After a year filled with controversy, upheaval, and every company other than Nintendo basically in a holding pattern until the next generation, we once again return to the year's biggest celebration of video games and the games industry as gaming maven and media impresario Geoff Keighley presents the 2019 Game Awards, live from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. And with plenty of the biggest names across the gaming and entertainment industries present, top quality musical performances, and of course, multiple reveals - including over 15 world premieres of upcoming releases - this promises to be one hell of a show.
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Of course, the awards are only half the fun! Several reveals are planned for the event, including new looks at Ghost of Tsushima, Gears Tactics, Ori: Will of the Wisps, Half-Life: Alyx, and the first game from Wolfeye Studios, founded by Arkane Studios' Raphel Colantonio. And that's just what we know about! Several other reveals are speculated, from a new trailers for Final Fantasy VII Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and The Last of Us Part 2, while most of the attention will likely be centered on a potential reveal that promises to be simply Smashing.
And that's not all! Several of the biggest names from the games and entertainment industry will be on hand, including former Nintendo president and Geoff's archrival Reggie Fils-Aime, NBA superstar Stephen Curry, Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan, and Muppets Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker...for some reason. Plus, you'll get live musical performances from acclaimed indie rock ensemble CHVRCHES, who will be performing "Death Stranding", the theme song of the game of the same name, and legendary punk rock icons Green Day, who will also be revealing a new game at the awards.
Control (Remedy Entertainment/505 Games) (PS4/XBO/PC)
A surprise nod for the GOTY award, Control launched in late August, and was a major sales disappointment, failing to chart in either the August or September NPD in both the overall software and individual platform charts. The game did receive relatively positive reviews with an 83 average score on Metacritic, with most reviewers agreeing the game succeeded in delivering Remedy's typical penchant for weird, unique gameplay, featuring fun third-person exploration and combat using a wide array of psychic abilities, along with sharp dialogue and well-acted live-action cutscenes. Winning the award would certainly be a gigantic surprise, but it's still certainly possible that the game that was once overlooked by the masses could shock the world.
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) (PS4)
It wasn't exactly difficult to predict this would happen, but here we are, at The Game Awards, with Death Stranding up for more awards (11) than any other game, including Game of the Year. The long-anticipated and incredibly-hyped first game from Metal Gear creator and gaming icon Hideo Kojima after his well-publicized and highly-acrimonious departure from Konami, the game pretty much ticks every box one looks for when considering the year's best: an epic story set in a unique world, absolutely gorgeous graphics and cutscenes, a vast and varied open world to explore, combat and stealth gameplay sections that can be tackled by the player's preference, and an all-star cast rivaling most TV and film productions, including the acclaimed Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead fame in the lead role of Sam Bridges. However, it's nomination has still come with a fair bit of contention, as despite many outlets lauding the game as one of the year's best, several others - most notably US outlets Game Informer, IGN, and Giant Bomb - were less kind, and were critical of the game's lengthy traversal sections, slow and uneven pace, and heavy emphasis on inventory management.
Resident Evil 2 (Capcom) (PS4, XBO, PC)
Take the most beloved scenario from the most prolific series of survival horror games, and combine that with the gameplay from the most adored entry in said franchise, and you've already got the attention of players worldwide. But Capcom somehow went beyond even those lofty expectations, and delivered something amazing with the highly-anticipated remake of Resident Evil 2, delivering a fresh new take on the game while also being faithful to the original tale of Claire Redfield's search of Raccoon City for her missing brother and Leon S. Kennedy experiencing the world's worst first day on the job in history. However, the icing on the cake was the injection of the combat and gunplay first seen in Resident Evil 4, along with some of the best graphics to date that captured the act fighting through hordes of infected citizens with brutal (and I mean BRUTAL) detail. That said, there has been some argument if a remake can be eligible for the best game of this year, but when it comes to shear quality, RE2 might have the competition about to taste the tongue of a Licker.
