It's that time of year again. The days have grown longer, YouTube Rewind dropped today (It was boring, don't bother) and we are stepping ever closer to the final big gaming show of the year; Geoff Keighley's Game Awards. The hollow pageantry of Christmas pales in comparison to the actual excitement that gamers have other the prospect of seeing their favourite games get the recognition that they so deserve. Even those with no intention of voting and throwing in their two cents can enjoy the opportunity to see the spectacle of it all and spy some of the big 'surprise' announcements of the night. (Like the Resident Evil 3 Remake announcement that is definitely coming.)
I'm expressed it before but for me this is the second biggest event of the year, with the big spotlight clearly going to E3. This is the event for which we see industry veterans from all over the world gather in solidarity and love for their craft. (They are probably also paid to show up.) All this has the effect of seriously ramping up the adrenaline for little old me and getting me fully invested in the proceedings. Consequently I get into all the fantastic music, dazzling lights, guest celebrities and inane banter. (Okay, maybe I'm still not entirely sold on the mid-show banter.) But, most importantly, I care deeply about the games on display and want the right accolades to reach the right game, something that I always try top contribute towards by casting my vote. Therefore I thought that it might be fun, this year, to go over my personal assessment for what games should win their respective awards in order to compare them on the night. (A little self indulgence on my part.)
Of course, as eclectic as my tastes may be, I lack the actual funds and free time to have played every game on offer, so when I go through each game it will not always be with first hand knowledge. Also, that has the effect of potentially making my decision biased, but I am confident that there will be no games on this list that I am not, at the very least, familiar with. A huge part of my current knowledge sphere revolves around the big titles of the year so I should be able to take a somewhat measured look at the games on offer. (And if not I'll just retreat to Metacritic and see what they had to say on the games.)
Finally, the games that I picked will be based entirely on their merits as a game and not on their public reception. I realize that this may sound contradictory considering that I just implied I would resort to Metacritic, but let me set things straight that could care less what the general consensus on the quality of the product is. And, of course, my personal award-worthy picks are entirely subjective as they will be games that personally appeal to my tastes, so grain-of-salt and all that good stuff you know how it is. With all that established, let's take a look at each of the main categories one by one in no particular order and ending with 'Ultimate Game of the Year'.
VR/AR Game of the Year
To kick off lets look at- VR/AR game? Whew, there's something I have little personal experience with. As you may have seen me talk about before on this blog, the realm of VR software is one that is woefully short of the rest of the industry so far. Whilst everyone else is pushing the limits of what is capable with the hardware, VR is still stuck up on creating the ideal tools and marketing them at a reasonable price. In fact, at this point the only quality VR device is the Valve Index, which retails at quadruple digits, so that's not really feasible for the average consumer. This has really limited the potential audience of the VR market which, in turn, has made it increasingly less of an attractive proposition for developers to work on. Consequently the AR/VR category only has 5 games to choose from. (Which appears to be the absolute bear minimum that the awards show will allow.)In the list of games we have 'Asgard's Wrath', a game which slipped in right before the close off date for the games awards and consequently I know little to nothing about it. All I know is that it is slated to be 'the most ambitious VR title to date'; (Which is such common praise amongst VR games it might as well be a mandatory critique.) 'Blood & Truth', which is a schlocky and fun British-action-movie style game with a terrible title; 'Beat Saber', which is essentially 'Dance Dance Revolution' for the VR age and boasting a lot more potential and variety; 'No Man's Sky', which is a retrofitting of a game well on it's way to finding a voice and 'Trover Saves the Universe', which is a humorously irreverent adventure title made and largely voiced by Justin Roiland.
This is a very difficult and peculiar category to pick through as each of the games on other are vastly different in tone and gameplay. 'Asgard's Wrath' and 'Blood & Truth' are both fairly serious narrative driven experiences whilst 'Trover Saves the Universe' and 'Beat Saber' are more geared to be fun adventures to undergo. 'No Man's Sky' is the real standout here, as the game itself has come leaps and bounds since it's rocky launch, and retrofitting VR into the experience feels like a match made in heaven. (Unfortunately the game does little to take advantage of the 'VR' perspective so I have trouble awarding it any credence in this category.)
Ultimately, from a popularist's perspective I would have to give this award to 'Beat Saber', as it the only game which can truly stands out as something more. 'Beat Saber' has been a undeniable craze ever since it's Beta back in May 2018, and I feel it is well on it's way to becoming a true cultural phenomenon in the same vein as Minecraft and Fortnite. (Although maybe not as big.) Additionally, 'Beat Saber' brings the rhythm dancing genre to it's absolute zenith in a manner that makes it fun to partake in, something which I personally never felt even in the height of the DDR craze. Most of the games in this category are noteworthy to some degree, I hear 'Asgard's Wrath' may even be a masterpiece, but only 'Beat Saber' as the potential to enter the annals of gaming history.
Strategy Game of the Year
Next comes the category of game which I have a closet love for, even if I'm terrible at all of them; 'Strategy Games'. This genre is one of those niches that I have always felt seemed isolated from the rest of the gaming world. Strategy developers seem to all hone in on their own special mechanic that they do well and work upon that, making the whole scene seem considerably less competitive than the rest of the gaming world. Additionally, this seems to make fans a lot less combative with each other as everyone seems to seek something different out of their strategy titles. It's all very wholesome to observe and I just wish I was better at the games so that I could be more involved...For this lineup we have a full house of six including 'Age of Wonders: Planetfall', which is a turn-based 4X space experience with plenty of cool alien races and warring factions to pit against each other in a battle for planetary supremacy, 'Anno 1800', which is a civilization-esque experience wherein players work to build cities and communities and struggle with all the complexities that such a task demands; 'Fire Emblem: Three Houses', which brings the iconic drama and storytelling to the Switch for the first time ever, marrying squad tactic gameplay with tense Japanese storytelling and great characters; 'Total War: Three Kingdoms' (What is it with 'Three' with year?) a massive scale tactical war simulator which finally looks as good close up as it does from afar; 'Tropico 6' which takes the classic 'Dictator simulator' series to it's fullest potential in scope and graphical fidelity (kinda) and 'Wargroove', which is a fun take on the 'Fire emblem' formula from a more approachable angle but still just as fun.
