get Coke/Mentos rockets!"

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
GameGeex.com

"Keeping this site running has been like trying to solve one of those sliding tile puzzles that wasn't missing a piece, or a Sudoku that uses all ASCII characters instead of just 9 numbers. Some days, I'm amazed the site still exists."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Commuter Bus Extreme Remix Extreme

"The Commuter bus! Wait you've never played this game? It's great. You get on the bus and then sleep for an hour and wake up at work, best game ever."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
SSX: Deadly Descents

"Football? Baseball? Bah! Mainstream sports don't often find their way to my console systems. But rampaging down a mountain as fast as gravity and air resistance will allow on a half-inch thick board that is barely strapped to your feet? That's XTREME!"

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
FTL: Faster Than Light

"Who knew it was so much fun to have your entire crew slaughtered so many times."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Journey

"Journey is a brilliant foray into a beautiful land that can shift from jaw dropping tranquility to controller crunching tension with a moments notice. Also, the nameless, gibberish speaking main character really knows how to accessorize."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Journey

"I love Journey. The game is so beautiful yet so simple."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Journey

"Knowing I can walk away from a game not only satisfied but enlightened is a wondrous thing. The fact that such an experience can come from an Indie game makes it all the sweeter."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Borderlands 2

"This Borderlands 2 mod adds the ability to play split-screen co-op. It also introduced me to one of the most awesome programs in the world Sandboxie."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Wowkemon

"Since the Pet Battle system added to WoW in Mists of Pandaria is really just a Pokemon game, it makes sense to make the pet battles look and sound like a Pokemon match. I choose you Wowkachu!"

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Assassin's Creed III

"~It had to be you, it had to be you~ No seriously there is only one other game that eats more of my time then this one and that game came out a few years ago so I can't vote for it. I haven't had a chance to play Walking Dead yet and Dishonored stealth mechanic is the only reason that's not up here. "

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
Project Noob

"It was a game nine months in the making, but in the end, even though the release was rocky and the sole copy didn't actually arrive on the shelf until a full two weeks after it went gold, the completed product more than made up for the development challenges."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Project Noob

"The finalized version of Project Noob, now dubbed Xander Orneck, is just sooo cute. Sorry Black Ops II, I love you, but I have my reasons..."

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Halo 4

"Halo 4 was very ground breaking. The graphics and gameplay were well done. Best Halo game up to date, as well as the best shooter this year."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Borderlands 2

"This is a game you just cant stop playing. You know the kind - the one that keeps you up until 3am even though you have to be up for work in the morning. The one that you say "I'll just pop on for a minute" and next thing you know, 4 hours have gone by. Gearbox has upped the ante in practically all regards, and if they keep improving at this rate, Borderlands 4 will mark the end of functional society as we know it."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
38 Studios

"I'm not giving this to you cause you ran a tight ship or a profitable business. I'm giving this to you cause it appeared you guys had heart and soul. I can say without a doubt the next release they had would have blown us away. I'm truly sorry to see this company fold."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

"Honestly, FFXIV was somewhat of a failure, from a first impressions kind of stand-point. But once I started playing it, it was actually not bad and often times, it was a magical MMO experience because of the story potential. A Realm Reborn might just give the game that second chance it desperately needs."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
The Last of Us

"Looks to be a gritty hard hitting story and I know my wife and I can't wait to get our hands on it. Guess I'll need to get a PS3 finally."

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
BioShock Infinite

"I for one cannot wait to meet Booker and Elizabeth and find out what secrets Columbia holds. If it's anything like what footage I've seen at E3, I will be a happy, happy girl."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Dragon Age 3: Inquisition

"Dragon Age 2 got a bad rap for its over simplification and repetitive environments, yet it was still a good, solid game that has soaked up numerous hours of my life. I can only hope that DA3 ends up being closer to DA:Origin, that they bring back the ability to equip armor on your party members, and that at some point I'll be able to hear the title without immediately getting Mel Brooks singing in my head."

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Microsoft's Metro/Modern UI for Windows 8

"First and foremost, I *love* how Windows 8 runs - It is a powerhouse OS and an awesome gaming platform. However, several bad decisions such as the Metro/Modern UI replacement of the classic Start menu is giving the OS a bad name, which bodes ill not just for Microsoft but for dedicated PC gamers everywhere."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Wonder Book

"I loved the concept behind Eye of Judgement but after experiencing the issues with recognition it became a frustrating mess. Now they're back again with the same exact technology that only seems to work perfectly at a studio or camera shoot. Bravo Sony!"

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Halo 4

"Halo 3 brought to world one of the greatest gaming inventions in the history of shooter games. Ranked Matchmaking. A skill-based matching system that allowed everyone to be happy because if you were a busy dad who doesn't play much games, getting destroyed by 12 year old is not fun. Halo 4.... DOES NOT HAVE IT (yet..). Such a disappointment"

Amanda "Mandifesto" Orneck's pick:
The death of 38 Studios

"Money mismanagement that affected not only hundreds of game developers but also the entire state or Rhode Island. Need I say more? *shakes head*"

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Mountain Dew

"They say I bleed Mountain Dew. Kind of all that needs to be said."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Bethesda

"Bethesda! Because as much as I am a Bioware/Black Isle fanboy, it's Bethesda who I always come back to. One day I'll get to tour their studio, I mean come on it's right here in my state. LOVE ME! "

Arthur "Arturis" Orneck's pick:
Samsung

"I love you, Samsung. I love my Galaxy Note 2. I love my pretty refrigerator. I love my 55" TV and 21" monitor. I love everything I've ever bought from you... Except the Captivate. That phone can burn in hell. IN HELL."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
FTL: Faster Than Light

"And yet you'll still keep playing it."

Ken "Chaobo98" Serra's pick:
Halo 4

"I play occasional games with my friends but once you enter into a game full of professional level competitive players, let's just say win or go home. Because you might as well! No wins means no effort. No effort, means no kills. No kills means you're probably being destroyed. And being destroyed means the game is kicking your ass."

Ohan "Fraggadier" Ghazarian's pick:
Kinect Star Wars

"Motion gaming is nothing but garbage and way too casual."

Martin "Mavlock" Brandt's pick:
Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor

"Took an epic franchise and turned it into a broken motion gimmick."