'Far Cry 3' wins big at Canadian videogame awards

"Far Cry 3" was pronounced Game of the Year at the Canadian Videogame Awards on April 20, with "Assassin's Creed III," "Sound Shapes," "The Secret World" and "Mass Effect 3" named as the other category winners.

'Far Cry 3' was pronounced Game of the Year at the Canadian Videogame Awards on April 20, with 'Assassin's Creed III,' 'Sound Shapes,' 'The Secret World' and 'Mass Effect 3' named as the other category winners.

As well as overall Game of the Year, Ubisoft's 2012 release received awards in Animation, Game Design, Visual Arts, and Best New Character for unsettling antagonist Vaas, as well as the Future Shop Fans' Choice Award.

Another Ubisoft joint in 'Assassin's Creed III' scooped accolades for Best Technology and Best Audio, while EA's controversial trilogy closer 'Mass Effect 3' was singled out for achievements in Music and Writing and as Best Console Game.

Proving that Canadian soil is fertile ground for innovative independent releases as well as big budget, global studio efforts were 'Mark of the Ninja' and 'Sound Shapes.'

Vancouver studio Klei Entertainment has had a busy year, with 'Shank 2' and 'Mark of the Ninja' released in 2012 and distinctive single-player survival mission 'Don't Starve' due this week; 'Mark of the Ninja' took the CVA's Best Downloadable and Best Indie Game awards.

Another well-known Canadian designer, Jonathan Mak, saw his Queasy Games label receive awards for Best Game on the Go and Best Game Innovation for DIY musical platformer 'Sound Shapes,' which features contributions from Beck and Deadmau5.

Surprise shout of the evening could go to 'The Secret World,' with a Montreal outpost representing Sweden's Funcom Games, as it was declared Best Social/Casual Game.

The modern fantasy merges real-world locations, myth and mystery, and recently dropped a mandatory monthly subscription in favor of becoming a free-to-play, massively multiplayer online game.

Clinching the Social/Casual category meant beating lyrical zombie love story 'i saw her standing there,' licensed mobile and social dinosaur empire title 'Jurassic Park Builder,' Xbox 360 and Wii U tie-in 'Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth,' and the bouncy Zynga-backed 'Rubber Tacos.'