Master Thread, Game of the Year/Decade (New Poll)

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Something very interesting just happened, looking back at the 2011 and 2012 polls.  The year 2011 looked like this amazing year with tons of great games, while 2012 looked like it may have been the worst year yet in terms of top releases.   I'd like to test just how great this disparity is. 

There were 5 games in 2011 that didn't make it to the cutoff round.  They were 5 apparent "rejects" if you will.  And yet these 5 games still look like 5 pretty amazing games.  Let's put these in a poll against the top 5 games of 2012 (by votes).  Which game should win?

So, let's assume that these 10 games are the only ones available for both 2011 and 2012, which game do you think is most deserving of the Game of the Year title?  I am calling this poll the "2011 & 1/2" Game of the Year.  Are the 2011 games that much beyond the 2012 selection?  Or maybe the 2012 games are really not so bad after all.  What do you think?  Please vote and leave your comments in this thread.  

Here are the list of games:

Minecraft (PC/Mac/Linux/Mobile)
Markus “Notch” Persson officially released the most popular game in the world in 2011.  The popularity spread like wildfire, and in 2014 Microsoft bought Minecraft for $2.5 billion making Notch a billionaire.  Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies across all platforms, and it is still selling to this day.

 

Batman: Arkham City (PS3/XBox 360/PC)
Often after an amazing first entry, a disappointing sequel follows.  With Arkham City the exact opposite happened, as this sequel is the favorite in the series for many Batman fans.  Arkham City scored a 91-96 on Metacritic and sold over 12.5 million copies.

 

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3/XBox 360/PC)
This third installment in the Deus Ex series scored a 89-91 on Metacritic and has sold over 12 million copies.

L.A. Noire (PS3/XBox 360/PC)
The developers behind Grand Theft Auto decided to make a game about the police this time around.  L.A. Noire has sold over 7.5 million copies.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)
This third installment in the Uncharted series scored a 92 on Metacritic and sold over 6.6 million copies.

Diablo III (PC/Mac)
It’s time to face the devil again.  The third installment in this diabolical franchise would sell over 12 million copies across all platforms.

 

Journey (PS3)
Don’t Stop Believing in this indie PS3 game.  The unique multiplayer system allows you to Journey with the other players you meet or go your Separate Ways.  Any Way You Want It.  This game scored a 92 on Metacritic and has sold over 6 million copies.

 

Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)
The annual, amazing Nintendo game ended up coming from the Fire Emblem franchise in 2012.  This ensured that Smash Bros would get many Fire Emblem characters in the years to come.  Fire Emblem: Awakening scored a 92 on Metacritic and sold over 2.3 million copies.

Dragon's Dogma (PS3/XBox360)
Since 2011 had both Dark Souls and Skyrim, it was natural for many people to look for another 3D fantasy RPG in 2012.  The best of these was arguably Dragon's Dogma, Capcom's first attempt at an open-world fantasy game.  Since 2012, the game has been released on several other platforms and has sold over 7 million copies.  There is also currently a trailer out for a very impressive looking sequel that is on the way.

 

The Walking Dead: Season One (PS3/XBox360/PC)
Telltale Games had gotten a reputation for making Adventure games that removed the puzzle requirements.  The most beloved of these was arguably The Walking Dead series, based on a comic book by the same name.  The Walking Dead was released in episodes starting in 2012.  Currently over 28 million episodes have been sold for Season One.

Official voting for this "2011 & 1/2 Game of the Year" contest will end Tuesday, December 5 at 11:59 PM EST.