Board 8 > What do you think will be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards this year?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Hogwarts was real fun (especially to explore if you were ever into the series) and sold a lot but even then it didn't really feel like a GotY thing.

Anyway, assuming its six nominees? Probably something like this

Baldur's Gate 3 (pretty much guaranteed a spot and I would like it to win the whole thing)
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (its likely going to be the nintendo spot and snub Wonder)
Spiderman 2 (reputation/buzz)
Starfield (see above even if reviews were middling)
Final Fantasy XVI (up in the air but I think it will snag the spot)
Resident Evil 4 (pretty good chance and one of my personal top ones for the year)

You know that one popular game you, yes YOU, don't like? That one is going to win

I can't wait for some completely left field game to make the list, like Lies of P.

JackMan posted...

The Remedyverse is pretty analogous to the MCU at this point. You can get by playing just the main Alan Wake games, but there's a ton of references to everything else that you won't realise are references unless you play the other games and DLC.

no, you must play everything

unironically this is why I just finished Max Payne for the first time this morning and have just started Max Payne 2

probably going to draw the line at quantum break though and go into AW2 next

UshiromiyaEva posted...

I can't wait for some completely left field game to make the list, like Lies of P.

I'd be up for it making the list. Lies of P was great!

MoogleKupo141 posted...

no, you must play everything

unironically this is why I just finished Max Payne for the first time this morning and have just started Max Payne 2

probably going to draw the line at quantum break though and go into AW2 next

I mean, Quantum Break IS referenced in AW2 too, so...

UshiromiyaEva posted...

I can't wait for some completely left field game to make the list, like Lies of P.

honestly its probably not in my top 6 games of the year, but I wouldnt be mad about it at all

hi-fi rush is the other left field dark horse I wouldnt mind seeing nominated

JackMan posted...

I mean, Quantum Break IS referenced in AW2 too, so...

fuck it is on game pass and its not very long

I think Hi-Fi Rush would a very outside shot of it came out later in the year, but too much has come out since then.

Hope you enjoy watching a TV show while you're trying to play a game instead.

MoogleKupo141 posted...

fuck it is on game pass and its not very long

oh no

That Lies of P comment wasn't a sleight towards Lies of P! It'd be right at home, game did fine but probably deserved to do better.

It's a wierd case where most of the casual Souls players were like "Oh look another Souls clone, these will never be as good as the real deal right fellas??", and the hardcore Souls players were like "Um, no, this is actually the real deal".

It should be a slight. Can't believe anyone played that game and thought it was anything but a shadow of a 10 year old game.

Lies of P is damn good

I was the first person on the Souls train on this message board. I was posting videos of this Japanese exclusive PS3 game Demons Souls talking about how sick it looked, and peope told me I was a moron for thinking it didn't look like generic low budget shit (more lax times around here).

Was probably the biggest hype builder for Dark Souls, literally jumped out of my chair! And Dark Souls is a 10/10 game. There are few 3D games more important.

This is all to say that Dark Souls 1 is a difficult game to go back to <_<

That's a game that's cracks have really started to show against it's more modern iterations.

Still better than Dark Souls 2.

And to be fair that's also to say DS1 is still better than all the other Souls clones too

Lies of P is....probably the only exception? I don't really like other popular Souls clones, can't stand Nioh and that's probably still the most noteable.

I'm excited for the upcoming remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2 just to see if they change them in any way to better fit the remedyverse

They dont own the rights to Max Payne so I doubt it though obviously they are gesturing at it very hard in Alan Wake II. Same with Quantum Break.

On which subject, what are the Quantum Break references other than the presence of Shawn Ashmore? I am not sure I will go back and check that one out either!

I think these will be the GOTY nominees:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5da51e82.jpg

LightningStrikes posted...

Thinking about other categories:

Tears of the Kingdom probably gets in Direction, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Action Adventure.

Baldurs Gate 3 gets in Direction, Narrative, Music, Performance, RPG, maybe Multiplayer.

Alan Wake II gets in Direction, Narrative, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Performance, Action Adventure.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder gets in Family and Action, Multiplayer, MAYBE Music and MAYBE Direction.

Spider-Man 2 gets in Narrative, Art Direction (even though it shouldnt), Audio Design, Performance and maybe Direction.

Street Fighter VI gets in Art Direction, Multiplayer, Fighting.

Resident Evil 4 gets in Direction, Audio Design, Art Direction, Action Adventure.

Thinking about it this way makes SFVI seem weaker!

I think SF6 could be nominated for innovation in Accessibility. Maybe even Game Direction. Personally, I have RE4 in GOTY, but SF6 in Game Direction.

