As the year comes to an end, publications of all industries like to announced their "Best of..." lists for the year. The gaming industry is no different and a number of publications have announced their "top video game of the year" lists and awards. Unsurprisingly there seems to be some consensus with some games.
The three major winners were "Journey," "Mass Effect 3" and "The Walking Dead." The first game is an independent adventure game created by ThatGameCompany. Players play as a robed figure that travels through a desert in hopes of reaching a distant mountain. Along the way the player must traverse numerous obstacles in order to reach the destination. The game has been noted as refreshing for its lack of violence and its depth of feeling. IGN's Ryan Clements called the game "the most beautiful game of its time" and noted that "each moment is like a painting, expertly framed and lit." IGN presented the game with the Best Game of 2012 Honor. Another major publication to pick "Journey" as its top game was GameSpot. "Journey was also featured as one of the top five game of the year nominees at SpikeTV's Game of the Year Awards.
The winner of that award was "The Walking Dead" another title that has been lauded by numerous critics and publications. The game is based on the TV series and was released in five episodes from April to November. Thunderbolt picked "The Walking Dead" as the top game of 2012 on their top 25 list. Thunderbolt writer Shayne Ryan stated, "By creating a story first and then putting in game mechanics where they fit, rather than vice versa, Telltale Games' episodic series was both mature and well written. The wait between each episode led to us booking a night out once the next release date was announced. Tear-jerking, tense, humourous, captivating, and with a pitch-perfect musical score, The Walking Dead is our Game of the Year." The game was also the top pick for Games Radar.
Two of the three game writers for the New York Post included it as part of their top three games of the year. William Vitka picked "The Walking Dead," "Far Cry 3," and "Chivalry: Medieval Warfare," while Alan Danzis picked "The Walking Dead" alongside "Mass Effect 3,"and "Far Cry 3." Anthony Sulla-Heffinger picked "Halo 4," "Borderlands 2," and "Mass Effect 3."
Game Informers picked "Mass Effect 3" as their top Game of the Year as did The Telegraph on their Top 20 Games of the Year List. "Journey" was placed in second place while "The Walking Dead" landed at number nine on the list. British Publication The Independent announced their top ten games of the year and listed "Journey," "The Walking Dead," and "Mass Effect 3" on the list.
One major publication to not yet announce its top game of the year is Gametrailers.com. They will announce the award on Dec. 31, 2012.
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