The time has come to once again look back at the year in video games. Unlike last year, this year there will be a winner and a runner-up for each award, if there was indeed a runner-up. Speaking of awards, this year saw some new awards added to last year’s list. Both the readers and the staff of FAN voted on this year’s nominees, which can be found here. These are the results. Did your favorite games win?
Best Voice Cast
Winner: The Walking Dead
One of the big reasons Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead worked so well was the emotional performances from Dave Fennoy as Lee Everett and Melissa Hutchison as Clementine. The large cast was rounded out by strong performances from Nikki Rapp as Lilly Caul, Gavin Hammon as Kenny, and Trevor Hoffmann as Ben Paul.
Runner-up: Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2’s cast was led by Dameon Clarke as the charismatic villain Handsome Jack. He was backed up by performances from Colleen Clinkenbeard as Lilith, David Eddings as Claptrap, Cherami Leigh as Gaige, and Britanni Johnson as the Guardian Angel
Best Female Voice
Winner: Jennifer Hale as Commander Shepard
Jennifer Hale’s performance as the female Commander Shepard, or “FemShep” as she is lovingly known by her fans, has always been one of the high marks of the Mass Effect games, and she really gives it her all in the closing game of Shepard’s trilogy of Mass Effect games.
Runner-up: Melissa Hutchison as Clementine
Clementine was easily the best child character in video games in 2012, and quite possibly of all time. She was a well written character, but it was Melissa Hutchison’s incredible performance that really made the character shine.
Best Male Voice
Winner: Dameon Clarke as Handsome Jack
It seems the voters really like their villains, as this is the second year in a row a villain has won the Best Male Voice award. Dameon Clarke absolutely nails Handsome Jack’s smug, condescending yet charismatic nature, and every time Handsome Jack speaks, it is pure audio gold.
Runner-up: Dave Fennoy as Lee Everett
Dave Fennoy lent his soothing, fatherly voice to Lee Everett. Fennoy’s performance perfectly captured the emotions of Lee throughout the five episodes of The Walking Dead, making some particularly emotional scenes all the more powerful.
Best Art Direction
Winner: Journey
Everything regarding Journey’s visuals is pure art. This is a game where you could frame any screenshot taken from it and hang it in a museum. Naturally, the game’s art direction is equally, if not more, beautiful.
Runner-up: Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 takes place on a Pandora that has a new, yet familiar look. It still looks like a craptastic post-apocalyptic world in many places, but in other places, Handsome Jack’s own tastes really shine through.
Best Art Style
Winner: Borderlands 2
One of the few types of graphics that seem to hold up to the test of time are cel-shaded graphics, and Borderlands 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game in that remark. The cartoony nature of the game’s visuals also makes it all the more amusing when you explode a Psycho’s head with a well placed sniper rifle round.
Runner-up: Katawa Shoujo
As a visual novel, Katawa Shoujo’s visuals are entirely comprised of still images, so a lot of focus should be on the art in the game. But Katawa Shoujo’s CGs are simply breathtaking. To the point where you can hardly believe they were done for a free game.
Best Graphics
Winner: Journey
Journey combines a great art style with great technology. In Journey’s case it is within how everything moves. Everything from the pieces of cloth scattered around the world to the cloth creatures to the sand and snow moves in a way that has rarely been seen in video games.
Runner-up: Borderlands 2
Much like Journey, Borderlands 2 combines a great art style with some impressive technology from cloth physics to lighting.
Best Original Score
Winner: Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo’s amazing soundtrack was composed by several people, most prominently Nicol Amarfi and Blue123. Katawa Shoujo’s soundtrack is a major part of why it is such an emotional experience. The game has the perfect songs picked for each of the game’s peak emotional moments, and each of the characters’ specific theme songs fit their respective characters to the T.
Runner-up: Journey
In a game without any dialogue of any kind, it is up to the soundtrack to express the emotions of the game. Luckily Austin Wintory’s beautiful soundtrack to Journey really sets the tone and emotion of the game. The fact that it is also nominated for a Grammy doesn’t hurt, either.
Best DLC
Winner: Harley Quinn’s Revenge (Batman: Arkham City)
In Harley Quinn’s Revenge, players have to rescue Batman from the clutches of a pissed-off Harley Quinn by stepping into the shoes of Robin. While the story in this DLC is kind of lacking, it makes up for it with the great gameplay that comes from playing around with Robin and his new set of skills and gadgets.