UberPyro64 posted...

I think these will be the GOTY nominees:

Ha, for a sec I thought they had been officially announced there. That's a viable set, though will they do two horrors and two Nintendos? While snubbing MS entirely? ...Yeah they could, I dunno.

I was thinking about other categories too like Best Indie, and it struck me we haven't had a big crossover breakout indie hit this year like Hades or Vampire Survivors, and there's not been one backed by big names like Stray or Kena as far as I know. What will that category look like- Cocoon, Dave, Sea of Stars, then what? Pizza Tower, Blasphemous 2, Darkest Dungeon 2, Turbo Overkill, Venba, Dordogne, Volcano High, Dredge... I'm probably missing some likely ones.

andylt posted...

Ha, for a sec I thought they had been officially announced there. That's a viable set, though will they do two horrors and two Nintendos? While snubbing MS entirely? ...Yeah they could, I dunno.

I was thinking about other categories too like Best Indie, and it struck me we haven't had a big crossover breakout indie hit this year like Hades or Vampire Survivors, and there's not been one backed by big names like Stray or Kena as far as I know. What will that category look like- Cocoon, Dave, Sea of Stars, then what? Pizza Tower, Blasphemous 2, Darkest Dungeon 2, Turbo Overkill, Venba, Dordogne, Volcano High, Dredge... I'm probably missing some likely ones.

Baldur's Gate 3 is technically an indie game. Also, generally, Nintendo gets one slot, but having both a Mario and a Zelda game is definitely the exception to the rule as noted in 2017 when both BotW and Super Mario Odyssey were nominated. Mind you it was a 3D Mario, not a 2D one.

Do people actually like Volcano High? It arrived with stunningly little fanfare. Seemed even less popular than the troll game people made to make fun of it, Snoot Game...

I hope Pizza Tower gets a Best Indie nomination. It's very fun.

LightningStrikes posted...

They dont own the rights to Max Payne so I doubt it though obviously they are gesturing at it very hard in Alan Wake II. Same with Quantum Break.

On which subject, what are the Quantum Break references other than the presence of Shawn Ashmore? I am not sure I will go back and check that one out either!

Mr. Door is an alternate take on Hatch from Quantum Break, like how Alex Casey is an alternate take on Max Payne.

MacArrowny posted...

Do people actually like Volcano High? It arrived with stunningly little fanfare.

Yeah I've no idea, but I figured it's the closest thing to a Sony-backed indie like Kena or Stray this year so I'm not ruling it out. And it reviewed better than 12 Minutes which got a nom *shrug*

UberPyro64 posted...

Baldur's Gate 3 is technically an indie game

Self-published, but not indie

foolm0r0n posted...

Self-published, but not indie

I was mostly going by this Steam thread.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/3811785047381360950/

Some say they are indie. Some say no. I said technically based on their reasonings.

It's a 20 year old question, a random steam thread isn't gonna answer it. But it's clear that if BG3 is included in the definition, it's wrong.

I feel like if you included BG3, you would include Hitman 3 and that doesnt sound right

LiquidOshawott posted...

I feel like if you included BG3, you would include Hitman 3 and that doesnt sound right

Yeah, that does sound strange, lol. I would say probably not.

This is just the argument a lot of media have over if "indie" means "independent artist" or if it's a signifier of aesthetic, marketing, or production budget. It's almost never the first one.

Regardless I don't think self-publishing BG3 is enough for even a big indie production when it's a licensed game getting a ton of help from outside the video game industry from Hasbro. WotC is out here doing a lot of hype work making whole ass MtG and DnD tie-in sets for it, promotion as part of their Brand, shit like that.

MacArrowny posted...

Mr. Door is an alternate take on Hatch from Quantum Break, like how Alex Casey is an alternate take on Max Payne.

It's lightly implied that Tim Breaker and Mr Door are Jack Joyce and Martin Hatch and that the events of Quantum Break are one of many dream realities that Tim keeps finding himself put in by Mr Door. They can't explicitly say it, because of the licensing issues, but, like the Max Payne stuff, it's pretty obvious they would if they could.

JackMan posted...

It's lightly implied that Tim Breaker and Mr Door are Jack Joyce and Martin Hatch and that the events of Quantum Break are one of many dream realities that Tim keeps finding himself put in by Mr Door. They can't explicitly say it, because of the licensing issues, but, like the Max Payne stuff, it's pretty obvious they would if they could.

False. Lance Reddick is dead, so they couldn't bring back Hatch regardless.

