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Did Journey deserve to be 2012's Game Of The Year?
- Thread starter Phediuk
- Start date
To be honest, I never understood Journeys greatness. I played through it and I don't think I get it. I might be stupid.
Journey and The Walking Dead S1 were my two favorites that I'd have been equally confident in either being my #1 that year. Sleeping Dogs became a close contender after playing through it and its DLC a year or two later.
The XCOM revival is the easy pick of the poll, but I'm so glad I'm not the first one in this thread to throw some much-needed weight behind the outstanding Mark of the Ninja. Those two are my true contenders.
All respect to those naming NSMBU, too. Its position was significantly strengthened by NSLU the following year, but even it launch it was easy to overlook its countless qualities and original contributions if you were stuck in the haze of NSMB fatigue or if you totally ignored its challenge mode and asymmetrical co-op. The pinnacle of the NSMB era, no question, and for all its conservatism, still my favourite Nintendo release in a sparse yet weirdly intriguing Nintendo year that brought us Kid Icarus: Uprising, Xenoblade (about which my sentiments are mixed), and the fascinating Nintendo Land.
Borderlands 2 is still the stock example I pull out today of a game that looked like the world's most horrible fit for me on paper, but turned out to be so much more than the sum of its parts that I still haven't gotten over the shock and surprise of how much I liked it. It might be my most-played FPS of any sort by now, and I recently fell right back into it.
Not sure what would round things out after those four (MotN, XCOM, NSMBU, BL2 in some order). I'm probably forgetting something important. I admired a lot about games like FTL, CK2, and The Walking Dead, but selectively, with caveats, and without ever being all that crazy about them. And Diablo III was a game I played and enjoyed more in its original state, RMAH and Inferno and all, even if it really was an objectively worse design than what it eventually became. Mists of Pandaria looks like one of WoW's highest points in retrospect, but it wasn't quite there yet at launch.
For all this, I still think of 2012 as the weakest year of the decade in my books, a title only contested by the tepid 2016, which had even less to offer me but which arguably hit higher highs.
All respect to those naming NSMBU, too. Its position was significantly strengthened by NSLU the following year, but even it launch it was easy to overlook its countless qualities and original contributions if you were stuck in the haze of NSMB fatigue or if you totally ignored its challenge mode and asymmetrical co-op. The pinnacle of the NSMB era, no question, and for all its conservatism, still my favourite Nintendo release in a sparse yet weirdly intriguing Nintendo year that brought us Kid Icarus: Uprising, Xenoblade (about which my sentiments are mixed), and the fascinating Nintendo Land.
Borderlands 2 is still the stock example I pull out today of a game that looked like the world's most horrible fit for me on paper, but turned out to be so much more than the sum of its parts that I still haven't gotten over the shock and surprise of how much I liked it. It might be my most-played FPS of any sort by now, and I recently fell right back into it.
Not sure what would round things out after those four (MotN, XCOM, NSMBU, BL2 in some order). I'm probably forgetting something important. I admired a lot about games like FTL, CK2, and The Walking Dead, but selectively, with caveats, and without ever being all that crazy about them. And Diablo III was a game I played and enjoyed more in its original state, RMAH and Inferno and all, even if it really was an objectively worse design than what it eventually became. Mists of Pandaria looks like one of WoW's highest points in retrospect, but it wasn't quite there yet at launch.
For all this, I still think of 2012 as the weakest year of the decade in my books, a title only contested by the tepid 2016, which had even less to offer me but which arguably hit higher highs.
Personally, no. Journey is good and it's a beautiful, unique experience, but I had several games ranked ahead of it including Walking Dead (my GOTY), Mark of the Ninja, ZombiU, Far Cry 3 and Dishonored.
2012 was probably the worst year for video games that I can remember. It was a depressing year for AAA games, and consequently was the year where indie games jumped way, way up in importance for me.
Most of the games that made my Top 10 that year wouldn't have made my list of 10 in any other year.
2012 was probably the worst year for video games that I can remember. It was a depressing year for AAA games, and consequently was the year where indie games jumped way, way up in importance for me.
Most of the games that made my Top 10 that year wouldn't have made my list of 10 in any other year.
I have never felt such a disconnect with people's opinions on GOTY as with Journey. To me, it was nothing more than a pretty tech demo with almost zero compelling gameplay. Like Flower, it was worth playing for the visuals but kind of disposable. I guess that appeals to a lot of people but it doesn't have enough substance to be my GOTY. My pick for 2012 is Dishonored.
One of the worst years for video games I've been alive for.
Personal GOTY is Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, or Spec Ops the Line. Journey would be RIGHT behind these though.
Personal GOTY is Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, or Spec Ops the Line. Journey would be RIGHT behind these though.
To me, Journey's brilliance was in making me feel like I was playing through the game with one other player, losing them in a snow battle, panicking looking around for them afterwards, my relief in finding them, finishing the game, only to find out I had played with 3 separate people. Totally blew my mind that the game made me feel that connected to what was not a singular partner.
Absolutely. You can make arguments for other games (Xenoblade Chronicles, Hotline Miami, Kid Icarus Uprising and Dragon's Dogma are contenders, though Xenoblade's release situation is kinda weird), but Journey's place as the "game of 2012" is a really solid choice in retrospect. That game did a whole lot in terms of illustrating that video games can be an experiential medium.
