The Game Awards 2019 are scheduled to take place on the 12th of December, and with the event rapidly approaching, speculation over the show’s many awards is already rife. No award is more high-profile, however, than that of Game of the Year. This year, there are six different games nominated for the award, including titles like Control, Death Stranding, and The Outer Worlds.
The Game Awards 2019: Game of the Year Nominees
Among the various award topics featured in the event, Game of the Year is always the most talked-about award of The Game Awards, and its recipients have generally received both critical and commercial acclaim. In 2014, Dragon Age: Inquisition won Game of the Year, followed by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015; both major open-world RPG titles. However, in 2016 the award went to a multiplayer first-person shooter when Overwatch won. In 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild became the first Nintendo title to win the award. Then, most recently, God of War won in 2018.
This year, six of the best games have been nominated for the award. The first nominee is Control, the paranormal action-adventure game from Remedy Entertainment. Up next is, of course, Death Stranding, the huge first release from Hideo Kojima’s Kojima Productions. Also nominated for the award are the remake of Resident Evil 2, FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Obsidian Entertainment’s new RPG, The Outer Worlds. Finally, Super Smash Bros: Ultimate is the only Switch-exclusive title on the list.
As for who is most likely to win, it’s hard to be sure. Every game is likely to have at least one personal favourite, for one reason or another. Among the nominees, Death Stranding received somewhat mixed reviews. However, its cultural impact and innovative approach to game design make it a very strong contender. On the other hand, while Resident Evil 2 could attract support for its design quality, it may also struggle to contend with other titles given that it’s a remake rather than a brand-new game. If The Outer Worlds wins, it could send a message to developers; a strong indication of the sort of game which RPG fans actually want. Indeed, whichever game wins Game of the Year, it’s likely to influence the decisions of developers and publishers in 2020.
If you’re rooting for any one game to win Game of the Year, be sure to tune in to The Game Awards on the 12th of December!