The Games Awards happened last night, and to save you from sitting through three and a half hours of a livestream, here are the winners:
Best Narrative, Best Acting Performance, Best Musical Score – Red Dead Redeption 2
Rockstar’s latest western offering was much anticipated, with an expansive map to explore and the immersive storyline following the protagonist, the outlaw Arthur Morgan and acts as a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption (RDR). The game sees the player explore the wild west in an open world fashion, with a high level of fluidity in terms of both story and gameplay mechanics and it shows. Since RDR2’s release at the end of October 2018, it has already sold 17 million copies worldwide.
Best Esports Game – Overwatch
Overwatch rose to popularity when it released in 2016. The first person shooter put a new RPG concept to shooters, with unique heroes with powerful abilities which require teamwork and coordination to pull of amazing kill streaks. The teamwork required is one of the reasons the game grew so big (Over 40 million players across all platforms), along with the building of its own universe with amazing lore by Blizzard Entertainment, the force behind World of Warcraft, make it a hit. This is the reason it works so well for esports, even having its own league, The Overwatch league, which has grown from a concept to 20 teams worldwide within 2 years.
Best Sports/Racing Game – Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 as a racing game looks so polished, and nothing less than what we expect from the Forza series. It is the most popular forza game ever, and for good reason. The graphics are smooth, there is a lot of content, with more being added via DLCs, plus the mechanics and controls feel natural and easy to use, and it shows that Forza can stand toe to toe to Sony’s Gran Turismo series.
Best Multiplayer Game, Best Ongoing Game – Fortnite
As one of the most controversial games of 2018, Fortnite has taken the gaming world by storm. The battle royale style game is quick and easy to play and the simple cartoon graphics, it has appealed to everyone; from the casual gamer to the twitch streamer, everyone is playing Fortnite. So it is no suprise that it takes the best multiplayer game category. As for the best ongoing game, the game is updated frequently, with new features added every couple of months in competitive seasons, keeping the game fresh. Fortnite is one craze that will probably still be as popular at the Game Awards 2019.
Game Of The Year , Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game – God Of War
Sony’s PS4 Exclusive God of War was one of the top games early on in 2018, and continues on the long-running franchise. The 2018 game focuses on protagonists Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they embark on a journey together, fighting all sorts of creatures and mythical beasts along the way. The reboot of the original franchise was such a hit that it is possible there might be a sequel, carrying on the franchise in a new direction.
Other Notable Awards
Best Role Playing Game – Monster Hunter: World
Best Mobile Game – Florence
Best VR Game – Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Content Creator of the Year – Ninja
Best Esports Player – Sonic Fox (various fighter-style games)
Best Family Game – Overcooked 2
Best Independent Game – Celeste
