The Game Awards Released The Nominees For 2023s Game Of The Year
Image Source: British GQ
The season for game awards is here, and 2023 nominated six blockbusters for the treasured Game of the Year Award. Check out the nominees below.
Alan Wake 2
Image Source: Top Gear
This survival horror game and mystery-thriller follows the story split between Alan, who’s trapped in a dark dimension, and FBI Agent Saga Anderson, who is investigating ritualistic slaughters in Bright Falls. Gameplay on Alan’s side involves creative use of light mechanics while Saga’s gameplay allows players to channel their inner conspiracy theorist by organizing evidence with red string. IGN gave Alan Wake 2 a score of 9 and described the game as “one of the boldest and most brain-bending survival-horror storylines…with immaculate art direction and audio design.”
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Baldur’s Gate 3
Image Source: New Game Network
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an RPG with a world of possibilities. Players can choose to create an original character or play the story from one of the existing party characters that are treated with as much time in the spotlight even if the player chooses an original character. Gameplay takes a cue from Dungeons & Dragons by incorporating spells, skills, and physical manipulation. According to PC Gamer, “Each of the three acts could be their own epic RPG, jam-packed with elaborate dungeons, strikingly memorable quests and unique stakes, supported by systems that offer a truly intimidating amount of player freedom.”
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Image Source: WallpapersMug
Insomniac largely follows the same format as their first two entries with gameplay split between Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The map is still limited to New York City, but includes the addition of Brooklyn and Queens. However, the story is where Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 really shines. Kotaku describes the story as “unexpectedly impactful in its depiction of friendship, resentment, and loss.” The addition of famous friends like Harry Osborne and the iconic villains Kraven the Hunter, Sandman, and Venom keep both superheroes busy as they fight to protect the city and find a work-life balance.
Resident Evil 4
Image Source: GameSpot
This game is a little different, as Resident Evil 4 originally launched on GameCube and found its way to more modern platforms as the years went by. This incarnation was released on PS4 and PS5 along with current Xbox platforms and will see an iOS release on December 20, 2023. The game is a survival-horror shooter that follows the story of Agent Leon Kennedy, who has a mission to rescue the president’s daughter. The Verge described its experience with the game as “full-blown action merged with survival-horror: modern controls and graphics with old-school level design.”
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Image Source: Rocket Chainsaw
The latest Mario installment doesn’t break from tradition in its 2D side-scrolling platforming gameplay, but the addition of new power-ups like the Elephant Fruit, Drill Mushrooms, and Bubble Flowers adds a fresh take. The game’s Wonder Effects randomize the stage with effects ranging from turning Mario into a Bowser minion, launching Mario into space, or causing the entire Mushroom Kingdom to break out into song. Game Informer gave the game a 9.5 and wrote “After all this time, I thought I had a grasp on the breadth of the tricks the 2D Mario series had up its sleeve, but that Super Mario Bros. Wonder so consistently surprised me speaks to just how much gas is left in the iconic franchise’s tank.”
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Image Source: GameSpot
Nintendo delighted fans by taking the memorable world of Breath of the Wild and expanding its map to the skies above and the depths below. The addition of new gameplay elements, particularly the ultrahand and the fuse feature, turned the world of Hyrule into a wide-open sandbox with endless possibilities. A Polygon reviewer wrote, “After playing for 70 hours, my brain is still awash with possible stunts, schematics, and concoctions that I haven’t tried. I’ve rushed to my Switch no fewer than four times while writing this review, metaphorical lightbulb shining brightly above my head, to test my suspicion that I might be able to accomplish Z by doing Y after setting up X.” According to the reviewer, the theories worked out every time. The story reveals details about the Zonai and the first kingdom of Hyrule with plenty of references to past games found in collectible outfits and the game’s geography. A return to dungeon gameplay complemented the new abilities to create a gameplay experience that Zelda fans are still talking about.
The Game Awards will be announced on December 7, 2023, with free live-streaming of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST.
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Sources: The Game Awards, IGN, PC Gamer, Kotaku, The Verge, Game Informer, Polygon
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