Runner-up: In Motion (Portal 2)
Is it really a surprise that the voters wanted to play more of FAN’s 2011 Game of the Year? In Motion adds 10 new puzzles to both the PS3 and PC versions of Portal 2 that can only be played with specific motion controllers.
Best Indie Game
Winner: Journey
Jenova Chen and Thatgamecompany created three games under an incubation contract with Sony. His small team cranked out much beloved games like ~fl0w~ and Flower, as well as their magnum opus Journey. As quite possibly the most talked about indie game of the year, it is fitting that Journey walks away with the award for Best Indie Game.
Runner-up: Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is truly an independent game. Its developer, Four Leaf Studios, created the game in their spare time while also overcoming the fact that the entire team was scattered across the globe.
Best Downloadable Game
Winner: Katawa Shoujo
The only way you can play Four Leaf Studios’ excellent roller coaster of emotion is by downloading it on a computer. As it is free you should play it. No, seriously, go play it.
Runner-up: Skullgirls
Skullgirls was created by a team of developers from Reverge Labs that are now their own small studio called Lab Zero Games. The game was a dream project of professional fighting game player Mike Z, and it paid off greatly, being one of the best games in its genre this year and one of the best games you can only obtain by downloading.
Best Rhythm Game
Winner: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Who would have thought that a music game based on the Final Fantasy series’ fantastic library of songs would work? Or even be as fun as it is? Well it does, and it is.
Runner-up: Rock Band Blitz
Harmonix continues the Rock Band series by making a game that harkens more to their pre-faux instrument days than their recent Rock Band outings. The fact that the game utilizes the entire Rock Band franchise library also makes it a worth while buy for fans of the series.
Best Strategy Game
Winner: XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Fireaxis Games’ reimagined remake of the cult classic strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense takes the X-COM series back to its roots. The second of two new XCOM games to be announced in recent years, Enemy Unknown actually ended up coming out before the other XCOM game, a shooter that veers far away from the series’ roots. Enemy Unknown ended up being a sleeper hit, sneaking in under the radar until critics started reviewing the game and praising its high quality.
Runner-up: Pokemon Conquest
Normally the idea of a Pokemon strategy game would sound weird, but Pokemon Conquest actually works. Conquest is a crossover game between the Pokemon series and the Nobunaga’s Ambition strategy game series. As fitting of its crossover partner, Pokemon Conquest takes place in a warring states feudal Japan type setting that has Pokemon juxtaposed next to feudal warriors and warlords.
Best Puzzle Game
Winner: Quantum Conundrum
Is it really that much of a surprise that a puzzle-platformer from Kim Swift, a lead designer of the beloved Portal, would be fun and quirky?
Runner-up: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton’s latest puzzling adventure made its way onto the 3DS this year, and for the first time in the series it used 3D graphics to mark the occasion.
Best Fighting Game
Winner: Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The voters have decided that the best fighting game this year is the sequel to arguably the most beloved Tekken game of all time. Plus Snoop Dogg….er….Snoop Lion is in the game. That’s got to account for something, right?
Runner-up: Skullgirls
Mike Z’s pet project proved to be one hell of a fighting game. So good that the voters loved it more than all but one of the fighting games made by the traditional powerhouses in the genre this year.
Best Platformer Game
Winner: LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
The second LittleBigPlanet title for those on the go, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita was able to retain the series’ trademark charm and gameplay, while also adding in features that utilized the PS Vita’s control schemes.
Runner-up: Gravity Rush
Gravity Rush was one of the surprise games on the Vita this year. Its gravity defying gameplay was ingenious and made for some really fun platforming.
Best Adventure Game
Winner: The Walking Dead
Telltale Games’ entire expertise is in the adventure game genre, a modern day LucasArts of the halcyon days of PC gaming, if you will. Despite a misstep with their game based on Jurassic Park, Telltale solidified themselves as the modern masters of the adventure game genre with The Walking Dead. It wasn’t just the best adventure game this year, it was one of the best games period.
Runner-up: Journey
Journey is all about the journey and then some. Throughout the game’s world there are hidden glyphs that increase the length of your traveler’s scarf, leading to longer flight times. Finding all of the glyphs will unlock a white robe that has unlimited energy for your scarf. Your onus then becomes teaching other players how to find said glyphs, thus continuing an endless cycle of knowledge being shared.
