(Slightly(Very)Late) 2012 Game of the Year Awards

So I guess 2012 actually turned out to be pretty decent for games in the end. August onwards especially was  a veritable fire-storm of awesomeness, with Dishonored, XCOM, Far Cry 3 and Hotline Miami arriving on our systems. As always, these will be mainly PC based awards, just because I basically play no console games (no console exclusives anyway). Also, I haven't played everything either, so that's why a few games will be missed (basically I haven't finished Mass Effect 3).




Most Unexpectedly Good Game - Spec Ops: The Line

Regardless of its frankly terrible title, and average gameplay, Spec Ops is by far one of the best games of the year. My initial reaction on playing the demo (which includes a turret section. My favourite!) was that it was a boring, genero-man shooter. Whilst the actual game did prove to essentially be that (although it was fairly fun in a mindless way) the story was incredible, genuinely making me feel proper emotions at times, which very few games (or even films) can claim to have done.
Runners up: XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Far Cry 3



Most Expectedly Good Game - Dishonored

From some of the guys who worked on the original Deus Ex, one of the great gaming classics, Arkane, who made probably the best first person melée game in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and the artist who designed City 17's architecture in Half Life 2. This one wasn't exactly a surprise.
Runners up: Mass Effect 3, NBA 2K13



Best Written Game - Spec Ops: The Line and The Walking Dead

It's my awards show so I make the rules, and yes there can be ties. Bloody hell these two games were well written, and in entirely different ways. Spec Ops' ability to make you properly regret some of your actions, and challenge your perceptions of modern shooters was masterful. After I finished that game and at certain points in between, I just had to sit and consider what just happened, and I felt bloody awful. On the other hand The Walking Dead managed to create a proper connection between you and the girl you pledged to protect. In fact, it very nearly became the first game I've ever cried at. Not quite, but it was damned close.
Runners up: Hotline: Miami, Mass Effect 3



Worst Written Game - Diablo III

If you can make sense of the plot than you are a better person than I.
Runners up: Far Cry 3 (I mean, really, what the hell is going on in that? The voice acting is good but for God's sake give them a coherent and not-boring plot to read)


Best Graphics - The Darkness II

The perfection of this new wave of cartoon-style graphics works incredibly well, and adds an extra flavour to what's already a pretty interesting and fun game.
Runners up: Far Cry 3, Crusader Kings II*



Worst Graphics Directly Caused By The Game Quite Clearly Being A Console Port - Dark Souls

Sorry console people but your games look like s***e.
Runners up: Mass Effect 3



Best Strategy Game Which Most People Probably Didn't Play - XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Yeah it's pretty fantastic, drawing on what made the old one incredible (link), and refining it into something just as enjoyable, but far more modern. Also the UI didn't want to make me tear my own eyeballs out so hooray.
Runners up: Crusader Kings II, Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai



Best Visual Presentation - Hotline Miami

Well it had to win something (and may yet win more, (ooh, tease)), and why not this? The bright neon, pulsating, moving backgrounds and quick cuts all feed into the general madness of the game as a whole. As a way of presenting what is essentially a simple game in a complex and interesting manner it's brilliant.
Runners up: Max Payne 3, Mark (of) the Ninja



Best Soundtrack - Hotline Miami

Whew, two in a row then. Well deserved though, for pretty much the same reasons as the above award but for music. Some of the tracks are pretty much the best pieces of music I've heard if I'm honest, and the thumping beats punctuate the insane violence you're performing admirably.
Runners up: The Walking Dead (ooh, that end music), NBA 2K13



Best Expansion - Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai

Well, I don't really play a lot (or indeed, any) expansion packs, so this one sort of wins by default. It almost certainly would've won anyway though to be fair, 'cos it's really, really, really good and everyone should immediately buy it.


Best 'OH S***!' Moment - Mass Effect 3

Thresher Maw vs. Reaper. Hell yes.
Runners up: Max Payne 3, Hotline Miami



Best 'oh s*** :(' Moment - Spec Ops: The Line

For the bit with the white phosphorus (brrr.). Also, the ending (also brrr).
Runners up: The Walking Dead, Mass Effect 3


Best Game I Rediscovered This Year - ArmA 2: Combined Operations

And no, not because of DayZ. There's a group on Youtube called Shacktac (Link) who play it super-hardcore, and it rapidly rekindled my enjoyment of the game to a ridiculous extent. It's in sales bloody constantly so you should be able to pick it up, but be warned, it certainly isn't for everybody.
Runners up: Dirt 3, Red Orchestra 2


Overall Game of the Year - XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Yeah, bit of an odd choice but I feel the correct one. Dishonored and Far Cry 3 both had a good shout at it, but at the end of the day it was the game I played and enjoyed the most, thus making it the best game of the year (shocking, I know). Watching your friends get murdered time after time through stupid mistakes and/or overwhelming odds just creates incredible stories, like only the best games can. Also, it's a strategy game that actually works on consoles because it's turn-based!
Runners up: (Obviously) Far Cry 3, Dishonored


Most Looking Forward To - Company of Heroes 2

Oh man.

Runners up: Clockwork Empires, Bioshock Infinite

* Yes that is a joke (look at some screenshots)

Feel free to comment/ disagree/ agree with me!