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Giant Bomb's 2012 Game of the Year Awards: Day One

In our first awards installment, we sing the praises of 2011's most unsung game before digging into the 2012 awards good and proper.

This is it, people. Now that we've all made it through the apocalypse, it's time to begin a glorious new era for the good of all mankind, an era in which we at Giant Bomb make grand, declarative statements about the best things that happened in video games over the 12 months prior.

Hmm. In that respect, maybe this era isn't much different from the dark age that preceded it. In any case, you can look forward to a new batch of our awards every day this week, and be sure to hear our deliberation podcast to get an aromatic whiff of our sausage-making process.

2012's 2011 Game of the Year

Super Mario 3D Land

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There are games that define a system, and Super Mario 3D Land is exactly that for Nintendo's 3DS. Not only it is yet another spectacular platformer from the same creative minds responsible for Super Mario Galaxy, but it simultaneously made the case for 3D being more than just a visual gimmick that tires your eyes. The 3D in Super Mario 3D Land actually enhances the player's ability to assess the world around them, and provides useful information for the game's trickiest moments. You won't encounter the most dastardly of those sequences until the second half of the game, a curious design choice that might lead someone to write the game off too early. Everything before the second half is fun to play, but it lacks a certain edge.

The second half of Super Mario 3D Land has all the challenge you're looking for, especially for players pursuing the hidden golden coins. For the most committed, beating the whole game a second time with Luigi unlocks one of the most difficult Mario levels ever constructed, one where you'll resort to checking a FAQ to complete, and spend hours cursing the screen in glorious frustration. In a year where we collectively lost faith in the Mario franchise with back-to-back lackluster sequels in the "New" series, Super Mario 3D Land reminds you how relevant Mario can be, and that Nintendo's decision to soften the challenge in many of its games is a deliberate one. When it wants to punish you, it can. Super Mario 3D Land is proof. How about a little more of that, Nintendo? Please.

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Runners-Up: TrackMania 2: Canyon, Pushmo

Best Moment/Sequence

Fez - Cracking the Code

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Fez might be the world's greatest switcheroo. It's a bait-and-switch that actually pays off by taking one game that you already wanted to play and turning it into a different game that you simply can't stop playing. Or thinking about. Obsessing over Fez and its real meaning was the thing to do in April and May of this year. All of that obsession starts once you begin to realize that there's much more to Fez than simple platforming and puzzle-solving. It's there, just under the surface, and it's constantly trying to tell you something.

Figuring that "something" out is the best moment of 2012. Realizing that the game is communicating with you from the very beginning, and that all those various blocks and scribbles aren't just gibberish is part of it. But finally cracking that code and getting to the root of the game's language is a magical happening that's unlike anything else. It shifts your perspective on the entire game, inspiring you to go back through every little bit in every single room to hunt for more clues and secret messages. It went from a quaint little 2D game with inoffensive puzzles to something with huge depth. It suddenly felt vast. It's nuts. It turned the game into a huge mystery, with message boards full of people poking away at different parts of it in an attempt to figure out what the hell Fez is really all about. Honestly, we're still not sure if the mystery was ever completely solved, but the journey was certainly worth it.

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Runners-Up: Journey - Side-View Sliding, Frog Fractions - Going Underwater

Best New Character

Vaas

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Video game villains regularly come in one of two flavors: boringly flaccid or cartoonishly evil. While there's certainly an extremely evil quality to Far Cry 3's pirate ringleader Vaas Montenegro, the intensity of his character never quite gives way to the over-the-top near-parody that plagues the bad guys in so many other games. Vaas feels genuinely threatening every time you come face to face with him, and even though the guy displays plenty of unstable behavior, you're never quite sure exactly what else he's capable of or what he's going to do next. He's the sort of unhinged madman who makes you feel uncomfortable every time he's around you. You just want to get the hell away from him as fast as possible. That's a good villain.

In a medium full of people plagued by the uncanny valley, all of Far Cry 3's major players are rendered with a relatively impressive sense of character and believability, and the Ubisoft team deserves much of the credit for bringing them to life. But Vaas wouldn't be as chilling as he is without actor Michael Mando, whose likeness and captured performance are what really instill Vaas with such a chilling malice. If the eyes are the window to the soul, you can see clearly enough into Vaas to know that he doesn't have one. Even if his potential and incredibly strong introduction are ultimately squandered by his perfunctory dismissal from the story later on, Vaas is still one of the stronger arguments we've seen lately that characters in video games can match the dramatic standards set by the actors in television and film.

Runners-up: Lee Everett, Javik

Best Music

Hotline Miami

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The one thing you can say for all of the nominees in this category is that in each case, the music was an integral part of the experience. Not just ambient noise, or catchy riffs, but music painstakingly crafted to evoke a very specific emotional response in the player. In the case of Hotline Miami, most often that feeling could best be described as a kind of psychotic, yet leisurely dread.

