RPGWatch - Game of the Year 2012 Awards: Best RPG

It has been a while that you could cast your votes for Best RPG of 2012 (or games that are RPGish), so after taking a long hard look at the results and being busy with stuff in the dreaded real life, I finally found the time to put things together. So here it is, the results of your votes.
More information.

Well, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed by the end results.
But that is ok in a way. Different tastes, that is all. So I respect that.
I had more fun with "Avernum:Escape from the pit", than any other games
that are top 3 on the list. I better not comment on those first 3 games because it would probably cause me a permanent ban from RPGWatch.
Risen 2 was decent game. I mean it still is.
Anyway. For me the best game of 2012 was "The Witcher 2", even if it is from 2011.
It was just that good for me. And it still is.
Until The Witcher 3. Of course.
Looking forward to this year though…there will be RPG madness this year which will bring more joy to RPG gamers.
I really hope that is the case.

Can't say I'm surprised although it's not lined as my taste (except the last place for KoA ).

Well it was not last place. There were some that scored less and aren't listed.

Yes but the last place of the "significant" ones.

Which, I hope, will be a hint for future developers what ain't that good.

So the number 1 pick was the least unpopular… interesting…

Originally Posted by Black Rune
I had more fun with "Avernum:Escape from the pit", than any other games
that are top 3 on the list.

Would also have loved Avernum on that list. But being awesome does not necessarily mean that it's also popular or well known, so…

I was expecting Grimrock on that list but it was in Indy

I would like to see rpgwatch disappointment contest of 2012 xD I think that some scores would be similar

Originally Posted by joxer
Yes but the last place of the "significant" ones.

Which, I hope, will be a hint for future developers what ain't that good.

Quiet we don't need Fluent popping up to defend it. Still the three picks are at least on par what I picked. The Indy category should be next.

Weird, I haven't played any of the top three but played all the rest.

But if people here think so highly of them I will have to give them a go at some point.

Originally Posted by Kordanor
Would also have loved Avernum on that list. But being awesome does not necessarily mean that it's also popular or well known, so…

Yes, that is true. You nailed it.

Originally Posted by Misha
I would like to see rpgwatch disappointment contest of 2012 xD I think that some scores would be similar

We used to have that…. Or was that on RPGDot?…. Anyway, sometimes entries for best and most disappointing RPGs were in the top 3 of both lists.

Edit: Checked it and that happened on RPGDot. On RPGWatch you could vote in 2010 for worst RPG and Arcania won. That game was nowhere near a top position for best RPG.

^Well with competition of F:NV, DAO:A, ME2 it is not a big surprise - although; FNV with The Old World Blues rocked all them.

The whole 2012 year was quite difficult tho - at least for "aaa" games; while me3 was indeed a decent game, it caused so much rage with its faults, that its hard for me to say "great! me3 the best rpg!" - on the other hand dishonored had only SOME rpg elements, and KoA:R was no competition

That's an ugly list.

Dark Souls is well deserved, but the others… not so much.

I liked Dishonored a lot, but it's not an RPG. Neither is XCOM.

Risen 2 should be higher.

Originally Posted by joxer
Yes but the last place of the "significant" ones.

Which, I hope, will be a hint for future developers what ain't that good.

I always love reading your drivel.

mass effect buaahahahaaha

So When are the editor choices for game of the year coming?

I played so much skyrim last year that I didn't realize how bad of a year it was for rpg's.

My top 3:

1. Game of thrones- probably not the best game on the list but the best game that felt most like a real RPG. The game was really good and I had never seen the show or read any books. I have now though.

2. Farcry 3— this was probably my favorite game of the year. I gave the nod to GOT though because it was more of an RPG. Having said that though I think this game was better than any on the above list and more of an RPG than most of them. It's omission from the list is baffling.

3.Dishonored— this one was tough I could very easily put XCOM or of orcs and men here.

I only played the demo of ME3 and risen 2.

ME 3 is a 3rd person cover shooter and seemed like no more of an rpg than spec ops: the line would be.

Risen 2's demo combat turned me off and I haven't tried it since the patch to fix it so I don't know where it would land on my list.

But really looking at RPG list I half expect to see black ops on next years list.

The only new 2012 games I played were Mass Effect 3, Legend of Grimrock, Game of Thrones, Far Cry 3, Dishonored and Walking Dead.

Out of these, I suppose the line is a bit blurred since nearly every game is a sort of hybrid, Shooter/RPG, Point and Click Adventure/RPG, Action/RPG, etc.

Although it was certainly an RPG, I found Game of Thrones to be a rather flawed game. The story was somewhat entertaining because I loved the Song of Ice and Fire series but the combat gameplay, environments and character progression were all awkward in their design and unsatisfactory.

On the other hand, The Walking Dead, Dishonored, Grimrock, Far Cry 3 and Mass Effect 3 were all pretty good games, although the extent of their "RPG-ness" may be questionable for some of these games.