BEST MAN IN GAMING: MARKUS PERSSON
Love him or hate him, Markus Persson (AKA Notch) is a major figure in the indie market and Minecraft’s 360 version released this year earned more awards than Mojang has staff. The skin packs for Minecraft: 360 Edition has raised over $700,000 for charity. That’s impressive no matter who you are.
WHY:
Challenged Bethesda to a Quake 3 tournament to decide whether he could use the word Scrolls as a game title. They elected not to take part, clearly afraid of his beard. This is obviously a tiny part of a huge lawsuit but they ended up settling – and Notch walked away with permission to use Scrolls.
Runner Up: TIM SCHAFER.
Because he’s Tim Schafer.
BEST WOMAN IN GAMING: ANITA SARKEESIAN
Feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian was on the receiving end of rape and death threats, racism, and a campaign of misogynistic hatred from the darkest, scummiest reaches of the gaming community (You know, those parts that need to be jettisoned into space). Regardless, Sarkeesian held her head high and her Kickstarter campaign for video series Tropes Vs Women, originally launched to fund $6000, reached $158,917 in donations over just one month.
It kicked off an entire debate about sexism in videogames – something that needed to be discussed rather than swept under the rug – and left many asking the question: Is gaming really the all-welcoming industry we’d all like to believe it is?
Runner Up: JENNIFER HALE
She voiced female Shepherd in the Mass Effect series but many believe her portrayal of the character to be the truest (and most interesting). This woman has a list of roles a mile long and she brings incredible flair to each and every one.
BEST HERO OF 2012:
LEE EVERETT (The Walking Dead)
Depending on how you played him, Lee was either a noble hero seeking redemption for his past in a cruel new world, or a subversive sneak who’d do anything to survive. His bond with a little girl, Clementine, is what really defines his character regardless of choices, and his humanity is what puts him above the Master Chiefs, Connors and other such obvious choices for this award.
WHY:
Lee is just an ordinary guy until the zombie apocalypse begins but he rises to the occasion magnificently. He’s a little clueless at times but his desire to protect Clementine is what makes him stand out from the crowd of assassins and super soldiers that dominated this year’s big releases. Lee’s selfless protection of his friends and a little lost girl is representative of the best we can be in the face of adversity, which makes him the complete opposite of the winner of the next award…
Check out our review of the Walking Dead Here: http://www.invisioncommunity.co.uk/review/the-walking-dead-review/
BEST VILLAIN OF 2012: Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)
Vaas, a pirate warlord, is easily one of the most painfully broken, twisted, psychopathic men ever depicted in gaming, let alone best villain of the year. He’s drug addicted, bipolar, and murderous – and in Far Cry 3, this man has all of your friends captive. Most terrifying of all, he represents what the naive protagonist, Justin Bieber – I mean, Jason Brody – could become if he follows that same path of death and destruction.
WHY?
You can save your Didacts and Haythams, Vaas wins this one simply because of how human he is. From the very first scene of Far Cry 3 he’s a twisted, unsettling individual portrayed perfectly by his animators and voice actor. He shows us all how far we can fall, and for Jason, Far Cry 3’s naive protagonist, he’s a cruel reminder of loss and what Jason could ultimately become. His insanity is so horribly realistic, so reminiscent of De Niro’s Travis Bickle on twice the acid dosage, and so tragically brought about that you can’t help but be gripped by his part of the story.
Check out the full review here: http://www.invisioncommunity.co.uk/review/far-cry-3-review/
HONOURABLE MENTION: Handsome Jack (Borderlands 2)
Jack is evil, no doubt, and the very embodiment of corporate evil, but Vaas would eat him for lunch and spit out his bones before the Vault Hunter had even crawled out of Claptrap’s place.
THE BEST NPC OF 2012: CLAPTRAP
Claptrap, or his official designation, CL4P-TP, is the mascot of the Borderlands series, and your generous, all-knowing master and constant protector, in the game’s hit sequel.
WHY?
He’s unstoppably charming unless there’s a staircase in his way, and is easily one of the most memorable characters in a cast that’s in no way short of them. He’s constantly making wisecracks and his optional birthday celebration mission should go down as one of the most awkward moments in gaming, ever. He’s probably one of the biggest parts of Borderland’s humour, with a few exceptions in Tiny Tina and Face McShooty.
INVISION GAME OF THE YEAR: BORDERLANDS 2
Okay, so you probably saw this coming, and Borderlands 2 has had its fair share of acclaim recently. Handsome Jack’s plot to run the border world of Pandora may have been brought down by the majority of fledgling Vault Hunters out there but as the game’s cryptic ending and the masses of incoming DLC suggest, this game is going to have longevity well into 2013 that will compete with next year’s big releases in a big way across all the major platforms.
We gave Borderlands 2 a well deserved 5/5 in our review on its release, and it’s held up just as well with the releases of two DLC packs with even more to come. It’s frantic shoot and loot madness, and if you haven’t checked it out so far this year, you should make it your business this Christmas. It’s this year’s Skyrim. On all kinds of psychedelic drugs.
Check out our review here: http://www.invisioncommunity.co.uk/review/borderlands-2-review/
INVISION’S INDIE PICK OF THE YEAR: KRATER
Krater created by Fatshark, is such a great Indie game and one of the best Indie games to come in 2012, by far.
Quote for our review ” Krater is an enjoyable, engrossing game that is well worth your money. The combat is very repetitive and the menus could do with some streamlining but once you delve into the customization and crafting you can really start to have fun. For just over ten pounds, you get a well-made dungeon crawler that fans of Dawn of War and Tourchlight would love. With online co-op on the way, the inexpensive price tag makes this charming game a complete steal.”
Check out the full review here: http://www.invisioncommunity.co.uk/review/krater-review/
