Gaming Writer Ash Cole covers the nominees for the most anticipated categories of the 2023 Game Awards and gives thought to the winner of each
The Game Awards also recognises key members of the gaming community
Hosted by video game journalist Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards is an annual celebration of the year’s biggest and best in gaming. As is tradition, the nominees for the 2023 Awards have been announced in advance of the live-streamed event, to be held on December 7th .
A total of 31 categories are up for grabs, with the best of 2023 being nominated for further categories such as Best Narrative, Best Performance, awards for ongoing game support, genre awards, and more. The Game Awards also recognises key members of the gaming community with awards for Best Content Creator and various esports-related categories.
The show will stream live on The Game Awards’ official YouTube
Like any awards show, The Game Awards is not without its share of snubs. Notably, Bethesda’s Starfield is absent from the Game of the Year nominees, although it was nominated for Best RPG alongside the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy XVI. This continues a streak of Xbox’s first-party products being denied a shot at the top prize, while Nintendo and PlayStation enjoy at least one nomination apiece. Further, Hogwarts Legacy is nowhere to be seen at the Awards whatsoever, which may be attributed either to controversy surrounding Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, or merely the lack of lasting impression left in the wake of its release.
The show will stream live on The Game Awards’ official YouTube, Twitch and various social media channels, on December 8 th at 12:30am GMT. Not exactly friendly for those with early mornings, but be sure to expect a packed show, with several reveals and trailers for games releasing next year and beyond.
Game of the Year
The most prestigious of these accolades is naturally the Game of the Year Award. Each game in this category brings a unique and medium-defining experience to the table, although two stand head and shoulders above the rest. Tears of the Kingdom perfects a formula that already won Breath of the Wild the award in 2017, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game so impressive that other studios have expressed concern over how much it has elevated the standard of gaming. Truly, the award could go either way, with both being truly deserving candidates.
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Game Direction
Game direction refers to innovation in game design, and by that token it’s hard to argue against the immense freedom and seamless implementation of Dungeons & Dragons mechanics in Baldur’s Gate 3. Equally, the building mechanic in Tears of the Kingdom is an example of an idea so simple in theory, yet so revolutionary, that only Nintendo could execute so well. Baldur’s Gate is the likely choice to win, with Zelda not far behind.
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Art Direction
So many games in 2023 have been visually stunning, such as the vibrant cel-shaded style of Hi-Fi Rush or the watercolour atmosphere of Tears of the Kingdom, but the detail and idiosyncratic wow-factor of every landscape, character and animation in Super Mario Bros. Wonder puts the iconic plumber on top.
- Alan Wake 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Lies of P
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Score and Music
It’s hard not to instinctively give this award to Hi-Fi Rush, this year’s apex of rhythm games. It’s even harder is to not acknowledge that the epic soundtrack of Final Fantasy XVI, written by esteemed composer Masayoshi Soken during his battle with cancer, is the most deserving here.
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Hi-Fi Rush
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Audio Design
This time, Hi-Fi Rush really does deserve the award, for seamlessly integrating every facet of its gameplay, audio and soundtrack into its underlying beating heart. For what it’s worth, Resident Evil 4 excels above its horror contemporaries in this category for utilising audio to instil fear.
- Alan Wake 2
- Dead Space
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Resident Evil 4
- Spider-Man 2
Best Independent Game
This is an interesting category because one nominee, Dave the Diver, is not technically indie, as developer MintRocket is a subsidiary of Nexon, a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Between the remaining candidates, Sea of Stars stands out as a triumphant return to SNES-style JRPG gameplay, breathing new life into a tried-and-true genre.
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Sea of Stars
- Viewfinder
Most Anticipated Game
2024 is shaping up to be just as incredible a year for gaming as 2023, and this award celebrates the most promising games of next year. While the award will almost certainly go to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the highly anticipated second episode of Square Enix’s monumental remake, Hades 2 is sure to put up some competition. It’s also nice to see recognition for underdog Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the next in Sega’s long-standing Yakuza franchise.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Hades 2
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Tekken 8
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