Saturday, January 5, 2013

2012 Game of the Year Awards (Part 1) | Video ... - Gamer Syndrome

Now that we are a few days into 2013, we here at Gamersyndrome have had time to sort through all of the games from 2012 in order to come up with our end of the year awards. We have 19 categories to give out awards for, so we are splitting it into two days. The first half of our awards will be revealed below, and the second half, including our overall game of the year, will be revealed tomorrow. Check out which games earned our awards below, and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Best Action/Adventure Game- Journey

Journey, the latest game developed by ThatGameCompany, had a decent amount of buzz behind it leading up to its release. However, I?m not sure anyone expected it to garner the level of universal critical acclaim that it received when it hit the Playstation Store earlier this year. The simple gameplay combined with beautiful visuals and perfect pacing made Journey a video game experience that shouldn?t be missed. Journey is equally rewarding when playing through it co-op as it is just playing through it alone. If you have a PS3, and you haven?t played Journey, you really owe it to yourself to play this remarkable title. ? Chris

Best RPG- Guild Wars 2

As the MMORPG space has gotten more and more densely over-populated in recent years, many titles in the genre just seem like straight clones of WoW. However, Guild Wars 2 avoids this trapping by knowing exactly what it wants to be. You can of course still compare it to WoW in many ways, but the overall feel of the game is quite different. Guild Wars 2 puts a huge emphasis on teamwork, rewarding everyone in a party with experience points and a possibility of loot upon defeating an enemy. While it may not be the absolute revolution that people were hoping for, it is easily the most solid MMORPG to release in quite some time, and more than deserving of our Best RPG award. ? Chris

Best Fighting Game- Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

What do you get when you assemble some of gaming?s most celebrated characters and cast them into a fast-paced battle for supremacy? You get a hell of an exclusive. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale emerged with controversial mechanics, drawing comparisons to Smash Bros and enduring criticism for its decision to make special moves the only method of destroying the competition. But the fact is this: Whether you?re a casual gamer or a fighting guru, All-Stars Battle Royale is a game that draws little regard to serious, competitive play and accomplishes its main objective ? gluing you to your seat for hours while you smash other players from across the globe. ? Brian

Best Multiplayer Game- Borderlands 2

While it still may not have the popularity of franchises like Call of Duty or Halo, the Borderlands series has been very successful. One of the main reasons for that success is its focus on pure, unfiltered fun. Borderlands 2 improved upon its predecessor in every possible way, while keeping the chaotic and absurdly addictive gameplay that made the original a runaway hit. Playing through Borderlands 2 by yourself is fun, but playing through it with a couple friends was one of the highlights of gaming in 2012. Whether you are coordinating a battle plan or racing each other to that orange highlighted gun, Borderlands 2 delivers a multiplayer experience unlike any other. ? Chris

Best DLC/Add-On Content- Perpetual Testing Initiative (Portal 2)

Some people may not agree with our choice in this category since it doesn?t add anything to the actual story of the game, but the Perpetual Testing Initiative DLC for Portal 2 does something better, it gives the game infinite replayability. The title of this DLC is just Valve?s fancy way of saying map editor. This DLC allows players to create their own puzzles in the world of Portal 2, and then share them with the rest of the world. The design kit is simplified so that creating these puzzles isn?t hard, allowing for anyone to jump right in and create one. There are already a crazy amount of user created puzzles available, and there are more being made all the time. ? Chris

Best New IP- Dishonored

Originality is a solitary concept in the modern age, and Dishonored is one of a rare breed that reminds us of why it?s important. From the idiosyncrasies of its quirky animation to the gritty, industrial city that is Dunwall, Dishonored offers an experience that is as unique as the universe its writers have put together. While in the shoes of Corvo, a silent protagonist, you meet a wide variety of characters with varying motivations who aid you in deciding how to chase your own. You watch an entire city ? your city ? undergo a drastic transformation based on your playing style and face repercussions for your actions, making Dishonored an immersive title that puts the spotlight where it belongs: Player 1. ? Brian

Best Platformer- Uncharted: Golden Abyss

As the old saying goes, you only get one chance at a first impression. Sony kept this in mind with the launch of the Vita, launching with Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a side story that promised to bring everything gamers love about arguably the most popular series on the PS3 to the new portable. So how well did the game pull this off? We got incredible visuals, a solid story made better through solid voice acting, the mix of run and gun shooting and platforming through ancient tombs and lots of treasure to collect. Yep, sounds like an Uncharted game to me! Sure, there were some forced touch screen sections that were unnecessary, but overall, Golden Abyss delivered on bringing Nathan Drake to our pockets. With all that considered, it?s easy to see why Uncharted: Golden Abyss was chosen as our platformer of 2012. ? Josh

Best Puzzle Game- Scribblenauts Unlimited

2012 seemed to be a good year for puzzle games. Between the annual Layton release, a pair of innovative downloads in Pushmo and Crashmo, and the return of old favorites like Lumines and Crush 3D, the competition was stronger than its been in years. But in the end, the third time was the charm for Scribblenauts Unlimited. By ditching the mission based structure of the first two games and opting for a more open world, Maxwell?s surroundings felt more alive than ever. Adding multiple interconnected environments, a charming story and plenty of unique settings to accommodate our wild imaginations, our creations have never had such a large sandbox to play in. Plus, it?s still the only game where God can fight off a hoard of vampires, only this time, it could be enjoyed on the big screen thanks to its console debut on the Wii U. So despite its many competitors, Scribblenauts stands tall as the best puzzle game of 2012. It?s not hard to imagine why it?s well deserved. ? Josh

Best Shooter- Borderlands 2

Not only is Borderlands 2 a fantastic game, but it?s also the best shooter of 2012. Borderlands 2 does everything a sequel is supposed to do, and it does it with style. The RPG mechanics are better, the story is worlds better, and the combat is more fluid. The fact that it has millions of weapons doesn?t hurt either. There is nothing quite like sniping an enemy from 200 yards away and watching him burst into flames. Combine all of that with the insane amount of fun you will have if you play it with multiple people, and it?s easy to see why Borderlands 2 is our Best Shooter of 2012. ? Chris

Best Sports Game- FIFA 13

There aren?t very many sports franchises that succeed in improving each and every year, but FIFA is one of them. The FIFA series is extremely consistent and always seems to add new features with each iteration. While FIFA 13 may not have been the most innovative game in the franchise, it improved on many of last year?s features in ways that made the game even more accessible to newcomers while still giving hardcore fans more of what they enjoy about the games. Whether you are a die-hard fan of the sport or just looking for a fun sports game to pass the time, FIFA 13 has you covered with tons of game modes and addictive gameplay.- Chris

?

?


Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

  1. Spike Video Game Awards 2012 Nominees Announced
  2. 2012 EDGE Magazine Awards
  3. Results for The 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
  4. September 2012 Game Release Schedule
  5. Which Game Deserves to Be Called the ?Game of the Year??

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2013/video-games/2012-game-of-the-year-awards-part-1/

lawrence o donnell magic johnson jetblue pilot solicitor general neighborhood watch dennis rodman dodgers sale

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.