Best Non-RPGs of 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I'm compiling a list of the best RPG and best non-RPG released in every year from 1980 onward. Although the RPG wasteland era is well-known, there is a period of 4 consecutive years, 2009-2012, in which there are a few non-RPGs that I like but none that I feel are truly strong enough to be considered the best non-RPG of their respective year. Thus, I'm appealing to the Codex to point me to the best non-RPGs, so that I can see what I've missed.

Note that I decided to place Demon's Souls, Fallout: New Vegas, and Dark Souls as the best RPGs of 2009, 2010, and 2011, although they're borderline cases of genre.

 

[Curratum]

2009 - STALKER CoP
2010 - Just Cause 2
2011 - RAGE
2012 - Dishonored

 

[Eirinjas]

2009 - Left 4 Dead 2
2010 - Bioshock 2
2011 - Portal 2
2012 - The Darkness II

 

[Unkillable Cat]

These are just suggestions, but...

2009 - Spelunky (the original, not the commercial remake)
2010 - ???
2011 - Terraria
2012 - Primordia

 

[Ventidius]

The strategy genre had some good ones during that period:

2009 - Eador: Genesis
2010 - Victoria II
2012 - Crusader Kings 2

Vicky 2 and CK2 are widely considered strategy classics, even here, definitely "best of" material. Eador: Genesis is a bit more of a cult classic, but arguably rivals even the best games in its sub-genre.

2011 seems to be a bit trickier, but there are a couple of options such as Total War: Shogun 2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

sullynathan - post your suggestions so that we may Disagree with them as well.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

2009 -Eador: Genesis
2010 -Starcraft 2: WoL (bad year that)
2011 -I got nothing, that was even worse year Binding of Isaac
2012 -FTL

 

[DalekFlay]

2009 - STALKER CoP
2010 - Just Cause 2
2011 - RAGE
2012 - Dishonored

2009 - Left 4 Dead 2
2010 - Bioshock 2
2011 - Portal 2
2012 - The Darkness II

I'd combine these two and say:

2009 - STALKER
2010 - Bioshock 2
2011 - Portal 2
2012 - Dishonored

Bioshock 2 has surprisingly good combat and the same pluses as the first, just with an iffy story. I'm a well known Dishonored fan, other than it being too easy it's great. Iffy STALKER is better than most other things and Portal 2 was great fun (Rage is too linear but okay).

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Thanks to everyone who contributed suggestions. I'll add those I haven't played yet to my backlog of games, but frankly it does seem that this four-year span marks an exceptionally weak period. Fortunately, RPG releases improved dramatically in 2012 and non-RPGs thereafter.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

I'll just list the best games from those years, regardless of the genre.

2009
Demon's Souls
Bayonetta
Mirror's Edge
The Dark Spire
Street Figther IV
Resident Evil 5
MadWorld
Mini Ninjas
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Trine
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Left 4 Dead 2
Pokemon Soul Silver/Heart Gold
Tekken 6
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Dragon Age: Origins
Sims 3

2010
Fallout: New Vegas
Red Dead Redemption
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Mount & Blade: Warband
Risen
Yakuza 4
Just Cause 2
Super Meat Boy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Worms Reloaded
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Vanquish
God of War 3
Disgae Infinite
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Mafia 2

2011
E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy
Dark Souls
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Trine 2
Worms Ultimate Mayhem
Dead Space 2
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Crysis 2
Witcher 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Mortal Kombat 9
Disgae 4
Sonic Generations
Terraria

2012
Dragon's Dogma
Yakuza 5
Worms Revolution
Crusader Kings II
Resident Evil 6
Dishonred
Rayman Origins
Sleeping Dogs
Max Payne 3
Fez
Mark of the Ninja
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
ZombiU
Hotline Miami
Fire Emblem Awakening

 

[Eirinjas]

Bioshock 2 has surprisingly good combat and the same pluses as the first, just with an iffy story. I'm a well known Dishonored fan, other than it being too easy it's great. Iffy STALKER is better than most other things and Portal 2 was great fun (Rage is too linear but okay).