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If you had told me what journey was before I had played it, I would have told you it sounded like the most boring pretentious game ever.
But I didn't know anything about it. Didn't even know it was considered 2012's best game by some. I just wanted to get a PS3 to play through Demon's Souls, and since I needed other reasons to justify buying one, I grabbed a few other exclusives to play.
I'd been having some really tough numbness emotionally. Most people with depression will know what it's like.
There is just something so masterful about Journey's design and pacing. It's so perfectly done. It wordlessly covers the same emotional beats of a journey and does not feel rote or played out. I do not understand to this day how it was so effective and other than the wonderful pacing I can't really explain it. It's kinda cool to be so mystified by a game and how it works.
I do know that the game itself and the incredible music are so powerfully intertwined that it provides something I have never, ever experienced elsewhere. It's POWERFUL. I can't stress that enough. By the time I got to the end I was in tears. The game had almost therapeutically allowed me to feel something again. And it wasn't a painful thing. It gently wrapped me in this emotional blanket. Maybe it was the way it gave me a feeling of control but also gently lead me at the same time. I never felt pained or rushed to reach the end. I just wanted to.
It was like the complimentary other half of dark souls to me. Dark Souls had helped me to internalize the concept of fighting in a way that had never clicked internally for me before. It mentally helped me practice self talk in the face of difficulty. It helped me not immediately always default to hopelessness when faced with challenge. It was harsh but always let me try again, and I knew when I beat things in it, that it was me doing it. Journey was like the opposite. A gentle reassurance. Emotionally cathartic. It lead me like a movie, but let me be invested like a game, with a masterful soundtrack that completely enveloped me. Just an outstanding piece of art.
And yet honestly I kinda almost don't want to say all this? I feel like it is best experienced with no expectations. I think some people went in expecting this transforming thing, but when it didn't line up with what they expected to be transforming, it did nothing to them. That won't be everyone, but it's definitely some people. I feel like a lot of games are like that. :/
But I didn't know anything about it. Didn't even know it was considered 2012's best game by some. I just wanted to get a PS3 to play through Demon's Souls, and since I needed other reasons to justify buying one, I grabbed a few other exclusives to play.
I'd been having some really tough numbness emotionally. Most people with depression will know what it's like.
There is just something so masterful about Journey's design and pacing. It's so perfectly done. It wordlessly covers the same emotional beats of a journey and does not feel rote or played out. I do not understand to this day how it was so effective and other than the wonderful pacing I can't really explain it. It's kinda cool to be so mystified by a game and how it works.
I do know that the game itself and the incredible music are so powerfully intertwined that it provides something I have never, ever experienced elsewhere. It's POWERFUL. I can't stress that enough. By the time I got to the end I was in tears. The game had almost therapeutically allowed me to feel something again. And it wasn't a painful thing. It gently wrapped me in this emotional blanket. Maybe it was the way it gave me a feeling of control but also gently lead me at the same time. I never felt pained or rushed to reach the end. I just wanted to.
It was like the complimentary other half of dark souls to me. Dark Souls had helped me to internalize the concept of fighting in a way that had never clicked internally for me before. It mentally helped me practice self talk in the face of difficulty. It helped me not immediately always default to hopelessness when faced with challenge. It was harsh but always let me try again, and I knew when I beat things in it, that it was me doing it. Journey was like the opposite. A gentle reassurance. Emotionally cathartic. It lead me like a movie, but let me be invested like a game, with a masterful soundtrack that completely enveloped me. Just an outstanding piece of art.
And yet honestly I kinda almost don't want to say all this? I feel like it is best experienced with no expectations. I think some people went in expecting this transforming thing, but when it didn't line up with what they expected to be transforming, it did nothing to them. That won't be everyone, but it's definitely some people. I feel like a lot of games are like that. :/
I can't say, because i actually didn't play it but out of those Dishonored is a fantastic game in my opinion.
Oh shit was that 2012? Kid Icarus takes it then, Dragon's Dogma at 2.
It's a single player experience that uses online social elements in a similar vein to Dark Souls, without any text or direct communication.
just play it
you don't have to know everything about something before you do it; in fact, sometimes it's better if you don't.
Journey was great, but I feel Sleeping Dogs was so underrated that year. It didn't really become popular until word of mouth started to spread.
I unfortunately haven't played Journey but...Walking Dead Season 1 probably has the greatest voice acting in a video game ever, is probably the best zombie game ever, might be the best adventure game, and is just absolutely amazing.
Not at all. I wish Sleeping Dogs received more attention. What an excellent game.
Yep, high five!
Yep, high five!
Journey was a very emotional experience for me. Is it better than Xcom and Dishonored though? Not by a long shot. When embraced as a piece of art, it surpasses everything that year, but as a GAME. It's the weakest on that list. An industry obsessed with proving that it's something more than about having fun loves to parade Journey around as this master piece title. No surprise it won game of the year over better games.
Kid Icarus: Uprising deserved GOTY more than Journey, but they're apples and oranges and I do love Journey so I'm cool with it.
