The winner of Destructoid’s best platform game of 2012

Best of 2012

2012 was fairly light on platformers, but that’s not to say that the ones released weren’t great. While we did a lot less running and jumping this year, what we did was pretty memorable. And, as always, we’ll take quality over quantity any day.

Here are the nominees for best platform game of 2012:

• Dust: An Elysian Tail
  
• FEZ
  
• Journey
  
• New Super Mario Bros. U
  
• Spelunky

And the winner is … 

Journey

I’ll admit that Journey is a bit of a stretch as a platformer, but we’ll let it slide (glide?) this time. Being that it’s a game unlike any other, we can’t expect it to fit perfectly in the confines of what we’d typically call a platfomer. Its gliding and jumping were platform-y enough to beat out the rest of our nominees for this category this year. 

Journey‘s ‘platforming’ mechanics — the flying and gliding — are something I’ll never forget. Memories of effortlessly hovering to a slow descent over glistening sands still shimmer in my mind. While it featured nothing in the way of timed jumps or other reflex tests, other mechanics, like having to keep you scarf charged, or using your aura to interact with other objects, took their place for a more flowing, peaceful experience. 

Journey‘s subtle, beautiful version of platform gameplay, along with its visual and musical elements, and its wonderful cooperative elements, make for one of most unique games ever made, and surely one of the standouts for 2012. We’re happy to grant Journey our platformer of the year along with our best visuals and best soundtrack awards.