Editor’s Note: So it’s that time of year again, where the team take into consideration all of the games released this year, and select the ones that stood out the most. Unlike a review, our Game of the Year winners will likely be more subjective, so this won’t be a list of our most highly rated games, but instead those that we enjoyed the most.

So, starting several weeks ago, a comprehensive list of over two-hundred games that were released this year was compiled, with each staff member here at MediaKick voting for their top ten in order of preference. Using the same algorithm I devised for our most anticipated games of 2012 list – which takes into account both increased preference and number of votes, we ended up with a clear top five which we will now bring to you in order.

Unlike last year, where we just had an overall Game of the Year, we’re doing a top five this time around as we’ve grown considerably in terms of staff numbers, and can therefore have a more well-rounded and fairer outcome. It also helps to highlight the games that we felt were really fantastic, but not quite the very best.

A few things to note, to be eligible, a game must have seen its first current generation release in the West this year. Therefore if it was out on a previous console before this year clocked in, it is ineligible; likewise, a release in Japan last year does not affect an entry, not does it allow one if it was released this year.

Be sure to check our the previous winners in our Game of the Year, including Deus Ex: Human Revolution. 

Moving on to our fourth placed Game of the Year, Batman: Arkham City.

Batman: Arkham City is one of our most covered games here at MediaKick, spanning all the way back to the announcement in August last year. It wasn’t until the VGAs though that we got the first look at the new adventure for the Dark Knight, and confirmation of Hugo Strange as the primary villain this time around. Its predecessor, Arkham City, had wowed the gaming world, bringing the bat into a fantastic environment, with some of the most fluid and engaging combat and gamplay around. It was a true testament to the superhero, and one that fans had been crying out for for years.

Thankfully, the initial showings of Arkham City were mighty impressive, teasing players of a superb sequel that Batman truly deserved. Over the coming weeks and months, the scale of Arkham City was revealed, with characters such as The Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Robin, Two-face, Mr. Freeze, Deadshot and Solomon Grundy and Talia Al Ghul all getting showtime – oh, and let’s not forget The Joker. A forty-hour game was touted, and we couldn’t wait for the World’s Greatest Detective’s latest investigation; so much so, that we nominated Arkham City as one of our most anticipated games both pre and post E3 this year. Our excitement continued to escalate after being mightily impressed with the game during our hands-on, before I became even more excited having spoken with Sarah Wellock, Community Manager at Rocksteady. October then rolled around and it was here, but what did we think?

“All in all, the game looks just fantastic, especially in motion, and whilst it may not win any awards for photo-realism, its style and indeed substance make it an aesthetically pleasing package,” read Phil’s review. ”Its combination of a strong story, great cast, impressive visuals, fantastic combat and immersion certainly point to it being that way and though there are a couple of niggles with the story and an annoying Catwoman, they don’t stop Arkham City not only being a great game or surpassing its predecessor in almost every conceivable way, but ensuring it’s one of the best games you’ll play this year.”

Arkham City went on to impress at retail, securing the top spot in the UK Chart as it sold double that of its predecessor - whilst becoming the fourth biggest release of the year (at the time). Having established itself as Warner Bros. biggest ever launch, it was hardly surprising that it went on to shift more than 4.6 million units in its first week, a very impressive figure. A release on cloud-streaming service was later confirmed, which went on to break the services demo records.

The rest of the team were extremely impressed with Arkham City – how else would it have managed to become our fourth best Game of the Year, let’s see what they had to say?

Ryan: “I love everything Batman. If I was young enough to get away with a Batman themed bedroom, I totally would. Arkham Asylum was possibly the only way comic book video games were to gain credibility again and not only did it bring a better sequel in the form of this year’s Arkham City, it may also have spawned a new line in DC video games from Warner Bros. But that’s not the reason Rocksteady’s Arkham City deserves to be in our top 5. City was a massive improvement upon the brilliant Asylum with an engrossing storyline, side-missions, more gadgets and even another playable character. Rocksteady had a lot to live up to with Arkham City but they delivered and then some.”

Igor: “How do you follow up a game as iconic as Batman Arkham Asylum? The game was too good, literally. Batman Arkham City took small yet significant steps forward to ensure the series progressed but didn’t stray far from the roots that made the original so terrific. A more expansive environment and slight technical tweaks gave gamers more of what they wanted – Batman based action. Was it better than Arkham Asylum? That’s debatable. Is Batman Arkham City a brilliant game? Absolutely.”

Dave: ”If there is any game that had shattered my perceptions of comic book franchises and video games being traditionally an awful pairing, Batman: Arkham Asylum would be the first one mentioned. It was by no means perfect, but not only have some University of East Anglia graduates (amongst others) put the Dark Knight into the mainstream video gamer consciousness worldwide, but they also created an expectation for the followup to surpass. For once, this expectation itself has been shattered to oblivion! By going with a more open world,Batman: Arkham City has allowed for more representation of the DC comic’s history, including the Easter Eggs which even had me giggling in a fanboy kind of way, combined with improvements on the formula that worked so well in Arkham Asylum.”

Phil: “When I played Arkham Asylum back in 2009, I was simply astonished. Not only had Rocksteady made a great superhero game, but they had made a great game, period. Its sequel, Arkham City, was released this year, and I had the pleasure of reviewing it. Truly one of the stand-out titles of this year, its story, combat and gameplay made it one of the most enjoyable games I played all year. I honestly didn’t believe Rocksteady could improve on Arkham Asylum, but they really did, and in some style. A truly wonderful game that deserves to be in everyone’s top 5 of this year.”