As we are fast approaching awards season for the games industry, the Game Awards has come out with their list of nominees for the Game Awards 2021.

In this article, we will be looking at some of the bigger categories and nominations that stood out to us. It is by no means a comprehensive list.

If you want to see the whole list, to the official Game Awards website.

That being said, let’s dive in.

Game of the Year

Nominees:

• Deathloop
• It Takes Two
• Metroid Dread
• Psychonauts 2
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village

Now here’s an interesting list of games. Out of the six nominees, only two of them have graphics that one would call photorealistic. Plus, four of the nominees (It Takes Two, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts, and Ratchet & Clank) have platforming elements to them. Goes to show that you don’t need photorealism or gritty combat to make a great game.

One game in particular of note here is It Takes Two. It is a highly celebrated co-op game that is a joy to experience on a story and mechanics level. It’s nice to see the game receive the recognition it deserves.

Before we move on, you can check out our review of Resident Evil Village below.

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Best RPG

Nominees:

• Tales of Arise
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Scarlet Nexus
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Cyberpunk 2077

Looks like it’s been a great year for roleplaying games. The Tales series got a new game which seems to have garnered a very positive reception. The Shin Megami Tensei series is back with what looks to be another great game. Monster Hunter seems to be doing well after branching off into the RPG space.

But one of those nominees is not like the others. One of them got delisted from the Sony PlayStation store and caused a major incident after being released in a borderline unplayable state. We’re talking about our old friend Cyberpunk 2077, of course.

Why is this game on this list? This is supposed to be a celebration of excellence. We’ve played and reviewed the game. 

Admittedly, there is good writing in there but when glitches and bugs prevent quest NPCs from spawning or dialogue prompts from appearing, is it really fair to hold it up in a list of other roleplaying games that DO function on that basic level?

Something to think about.

Best Mobile Game

Nominees:

• Fantasian
• Genshin Impact
• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• Marvel Future Revolution
• Pokemon Unite

Genshin Impact seems to be doing well despite its recent issues around its anniversary. LoL: Wild Rift was also a surprise hit, especially among some local gamers. 

Fantasian is an interesting title. It was created by Final Fantasy creator Nobuo Uematsu and distributed to iOS devices. The game was well-received when it came out in two parts this year.

Despite criticisms, Pokemon Unite is also on the list. You can check out our review of the game below.

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Best Action Game

Nominees:

• Back 4 Blood
• Chivalry 2
• Deathloop
• Far Cry 6
• Returnal

Now here’s a meaty list. One of the best things about this list is how there are quite a few original IPs such as Deathloop and Returnal, which are not sequels or remakes or whatever.

The surprise hit that was Returnal was one of the highlights of the early days of the PS5. It was gorgeous and punishing in the best way possible. 

Back 4 Blood is a game made by the original creators of Left 4 Dead, after they lost the rights to the franchise. So far, despite some initial stumbles, the game seems to be doing well. Good for them.

Lastly, it seems that despite the star power of Giancarlo Esposito, Far Cry didn’t make the Game of the Year list. Maybe it’s time to try something new.

Best Fighting Game

Nominees: 

• Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles
• Guilty Gear -Strive-
• Melty Blood: Type Lumina
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
• Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown

We’re mostly including this category in the article to point out that the seasoned fighters of the Guilty Gear franchise and the Virtua Fighter series are going up against Spongebob and Patrick. And that’s hilarious. (Who would win? Vote in the comments!)

On a more serious note, it is lovely to see Guilty Gear getting some love at the awards. The fans seem to have liked it and now, it seems that the public does too.

Another thing to note is that a Demon Slayer game is on the list. There are some issues with the PS4 version. That being said, some say the gameplay is good so maybe that’s what earned it the spot here.

Best Multiplayer Game

Nominees:

• Back 4 Blood
• Knockout City
• It Takes Two
• Monster Hunter Rise
• New World
• Valheim

It makes perfect sense that It Takes Two made the list here. It is a phenomenal multiplayer game with a lot of heart.

But what comes as a bit of a shock is the presence of Amazon Games’ New World. 

Amazon – the corporation, not the river – has been trying to get into the games industry the way Google does things. That is to say, throwing lots money at it in the short term and when it doesn’t pay off immediately, abandon it.

Though Amazon has not abandoned the Stadia and making games (yet), who knows when that day will come. In the meantime, New World has been nominated for an award so it must be doing something right… right?

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And there you have it. Some of the categories that caught our eyes and some free hot takes associated with them.

If you want to have your voice be heard, go to the website, sign up for free, and cast your vote. You can vote in multiple categories (of which there are 30).

Voting is open until the first week of December.

In the meantime, we will be making our own Game of the Year list. For fun. So stay tuned!