Around this time of the year, everyone and their mother is putting out their own lists of "best shooters of the year," "best RPG of the year," or "best games of the year," and so on and so forth. It's ultimately inescapable, so at least USA Today isn't alone in this process.
The paper deemed Telltale's The Walking Dead as their personal pick for game of the year, calling it an "emotionally gripping journey."
"Next time anyone questions the video game industry's ability to tell stories akin to movies and television, point them to Telltale Games' brilliant interactive adventure," wrote the newspapers's editors, who claimed the five-episode series as "an emotionally gripping journey, and the best video game offered in 2012."
Similarly, aggregate review site Metacritic also claims Telltale's The Walking Dead as the year's best reviewed game, as did the Spike TV Video Game Awards.
The series is a point and click styled game that follows former professor turned convict Lee Everett, with eight year old Clementine, as the two struggle and survive their way through zombie infested Georgia, eventually coming into contact with several characters of the comic. Using inventory items in conjunction with the environment, players guide Everett to survive against the hungry hordes. According to the comic's creator Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead game is more focused on developing characters and story and less on action that is featured in other zombie-based games, which certainly helps give it so many accolades.
You can check out Juan's review wrap up of the first five episodes here.
Following The Walking Dead in USA Today's list of Top 12 video games of the year were Mass Effect 3, Journey, Halo 4, Dishonored, Assassin's Creed 3, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, Max Payne 3, Diablo 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and LEGO: Lord of the Rings.
Activision is currently working on their own Walking Dead title, Survival Instinct, based more on the TV show than the comic. With Telltale Games setting the bar, Activision better provide one hell of a follow up if they expect their zombie title to make any sort of mark.