Awards season is almost here, and while the final winner in this all is still up in the air- there have been way too many great games that released this year- there are definitely some favorites that people expect to dominate more than others. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are all expected to walk away with at least some top honors.
And indeed, all four of those games have been nominated for the top Game of the Year award category for the upcoming Game Awards. They are also joined by Persona 5, an utterly fantastic game that gets a surprise in- surprising, not because it is worse than any of those other titles, but only because, as a turn based JRPG, it’s not the kind of game you expect would get recognition in a mainstream awards show.
Zelda in general dominates these nominations- apart from the GotY nod, it is nominated for five other categories; Super Mario Odyssey, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Destiny 2 tie it with 6 total nominations as well. Meanwhile, Cuphead got five nominations, while Persona 5 and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus got four each.
You can check out the full list of nominees below- it’ll be interesting to see which game walks away with top honors. Anyone want to make a bet?
Game of the Year
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Persona 5
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Game Direction
Wolfenstein II
Resident Evil 7
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Narrative
What Remains of Edith Finch
NieR: Automata
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Wolfenstein II
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Art Direction
Destiny 2
Cuphead
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Persona 5
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Score / Music
Destiny 2
Cuphead
NieR: Automata
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Persona 5
Best Audio Design
Destiny 2
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Resident Evil 7
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Best Performance
Melina Juergens, Hellblade
Laura Bailey, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Claudia Black, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Brian Bloom, Wolfenstein II
Ashly Burch, Horizon Zero Dawn
Games for Impact
Please Knock on my Door
Night in the Woods
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Bury Me, My Love
What Remains of Edith Finch
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Best Ongoing Game
Warframe
Rainbow Six: Siege
Overwatch
Grand Theft Auto Online
Destiny 2
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Best Mobile Game
Super Mario Run
Old Man’s Journey
Monument Valley 2
Hidden Folks
Fire Emblem Heroes
Best Handheld Game
Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World
Monster Hunter Stories
Metroid: Samus Returns
Fire Emblem Echoes
Ever Oasis
Best VR / AR Game
Superhot VR
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Lone Echo / Echo Arena
Farpoint
Resident Evil 7
Best Action Game
Prey
Nioh
Destiny 2
Cuphead
Wolfenstein II
Best Action / Adventure Game
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Role Playing Game
Final Fantasy XV
Divinity: Original Sin 2
NieR: Automata
Persona 5
Best Fighting Game
Tekken 7
Nidhogg 2
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite
Injustice 2
ARMS
Best Family Game
Splatoon 2
Sonic Mania
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Super Mario Odyssey
Best Strategy Game
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
Tooth and Tail
Total War: Warhammer II
Halo Wars 2
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Best Sports / Racing Game
Project Cars 2
Pro Evoltuion Soccer 2018
NBA 2K18
GT Sport
Forza Motorsport 7
FIFA 18
Best Multiplayer
Fornite
Call of Duty: World War II
Splatoon 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Destiny 2
PlayerUnknown’s Battleground
Best Anticipated Game
The Last of Us Part II
Red Dead Redemption II
Monster Hunter World
Marvel’s Spider-Man
God of War
Best Independent Game
Pyre
Night in the Woods
Cuphead
What Remains of Deith Finch
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Best Student Game
Meaning
Level Squared
Impulsion
Falling Sky
Hollowed
From Light
Trending Gamer
Steven Spohn
Mike Grzesiek
Guy Beahm
Clint Lexa
Andrea Rene
Best eSports Game
Rocket League
League of Legends
DOTA2
Counter Strike: Global-Offensive
Overwatch
Best eSports Player
Kuro “KuroKy” Salhei Takhasomi
Je-hong “ryujehong” Ryu
Nikola “NiKo” Kovac
Marcelo “coldzera” David
Lee sang-hyeok “Faker”
Best eSports Team
Team Liquid
SK Telecom 1
Lunatic-Hai
FaZe Clan
Cloud 9
Best Debut Indie Game
Slime Rancher
Mr. Shifty
Hollow Knight
Golf Story
Cuphead
Best Chinese Game
Monument Valley 2
jx3 HD
Gumballs
ICEY
King of Glory
