HomePlatformPCCapsule Computer’s 2012 Game of the Year Awards

Capsule Computer’s 2012 Game of the Year Awards

Journey

Journey-BadgeIt was something of a quiet year in PlayStation 3 land, but even if a few other big hitters had been around this year’s winner would still have held its ground amongst them. thatgamecompany brought Journey to the world back in March, and it soon became the biggest selling game in the history of the PlayStation Network.

If the gaming industry is to keep evolving then Journey is the game that it needs to be brave enough to make. It’s not a sequel, a reboot or a rip off; and there are no guts, no guns, no DLC and no online pass.  What Journey is is proof that gaming can still bring something new and wonderful to the table. Despite the age of current generation consoles not every mind in the industry is blind to the possibility of innovating with the tools already at hand.

It may only have simple mechanics and last for a couple of hours, but Journey has more power in it than the majority of games released today. With a complete lack of dialogue it still tells a story, relying on a wonderful soundtrack and beautiful visuals rather than exposition. The subtle multiplayer is perfectly suited to the tone of the game, and it still has a surprising amount of replay value for a title that is simply about climbing a mountain.

There will be those who simply do not like or understand this game, but it is an important part of 2012 nonetheless. Not every game needs to be Journey, but every game should take inspiration from the bold and individual world that it presents. Claire Phillips

 

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