The developers at Dennaton built their game's aesthetic heavily around the dingy, neon-soaked horrors of Nicolas Winding-Refn's film Drive, and to compliment that aesthetic, they sought out a variety of indie electronic artists to craft an aural vibe well-suited to that kind of late-'80s griminess. As the beats and synths kick into gear, the on-screen action becomes more than just a quickly paced top-down shooter. It turns the act of playing Hotline Miami into something almost resembling an intoxicating fugue state, the likes of which you simply won't want to escape from.

But don't just take our word for it. Listen for yourself.

Runners-up: Fez, Journey

Best Classic Revival

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

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It certainly didn't feel this way at the time, but the way 2K rolled out its revival of XCOM almost feels like some deep, insidious plan in hindsight. Like this:

  1. Announce that you're turning a beloved turn-based strategy game into a first-person shooter.
  2. Show off said shooter and receive a fairly negative reaction.
  3. Remove shooter from view for "retooling."
  4. Announce that you're working on a more faithful reboot of the original turn-based strategy game.
  5. Profit.

What if the whole first-person shooter thing was a ploy from the get-go? It's the video game equivalent of tuning your guitars to A432, man. Seriously, I read all about it in one of my newsletters. Ultimately, none of that matters. What does matter is that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a kick-ass modernization of one of the greatest games of all-time. It treats the source material with an appropriate amount of respect without sacrificing modern playability in the process. That's something of a highwire act these days, and not only did Firaxis nail it, but the team there also figured out a way to make the whole thing run on consoles without controlling like a total embarrassment. Super-impressive.

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Runners-Up: Syndicate, Double Dragon Neon

136 Comments

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radioactivez0r

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Edited By radioactivez0r

I've only listened to the beginning of the podcast, but did the Darksiders II music get any mentions? I was amazed not only at the fact that I even noticed it, but also at how awesome and epic it was in parts.

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AssInAss

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Edited By AssInAss

@radioactivez0r said:

I've only listened to the beginning of the podcast, but did the Darksiders II music get any mentions? I was amazed not only at the fact that I even noticed it, but also at how awesome and epic it was in parts.

Wouldn't be a surprise since it's the great Jesper Kyd (Hitman, Ass Creed).

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cosi83

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Edited By cosi83

Sine Mora music should have been thrown into the mix

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prestonhedges

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Edited By prestonhedges

Oh, yup, they only played through XCOM once and never touched it again. Otherwise they'd be, "This isn't as good as I first thought..."

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Shinmaru007

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Edited By Shinmaru007

I don't know about you all, but I've been sitting jamming to the Hotline Miami soundtrack up there for SO LONG now.

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Artof_War

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Edited By Artof_War

Excited for this!

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

The only one I didn't really see coming was Super Mario 3D land.

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D_W

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Edited By D_W

While I understand the nature of the category, but man... No mention of Awesomenauts in best music?

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VisariLoyalist

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Edited By VisariLoyalist

really really not feeling the hotline miami soundtrack maybe that's just me.

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crithon

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Edited By crithon

Double Dragon Neon for revival? Yikes, man, that's scary to be in there

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MiniPato

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Edited By MiniPato

@crithon said:

Double Dragon Neon for revival? Yikes, man, that's scary to be in there

Jeff said he hated it at first, but then came to like it. And well, the other nominees were pretty bad anyways.

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vinsanityv22

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Edited By vinsanityv22

All great games here. I expected more "makes me furious"-kinds of choices :)

Although I don't know any of those new characters. You'd figure Handome Jack from Bo'derlands 2 would, easily, have wrapped that up. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

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TheDudeOfGaming

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Edited By TheDudeOfGaming

Vaas truly is awesome, and now I'll have to play Hotline Miami.

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BBQBram

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Edited By BBQBram

Nothing says christmas like Game of the Year content!

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godzilla_sushi

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Edited By godzilla_sushi

I love this!

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paulunga

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Edited By paulunga

@MiniPato said:

@crithon said:

Double Dragon Neon for revival? Yikes, man, that's scary to be in there

Jeff said he hated it at first, but then came to like it. And well, the other nominees were pretty bad anyways.

I'm more disappointed that they didn't even mention it for Best Music. Both the mixtapes and actual background music were great.

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MormonWarrior

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Edited By MormonWarrior

That secret level in Mario 3D Land...was not that hard. Yeah, I said it. Having beaten Rayman Origins and gotten 100% in Meat Boy, it's not even close to anything in those games. It's fun, sure, but Patrick sure likes to play up the difficulty. I think I died four times before beating it.

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deactivated-660208a327978

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Best music didn't go to Journey? Are you all high? Do you not have ears?

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Bollard

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Edited By Bollard

Hotline Miami's music is so bad, can't believe that shit beat FEZ.

Urgh.

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JustinAquarius

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Edited By JustinAquarius

@edgefusion said:

Best music didn't go to Journey? Are you all high? Do you not have ears?

For all the hype on music Journey is getting, I played through the game and loved it, yet I don't remember a single thing about the score. You could tell me the game had no score at all and I'd believe you because it apparently didn't register with me.

