I can’t lie, The Game Awards is one of my favorite events of the year. The folks who worked mad hard to entertain us are celebrated and we get to see sneak peeks at the new hotness to come. What’s not to love?
So today The Game Awards announced their list of nominees, and it drives home a feeling I’ve had for the last few months: This year is kind of mid, y’all.
Look, it’s been a weird year to put it lightly, and I feel like we’re gaming now more than ever. It’s just unfortunate that when we look at the big titles released this year, none of them are very inspiring. At least, in this nerdy nigga’s eyes.
For example, let’s take a gander at this year’s Game of the Year nominees:
- Doom Eternal (Good but not as good as the original)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake (I mean, like, I love it but it’s technically not even a full game)
- Ghost of Tsushima (A banger, I must admit)
- Hades (I hear this is an incredibly horny rogue-light, which, you know, tight)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (A solid-ass entry in the franchise)
- The Last of Us Part II.
- The Last of Us Part II. Is a game of the year. Nominee.
The most expensive B-game ever made got the nom. Now, this isn’t as bad as say, Green Book. In fact, I’d compare it to the 1990 Academy Award Nominee for Best Picture, Ghost.
Ghost isn’t a bad movie, but come on now. Best picture?
I’m hoping we get past the point that just because a game is expensive and “serious” doesn’t mean it’s a shoo-in for awards. TLoU: Part II, a game that spends 20 hours simply to tell you “killing is bad, mmkay?” got a nom for best narrative.
Shit, Doom Eternal, whose narrative is mostly beside the point, got a nom for best narrative.
It doesn’t look any better when you go into the sub-categories, with there being very few interesting or surprising choices in the mix. Fighting games were particularly mid this year; a look at the nominees shows that GranBlue Fantasy: Versus is the only new game of any merit on the list. The rest is just being definitive versions of games we’ve been playing for the last few years and a mediocre One Punch Man game, for some reason.
The “traditional” game of the year contenders just didn’t really hit the same way this year and my disappointment in this list stems from the fact that it’s a very traditional selection of games, in a very non-traditional year.
It’s sad that games like Among Us, Fall Guys, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty: Warzone are relegated to the multiplayer/mobile section when, highest of keys, those are the games of the year.
Those are the games that brought us together, provided a way for us to hang out with our friends and family when there wasn’t any other way too. Maybe I’m just crazy, but I think the game of the year nominees should reflect the games people actually gravitated to that year.
With all that being said, Ghost of Tsushima shits on every game in the Game of the Year list, and I will throw hands about this. Also, gotta give shouts to Black Girl Gamers founder Jay Ann Lopez for her content creator of the year nomination.
How do y’all feel about the nominees this year? Dig ‘em? Hate ‘em? Feeling similarly meh? Go off in the comments! Though any Tsushima disrespect will be met with an equal/if not greater level of disrespect. I’m not even playing, y’all.