Once again this is a difficult category to pick through, only this time it is because of the pure quality of all games on offer. 'Tropico 6' may not have much of a chance, the game is fun but it's competition are just on another level. 'Age of Wonders' and 'Anno' are two games which someone really needs to be inclined to like, and I'm just not the type of individual who has the patience to build a city or invest myself in another 'future/space/war' environment. 'Fire Emblem' and 'Wargroove' on the otherhand, are both terrific games that are are so similar in some assets whilst so different in others. And the 'Total War' games are always of a high quality, although I hear this latest one is exceptional even amongst it's peers.
This choice is one that comes down purely to preference, but I'd have to give it to 'Fire Emblem: Three Houses', although I could have just as easily chosen 'Wargroove'. Every single game on this list excels at their core gameplay, but 'Three Houses' is one of the only one's that brings a serious and well developed narrative to flesh it all out. Again, 'Wargroove' is no slouch in that particular approach either, but I'm a sucker for melodrama more than light-hearted situations, so I'd have to give my vote to the 'Fire Emblem' title. That being said, this choice was a tough one, and I hope the rest of them prove to be a little more 'open-and-shut' from now on.
Sports/Racing Game of the Year
'Ask and ye shall recieve', it would seem, as up next comes the genre widely known as the travesty of the industry 'Sports/Racing games'. Just to clarify, that insult is entirely directed towards the 'sports' part of this category, as I've always held a huge respect for the level of details and fidelity that racing Developers manage to pull out their games. Sports gaming, on the otherhand, have been in an embarrassingly dire place for years. It is incredibly telling for the quality of this genre that it had to be rolled into the same category as 'Racing' in order to make a full list. (I guess not even Keighley could stomach the though of nominating those two 2K trainwrecks this year 'NBA 2K20' and 'WWE 2K20')This odd mismatching of genres has yielded a particularly peculiar set of games to pick through such as, 'Crash Team Racing: Nitro-fueled', a remake of the old Crash Bandicoot themed kart-racer which Activision decided to retroactively load with microtransactions in a misguided bid to establish relevance; (and profitability, of course.) 'DiRT Rally 2.0', a decently well received drag racing game with real emphasis on it's realistic driving physics; 'Efootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020' which is a football game with a title so long that I feel morally obliged to say "Konami, stop it."; 'F1 2019' Which is a high-quality formula 1 racing game that follows the recent 'tacked on single player narrative' trend from recent sports games; (Maybe that's way these categories were merged!) and 'Fifa 20' which, despite a rough and buggy launch, (And that whole back-and-forth about them actively advertising their gamble-adjacent lootbox systems) has proven very successful amongst the 'don't know any better' crowd.
I wish this category was a bit more competitive to pick through, but that just isn't the case at all considering the material I have to work with. 'Fifa' is out, may that franchise and all those who touch it literally burn in the fiery pits of hell. (It's been a while since I've read Dante but I think there's a circle that would suit those corporate sell-outs.) 'Pro Evolution Soccer' may be a better alternative for the aspiring football fan, but it is still just a another sports game and I have little interest in that genre as it hasn't innovated for last decade. 'Crash Team Racing' is a high quality racer, which was apparently good enough to knock 'Sonic Team Racing' out of the nominees, but the poor way in which the microtransactions were implemented means that I have to kick it out the running. All and all that leaves two game with mostly equal merits; decision time.
'F1 2019' and 'DiRT Rally 2.0' are both in competition as highly realistic sports titles, but differ in their primary focus for that realism. Personally, I enjoy drag racing a lot more than the uber-strict rule set of your typical 'Formula 1' style game, but I can't deny how adorable their 'story mode' is. As I am forced to make a ruling, I'd have to edge towards 'F1 2019' for going that extra mile with the accompanying narrative, but honestly I could never see any of the games on this list ever again and die happy. Slim pickings this year, slim indeed.
Best Score & Music of the Year
Now comes an incredibly subjective category which is sure to leave some folk feeling disgruntled once the winner is ultimately picked; 'Score & Music'. Games have given a lot of business to orchestras over the past couple of decades and that has resulted in some fantastic video game soundtracks peppered around our favourite series. Unfortunately, that has meant that soundtracks really need to stand out and do something different in order to be formally recognized in any manner, such as in an awards show. Such choices can be seen as devoid of objectivity, however, so we'll have to see how things pan out on the day.
It is fun, this year, to see that a few prominent music-centric titles have managed to make it to the nominee shortlist. 'Candence of Hyrule' in particular uses a great mixture of tactical planning and rhythm based gameplay to really revolutionize it's genre, whilst 'Sayonara Wild Hearts' seems purpose built to claim a spot in 'the hall of surrealist infamy'. 'Death Stranding', 'Kingdom Hearts 3' and 'Devil May Cry 5' are more traditional choices, with soundtracks that provide nice flavour to the gameplay around it (or, in Death Stranding's case, makes the tedium less soul-crushing.) but I feel that this genre award should go to a title that does something different and remarkable with it's premise.
With that in mind, I would nominate 'Candance of Hyrule' to receive this award as I cannot deny that the idea behind it is ingenious and the execution was perfect. It's hard to convey through writing how well this title plays (without dedicating the next 10 paragraphs to it) but I would serious encourage you to look it up and see who clever an idea this title was. Plus, the visual aesthetic was beautifully pleasing in a manner I just didn't feel from 'Sayonara Wild Hearts'. This could have gone to 'Kingdom Hearts 3' were I judging this in a more traditional fashion, due to my general love for good classic Disney songs. (Although there series has been responsible for more than a few butcherings of said classics, so perhaps it's best they don't get the award. Don't want to give that team any ideas...)
Role Playing Game of the Year
This next category is a big one as it covers one of the biggest genres in modern gaming, we're look at 'Role-Playing Games'. You've likely picked up on it by now, but I am a lifelong fan of RPG games. (As evidenced by the fact that I am currently replaying 'Dragon Age: Origins' as I write this.) For me, nothing compares with embarking on a journey of personal growth and sacrifice, and this a genre that typical depicts both with style and gusto. Recent years has seen a definite lack in AAA examples, but by that same merit those that have materialized have been incredibly high-quality. That fact alone will make the following decision hard.Here are choices are split between 5 absolute powerhouses. We have 'Disco Elysium' A dialogue-heavy cop game which, I am deeply ashamed to admit, I know very little about. It is doing absolute gang-busters in the review circles, however, so I'm really interested in checking it out; 'Final Fantasy XIV' which did not come out this year but the team did drop their, incredibly well-received, 'Shadowbringers' expansion in July; 'Kingdom Hearts 3' (again) Which was the long-awaited latest entry in the weirdest crossover franchise in history; (Final Fantasy meets Disney? Sure.) 'Monster Hunter World: Iceborne', again not a new release but the 'Iceborne' expansion is said to be substantial and full enough to be a successor; and 'The Outer Worlds' Obsidian's smash-hit retro-futuristic RPG about people vs their cooperate overlords. (Speaking off. That Epic exclusivity sure worked out, huh guys?)
