I tried, I really tried. I wanted to play some, any, at least one of the games nominated for Game of the Year (GOTY) as part of this year’s upcoming Game Awards, but alas it was not to be.
Between work, theatre group, social occasions (I know, woe is me, right?), and just general exhaustion, I’ve had less time to game in general, let alone play specific games. Admittedly, I did grind through a lot of the camos in Black Ops 6 (popped the diamond achievement!), but the good thing with that is it doesn’t require the concentration and follow through of a big all encompassing adventure or RPG.
As I voted for my nominees in The Game Awards digital voting booth, I got to the GOTY category and was a bit flummoxed, which titles would get my vote, and I decided that I’d share my thought process and who I think should win, considering each of the nominees.
Just a quick caveat, I have no qualms with any of the nominees (bar one), and think they are all worthy of being nominated as a contender for Game of the Year (bar one), so my thoughts aren’t necessarily going to keep alluding to that (just because reaffirming by position is tedious).
Astro Bot
Reading about so of many of my friends at Gamer Social Club wax lyrical about Astro Bot really put a smile on my face. The joy, the nostalgia, the challenge and character all puts it firmly in place to be a worthy nominee (hell, we scored it a 10!). A wonderful love letter to gaming of the past 30 years, celebrating franchises and points in gaming history that honours Sony’s history in the gaming space. Plus it has wide appeal, platformers, although seemingly sparse in their releases, are the core gaming experience, they’re for everyone.
Though, I can’t help but wonder if nostalgia plays a huge role in why Astro Bot is so well revered? Of course, that’s part of the charm and allure of the game, but would the same platformer lacking that Sony infused franchise-ness be as popular?
Balatro
I love that Balatro is a nominee. I love me an outsider, a weird card, something that bucks the trend. I love that so many people went out to try this game as a result of seeing it appear on the list. AND, I love that an indie title is nominated for GOTY. From what I can tell, the game is addictive as hell (we gave it a 9 out of 10), and is so well built you just want to keep going back for more. Balatro’s appeal for me is in how well it is executed that people who would never think it’s for them, spend four hours at a time playing it.
It’s a tricky concept for some people; seeing the money, graphical differences, and expansive story of some of the other nominees would surely have you think that there’s no way Balatro should be considered seriously, or even in the same league. Well, all things being equal, how well does it capture the community, are people rabidly playing it, and telling people about it, and extolling its virtues?
And to all those questions, Balatro surely is.
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong is the game that I feel a bit conflicted about. Some people online seem to be absolutely loving it, and extol its combat and how it feels to play, while others feel its lacking depth in what it offer, making for an impressive “tech demo”. Equally, I don’t feel that Black Myth: Wukong is as part of the conversation as some of the other titles. We did score it an 8.5 though, so still a great game.
I’m looking forward to playing it at some point, hopefully on my Series X, but it’s the most “meh” I feel of all of the nominees. Just not had time to even think about it to be honest.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Nope, absolutely not. This is not worthy of being a GAME of the Year, and you know why? You know. Do I have to say it? It’s not a game. It’s an expansion, DLC. Not standalone DLC, you can’t play it without Elden Ring, former Game of the Year nominee AND WINNER!!!!! And, you have to get a fair bit of the way through the original game before you can even play this GOTY nominee.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE, Elden Ring, it is one of my favourite gaming experiences of recent memory, maybe ever, but no way a DLC is GOTY material, even if we did score it a 9. It needs its own category. Given The Game Awards changed their criteria just before nominees were announced should tell you all you need to know.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The Final Fantasy VII Remake project is fascinating to me. I seem to recall an exec of Square Enix saying that if they remade VII it would be the end of the franchise because they’d have no creativity left, and yet here we are. Of course, things change, and this doesn’t feel like a completely straight remake because they’re really going to town on expanding stories and the world of Midgard, whilst keeping the core of what makes the OG Final Fantasy VII so beloved.
Graphically, it’s amazing to look at. I hear tell there’s a lot of minigames, but that was always the case in FF games from what I remember. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth seems like game from this year that blew people away for a long time. We gave it a 9. But it also feels like a game that takes a looooooooonnnnnggggg time to get the most out, and it’s the one that is the most daunting for me to start, just because I don’t know when I’d finish it (I’m not holding that against it per se, just a consideration).
Metaphor: Refantazio
I’m not going to lie to you, I know the least of Metaphor: Refantazio, despite the intriguing name and gorgeous visuals I couldn’t tell you much of anything about it. Well, thanks to the wonderful write-up, mini-review, and case for GOTY, presented by “Candyxbomb”, I now have a clearer view on this left-field nominee. Similar to Final Fantasy: Rebirth, I find the premise of Atlus games daunting, the Personas are notoriously 100s of hours, from what I understand, but it’s hard to deny the vigor in which people who love these games, REALLY love these games.
That may sound like a criticism, but it’s not at all, it’s a testament to the well-crafted worlds and characters in these games. Metaphor: Refantazio certainly inspires things in people, and the long history of the franchise is really intriguing to me.
My Choice for Game of the Year
I’m not going to cope out, and not pick one, but I will say, that I would genuinely not mind if any of them (bar one) wins Game of the Year at The Game Awards. There’s a great mix of titles and genres being represented, and although there a issues with The Game Awards format (why not host it in January for December games to be considered as part of the 2024 awards?!), it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the year in gaming.
With that being said, my pick for Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards is:
The genuine joy and excitement Astro Bot has brought gamers this year with its ingenuity, excellent platforming (from what I’ve seen), as well as a wonderful look back on gaming history is one that should be celebrated.
What do you think? Do you agree, am I well off the mark? Let me know.