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox

Wow. Battlefield 3 is easily the 2012 2011 GOTY. I understand that all three of the biggest Battlefield fans in the clique no longer work with you guys, so I can understand you guys mostly overlooking it. But wow, that game has gotten so much better this year than it was last year. It also has the best bow of the year.
 
I really liked Pushmo as well, but there's no comparison. And Trackmania2 would seem like a running joke if I didn't know any better.

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CaptainInvictus

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Edited By CaptainInvictus

@MrKlorox said:

Wow. Battlefield 3 is easily the 2012 2011 GOTY. I understand that all three of the biggest Battlefield fans in the clique no longer work with you guys, so I can understand you guys mostly overlooking it. But wow, that game has gotten so much better this year than it was last year. It also has the best bow of the year. I really liked Pushmo as well, but there's no comparison. And Trackmania2 would seem like a running joke if I didn't know any better.

Wow, it's almost as if it's Giant Bomb's 2012's 2011 GOTY and not yours!

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Roger778

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Edited By Roger778

Okay, I think I'm convinced that I need to play Far Cry 3.

Vaas sounds like a truly scary villain, and the open-world that you get to explore excites me, because I love that type of game. I've gotten pretty good at playing shooter games over the years, and the only thing that worries me is if the game will be too hard.

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Phange

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Edited By Phange

Nobody thought NSMB U was disappointing except you, GiantBomb. It wasn't lackluster. It wasn't formulaic. It certainly wasn't easy. I'd wager you never got past Layer Cake Desert and abandoned the game before it turned creative, clever, and most importantly, far more challenging. If you afforded SM 3D Land the courtesy of a double-playthrough to unlock the only "Kaizo" Mario stage, I'd hope you would've done them same for NSMB U. As a fan of SM3DL, I can honestly say that NSMB U is ultimately a far better-realized game than SM3DL, especially in stage design. I dare you to play Superstar Road 8 and claim it's pedestrian or easy. I've played Kaizo levels easier than that.

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deactivated-660208a327978

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@JustinAquarius: Then I'm afraid to tell you either your television speakers are broken, you had it on mute the entire time or you're suffering from some kind of auditory-based amnesia. Many things can be said about Journey, it having a forgettable soundtrack is absolutely and unquestionably not one of them.

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shodan2020

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Edited By shodan2020

@Chavtheworld: I loved both of them. Both were incredible to me!

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox
@CaptainInvictus said:

@MrKlorox said:

Wow. Battlefield 3 is easily the 2012 2011 GOTY. I understand that all three of the biggest Battlefield fans in the clique no longer work with you guys, so I can understand you guys mostly overlooking it. But wow, that game has gotten so much better this year than it was last year. It also has the best bow of the year. I really liked Pushmo as well, but there's no comparison. And Trackmania2 would seem like a running joke if I didn't know any better.

Wow, it's almost as if it's Giant Bomb's 2012's 2011 GOTY and not yours! Man, you just don't get it, do you?

I don't get it? Hilarious.
 
Here's how comments sections work since you're clearly he one who needs an eye opener: People post reactions to the articles about how much they agree with or disagree with the contents or how much it amazes or disappoints them. Now what you did was post nonsense that has no merit on ANY conversation at hand and only served its purpose to shut down another user. Then you went back and edited out the most dickish part; while forgetting to actually add something to the topic. I don't expect any less from trolls on the internet, especially from these boards/forums. Thanks for not disappointing.
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hot_orange

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Edited By hot_orange

Watched until 2:26, paused to comment about how crazy great this is, un-paused.

Greatness!

* Back to video

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Bunny_Fire

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Edited By Bunny_Fire

Go Jeff :)

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deactivated-5ffc9b0923f9f

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I decided to purchase Super Mario 3D Land because of this list.

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Edited By ouvintes

Personally, I think FTL should have won the best music category. While the Hotline Miami ST is amazing, I think Ben Prunty did an outstanding job on his own, great arrangements, very clever with the dual versions for each track. I'm baffled he didn't even make the cut.

Love these award shows, looking forward to listen to the rest soon.

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ROFLknife

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Edited By ROFLknife

New Super Mario Bros. U was excellent. That is all.

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k_briskin

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Edited By k_briskin

¡SPOILERS!

I just made an account on this site to say that Mordin's death deserves a nod in the Best Moment/Sequence category; it's the clear winner for me.

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Skeetz

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Edited By Skeetz

Best moment for me was Shepard and Garrus shooting cans on the citadel in ME3. My Shepard missed his shot and Garrus declared "I'm Garrus Vakarian, and this is now my favorite spot on the Citadel."

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Djungelurban

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Edited By Djungelurban

Not even mentioning Xenoblade Chronicles for best music pretty music invalidates that entire category...

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Edited By Krataur

Finally getting around to listening to the podcasts. For the most part, I agree with their decisions, but some noticeable complete snubs for me include:

Best New Character: Haytham Kenway

Best Music: Sound Shapes

Best Revival: SSX