Mod DB’s Best Art Direction Award for 2008

Although we are well into 2009, Mod DB’s 7th annual Mod of the Year (2008) awards are still underway. In fact, on Friday the award for the Best Art Direction in a TC (total conversion) mod was announced, bestowing The Delta Sector - a Far Cry mod - with the winning title.

All nominees were quite deserving of the recognition, and fans seemed to have stuck behind their favorite mod until the end. The other candidates for this year were: Dystopia, D.I.P.R.I.P, Age of Chivalry, and Killing Floor.

The Delta Sector is a mod that takes players out of the dazzling tropical environments known to Far Cry, and into the forests and snow-covered terrain of eastern Europe, where they assume the role of a special forces operative deployed to deal with a massive military grouping in these parts. Utilizing the Cryengine 1, this mod truly deserves to be called the best total conversion mod of 2008 with its ability to immerse players in breathtaking action set amidst a hyper-realistic setting.

Half-Life mods such as Dystopia or Natural Selection, always seem to dominate these awards in the past, so it’s refreshing to see a non-Valve powered mod take first place for Best Art Direction. Dystopia alone has won three Mod DB awards already, from Mod of the Month to the Originality Award; whereas D.I.P.R.I.P and Age of Chivalry have been very well received by the mod community in the past. As for Killing Floor (Unreal Tournament 2004 engine), a survival/horror mod concerning monstrous creatures spawning from failed genetic experiments, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

Being somewhat of a mod connoisseur, I’m quite content with this year’s choice (though originally voting for Dystopia), because these awards ultimately act as vital momentum for the indie development community in constantly creating superb mods — The Delta Sector being no exception.

Make sure to stay tuned to Mod DB’s 2008 awards for the Best Upcoming Mod, which will be announced next. Who knows, you may discover your next favorite game mod — or be inspired to create one!