As gut-wrenching of a choice as this is, I have to land on 'The Outer Worlds' for my personal choice, although I can certainly understand any other option on this list getting the figurative gold. For the sake of my own sanity, I had to disqualify 'Final Fantasy' and 'MHW' for having existed and been active years beforehand and, obviously, I didn't known enough about 'Disco Elysium' to choose it. From there Obsidian's title just edged it out because of how it managed to achieve so much with a brand new story premise and universe whilst 'Kingdom Hearts' had several games to launch itself off of. Again. a difficult choice, but one I feel I made it logically. (Oh, and while we're at it we might as well give 2020's 'RPG of the year' award to Cyberpunk 2077, save us all some time.)
Performance of the Year
Now comes a particularly nuanced topic as we reach the nominees for 'Performace' of the year. Voice acting is one of the most underlooked aspects of video gaming, partially because it reached a point of such universal quality that it is no longer worth pointing out. Be that as it may, there are those few performances that stick out throughout the years for being exceptional in quality. Handsome Jack from 'Borderlands 2' for example, or the Bloody Baron from 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'. Mostly, however, the performance is rounded up into a general assessment of the narrative and scripting, which is fitting seeing as how a great story is achieved from a marriage of all three. But it can still be interesting to pick that one performance which stood out as noteworthy amidst everything else.This is a list that is full to the brim of the usual suspects, alongside a little platform cross-pollination curtsy of Kojima. We have 'Ashly Burch' for her portrayal of Pavati Holcomb in 'The Outer Worlds', a character who is easily one of the most endearing companion's in the game due to her adorable innocence; 'Courtney Hope' for her turn as Jesse Faden in Remedy's supernatural adventure title 'Control', a performance notable for the intentionally weird scripting that specifically hearkens back to the uncomfortable surreal attitude of 'Twin Peaks'; 'Laura Bailey' for her performance as Kait Diaz in Gears of War 5, a character who was at the centre of a incredibly depicted breakdown masterfully bought to life by one of the queens of the craft; 'Mads Mikkelsen' as Cliff from 'Death Standing', a performance with unbelievable nuance from what I've seen, bought to life thanks to Kojima Production's capable motion capture technology; 'Mathew Porretta' for his role as 'Dr. Casper Darling' in 'Control', which is another weird role from the unsettling game; and, of course, 'Norman Reedus' as Sam Porter Bridges in 'Death Stranding', which is just as physical a performance as Mads'.
I guess it's no surprise, then, that I would personally choose 'Mads Mikkelsen' for this award given everything that his character, most commonly known as 'The Soldier', portrayed. Both Mads and Norman's performances transcended what the script had to offer and spoke to the audience on a visual level, something that I've always found deeply ideal for arresting performances. Mads wins it out for being just that little bit more intriguing, as he always seems to be in every role that actor has ever done. That being said, I will admit that this category is a tad unfair, given that none of the other roles had the benefit of high-quality motion capture software to bring their performances to life. Although, I feel even if they had been, Death Stranding would still stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Ongoing game of the Year
I find this following category to be a tad contentious, personally, as it addresses the best 'Ongoing game'. (Which is the polite way of saying 'Games-as-a-service. And MMO's I guess.) I could talk anyone into a coma about how much I hate game-as-a-service as a model, and how it has tainted almost every game and sullied a good portion of the industry. However, there are still some examples of this genre that aren't total trash, so I guess that if an award has to go out, I might as well attempt to be objective in my judging. (At least to a feasible point, I am only human afterall.)Despite the absolute deluge of possible candidates for this section, the show only managed to pick out 5. (betraying the low quality-barrier for this type of game.) We have 'Apex Legends', a Battle Royale from Respawn that struggled for relevancy in the early months of this years but seems to have established a footing recently; 'Destiny 2', which has just come out of the otherside of it's transition from a co-owned property to it's own independent beast, with a shiny new 'Free-to-play' badge; 'Final Fantasy XIV', which, as I've said previously, recently dished out it's 'Shadowbringers' expansion; 'Fortnite', a game that needs no introduction and recently revamped a great many systems with it's 'Chapter 2' update; and 'Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Seige', a mainstay of this category with an iron grip hold other the tactical FPS E-sports scene.
Out of these games I have trouble picking out a standout as most all of them has committed to a big change too recently for to assess their ramifications. 'Apex legends' and 'Seige' are both titles that have undergone significant issues lately and have handled them in less-than-graceful manners. 'Apex' tried to pull off a terrible pricing structure and the team threw a tantrum when they were called up on it and 'Seige' has been besieged (I award myself Inspiration) by overbearing cheating issues of late, which the team merely ignored in favour of getting the next big update out. Destiny 2 has just started the road into 'free-to-play' so I can't say how successful it has been, but 'Fortnite' has at least unveiled that it is willing and able to make sweeping changes to it's gameplay through 'Chapter 2'.
There is one standout from this list and that is one which just about wins out over all the other choices on this list. 'Final Fantasy XIV' and it's expansion 'Shadowbringers' is a huge gold standard across the industry for how to execute an expansion in a MMO environment. (Which is essentially the world/formula that these games-as-a-service seek to usurp.) Every other game on this list has a huge 'but' attached to the game, except for 'FF XIV', which makes this choice incredibly easy to make. (Except, I guess, for Fortnite, but they already won last year's award in this category, I don't want no repeats.)
