Quick Take - GOTY 2023 Discussion
Who Will the Nominees Be?
2023 is going to go down as one of the greatest years in the history of gaming. I’ve even seen some people call it THE greatest year in video game history. Now, personally, I have 2001 with the crown, but I fully understand why modern gamers are jumping to call this the greatest year. It is the most packed year I can remember in a long time. The only recent year I think comes close to how full it has been is 2017. This makes an interesting point about what that means for Geoff Keighely’s Game Awards. I saw one of my favorite podcasts, Kinda Funny Games, discussing what will be the six nominees, and I wanted to write my thoughts on this. So let’s start with games I think have no chance to get the nomination.
No Chance
Hogwarts Legacy - There was too much controversy, and it came out way too early. However, do expect some down-ballot awards.
Dead Space & Metroid Prime Remakes - As good as these are (especially Metroid Prime), people don’t see these as 2023 games.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Despite a lot of buzz from big-time content creators, I noticed the chatter for it die down as the year went on, and I think it has approachability problems to get into the big one.
Hi-Fi Rush - I LOVED this game, but coming out in a stacked year and being an Xbox-exclusive AA game will ding it. It will be the Pentiment of 2023, a great game that deserves more praise.
Forza Motorsport - As we saw with Forza Horizon 5, racing games don’t make it here unless its Mario Kart.
Pikmin 4 - Beloved and got great reviews, but it’s still Pikmin. It will have a shot at Best Family Game, however.
Could Get In, but Not Likely
Dave the Diver - It feels like everyone brings this one up when discussing indie titles. I think it has a chance to shock gamers and get in, but I also feel it’s more likely not.
Street Fighter 6 - If it weren’t a stacked year, it would have a better chance, but being a fighting game will stop it.
Diablo IV - While one of the more hyped games of the year, it feels like one that could be forgotten by voters when it comes to GOTY
Armored Core VI: Fires of the Rubicon - Like Diablo IV, this game got great reviews and was seen as From Software showing they can do good non-soulslike titles. But I do think it’s still niche enough not to make it.
Cocoon - I’m putting this one here because it came out recently and is getting some pretty good reception from the gaming media. Might have a chance to make an out-of-nowhere push.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - As much as people liked this game, the fact it came out so early and in a big year like this will be a major obstacle.
Lies of P - I have completely fallen in love with this game, but I don’t think it makes it. Also, the big-name gaming media like IGN and Gamespot didn’t like it to the level most gamers did, which will hurt it. Do look for it in the down ballots.
Likely to Get In, But Could Miss
Sea of Stars - If an indie game gets in, it’s this one. This is in my backlog after I saw the incredible reviews and the comparisons to 16-bit era JRPGs. I think there is enough love for people to rally around it.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Look, it’s Mario in what will most likely be one of his higher-reviewed modern 2D titles, and it looks great. The Mario name alone will help give it a strong chance to get the nomination.
Spider-Man 2 - I know I’m going to ruffle some feathers with this statement, but yes, I do believe there is a PlayStation bias in the gaming media (albeit slightly). This alone will help this game, but it’s also a legit, heavily anticipated title, and I expect it to get a lot of love from voters.
Resident Evil 4 Remake - RE4 is seen differently than its other remake counterparts for various reasons. Because of this, it has a good shot at getting a GOTY nomination.
Final Fantasy XVI - I’m aware some diehard fans of the series didn’t warm to this one as much as the gaming media did, but I’m with the media on this one, and I think they and other gamers who loved it will push it to the nomination.
Starfield - While originally polarizing when it launched, the game has gotten better word of mouth as people keep playing it. Being such an important game for the Xbox brand, that could be enough to get it into the nominees.
LOCKED IN
Baldur’s Gate 3 - In my opinion, this is the silent favorite of the awards. I think it would be a very niche winner, but the gaming media and content creators love this game to death, and that alone is why I’m predicting it will win a close battle against Zelda to be the Game of the Year.
LOZ: Tears of the Kingdom - It’s Zelda. Zelda… Need I say more? For what it’s worth, this is, in my opinion, the best game of the year. I can see it dominating in the down-ballot as well. This is locked in. It will be the “public” favorite of the show.
Final Thoughts
I think this is going to be a really tough awards show to predict. With it being such a great year, we will see snubs and people will debate both the nominees and the eventual winners. The real winner is us the gamer. We will see how it goes as we get closer to the show.
X