Welcome to the Editors Choice award for Mod of the Year 2012.

Posted by Henley on Dec 24th, 2012

Welcome to the Editors Choice award for Mod of the Year 2012. Here the editors of ModDB have their say on the most prolific mods both released and unreleased to grace our presence over the past year. 2012 very special however, since the winner for Editors Choice Best Overall will be receiving a one of a kind Wally trophy as a physical reminder of just how amazing their mod actually is.

Without further ado, here are your winners for Mod of the Year Editors Choice 2012.

Interaction is a complex and strange beast, it could be as simple as removing traditional controls or as complex as breading a new strain of camera controls. Interaction is not limited to just what lay between the keyboard and the chair. The winner of this award needs to reinvigorate our perception on how video games should be played, and Left 4 Theft does all of that and more.

One of the most difficult things to change in any game is how the player interacts with your modification unfortunate use of IP aside our choice for the Interaction Award for 2012 goes to Left 4 Theft. San Andreas has been subjected to the same virus from Left 4 Dead and the landscape has changed with it. Three different game modes, time travelling, customizable fortresses and more, Left 4 Theft proves that we are not limited to simple interactions in gaming.

To say that a game is creative in it's design is a little like saying it is hip to be different (sometimes). The mod needs to stand out from the pack in both the direction of the gameplay and the overall look and feel of the project. Brutal Doom is one of those mods.

Doom ain't what it used to be, once a fear ridden experience has grown into more of an action set piece, so why not take it one step further and play Brutal Doom? Ratcheting up the blood lust to 11 Brutal Doom comes packaged with combat finishers, new weapons and small touch ups that are littered throughout this mod. Leaving the gameplay of Doom 1 and 2 relatively untouched bringing brutality, gore and attitude to the table. The only price of admission is your nostalgia, is it worth it?

Without communities mods would be nothing more then a static object on the web, communities are responsible for keeping mods relevant, motivating the developers and expanding on the mod in their own way. To win the Community Award the mod needs to support the fanbase around the modification giving the masses a chance to participate within the overall design of the mod. Cry of Fear is the most deserving this year.

When mods release few give any thought to community, little to the thought of custom content,

and even less than that to fan sites. So when a mod like Cry of Fear comes about and ticks every single box it is very hard to ignore. Cry of Fear has released to date 12 community made campaigns, supports an active community of fans/artists over on their facebook profile and like it or not has gathered a following of "imaginative" fans.

Just about anyone can create a world in a game, you could simply say this boxed room is a world and be done with it. That will not cut it for Editors Choice. To even be considered for the Worldly Award you must first create a world, then fill it with lore, places to explore and no shortage of a looming threat helps as well. G String is the winner for 2012!

It takes a particular type of brass to create a mod all on your own, but to make it exceptionally detailed, with history and interesting pockets of art it is now worthy of achievement. G String Part One just missed out on last years awards however we cannot over look this mod. The best thing you can do for yourself is to just experience what G String has to offer. This mod comes highly recommended!

Art direction and style is very elusive, sometimes it is used to make up for the lack of skills, other times correct use can create feelings or drive player intentions. To even be nominated for the Visuality award mods need to have either represent a style or present a new one that is unique. Hyrule Total War proves that it is all possible.

Only modifications can take an existing IP and create a brand new game never dreamed up by the original developers. Hyrule Total War leverages the races from just about all the Zelda games then creates 21 diverse factions each with a variety of heroes and unit types. What stands out the most is how visually striking the mod actually is. All the vibrance and colour you know and love is here and it is damn beautiful in motion. A job well done!

New unreleased mods appear all the time, it takes something really special to announce and make an impression. You need to have something considerable to show, have an intriguing presence/idea and capture the attention of a large audience not just on ModDB. Faceless did just that.

When Slender the Eight Pages exploded onto the internet it was no surprise to see modders take to the Slenderman legend. The best one that has graced ModDB over the past year without a doubt is Faceless. Visually striking, mysterious with a promise of exceptional cooperative horror experiences. With only the developers word to base our excitement, lets see what they can do next year.

Overhauls are unique to modding culture. Gamers who are fed up with lackluster titles create their own patches and content packs without altering the original game too drastically. To be nominated the mod needs to keep the original game in mind and only expand on gameplay/new content plus be exceptional. The DarthMod series has this in spades!

This years Overhaul award won't be given to a particular mod, but rather to a series of overhaul modifications created by DarthMod Productions. Created for Empire: Total War, Napoleon: Total War, Total War: Shogun 2 and Rome: Total War, the DarthMod series vastly improves AI, battles, campaigns adds new content like maps, units and textures then wraps it all up with realistic gameplay changes. If you plan to play these Total War games in the future, you owe it to yourself to install the DarthMods mods.

To even qualify for Best Multiplayer for Editors Choice you need two things. First you need to be released and a new IP within 2012 and secondly you need to be super fun with other people. DayZ gets two ticks!

Creating lasting experiences and stories through emergent gameplay is the golden egg laying goose of game design, many triple A games try and most fail. When it works the gaming community will latch onto it and explore this idea to death. We just never expected a modification for Arma 2 to be the catalyst. DayZ while broken and flawed mostly because of host engine is just so very remarkable and over 1.4 million players agree. Even if it is not your cup of tea, the experience is worth it.

2012 has seen so many awesome singleplayer modifications, it was very hard to pick just one winner, just take a look at our top 100 to get a vague idea of the quality we were dealing with when we made this selection. However in the end there NEEDS to be a winner, and that winner is Cry of Fear.

After 4 years of development, Cry of Fear's release was nothing less than spectacular. Not only is Cry of Fear immersive, detailed and spooky the mod will make a lasting impression on the player. The story of Simon and his struggles plays like a thriller, twisting and turning until it clicks in your mind just what is going on. Brooding and satisfying, do not miss this one.

3 DayZ

A 225 km2 open world post-soviet state wiped out by an unknown infection. Go Solo, team up with friends or take on the world as you choose your path in this brutal and chilling landscape using whatever means you stumble upon to survive.

2 Cry of Fear

You wake up in a dark alley, not knowing anything. What has happened anyway? You struggle after the truth and answers. Answers you want to know in the darkness and fear, which makes your heartbeat race like violent blows against your head. Where do "they" come from? It's time to head out and find the answers.

1 Misery

Misery is the exact opposite to what the title will have you believe. Misery creates a world that no longer revolves around the player, giving you a reason to salvage, repair, eat and co-exist with your fellow stalkers. All of this to further drive you into the world which for better or worse wants you to die, and we would not have it any other way.