The Game Awards Game Of The Year Nominees Reveals Surprising Lineup
It's that time of the year again, as the Game Awards reveals the nominees for its very own version of the Oscars. Much like the Academy Awards, the great and the good of the industry gather together to celebrate another blockbuster year.
Geoff Keighley was on hand to announce this year's nominees from the Microsoft Theater during a glitzy live stream event. Surprising no one, the biggest titles from the past 12 months were put on their pedestals. Effectively the gaming circuit's version of Best Picture, Game of the Year is the big one everyone is after.
Who Was Nominated For The Game Awards Game Of The Year?
Over the past year, we've seen big hitters like Death Stranding Director's Cut, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Metroid Dread, and Resident Evil Village all vie for the honour of being the Game Awards Game of the Year. So, who actually made it onto the docket?
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
You're likely to have your favourite, however, there was disappointment that underrated games including Returnal didn't make the cut. Social media was soon flooded with complaints. One disgruntled gamer wrote, "Just shows how bad gaming has been this year", while another fumed, "No Forza or Returnal? It takes two was great but for a GOTY contender? Idk about that."
A third added, "How is returnal not on this…" Opinions were split across the board, with Ratchet & Clank and Metroid Dread being early frontrunners. Either way, most agree Returnal and Forza Horizon 5 were "robbed."
Who Do We Think Should Win Game Of The Year?
Before the nominees were announced, we had our own thoughts on who could be up for the Game Awards Game of the Year:
Tom Chapman - Resident Evil Village
It's tough to breathe new life into a franchise that is 25 years, but what a way to celebrate such a milestone moment. Honouring the rotten confines of the Spencer Mansion - with a dash of Resident Evil 4's rural horror - Village continued the terrifying legacy left behind by RE7. It should win just for the buxom Lady Dimitrescu alone.
Katey Roberts - It Takes Two
The game's graphics, variety, and overall co-op adventure fun easily makes it the standout GOTY for me. Hours of gameplay, varying level designs, and features are just the start of why it deserves to win.
Mel Ramsay - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
It's Rift Apart for me. It was a completely fresh look at Ratchet & Clank's world, with innovative new levels that utilised the power of the PS5. The story was solid, and the inclusion of Rivet felt natural and not forced. It was the game I enjoyed most this year, and as a fan of the earlier games, I couldn't have asked for any more.
Oli Hope - Psychonauts 2
A new age game with the look and feel of a classic 90's RPG fantasy game. It delivered a bizarre story with some great boss battles and even better comedy that isn't cringe.
Tarran Stockton - The Forgotten City
It's a wonderful - if rough around the edges - narrative game about a hidden city under tyranny from the gods. There's lots of social interaction and deduction, with interconnecting mysteries that slowly unravel over the course of your traipse around the city.
Dawson Roberts - Returnal
Its combination of a slow unravelling mystery and the very addictive gameplay made it almost impossible to put down. The insane enemy and boss design made it stand out from its bullet hell counterparts and really put Housemarque on the map as a Sony Developer to watch out for
Elliot Gray - Resident Evil Village
Kept the good work done in RE7 and combined it with the classic Resi bullsh*t that makes the games great, from fighting huge goth vampire ladies, to giant robots. Add in one of the best horror set pieces of recent times with the Beneviento baby and you have Game of the Year.
Joseph Kime - Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart
There's something about Rift Apart that truly feels like the first step into the next generation of gaming with its lack of loading screens and second-to-none visuals. The story is wonderful, and the action remains engaging for the whole game until its massive and bombastic finale that makes the whole ride worth it. Rift Apart is an absolute banger, and I would die for Kit.
There were 30 categories announced, with voting kicking off just after the show came to a close. With the Game Awards kicking off on December 9, you'd better get voting to make sure your favourite gets the recognition it deserves. The big question is, who will score Game of the Year?