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

This is just the argument a lot of media have over if "indie" means "independent artist" or if it's a signifier of aesthetic, marketing, or production budget. It's almost never the first one.

Regardless I don't think self-publishing BG3 is enough for even a big indie production when it's a licensed game getting a ton of help from outside the video game industry from Hasbro. WotC is out here doing a lot of hype work making whole ass MtG and DnD tie-in sets for it, promotion as part of their Brand, shit like that.

Licensed games are generally not considered indie, yeah. Tons of them are made by small studios, but they're still a licensed product.

MacArrowny posted...

False. Lance Reddick is dead, so they couldn't bring back Hatch regardless.

It's my interpretation of some of Tim's dialogue, but admittedly there's no hard evidence and given the licensing issues, I doubt we'd ever get a straight answer from Remedy, so agree to disagree. But it's a very intentional name choice and actor.

LiquidOshawott posted...

I feel like if you included BG3, you would include Hitman 3 and that doesnt sound right

Also by that definition, Zelda and Call of Duty

Joining the people who think Mario Wonder doesn't make it, even though it's probably my personal GotY. 2D Marios don't generate the same buzz as 3D.

Tears of the Kingdom
Baldur's Gate 3
Starfield
Spiderman 2
Street Fighter 6
Dave the Diver

I think top three are guaranteed, but the others I'm less sure about. Spiderman 2 seems like a safe bet, and SF6 is a high-profile fighting game release. I think those two make sense if the goal is to capture a varied "audience".

Dave the Diver is the pick if they decide to include an indie game. While it wasn't on the same level as Vampire Survivors or Stray, it seems like that game was something of a phenomenon for a little while.

If they don't go with an indie, I think probably Armored Core 6 in that spot? Maybe Alan Wake 2 or RE4 remake.

I don't think any indie games sneak in on a year this stacked. There weren't any indie games that truly broke out.

I think people are misguided on the idea that they'll include some kind of breakout indie hit out of obligation. It's happened in the past because there was a breakout indie hit worth including as one of the top six nominees. You can easily go 10 games deep this year without even having to consider a breakout indie title.

Yeah all the previous inclusions were worthy, regardless of indie status. Dave the Diver did very well but it isn't a Stray or a Vampire Survivors.

Nonsense, Dave the Diver will be nominated for Best Performance. No I don't know or care if it has VAs.

KamikazePotato posted...

Yeah all the previous inclusions were worthy, regardless of indie status. Dave the Diver did very well but it isn't a Stray or a Vampire Survivors.

And Vampire Survivors wasn't even nominated for anything other than debut indie game, which it didn't win.

You don't even have to go back that far. 2021's GotY category very flatly did not include any indie games.

I got my award shows mixed up. Vampire Survivors got nominated for a couple others and I thought the Game Awards was one of them.

Paratroopa1 posted...

2021's GotY category very flatly did not include any indie games.

Okay, to clarify: unless you consider It Takes Two an indie, but it's published by EA so... it kinda falls in that murky zone of 'bespoke director and studio but with big publisher backing'.

Vamp won (!) GotY at the BAFTAs this year, which is probs what you're thinking of. But yeah I no longer think an indie could happen in the top award, unless you count BG3 for whatever reason.

Fun fact though: this will be the first year since the category's inception that TotK won't be nominated for most anticipated game!

andylt posted...

Fun fact though: this will be the first year since the category's inception that TotK won't be nominated for most anticipated game!

What even IS the most anticipated game now? GTA6? FFVII Rebirth? ...Hades II?

imo Baldur's Gate 3 is the heavy favorite to win this year. It has a combination of:

1. High acclaim
2. High sales
3. Feels fresh/unique (even if it isn't REALLY)
4. Cinematic experience

The last two are like catnip to award shows. Tears of the Kingdom being a direct sequel that feels more like a very very good expansion pack really hurts its chances.

Paratroopa1 posted...

What even IS the most anticipated game now? GTA6? FFVII Rebirth? ...Hades II?

Unironically it's Elden Ring's DLC

Actually, looking at the BAFTAs they've included at least one indie nom in the Best Game category continuously since 2012. So something like Dave may well get in there.

Paratroopa1 posted...

What even IS the most anticipated game now? GTA6? FFVII Rebirth? ...Hades II?

Huh... not a clue. All of last year's noms in that category came out this year! GTA6 by default I guess, I don't think TES6 could compete. I don't know what other massive franchise has announced a future game.

Oh shit, forgot GTA6. Yeah. It's that.

Oh, I have one: whatever game comes out one week after the next Horizon game.