Under the radar, hidden gem Games of 2012

Overall I'd say 2012 offered a lot to games, maybe not alot in the new IP department, but some overall incredible AAA tiles. Outside of the AAA tiles, I ran across a few games that may have not been widely popular or critically acclaimed but overall provided a great gaming experience. I am curious what under the radar games did you pick up and absolutely enjoy in 2012? Who knows, maybe you'll post a game others completely missed, but check out after seeing your forum post! I am sure a lot of these games are now in the 10 - 30 dollar range, making it even worth that much more to check out! 

Here are a few of mine (note I played these all on the PS3):

1.) The Darkness II: I loved the first game, sure it wasn't perfect, but it offered a good story with great gameplay. I was interested in the sequel, but just completely missed it when it was first released. I did eventually check it out last fall, and I really enjoyed it. The story was pretty solid and did just enough to keep you wanting to know more....so you kept playing! The gameplay and use of special powers was awesome, you felt like a powerhouse at times and the gameplay was excellent throughout the ~ 6 - 8 hour story! The game came out with a Co-op mode, of course the servers were a little dead when I got the game. Convinced two friends to pick up the game though and we did have some fun for a week or 2 playing through the co-op missions. If you missed this game and like FPS games in general, its worth checking this game out, esp at its discount price if you can find it!

2.) Ridge Racer: Unbounded: Racing is my favorite gaming genre. I love simulation style racers and I love arcade style racers. Saw this game on clearance at target last month, so I figured I'd check it out as I remember reviews somewhat favorable for this game. Glad I gave it a shot, because I keep playing this game on and off. It is largely an arcade style racer with overall good drifting mechanics, the catch here is you can destroy parts of the track/environment giving you the edge in races. This is not the first time this type of element has been added in a racing game (split/second) but it is defintely implemented very well. It adds a layer of depth to the racing. Everything else in the game from graphics to sound to content is good across the board. Some of the tracks feel a little too similar but that has to do with them being constructing by a dev tool which gamers can use in an edit mode to make your own tracks. More replay!!

3.) SpecOps: The Line: I actually picked up this game fairly close to its release date, but it got hidden real fast with 3rd quarters AAA games releasing a month later. The 3rd person action isstandard, nothing terribly new here. The game takes place in an environment riddled with sandstorms, which are well done, and adds a nice wrinkle to the gameplay. The story is what shines here! Excellent story telling and you are faced with some tough in-game decisions. Atmosphere is extremely well done, and I can honestly say if you just like action games in general and would like to play through an epic story, check this out. The game includes multiplayer, the servers have to be dead now, but even if they weren't, it was very standard and nothing to write home about.

So those are my 3 hidden gems of 2012! I'd recommend any of the to you if you are into those genres. You can get them at a discount price, why not check them out! Interesting to hear what games you loved that were under the radar! I am sure I'll end up checking a few out! (yes I tend to write alot when I do post in forums, sorry in advance!!)

Binary Domain. A neat twist on the third person squad shooter. Also had a very well done story. Overall, it's just a ton to play. I think it's around 15-20 bucks now

Spec Ops was amazing and was probally in my top 3 favorite games of 2012

I agree with your first two choices, but I'm not sure about Spec Ops. Sure, it wasn't super popular at release, but I think it was one of the most talked about games of 2012.

If you have a 3DS and like anything Final Fantasy you owe it to yourself to get this game

It's fun, charming, accessible and chock full of content and collectables. I had no plans on getting this and laughed at the big reveal for the 25th anniversary (a music game, really?).

There's a neat little demo with a couple of songs on there and just those two songs alone were enough.

Binary Domain. A neat twist on the third person squad shooter. Also had a very well done story. Overall, it's just a ton to play. I think it's around 15-20 bucks now

Canuck3000

closure was one of my favorite games last year but it wasn't a big seller and it wasn't on many game of the year lists. it's a devious puzzle game that expects a lot out of the player. that's not just in terms of puzzles, but also in noticing details for the story.

sound shapes was really good too. it's a sharp merging of platformers and music games. any platforming you do has an effect on (or is effected by) the music and all the music has roots in the gameplay.

All of you guys that have mentioned binary domain, thank you! Picked it up for $20, and played a few hours this morning, its def a fun 3rd person shooter and so far the story has been interesting!

You may be right, Spec Ops was hyped prior to release and talked about for sure in 2012. On the flip side, it seems like all of my friends who game never played it, so that is why I tabbed it as a hidden gem. Regardless, it was a great gameing experience, I may fire that one up again next week and play thorugh the story again!

Ridge Racer Unbounded and Sleeping Dogs

the darkness 2

Knytt Underground.getyeryayasout