Best Narrative of the Year
Onward as always, and we shall find ourself before the category preserved for those long-suffering fellows in the writing room: Narrative. I've found that in the recent years, as gameplay has ceased being so much of a guessing-game and has instead been whittled down into a fine art, Narrative has begun to take front stage as one of the most important factors of any game to take into account. What the story entails and how it will play out is the glue that keeps a great deal of the experience together, afterall, and storytelling is an art worth praising in whatever medium we find it. (Also, given my hobbies, this particular award is very near and dear to my heart.)Our choices here are actually full of titles we have already mentioned and one new entry. We have 'A Plague Tale: Innocence', a medieval fictionalization of the ravishings of the french rat plague; 'Control', a SCP-esque tale about a organization that specializes in identifying and containing supernatural phenomenon; 'Death Stranding', a visceral sci-fi tale about... just so much; 'Disco Elysium' a RPG police investigation tale that I still don't know too much about; and 'The Outer Worlds', a satiristic tale about a space system locked in a cooperate hellscape.
I really did struggle with this deliberation but ultimately I landed with the under-appreciated 'Control', through process of elimination. 'The Outer Worlds' didn't quite do it for me with it's ending and 'Plague Tale' was atmospheric but the narrative didn't invest me as much as the setting and gameplay did. 'Death Stranding' is the only real competition in this department, but I had to deduct points in the way that the narrative seems hindered and broken up by bouts of dull gameplay. Bouts that were, ultimately, just long enough to take you out of the experience. Although I'm still infinitely fascinated with the story, I just felt that 'Control' executed it's story with more finesse and grace.
Multiplayer Game of the Year
These categories might start hitting you with a sense of Deja Vu as we move into the next area of consideration: Multiplayer game of the Year. This is a category that is feasibly vast enough to cover anything as from a co-op experience to a full blown Multiplayer blow out, the only distinction between this game and 'Ongoing game of the year' is the length to which support is established. (Although considering the one common game that both this lists have, I suppose that distinction also takes 'IOU's into account.) Personally, I think this is the type of category that needs rolling into 'ongoing games' for no other reason then that every Multiplayer game dreams of being a 'game-as-a-serivce' nowadays, making one of these categories functionally redundant.Once more, we only have 5 choices to choose from, despite the endless supply of potential nominees that could have been picked. Firstly there is 'Apex Legends', here once again to take a swing at the prized positions; 'Borderlands 3', a game which is being groomed to take after it's long-supported predecessor in terms of post-launch content; (I believe their first DLC has just launched, or is about to.) 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare', the title that practically has a reservation for this particular section of The Games Awards; 'Tetris 99', Nintendo's honest-to-goodness attempt to publish a Tetris-based Battle Royale game; (You can't make this stuff up) and 'Tom Clancy's The Division 2', which I'm just realizing wasn't nominated for 'Ongoing game' and am now genuinely confused.
With the exception of maybe 'Tetris 99', all of these titles have made grand promises of their desire to be long lasting games that stand the test of time. (Even though in 'Call of Duty's case we know that they consider 12 months to be testing enough.) 'Borderlands 3' met with considerable praise for it's Online play, although balancing between some classes is known to be an issue. (Not sure if that's implicitly a 'Multiplayer' concern) and 'Apex Legends' certainly received a lot of positive support before they flushed it down the drain with their greedy business practises. 'The Division 2' is the game that has me most puzzled, however, as it has failed to strike the same player numbers despite a plethora of good reviews and people swearing that the game is better than the first. (seems that game really needs a win.)
It'll have to look elsewhere, however, as my award for 'Best Multiplayer game' goes to 'Borderlands 3' who takes the top spot with little competition. 'Apex Legends' is still in the dog house for me, and will likely stay there for a while, whilst 'Call of Duty' just failed to wow audiences in one of the key areas of development; maps. Tetris 99 feels more like a gimmick than a game, who's existence I literally forgot about until seeing it on this list and The Divison 2 just plain isn't my sort of game. (Not one for the whole 'semi-realistic military looter-shooter' genre.) 'Borderlands 3', on the otherhand, was just an incredibly solid game which improved all that it needed too and bought customization where it wasn't necessary. Out of all the games on this list, that is the only one I would encourage others to pick up.
Mobile Game of the Year
This next section is one that, try as I might, I cannot bring myself to truly care about: and that of course is 'Mobile games'. Historically, these are the titles that are most likely to be soulless cash grabs built with the sole intention of demoralizing the player to the point where they will wordlessly surrender their cash in a bid to make the pain stop. Of course, the games that made it to the 'nomination' section for The Game Awards are of the minority of games that really are imaginative and worth your time, but mere association sucks out any potential passion and means that I am unfamiliar with every title in this section.In this section we have 'Call of Duty: Mobile', a surprisingly faithful recreation of Call of Duty, albeit with much worse monetisation; 'Grindstone', a colourful looking game which, try as I might, I have been unable to understand. It's a puzzle game I guess. 'Sayonara Wild Hearts', which is a weird pseudo-rhythm game that apparently starts with a voice over read by Queen Latifa; (Okay) 'Sky: Children of Light', which is a 'social-game' that seems to have stolen it's aesthetic from 'Journey'; and 'What the Golf?', Which is a physics based golf game. No need for any real deliberation here, as I don't care for most of these games: I pick 'Sayonara Wild Hearts' because it seems cool. Not my kind of music but, hey.
Indie Game of the Year
From there we get a more interesting collection of games to pick through in the 'Independant' section, wherein we get to thumb through the indie games of the year. This is a section that is typically home to some of the most imaginative titles of the year due to the fact that the developers are encouraged to nurture their creativity in order to stand out from the crowd. (Plus there are no producers attempting to shape the final product into something more 'commercially viable'.) Indie games are the life blood of the industry and I'm always happy to see more of them get represented on the big gaming stage.(Good on you, Geoff.) Now if only these games could get a bigger stage at E3, then we would be getting somewhere as an industry.Out of the vast array of Indie games that have released thus far this year, we have nominations for 'Baba is you', a delightful puzzle game based around the specifics of programming syntax; 'Disco Elysium'. Okay I'll play it, Game Awards, get off my damn back! 'Katana Zero', an beautiful neo-noir hyper-violent platformer; 'Outer Wilds', an ostensibly mellow space exploration game with a prominent time-loop twist to the whole affair; and 'Untitled Goose game', a YouTube-darling game that capitalizes off the same silly fun as 'Goat Simulator'. (Just with much better controls.)