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment/Private Division) (PS4, XBO, PC)
The latest RPG from high-lauded developer of classics like Fallout: New Vegas and South Park: The Stick of Truth, as well as the last they will be making for non-Microsoft platforms for the foreseeable future thanks to their recent purchase by the house of Xbox, The Outer Worlds made for a fitting farewell to third-party status for Obsidian. Set in the frontier of space dominated by unbridled capitalism and gigantic megacorporations, Outer Worlds takes more than a few cues from its sister developer Bethesda's near-irreproachable (until recently) Fallout series, with an equally-unique alternative future setting merged with vast areas to explore and a wide array of colorful characters to converse with and befriend (or reject), leading to branching story paths and multiple ways to play, What makes Outer Worlds stand out, however, is just how polished the game is, with deep character customization standing alongside a shocking lack of graphical and gameplay glitches, which is nigh-unheard of for a game of this size. While it doesn't take the western RPG format to new heights, it still provides an energetic, single-player romp that fans have been clamoring for, especially with recent installments in the genre not living up to expectations.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware/Activision) (PS4, XBO, PC)
The latest from Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team of arguable sadists at FromSoftware, Sekiro steps away from the RPG-like experiences of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, bringing the developer back to the action and stealth genre of games like Tenchu and Ninja Blade, combined with the sweat-producing, white-knuckle, balls-hard combat that has become FromSoft's raison d'etre. While a fantastical setting based on Sengoku-era Japan created a familiar feeling to most gamers, and a wide array of massive, unique bosses proved to be recognizable to Soulsborne fans, it was the combat, leaning away from just the typical enemy health bars for a system based on posture, tactics, and above all else, split-second timing - which got them plunking down their hard-earned cash for another round of video game masochism. Of course, this once again led to criticism of FromSoft for continuing to refuse to be accessible to all players, but given how their games continue to among the best of the year, it's a true testament to how they continue to stick by their guns, or in this case, their swords. And if Sekiro comes away with the Game of the Year award, it could mean that gamers the world over may no longer have an excuse to not "git gud."
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Sora/Bandai Namco/Nintendo) (NSW)
While it's certainly Resetera's pick for this award, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's GOTY nod is also the nomination that comes as the most surprising of all. For one, it's the only game released in 2018 to be nominated (explained by the game releasing just hours after the conclusion of last year's show, making it eligible for the 2019 awards), and also the only one that, instead of being a cinematic story-driven single-player campaign, is built to be a multiplayer free-for-all fighting festival first and foremost, given that besides GOTY it's also only nominated for Best Family and Best Fighting Game - categories featuring none of the other nominees. But it's inclusion is an outlier for another reason - much like blockbusters such as Star Wars and Avatar were when they were nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, or when high-quality, high-priced entrees find themselves sharing a menu with a Bacon Triple Cheeseburger with fries, Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't nominated for what is is, but rather what it represents: an unprecedented coming-together of gaming worlds, with incredibly customizable, simple-to-learn yet difficult-to-master gameplay and, of course, a crossover between 70+ playable characters from so many different franchises that it's enough to make even Marvel Studios quiver. But perhaps beyond all of that, it's a demonstration of creator Masahiro Sakurai's tireless dedication to the series, these franchises, and to the gaming community to create a title so chock-full of content, and one that continues to expand. Many eyes will be on Mr. Sakurai for this award, and perhaps even more if he uses the show to invite any other legends to the party.
