Best Overall Game

Steve Butts - Where so many of our online interactions are filled with aggressive competition and the pervasive vulgarities of the multiplayer community, one of our favorite aspects of Journey is its emphasis on anonymous cooperation with other players. With no opportunity to speak directly to each other, or even to know who the other players are, meeting another traveler in Journey requires you to define your entire relationship using only the game's few simple mechanics. Through wordless chirps and leading by example, players in Journey work together to solve the game's puzzles and share an experience free of insecurity and free of rivalry. In a game that openly invites players to find their own sense of meaning, the inclusion of other players in such a sublime way amplifies what it means to be a gamer and hopefully points other developers towards an alternative to the usual online offerings.

Anthony Gallegos - Journey gives as much as you put into it. If you come to it reluctantly, it's easy to write it off. But if you come to it with an open mind it can open up parts of you that you weren't prepared for. The kid inside you who remembers endless summer evenings might gape at Journey's evening stage in wonder, while the part of you that remembers trembling for fear of the dark might be haunted by the levels where giant monsters peer through the black in an effort to destroy you. Journey's vivid, dream-like scenery and wonderful score gel to create vivid moments that you can't help but reflect upon. Even playing it once is enough; the story you crafted with others, the narrative you to tell yourself and it tells about you--this creates an experience you simply can't forget because it's as much a part of your own life's journey as it is the game's.

Casey Lynch - Trying to interpret Journey is like trying to interpret a blank piece of paper. Its designed in such a way that it presents the player a blank canvas upon which they might project anything they fancy. Translation: every game of Journey is different. For some, it's a contemplative take on the path from life to death, for others it's a dissection of relationships, and the tensions and rewards that emerge. For still others, it's a story of redemption, a statement of absolution, a meditation on the hope of something beyond the visible, of ascension, of rebirth and of continued renewal and new beginnings. But therein lies the power and appeal of Journey; you likely had a totally different experience than described or intended, as so many others did, save one defining characteristic. No matter how you interpret Journey, there's no denying how memorable the experience is along the way.

Colin Moriarty - Journey is an extraordinary game for so many reasons. Its graphics are beautiful, its soundtrack serene, its gameplay sublime. But what's perhaps most striking about Journey is its concept, and the mystery behind the game's message. Developer Thatgamecompany has been completely mum about what its game really means, and what the story behind Journey actually attempts to tell. For me, the game is about inevitable death, and the harrowing and uncertain path we all take through life focused around attempting to achieve something... and ultimately falling short. For others, it's about something entirely different. All we know for sure is that Journey's concept is an inevitably emotional one, one that sparks happiness, glee, sorrow, sadness and just about everything in between in a brief two hour experience. In this respect, it's virtually unrivaled in gaming history.

Justin Davis - Journey is a truly magical experience. It is alluring and compelling and emotionally resonant far beyond its core components.

It feels urgent and important, even though the journey itself is leisurely. It’s emotional and intense, even though no words are spoken. It is harrowing, even though there’s no real danger or challenge. It is at times almost indescribably beautiful, even though its world is built using the same pixels and textures that comprise every other game.

Journey’s seemingly magical ability to enchant players with minimal and sometimes contradictory experiences arises, in part, because the game doesn’t contain one drop of cynicism. It’s heartfelt, in a landscape of game experiences designed by committee. It gently (but persistently) encourages the player to confront feelings of their own that they might not want to think about very often.

It feels effortless. Journey doesn’t shout “feel something!” at players by showing a heroic sacrifice or villainous act of evil.It has the self confidence to not jerk the player’s hand, saying “look at this!” at every turn. It lets players discover the world and discover what this adventure means for themselves at their own pace and in their own way.

It’s a spellbinding and daringly sentimental experience. It’s the most important video game of 2012.