FanBolt’s Best Games From E3 2012 – Our Winners

Halo 4 – Best Xbox 360 Game
There are many reasons we picked the trailer and many of those same reasons are why we picked the game itself. The new enemies really make for a whole host of possibilities in gameplay – not to mention the new armor abilities; some of which are gained from these new enemies, new weapons and a whole new mythos to explore and discover. Add to the radical changes in multiplayer, for instance story based weekly co-op missions, and you have a whole new Halo.

Best Shooter

Winner: Halo 4
Runner Up: Borderlands 2

Best 3DS Game

Winner: Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Runner Up: New Super Mario Bros 2

Best PS3 Game

Winner: The Last of Us
Runner Up: Beyond: Two Souls

The Last of Us – Best PlayStation 3 Game
It might be easy to dismiss The Last of Us as just another zombie game, but you’d be doing it an injustice. True, that component of it may be a bit overused, but it’s not what makes the game so unique. It’s the cinematic quality of the dialogue and the gameplay. The partnership mechanics that seem to work and flow so well, making an NPC an integral part of gameplay and story in a way that feels natural and un-intrusive. It’s a real world where day to day survival and your dependency on one another is key. It looks like the game that I Am Alive should have been.

Best Wii U Game

Winner: Project P-100
Runner Up: ZombiU

Biggest Surprise

Winner: Watch Dogs
Runner Up: ZombiU

Best Gameplay Footage

Winner: Watch Dogs
Runner Up: Assassins Creed III

Best Action/Adventure Game

Winner: Watch Dogs
Runner Up: The Last of Us

Best Platformer

Winner: Rayman Legends
Runner Up: Skylanders Giants

Best Downloadable

Winner: The Cave
Runner Up: Trine 2: Director’s Cut

The Cave – Best Downloadable
The Cave is the latest offering from Ron Gilbert. I could leave it at that to explain why we picked it as best downloadable. However, for those of you unfamiliar with his work, Gilbert is a comedic master, and a grand creator of quirky and original stories. The Cave is no exception, with the premise involving the exploration of sentient cave by 6 adventurers who hope to have a wish granted. The unique gameplay, stories and levels for each character makes for unique replayability opportunities. Add to that Gilberts writing and you’ve got the stage set for one of the more original titles in recent years.

Best RPG

Winner: Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Runner Up: The Elder Scrolls Online

Best Fighting

Winner: PlayStation All-Stars
Runner Up: Dead or Alive 5

Best Multiplayer

Winner: PlayStation All-Stars
Runner Up: Halo 4

Best Sports

Winner: Madden NFL 13
Runner Up: FIFA 13

Best Music Game

Winner: Sound Shapes
Runner Up: Just Dance 4

Best Survivor Horror Game

Winner: Dead Space 3
Runner Up: ZombiU

Best Racing Game

Winner: Forza Horizon
Runner Up: Sonic & All Stars Racing

Forza Horizon – Best Racer
Forza Horizon has a bit in common with Halo 4. It’s a beloved Microsoft franchise in the hands of a new developer who is taking it into a new direction. In this case, Forza is becoming and open world racer. Functionally, the game plays the same, and has all the same level of customization you know and love. The difference is now you’re free to roam the city and country with your tweaked ride while working on finding and progressing your racing career. It doesn’t feel like a major change, but it’s one that will be sure to add endless hours of free roaming fun to an already enthralling racing game series.

Most Original

Winner: Dishonored
Runner Up: Watch Dogs

Dishonored – Most Original
Dishonored is a first person stealth/action game with powers. It’s like if you took Bioshock, mixed it with Splinter Cell, and hit it with a dash of Mirrors Edge. True, mashing things together doesn’t sound original, but Dishonored is more than the sum of its parts. Combining all of these gameplay types makes for some of the most spectacular combat I’ve seen in any game, and have never seen in an FPS. However, it can also be 100% stealth. Add to that the sheer level of variety presented you in any given situation and you’ve got yourself a game unlike any before.

Best Strategy

Winner: Pikmin 3
Runner Up: XCOM

Best Press Conference

Winner: Ubisoft
Runner Up: Microsoft