THE REST OF THE AWARDS
Best Game Direction
- Control (Remedy/505 Games)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Resident Evil 2 (Capcom/Capcom)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
- Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)
Best Narrative
- A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo/Focus Home)
- Control (Remedy/505)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
- The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)
Best Art Direction Presented by Samsung QLED
- Control (Remedy/505)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)
Best Score/Music
- Cadence of Hyrule (Brace Yourself Games/Nintendo)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom)
- Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
Best Audio Design
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
- Control (Remedy/505)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios)
- Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
Best Performance
- Ashly Burch as Parvati Holcomb, The Outer Worlds
- Courtney Hope as Jesse Faden, Control
- Laura Bailey as Kait Diaz, Gears 5
- Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff, Death Stranding
- Matthew Porretta as Dr. Casper Darling, Control
- Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, Death Stranding
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
- Control (Remedy/505 Games)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
- Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
Best RPG
- Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Capcom)
- The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)
Best Fighting Game
- Dead or Alive 6 (Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo)
- Jump Force (Spike Chunsoft/Bandai Namco)
- Mortal Kombat 11 (NetherRealm/WBIE)
- Samurai Showdown (SNK/Athlon)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
Best Family Game
- Luigi's Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo)
- Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- Super Mario Maker 2 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
- Yoshi's Crafted World (Good-Feel/Nintendo)
Best Strategy Game
- Age of Wonders: Planetfall (Triumph Studios/Paradox)
- Anno 1800 (Blue Byte/Ubisoft)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems/Koei Tecmo/Nintendo)
- Total War: Three Kingdoms (Creative Assembly/Sega)
- Tropico 6 (Limbic Entertainment/Kalypso Media)
- Wargroove (Chucklefish)
Best Sports/Racing Game
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beenox/Activision)
- DiRT Rally 2.0 (Codemasters)
- eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (PES Productions/Konami)
- F1 2019 (Codemasters)
- FIFA 20 (EA Sports)
Best Multiplayer Game
- Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
- Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
- Tetris 99 (Arika/Nintendo)
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2 (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
Fresh Indie Game Studio presented by Subway
- ZA/UM for Disco Elysium
- Nomada Studio for Gris
- DeadToast Entertainment for My Friend Pedro
- Mobius Digital for Outer Wilds
- Mega Crit for Slay the Spire
- House House for Untitled Goose Game
Games for Impact
- Concrete Genie (Pixelopus/SIE)
- Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver)
- Kind Words (Popcannibal)
- Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod/Square Enix)
- Sea of Solitude (Jo-Mei Games/EA)
Best Ongoing Game
- Apex Legends (Respawn)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie)
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best Community Support
- Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie)
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best Independent Game
- Baba Is You (Hempuli)
- Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
- Katana ZERO (Askiisoft/Devoler)
- Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)
- Untitled Goose Game (House House/Panic)
Best Mobile Game
- Call of Duty: Mobile (TiMi Studios/Activision)
- GRINDSTONE (Capybara Games)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
- Sky: Children of Light (Thatgamecompany)
- What the Golf? (Tribland)
Best VR/AR Game
- Asgard's Wrath (Sanzaru Games/Oculus Studios)
- Blood & Truth (SIE London Studio/SIE)
- Beat Saber (Beat Games)
- No Man's Sky (Hello Games)
- Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games)
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
- Dota 2 (Valve)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- League of Legends (Riot Games)
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Esports Player
- Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf (Immortals, Fortnite)
- Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok (SK Telecom T1, League of Legends)
- Luka "Perkz" Perkovic (G2 Esports, League of Legends)
- Oleksandr "S1mple" Kostyliev (Natus Vincere, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- Jay "Sinatraa" Won (San Francisco Shock, Overwatch League)
Best Esports Team
- Astralis (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- G2 Esports (League of Legends)
- OG (Dota 2)
- San Francisco Shock (Overwatch League)
- Team Liquid (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
Best Esports Coach
- Eric "adreN" Hoag (Team Liquid, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
- Nu-ri "Cain" Jang (Team Liquid, League of Legends)
- Fabian "GrabbZ" Lohmann (G2 Esports, League of Legends)
- Kim "Kkoma" Jeong-gyun (SK Telecom T1, League of Legends)
- Titouan "Sockshka" Merloz (OG, Dota 2)
- Danny "Zonic" Sørensen (Astralis, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
Best Esports Event
- 2019 League of Legends World Championship
- 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals
- EVO 2019
- Fortnite World Cup
- IEM Katowice 2019
- The International 2019
Best Esports Host
- Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez
- Alex "Machine" Richardson
- Duan "Candice" Yu-Shuang
- Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere
- Paul "Redeye" Chaloner
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