Given the very different array of potential choices for this section it was a struggle to pick a winner. Although I know that the game I like most from this list is 'Katana Zero' (It taps into that same sort of anarchic desire that 'Ruiner' does.) I'd have to ultimately choose 'Outer Wilds'. It managed to take a very cliche concept, being stuck in a hour long time loop, and stretch it out into a full game's worth of exploration that somehow didn't grow incredibly stale by the end. Even as you get closer to slowly understanding the mysteries of the universe, you're drawn in to explore further by a fun looping mechanic that makes trail and error fun. (At least that's my choice until I get around to playing 'Disco Elysium.' Then, who knows?)
Games for Impact
This next section of games is one that I historically have a distaste for; 'Game for Impact'. It is meant to denote games that are fueled by emotion consequence and are designed for the soul purpose of hitting you square in the feels. Unfortunately, I am an emotionless, unempathetic, shrew of a human being and so such games have little to no effect on me. Consequently, I just get a little grumpy when this section comes up and I'm besieged by games that folk keep saying are the most emotional experiences that they've been through. "Oh really? Wish I knew what that felt like." (Maybe I just haven't played the right game yet, I dunno.)Here we have a selection of fun titles including 'Concrete Genie', a VR game about spray tagging images that then come to life in a manner that invokes the spirit of 'Little Big Planet' for me; 'Gris', an abstract, yet beautiful, platformer that centers itself around the concept of 'voice'; 'Kind Words', a game about writing nice letters to real people whilst listening to lo-fi music. A task that I seem viscerally unsuitable for; 'Life is Strange 2', A story about two brothers on the road with supernatural powers thrown in; (I hope this one actually has a conclusion) and 'Sea of solitude' an adventure game based around the theme of loneliness and how it turns people into monsters, literally. (Kinda feeling personally attacked here, not gonna lie.)
I find it hard to judge these games based on raw emotional impact (for the reasons that I just explained) so I'm have to approach them with a look at intent. (Which will also be difficult given that I've literally played none of these games, they're just not my bag.) With that in mind, Concrete Genie seems more like a cool concept than it does an impactful experience, and 'Gris' seems a little too abstract to hit an emotional home run. 'Kind Words' seems conceptually asinine but I can see a certain type of person getting a kick out of it, and 'Sea of Solitude' seems hyper focused enough on its concept to deliver a concise message in a stylistically cool way. 'Life is Strange 2' is the only one that I would have to actually experience in order to decide, as I've seen 'Don't Nod' pull off effective emotional moments and hollow ones. I did play the prequel for 'Life is Strange 2', 'Captain Cosmos', and saw that they focused more on harsh realities to reach the player than abstract imagery, providing they kept that up I could see the main game proving impactful.
However, I would still end up picking 'Sea of Solitude', purely because I believe that the concept lasts beyond it message and translates into a powerful gameplay experience. One could say the same about 'Kind Words' but I'm too hate-filled to share that particular view. Plus I feel that the visual flair of 'Sea of Solitude' is haunting and effective enough to really hammer home the themes. Some might argue that they hit the nail too hard on the head, in fact, but I always prefer a message established over one lazily dropped a few moments before the credits. (not pointing any fingers, 'Don't Nod'.)
Best Game Direction of the Year
Hence forth we move onto one of my favourite categories 'Game Direction'. Defined as those that are recognized for their 'outstanding vision and innovation in game direction and design'. Honestly, I feel as those this is a section that fills up with more flavour each and every year as gaming becomes more evocative and interesting. Hardware is steadily approaching the point where the barrier between imagination and what can be made is steadily shrinking, and with the ever expanding roster of game players, its becoming commercial viable to be innovative and unique. In fact, this year things have even gotten to the point where I genuinely wonder for next year's selection. (Can they top the sorts of powerhouses that we are seeing here today? I'm not so sure.)This year the list of candidate read 'Control', a game that makes use of a robust physics engine in order to flesh out it's combat, navigation and puzzle solving; 'Death Stranding', a game which challenges what can be considered gameplay by making players transport cargo for 40 hours; 'Resident Evil 2', the remake which resurrected one of the greatest horror games in history in manner that was incredible and unique; 'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice', a souls game which completely shifted the balance of combat for the 'series' from patience to unrelenting speed and 'Outer Wilds', which boasted a time bending exploration premise that I've already described once. (Oh god, the time loop is happening!)
I've focused on the mechanical side of this category, picking out those fundamental mechanics that really stand out about each game. That means looking at the way that 'Control' allows the player to manipulate physics as they grow stronger (almost feeling like a direct evolution upon 'Half-Life 2') or how 'Outer Wilds' time mechanics make repetition into an actual game mechanic. 'Sekiro' boasts more mobility and speed then any other Souls games, whilst still retaining the unforgettable style whilst 'Death Stranding' finds a way to turn fetch-quests into a driving force for a story, turning the old adage 'it's about the journey not the destination' into a design philosophy. Out of this selection, only 'Resident Evil 2' doesn't innovate in a note worthy way. What that game does do it school anyone who thinks they can do a remake by achieving it's task in a way that doesn't ape the original but surpasses it.
At the end of the day, however, this section is made for those games bold enough to take a risk and execute it fearlessly. Therefore there is no candidate more suited for this award than 'Death Stranding'. Despite feeling so similar to games that we've seen before (especially Kojima's own 'Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain') 'Death Stranding' spirals out dramatically into new and unexpected territory. We're talking about a game direction so bold that most folk still aren't sure if they like this game, but isn't that what this section is all about? I say it is, so 'Death Stranding' gets the award.
Fresh Indie Game (of the Year?)
This next section is a little bit misleading. We have 'Fresh Indie game' (Sponsored by Subway) and it's actually not about specific games. The official site claims that this award is actually 'recognizing a new independent studio that released its first game in 2019' but I have reason to believe there's actually more to it than that. Whatever the case, this is another way in which Geoff wants to recognize the talents of those brave enough to go Indie and I can respect this category for that fact alone. (Even if I'm mildly doubtful of the description.)Perhaps you'll see what I mean as I go through the candidates themselves. We have 'ZA / UM' makers of 'Disco Elysium', I get the message guys, the game is great; 'Nomada Studio', the folk behind 'Gris', the pretty platformer from earlier; 'Deadtoast Entertainment' for their weird body-physic shooter 'My friend Pedro'; 'Outer Wilds' developer 'Mobius Digital'; 'Mega Crit' for 'Slay the Spire', a card based rogue-like with a sketchy aesthetic and 'House House', the team behind 'Untitled goose game'. (Glad that one got another mention.)
