Video
games can be many things to many people, so the idea of proclaiming a
single one as the best of 2012 strikes us as a little limiting. This
year, instead of screaming at each other for hours in a sweaty,
smoke-filled room until we emerge with a handful of winners, your
friends at 1UP have decided to forsake categorization and write about
the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year — and
that’s the point of playing video games, isn’t it?
Tokyo
Jungle should’ve been doomed to become the answer to an obscure
trivia question a decade from now. Such a strange concept (controlling
a slew of animals in post-apocalyptic Tokyo), the need to mate and
procreate in order to gain extra lives, and antiquated visuals all add
up to an experience that should be known for its weirdness and nothing
more. But damn if the folks at PlayStation C.A.M.P. didn’t go
out and create one of the most intriguing and surprisingly deep games
that I had the pleasure of playing in 2012.
A lot of Tokyo
Jungle’s lingering charm stems from how whole-heartedly the
game adheres to the strangeness of its world and story. While some
might think they’ve gleaned all the game has to offer after a
few minutes, they’ll be missing out on one of the
year’s most rewarding treks. Instead of making it a lazy
joke, TJ creates a sincere and interesting science fiction yarn
complete with some wild additions and a genuinely surprising twist.