The Darkness II has the best story of any of the games listed in this thread, and novel gameplay mechanics to boot. I found Dishonored to be extremely disappointing, personally. I'm a huge Thief fan, which was clearly the inspiration for the game, but playing Dishonored felt like having a godmode enabled by default. Just made the game feel pointless to me. I never even bothered with Dishonored 2. I consider the gameplay of Dishonored to be a symptom of the disease of modern gaming where the goal is to make the player feel "special" and "powerful" (I suppose this is to appeal to the retarded faggot demographic. Who knew that was the largest demographic?). I should have known this going in when the gameplay demonstrations by the devs pre-release showed off all the ridiculous ways you could effortlessly murder a score of people in a matter of seconds. I mean, I still like Dishonored (in principle), but I'll never play it again.

 

[visions]

I second Primordia for 2012. I only played it last year but I enjoyed it as much as many classic adventure games (and more than some esteemed classics).

 

[laclongquan]

Bayonetta

Worms Reloaded

 

[Shinji]

2012: Binary Domain

Not because it was the *best* game of that year, but it was quite a nice surprise. It's from the developers of the Yakuza series

 

[Nutmeg]

Gigantic Army would be my current pick for 2010.

 

[sullynathan]

yeah, you guys win

 

[Life of the Party]

Try something from Paradox or Daedalic.

Also:

The first public version was released digitally on Squad's Kerbal Space Program storefront on 24 June 2011

 

[DalekFlay]

I found Dishonored to be extremely disappointing, personally. I'm a huge Thief fan, which was clearly the inspiration for the game, but playing Dishonored felt like having a godmode enabled by default. Just made the game feel pointless to me. I never even bothered with Dishonored 2. I consider the gameplay of Dishonored to be a symptom of the disease of modern gaming where the goal is to make the player feel "special" and "powerful" (I suppose this is to appeal to the retarded faggot demographic. Who knew that was the largest demographic?). I should have known this going in when the gameplay demonstrations by the devs pre-release showed off all the ridiculous ways you could effortlessly murder a score of people in a matter of seconds. I mean, I still like Dishonored (in principle), but I'll never play it again.

It's definitely an easy games because the enemies are retards, but I wouldn't call it simple or plain. If you put limits on yourself like ghosting or pacifist, or if you just go hog wild with the powers, I think it's a lot of fun. It's a very divisive game here though, some of us love it and some hate it, it is what it is. For what it's worth the sequel vastly improved enemy awareness and is a lot harder to stealth on hard.

 

[unfairlight]

God dammit, I wrote up a post mentioning what I liked about each game but I accidentally closed the tab and lost everything.

Mafia 2 (2010)
Sleeping Dogs (2012) (It's really good. Play the Definitive Edition for better balancing of DLC and prettier rain and graphics.)
Tribes: Ascend (2012) (Play it while you still can, it has about 20 players left and servers could go at any moment.)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010) (Servers are still alive, playerbase is active. Single player is fine, just avoid hard difficulty. One of the best BF games.)
Saints Row 3 (2011)
Payday: The Heist (2010)
GTA IV DLC (2009)
Splinter Cell: Conviction (2010)
Spec Ops: The Line (2012)

 

[JDR13]

2011 -I got nothing, that was even worse year Binding of Isaac

2011 = Dead Space 2. That one is a no-brainer imo.

 

[ghostdog]

2012 - Primordia

My favorite recent classic adventure game.

2012: Binary Domain

Most fun I've had with a popamole shooter.

Deadly Premonition (2010) - I love this game. Twin Peaks simulator by a japanese madman. It's a crappy port of a crappily optimized PS3 game that looks like a PS2 game, though.

 

[JDR13]

Deadly Premonition (2010) - I love this game. Twin Peaks simulator by a japanese madman. It's a crappy port of a crappily optimized PS3 game that looks like a PS2 game, though.

Yeah, DP does have a pretty unique setting and atmosphere. Unfortunately, when I tried playing the PC version some years ago, it was so buggy that I couldn't finish it.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Splinter Cell: Conviction (2010)

C'mon man.
Conviction is the worst game in the entire series.
The gameplay is literally:

 

[unfairlight]

It is, but I couldn't fit Blacklist into the requirements. It's a terrible Splinter Cell but an alright third person stealth shooter.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

You know I've heard some conflicting reports on Blacklist.
Some say the game is shit, other say it's a good return to form and there's a third group that says the game can a bore alot of the times but there are some pretty good levels in it.
Care to share your opinion?