This section first began confusing me when I saw 'Mega Crit', seeing as how 'Slay the Spire' was released back in 2017. (Perhaps this the year was release 1.0, I dunno.) Then there was 'House House' who made 'Push me Pull you' back in 2016. (Maybe they only officially filed as a company after that game?) Whatever the case I have no idea what the criteria is for these category, or what the company itself has to do in order to achieve distinctions in their department. I assume it's based on the quality of the game, but I genuinely have no clue.
With all that confusion, I suppose I'll just pick 'Mega Crit' because I absolutely love 'Slay the Spire' and feel that more people should know about it and play it. It feels like I judging them by the wrong criteria, but I haven't followed the development of these games closely enough to identify which company seems the most productive, so I'll just have to sight read this category. (Quick note to The Awards guys, the next time you let Subway sponsor one of your sections at least ensure everything is communicated appropriately.)
Fighting Game of the Year
Onwards we move to a category that I've already bought up once before, in my last blog on the Game Awards, 'Fighting Games'. These are the types of games that pride themselves on their mastery of everything basic in terms of control fidelity, as that is the most important aspect of any fighter. I know that feels like an odd aspect of fighting games to hone in on, but it the aspect that I respect the most. With all the attention that is typically paid to big spectacle and set-pieces, other genres often forget about the basics like tight controls. "'Modern Warfare's TTK is a little too long? They'll fix it next game." But fighting games have never had that luxury, due to their deeply competitive nature, leading to a more assured atmosphere of quality in that genre.That does also mean that we don't see as many fighting games these days as we did back when we had no standards. Point in case, there are only 5 games on the slate this year. We have 'Dead or Alive 6', the Ninja and Kunoichi packed fighter with a frightening obsession with cosmetic DLC; 'Jump Force', an attempt to crossover various Anime characters who have featured in Shueisha's 'Weekly Shōnen Jump' anthology in celebration of the manga's 50th anniversary; (Emphasis on 'attempt) 'Mortal Kombat 11', A grand point in the Mortal Kombat series wherein Nether Realm married the best elements of their other fighting franchise 'Injustice' with the ultra-violence of MK; 'Samurai Shodown', a revival of long dormant fighting franchise that features an unhealthy number of dai-katanas; and 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate', Nintendo's premiere fighting game that boasts the largest crossover roster in the franchise's history.
At least four of these games are decent enough with 'Jump Force' being a total abhorrent mess that doesn't deserve to share the stage with other games. 'Dead or Alive 6' is a bit greedy with it's monetisation, but the core gameplay is apparently just as tight as ever, which is a compliment many award to 'Mortal Kombat 11' as well. (With many adding that the new 'specials' mechanics changes the dynamic in a positive way.) Samurai Shodown got some positive looks for a revival too, but nothing really compares to the reception enjoyed by 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.'
If I didn't make it obvious last blog, there is no way that 'Smash Bros.' doesn't win this award for value for money if nothing else. Those other fighters may all have pro and cons of their own, (I happen to think that MK11 is good enough to pose a good second in this category) but 'Smash Bros. Ultimate' pushes all of the nitpicking aside. This is game that has more variety in fighter play styles, content in maps, progression in spirits, and scope to improve with an ever expanding roster that has no end in sight. The only way it concedes is in Storyline, but no one plays fighting games for the story anyway. Let's be frank.
Family Game of the Year
Now we have the Nintendo category- I mean 'family game of the year.' Although it might as well be directed at Nintendo as every title present has been published under their banner. I suppose it speaks to the shifting priorities of gamers that companies feel less need to market to the family demographic in general and more to niche demographics. (Or as 'niche' as games like 'Call of Duty' actually are.) So perhaps this leaves 'Nintendo' as the only remaining dedicated family developer, but I don't mind that outcome too much as they were the only company put out good family games anyway.The section is entirely dominated by the big-N with titles like 'Luigi's Mansion 3', which is a bit of a misnomer given the fact that this entry actually takes place inside of a haunted hotel; 'Ring Fit Adventure' which seems to be more of an exercise game, but lets not split hairs just yet; 'Super Mario Maker 2' which pretty much invalidates the need for Nintendo to make another main-line Mario game for as long as they exist; 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate', again the year's best fighter gets a look in from the awards; and 'Yoshi's Crafted World', which I'm told features absolutely excellent multi player.
I think the key for a good 'family' title is one that can be shared amongst folk who aren't dedicated gamers, which calls for the game in question to be intuitive and not too difficult. Unfortunately, that would disqualify 'Super Smash Bros.' as that is a skill based affair that gets so competitive that familial relations are sure to be ruined and Luigi's Mansions 3, for the plain fact that it's co-op absolutely sucks. Ring Fit Adventure doesn't seem like a recreational game leaving only the Yoshi game and Super Mario Maker to duke it out for the top spot.
Of those two, I feel that 'Super Mario Maker 2' has more legs amidst the family due to the potential for endless content as well as the support from Nintendo. (The game got a huge content update just yesterday.) It's a title that can be picked up by just about anyone and enjoyed by a large variety of demographics due to the universal appeal of Mario. Truly, Nintendo put themselves out of business with Mario Maker.
Esports stuff
The next few sections are all dedicated to that most dull of gaming topics, Esports, and so it's safe to say that I don't care enough to look up any of the candidates on show. Esports is an important part of gaming culture, I won't deny that, but just like football culture, I just couldn't care less for it. If you look at the sort of pretentious arrogance it draws out of people, (Looking at that tweet from Ninja in particular) you might conclude, as I have, that's its just a part of the gaming discussion that I just don't want any part in. Therefore, allow me to commence my quick-fire round.For Esports teams I pick the Overwatch League guys, San Fransciso Shock, because that's a game I understand. For Esports player I pick Fortnite's Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, because he's the only one with a face I don't want to punch. For Esports host I choose Paul "Redeye" Chaloner, because he looks like sad and I want to cheer him up. For Esports game I choose Fortnite, because I think I heard about some kid winning $500,000 on it and that seems note worthy. For Esports Event I pick Overwatch League Grand Finals because, judging from the pictures, it's the only event that didn't rely on 'blue' as their primary ambient colour. (Seriously, what's up with that?) For Esports coach I pick Kim 'KKoma' Jeong-gyun, because he has the kind of face that I would listen to if it told me to do something. And for Content Creator of the year I choose Shroud because Pewdiepie isn't there. (Pewdiepie helped usher in the second coming of Minecraft, how is that not a positive impact?)
