The 13 most noteworthy games of 2012

2012 was a strange year for video games. With the industry in a spiral as the current console cycle winds down, publishers have curbed investments in new ideas and turned to tried-and-true sequels. But that’s not all bad; plenty of great games managed to shine through this year, and the big-budget sequelitis even had the pleasant side effect of clearing the way for some superb smaller developments. Here are my awards for the 13 most noteworthy games of 2012.