Best game 2012: 9th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees

Most games consoles might have been fairly long in the tooth by 2012, but like a leather-faced kung-fu master they all proved they were adept beyond their age.

Developers stunned us with the performances they squeezed from the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2012. Downloadable games also showed their worth, with a series of original and exciting titles on both platforms. But what really stood out? Here is our list of nominations for best game in 2012.

Assassin’s Creed III

Price

£39.99

Released

October 2012

The third and final title in a series that has run the lifespan of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Ambitious, beautiful and unusual, this game was the conclusion in a sequence of games that until now had always just missed the mark.

Set during the American War of Independance, Assassin's Creed III impressed us on nearly every front. It had the odd glitch and could be a bit rough around the edges, but for a game this size, all was forgiven.

READ: Assassin’s Creed III review

Diablo III

Price

£39.99

Released

October 2012

Diablo III was what PC gamers had been waiting for. Pocket-lint still pours hours into the mouse and keyboard-based click frenzy. This was a game that devoured your life piece by piece and was more guilty of that "just 10 more minutes" factor than most.

It looked great and, thanks to some clever development, could run on just about any PC. It even worked smoothly on Macs, including running at an absurdly high resolution on the new Retina display MacBook Pro.

READ: Diablo III review

Halo 4

Price

£39.99

Released

November 2012

We had been waiting a long time for this one. Carrying the immense responsibility of developing Halo 4 was 343 Industries. It did a fantastic job, creating a game that felt fresh and new as well as being most definitely a Halo title.

There were plenty of nods to some of the series’ best moments, as well as an incredible graphical refresh that put Halo 4 among some of the best-looking titles on the Xbox 360.

READ: Halo 4 review

Dishonored

Price

£39.99

Released

October 2012

There had been plenty of praise splashed upon Dishonored in the build-up to its release, but none of it could have prepared us for just how good the game would be. Dishonored was without doubt one of the most original titles of this console generation.

The game provides you with a semi-open world that allows you to negotiate missions in whichever way you chose. Stealth or violence? This was the main message behind Dishonored and it was most definitely a good one.

READ: Dishonored review

Journey

Price

£9.99

Released

March 2012

No game was as beautiful to look at as Journey in 2012. Boasting an incredibe art style, here was a game that was eye-catching, innovative and totally unique.

As downloadable titles go, it stands out as the best this generation has seen. It might have been short, but we found ourselves continually playing through this game just because it was so different from anything else.

READ: Journey review