Best Community Support of the Year
Back to the actual sections that matter, we have 'community support' which is a topic that I'll happily call: potentially contentious. The site defines this as a game that offers "outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness" , Which I'm fairly sure counts out 90% of active games and gaming companies today. (I wonder how Bethesda never made it on these lists...) Evidence in this regard can be purely anecdotal, so I prefer to take a wider look at the entire vibe surrounding a game to get a clearer idea of the sort of community 'responsivess' and whatnot.For this particular selection of games, we actually have the usual suspects to shift through. I'm talking 'Apex Legends', A title infamous for trying to overcharge their customers twice and getting caught out both times; (and the aforementioned temper tantrum) 'Destiny 2', for which Bungie have actually worked overtime in order to rebuild their tattered reputation; 'Final Fantasy XIV' for which I've heard nothing in the way of customer support; (Which I guess is good. No complaints right?) 'Fortnite', which the Epic team tends to keep on top of, seeing as how that game is their big money maker; and 'Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Seige', which is the game that let it's competitive scene devole into a cheating mess while they worked on their next big content drop.
Obviously I have a few biases in this regard, but seeing as how I am a consumer I feel that my residual impressions on my treatment is actually fairly relevant to the topic at hand. Afterall, the insulting way in which Respawn treated it's fans drove me away from 'Apex Legends' for good. (I was just getting the hang of it too.) And 'Seige's cheating pandemic drove a lot of hardcore players away from stories that I've heard. Of course, any large scale video game is bound to have some 'customer support' horror stories, but it's the large scale faux pas that I think are really worth paying attention too. (Honestly, I have no idea why 'Apex Legends' was even nominated.)
I think that I'll award this own to Bungie's 'Destiny 2', just because I've seen the great effort that they've put into fostering their community back up and that's something I feel should be an example to more studios. Fortnite is so big that 'customer support' feels like they're working purely to shut you up and, again, I've heard significantly little regarding FF14's policies so I'm unclear as to why they were ever nominated. This entire category feels like an afterthought.
Best Audio Design of the Year
Next we have those games that are being recognized for their audio design of all things. This is for those games that excel in all those loud effects and noises that make up the vast majority of your download space everytime you buy a new game. I suppose the criteria for proving oneself in this genre stems from the quality of the sound as well as the appropriate implementation, basic stuff from a design standpoint but infinitely effective when performed correctly. These are the kinds of details that often go largely unnoticed the grand scheme of things, but work in the background to make up the full breadth of video game atmosphere.Once again we have a varied list of games starting with 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare', a title which popularized uncompressing sound files to improve clarity and balloon download sizes; 'Control', which utilized a large variety of cool sound warping techniques in some the more unique situations; 'Death Stranding', which had some equally weird and wonderful sounds at times; 'Gears of War 5', a game that seems ready to challenge COD for the loud gun-sounds monopoly; 'Resident Evil 2', which is a master class on horror game sound design and 'Sekiro: Shadows die Twice', which is actually closer in it's approach to sound to Resident Evil than it is to it's action-game peers.
This is a category for which I wanted to ignore the aspects of 'quality' sound design, as they are all quality and I don't feel that qualifier is sufficient, and head towards creative sound design. That would immediately knock off 'CoD' and 'Gears 5' as both those games are rather conventional with their sounds and prop up titles like 'Control' that get weird with their sounds. 'Sekiro' and 'Resident Evil 2' know the importance of silence, however, and that does have the knock on effect of amplifying all your subtle sound effects and cues. 'Death Stranding', on the other hand, doesn't weaponise it's sound design quite as well, so I'll discount that too.
Ultimately, I'm left with awarding this choice to 'Resident Evil 2', as I would have to, given that the game bases half of it's tension around what you can hear. (Due to how quiet some the locations can get.) 'Sekiro' lacks the sharp bite (no pun intended) of a fully fledged horror experience, and honestly I'm not sure how any non-horror came can excel in this field. Leave it to the professions in this regard, they know just how to scare your socks off with the sound of a breaking window or the steady rhythmic thud of heavy approaching boots.
Best Art Direction of the Year
Finally we come to 'Art Direction' (as sponsored by Samsung QLED) and find that many of the candidates are titles that we've already seen. It seems that one cannot nail a praise worthy art design without simultaneously excelling in other areas, or at least that's what the Game Awards are telling me. Oddly, this section doesn't seem dominated by beautifully evocative games, but rather spread between conventional art direction and more abstract interpretations. (Geoff probably wanted to give the triple AAA's a fighting chance.)Titles in this category are very different from one another, starting with 'Control', which has some truly stunning visuals as you reach the later and more surreal stages in the game; 'Death Stranding', which has so many weird visuals that folk still don't know what to be most creeped out by; 'Gris' which I previously criticized for it's weak message but have consistently praised for it's soft art style; 'Sayonara Wild Hearts' which seems purpose built to dazzle art students; 'Sekiro: Shadows die Twice', which mixes conventional fidelity with creative imagination in the trademark 'From Software' way; and the gorgeous 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening' remake, which gave everything this adorable child-like plastic varnish.
Once again, objectivity goes out of the window for this category as it ultimately all comes down to taste. (What art style do you like most.) Perhaps you're more in the wheelhouse of those who like fundamentally artsy looking projects, like 'Gris', or maybe you want something that ostensibly appears normal and recognizable but has the potential to become surreal and strange, like 'Control'. Then there are those that merely boast an appealing visual design that never gets tiring to look at, like 'Link's Awakening'. It all comes down to taste.
Which is why, ultimately, I award this accolade to 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'. Even back in it's gameboy glory this was a sweet game to look at with it's top-down 2D sprite characters, but this 2.5D makeover was just too much for my little heart to handle. I suppose my adoration comes from the way that the game updates itself so considerably whilst retaining the simple charm of the original. It's like Nintendo intentional sought to make the game look as gorgeous as the original does in your memory. And if so: mission accomplished.