Best Driving Game
Winner: Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Much like how Telltale are the masters of adventure games, Criterion has become the masters of open world racing games, with their latest entry in the Need for Speed franchise building on their past open world racers, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Burnout Paradise.
Runner-up: Forza Horizon
Forza Horizon marks the first time the Forza series has broken away from a traditional racing game in favor of an open world racing game set in the beautiful landscape of Colorado.
Best Sports Game
Winner: MLB 12: The Show
MLB 12: The Show is the latest entry in Sony’s continually improving baseball franchise that for the foreseeable future will be the only show in town.
Runner-up: Madden NFL 13
This year’s Madden revamped how players did the franchise’s various career modes by bundling them all under one roof. A new physics system that creates more realistic tackling animations and player movement were also welcome additions.
Best Role-Playing Game
Winner: Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is like a breath of fresh air in the realm of MMORPGs. The visuals are stunning, the gameplay is crisp, and the game marks a new way to tell stories in an MMO.
Runner-up: Mass Effect 3
Controversial ending be damned. the voters still felt that Mass Effect 3 was worthy of recognition. The closing entry in the tale of Commander Shepard saw the culmination of what gamers did across the previous two games.
Best Action-Adventure Game
Winner: Sleeping Dogs
The voters did not sleep on this game. The open world Hong Kong crime drama that went on a journey from new IP to franchise reboot back to new IP is being recognized for its good combat and driving gameplay on top of other things that United Front Games were able to nail.
Runner-up: Dishonored
Arkane Studios’ Dishonored was one of the few new IPs released in the fall this year. Best described as a mixture of Thief and Deus Ex, Dishonored gives the player a lot of options in how they tackle the game’s missions.
Best Third Person Shooter
Winner: Spec Ops: The Line
While Spec Ops: The Line might have generic, if not archaic, gameplay mechanics, the game really shines in its writing and its story where it is a social commentary on war, military video games, and violent video games in general.
Runner-up: Hitman: Absolution
Agent 47’s return to video games has him being the target of the organization that once employed his services. He now has to fight against those he used to fight along side of.
Best First Person Shooter
Winner: Borderlands 2
Gearbox’s loot based first person shooter/role-playing game hybrid won over the voters with its amazing visuals, tight gameplay, humorous writing, and endless amounts of weapons.
Runner-up: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Valve revived the Counter-Strike series this year with Global Offensive. Global Offensive maintains all of the series’ trademarks, while also including updated versions of classic maps. To say the game is a steal at its low price point is a vast understatement.
Best Mobile Game
Winner: Angry Birds: Star Wars
Rovio sure was busy this year, releasing the excellent mobile puzzle games Angry Birds Space, Bad Piggies, and Amazing Alex as well as Angry Birds: Star Wars, which combined some of the mechanics introduced in Angry Birds Space while adding new features in, such as a lightsaber and force powers for the Jedi Birds.
Runner-up: Super Hexagon
Super Hexagon is the latest addictive masochistic game from Terry Cavanagh, creator of VVVVVV. The game doesn’t last long, but making it to the end is a test of skill and patience.
Best DS/3DS Game
Winner: Pokemon: Black & White 2
The first ever direct sequel to a main Pokemon game, Black & White 2 takes place a few years after the events of the first Black & White game and features new designs for characters from the first Black & White while also introducing new characters altogether.
Runner-up: Resident Evil: Revelations
Of the three Resident Evil games released in 2012, Resident Evil: Revelations was by far the best of the three, returning to the series’ survival horror roots while still maintaining the camera and control styles of Resident Evil 4 and 5.
Best PS Vita Game
Winner: Gravity Rush
Gravity Rush was originally planned to be a PS3 game, but thank goodness it ended up a Vita game instead. The Vita’s library is anemic enough as it is. Without this excellent open world game, it would be even worse.
Runner-up: Uncharted: Golden Abyss
A PS Vita launch title, Golden Abyss retained many of the things that make the Uncharted games what they are. Unfortunately the game also included a bunch of unneeded touch screen and accelerometer controls to help show off the functions of the Vita, thus harming the overall package.
Best PC Game
Winner: Guild Wars 2
ArenaNet’s excellent sequel to the popular Guild Wars won over the voters with their unique way of tackling stories in an MMO, as well as the lack of a subscription fee that the series is known for on top of stellar visuals and gameplay.
