Video games can be many things to many people, so the idea of proclaiming a single one as the best of 2012 strikes us as a little limiting. This year, instead of screaming at each other for hours in a sweaty, smoke-filled room until we emerge with a handful of winners, your friends at 1UP have decided to forsake categorization and write about the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year -- and that's the point of playing video games, isn't it?
Jose: Of all the games I played in 2012, XCOM Enemy Unknown stood out as my favorite. I didn't expect this outcome initially -- especially since I have a novice level appreciation for strategy games -- but developer Firaxis has assembled a tense tactical game filled with gripping choices both on and off the battlefield. More importantly, Enemy Unknown doesn't toss around the idea of decision-making lightly; each individual selection can have large consequences and set up some incredibly thrilling moments.
Video games can be many things to many people, so the idea of proclaiming a single one as the best of 2012 strikes us as a little limiting. This year, instead of screaming at each other for hours in a sweaty, smoke-filled room until we emerge with a handful of winners, your friends at 1UP have decided to forsake categorization and write about the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year -- and that's the point of playing video games, isn't it?
Warning: the following article contains significant, life-shattering spoilers. You have been warned.
Marty: Video games have always been predominantly about survival. Whether it comes in the form of menacing ghosts, falling shapes, or bouncing turtles, games are rife with obstacles that stand in the way of our own well-being. These interactive experiences have taught us to overcome these barriers as a part of our own sense of self-preservation. As long as our digital avatar is still standing at the end, then we have succeeded. But things changed in 2012 thanks to Telltale, The Walking Dead, and a 9-year-old girl from rural Georgia named Clementine. Suddenly, we stopped caring so much about what happened to us, instead focusing on the welfare of this innocent, unplayable child.
Video games can be many things to many people, so the idea of proclaiming a single one as the best of 2012 strikes us as a little limiting. This year, instead of screaming at each other for hours in a sweaty, smoke-filled room until we emerge with a handful of winners, your friends at 1UP have decided to forsake categorization and write about the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year -- and that's the point of playing video games, isn't it?
Marty:Journey is my favorite thing of 2012. Notice that I refrained from saying game, because honestly, to just limit my enjoyment of thatgamecompany's masterpiece to our medium would be doing it a disservice. More than any other film, album or novel, Journey displayed the power that a specific piece of art can have over our lives. Its mechanics, aesthetics, and message all worked as one to deliver an experience that want to continually want to absorb time and time again. Just a word of warning: as if it weren't already obvious, this write up is going to be rife with what may seem like hyperbole. But just note that I'm not trying to bolster my opinion or make bold, outrageous claims -- I really am this infatuated with everything about Journey.
Video games can be many things to many people, so the idea of proclaiming a single one as the best of 2012 strikes us as a little limiting. This year, instead of screaming at each other for hours in a sweaty, smoke-filled room until we emerge with a handful of winners, your friends at 1UP have decided to forsake categorization and write about the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year -- and that's the point of playing video games, isn't it?
Jeremy: No game impressed me this year the way Mark of the Ninja did. Developer Klei stepped back from the brawlers they'd become known for (i.e., the Shank series) to create a game that looked and played just as slickly but focused on stealth and subtlety instead of all-out violence. In the process, they created a completely new kind of stealth action game. Since I said basically everything I needed to say about Mark in my review (my first A+ rating in more than 18 months), I decided instead of rehashing that article I should go after new insights about this compact masterpiece by talking to its director, Nels Anderson. Over the next several thousand words, Nels and I look into the genesis of the game, the challenges of executing stealth in two dimensions, and how to avoid the pitfalls that have beset other stealth titles.
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Creator Markus "Notch" Persson reveals franchise sales of sandbox game nearly totaled half a million on Tuesday.
The Minecraft franchise sold 453,000 copies on Christmas Day, series creator Markus "Notch" Persson revealed over Twitterrecently. The game is available on PC and Mac, Xbox Live, and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
Gamers interested in getting an inside look at the development of Minecraft can check out 2Player Productions' official Minecraft documentary. It debuted on Xbox Live last week and is now available to purchase from the company's website.
Crystal Dynamics confirms upcoming Lara Croft reboot will feature a head-to-head mode.
Next year's Tomb Raider reboot will not be a single-player-only affair. Crystal Dynamics global brand director Karl Stewart recently revealed via Twitter that the game will in fact ship with a multiplayer mode.
This was first speculated when United Kingdom retailer GAME listed multiplayer as a major feature for Tomb Raider. The details have since been removed, but it was suggested that players would be able to control Lara's shipmates or Yamatai scavengers in a variety of modes.
First details on Tomb Raider's multiplayer mode will be revealed in Official Xbox Magazine's January issue, due to subscribers this week.
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