Action/Adventure Game of the Year
All that is left now are the three biggest awards with the most competitive candidates, starting with 'action/adventure game of the year'. This is the award that goes to those action games that combine combat, traversal and puzzle solving in order create a full product. In other words, this is the category that 'Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order' would have been in if it had made it shelves before that cut off date. Here we can see that the, ever popular, action adventure genre is not only alive and kicking, but thriving with a selection of high quality titles.
This is sure to prove a tough decision for anyone to pick through with games like 'Borderlands 3', the return of the 'looter-shooter' that puts all the modern day pretenders to shame; 'Control', which evolves 'Remedy's Alan Wake formula into a Metroidvania-style adventure game; 'Death Stranding'; wherein traversal is actually one of the key hazards for the player to overcome; 'Resident Evil 2', a game series which practically birthed the puzzle solving survival horror genre; (blah blah, Alone in the Dark, yeah I know.) 'The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening', an action adventure series that went back to it's routes in the most updated fashion possible; and 'Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice', another spectacular Souls game exploring a beautiful pseudo-Bushido world.
Action adventure games are all about the balance between all the key factors that make the genre work, and all of these games achieve that in spades. 'Sekiro' and 'Control' nail the puzzle solving and traversal elements with consideration whilst 'Resident Evil' and 'Link's Awakening' are all over the combat with puzzles approach. 'Borderlands 3' might focus the majority of it's innovations on it's combat mechanics, but it still a quality game that puts up a strong fight in this line-up. What I'm trying to say is, this is another really difficult decision to make.
Action Game of the Year
So that just leaves us with the completely separate and distinct category of 'Action games'. Hey wait... The Game awards defines this genre as games that excel and are primarily focused on combat, so forgetting about all of that filler in between. This is for all those games that distill the gameplay experience down to the most adrenaline pumping and then smooth the gameplay so that they player is never drawn out of the moment. This is the genre that is the hope of hack-n-slash Devs like Platinum games, as well as pure shooter FPS'.Therefore it shouldn't surprise anyone that we're looking at a line up which includes 'Apex Legends', the little Battle Royale that refuses to give up; 'Astral Chain', Platinum games' Switch exclusive sci-fi Anime policing simulator, which is just as bonkers as all those descriptors would imply; 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare'; which impressed most with it's return to 'boots on the ground' combat, even if some of the particulars don't shine as well as they once did; 'Devil May Cry 5', in which Dante the demon hunter returns to a truly cinematic and set-piece ridden remix of the traditional DMC formula; 'Gears of War 5', which prolongs this franchise that honestly ended after the third game; and 'Metro: Exodus', which successfully transported the incredibly tense and stressful Metro experience into an actual open world setting. (But with no puzzle solving so it's still just action.)
With these games it is a lot easier to pick out the best-of-the-best as it comes down to something as simple as how good the combat feels and how close that feeling is to perfection. The only wrinkle now comes from comparing a game with melee combat to one with ballistic combat. 'Call of Duty' managed to get their TTK wrong and had a weaker map rotation than previous titles, knocking it out of the race, and 'Gears of War 5' may be tight from a control stand point, but the series has always lacked the variety to be competitive in a environment like this. 'DMC 5' is an absolute triumph of it's formula, however, as is 'Metro Exodus' and, I'm told, 'Astral Chain'.
My decision for best Action game ultimately goes to 'Metro: Exodus', however, for it's ability to marry that great combat with a great narrative and solid open world gameplay. That's the sort of the game that ended up going above and beyond and thus excelled above it's peers. That being said, those that prefer a hack-n-slash game could certainly be forgiven for choosing DMC, given that the combat it exhibits is some of the best in the franchise. But, once again, this is my list so i play by my rules; 'Metro' takes the prize.
Ultimate Game of the Year
At long last we have reached the grand finale, the one award that trumps all others and is the signature event of the Games Awards. We have reached 'Ultimate game of the year'. This is the award that goes to the game which excels in every single department possible to achieve the best overall experience. That means, even though it may not be the best example of it's specific genre, it is the best example of what a game is and can be. These are the kinds of games that one will inevitably compare future releases to down the road, as it stands as a shining example of quality for all to aspire to. It is a mere honour to be nominated for such a reward, but to win it is to be told your game is an example to the art form.Here the games in the list are well known, but for prosperity's sake I shall announce them anyway. We have Remedy's 'Control', a supernatural thriller about a young woman delving into a secret government facility in search of her brother; Kojima Production's 'Death Stranding', an implacable sci-fi tale about a man traversing and reconnecting over a post-apocalyptic America; Capcom's 'Resident Evil 2' a horror remake following rookie cop Leon and college student Claire as they struggle to survive a city wide zombie outbreak; 'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice', a somber tale about a rugged Shinobi on a quest to rescue his kidnapped lord and avenge his stolen arm; 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate', which is a fighting game cross-over event with the largest official roster in fighting game history; And 'The Outer Worlds', a deeply satirical tale about the Halycon Colony trying to survive the rule of the Halycon Holdings Board.
Each one of these nominees is a masterpiece in it's own right, boasting particular facets and systems that it does better than the others. 'Sekiro' and 'Super Smash Bros.' both have fantastic combat, but in a completely different fashion to one another. 'The Outer Worlds' and 'Control' both have great senses of humor, but they express it in different methods. And 'Resident Evil 2' and 'Death Stranding' both have a masterful comprehension of atmosphere, even if they manipulate it to different ends. All of these similarities wrought with differences makes it nigh-on impossible to whittle down a winner through means of elimination, so it would have to come down to the game which excels in the most categories.
Ultimately I went with the one game that proved capable of transcending it's primary genre to satisfy desires typically satiated by other types of games. The nominee that consistently impressed with it's fidelity, control, atmosphere, gameplay, narrative and tone. The candidate proved fun enough to have audiences come back for repeat playthroughs, something that is rare in this 'instant gratification' world wherein we are usually discard the things we're done with. I picked 'Resdient Evil 2' as my choice for Ultimate game of the Year, and don't think that any other game is truly worthy of that title, given everything I've gone over.
So there it is, in exhaustive detail, my list of predictions for who I believe should win each and every award in the upcoming Game Awards show. It should be fun to go other the picks that I got right and the one which the show got wrong. (I'll be paying extra special attention to the Esports sections, I put real effort into them.) Although at the end of the day the awards themselves are irrelevant and this whole event is really about celebrating the art of video games on the world stage. Does that make my embarrassingly long blog post about award predictions moot? I don't think so. Guess it depends on how you look at it.
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