Runner-up: Katawa Shoujo
Four Leaf Studios’ emotional visual novel played with the feelings and preconceptions of a lot of people, and it definitely has left a mark on the voters, as they named it the second best game released exclusively on PCs this year.
Best Wii/Wii U Game
Winner: Xenoblade Chronicles
Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles was one of the main targets of the Operation Rainfall movement. Thankfully the efforts of the fans paid off, as this excellent RPG finally came to America two years after its Japanese release. As one of the last major games for the Wii in North America, it helped send the system off on a high note.
Runner-up: New Super Mario Bros. U
New Super Mario Bros. U is the first time Nintendo’s flagship plumber helped launch a home console since the N64. As it is a Wii U title, it utilizes the system’s Gamepad to help manipulate the game’s world during multiplayer. Other new additions include Baby Yoshis.
Best PS3 Game
Winner: Journey
This is the only award without a runner-up, as Thatgamecompany’s Journey was unanimously voted as the best game on Sony’s home console this year. A worthy title to bestow upon the best selling PSN game to date.
Best Xbox 360 Game
Winner: Forza Horizon
The open world racing game collaboration between Playground Games and Turn 10 was a chance for the Forza series to finally let its hair down while giving gamers beautiful Colorado vistas and great racing gameplay.
Runner-up: Fez
Phil Fish’s Fez finally saw the light of day after a constantly delayed development cycle. And despite a few glitches that made it into the final build, Fez is still a cute platformer with interesting gameplay. It certainly seems like the voters were able to overlook the few problems Fez had, as they crowned it the second best game only on the Xbox 360.
Best Multiplatform Game
Winner: Borderlands 2
What is there really left to be said about Borderlands 2? It is incredibly funny. It has a great vocal cast. It has superb gameplay that blurs the lines between a role-playing game and a first person shooter. It has a surprisingly engaging story. It has one of the best villains to appear in gaming in recent memory. And best of all, anyone with an Xbox 360, PS3, or PC that is up to snuff can play it.
Runner-up: Dishonored
Dishonored was a much needed breath of fresh air this holiday season. Surrounded on all sides by sequels, many of which were varying degrees of disappointments, Dishonored shined like a beacon in a storm. The unique visuals, amazing gameplay, and the wide variety of choices to make made this a treat for anyone with a PS3, 360, or PC.
Studio of the Year
Winner: Telltale Games
Few developers are able to bounce back from releasing a game generally deemed to be “bad”. Even fewer still have gone on to create a Game of the Year caliber title as their rebound game. Telltale Games accomplished both, rebounding from the awful Jurassic Park game with The Walking Dead, which has brought the studio unseen critical and financial success, as The Walking Dead is the best selling game for the studio yet.
Runner-up: Thatgamecompany
With each of Thatgamecompany’s subsequent games, they kept getting better. ~fl0w~ was a fun little game early in the PS3’s life cycle. They then impressed people with Flower. And now they’ve skyrocketed to stardom with Journey. Much like Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Journey is a legitimate Game of the Year caliber game. However, unlike The Walking Dead, Journey has no spoken dialogue, nor does it have any written words, yet it is still an emotional and engaging experience.
This is it folks, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the announcement of FAN’s Game of the Year for 2012. This year the voting was much closer than last year with only one vote separating the winner and the runner-up. Before I announce the winner, let’s build up the hype a little bit more with this brief montage of the nominees.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the winner of FAN’s 2012 Gilded Gamepad for Game of the Year is……….
…
…..
…….
Pause for dramatic effect………….
BORDERLANDS 2
For the second year in a row the voters have picked a game with brilliantly written comedy, tight gameplay that vastly improved on their respective predecessors, had excellent voice acting, sharp visuals, and above all else was insanely fun to play. Congrats to Gearbox Software for creating such an incredible game.
Runner-up: Journey
And a job well done to Thatgamecompany for Journey as well for pushing forward the artistic merits of the medium and showing that it isn’t the quantity of content, but the quality of the content that matters in the end. And that it is possible to tell an engaging narrative entirely through gameplay.
And there you have it folks, the winners and runner-ups of this year’s Gilded Gamepad Awards. If these results reflect anything in particular about this year, it is that while AAA games may have overall dropped the ball, downloadable games more than made up for it, as evident by the lion’s share of winners and runner-ups being downloadable games.