The Game Awards 2023: Baldur's Gate 3 wins game of the year
Game Awards 2023: Winners and big announcements (thegameawards.com)
The annual award ceremony Game Awards 2023 was held on December 8 in Los Angeles, where permanent host Geoff Keighley paid tribute to the best games of this year. Apart from awards, the show presented big reveals, trailers, and news for video games, according to GameSpot and The Verge.
The Game Awards 2023 winner
Baldur's Gate 3 had the top prize of Game of the Year, beating contenders like The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Baldur's Gate 3 was the star of the night, not just winning Game of the Year but also scoring victories in Best Performance (Neil Newbon), Best Community Support, Best Multiplayer, Best RPG, and Players' Voice. Adding to the surprise, Larian Studios immediately launched Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox after the show.
Alan Wake II took Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Art Direction.
Other winners by category
- Final Fantasy XVI - Best Score And Music
- Cyberpunk 2077 - Best Ongoing Game
- Sea of Stars - Best Independent Game
- The Last of Us - Best Adaptation
- Hi-Fi Rush - Best Audio Design
- Forza Motorsport - Innovation in Accessibility
- Tchia - Games for Impact
- Cocoon - Best Debut Indie Game
- Honkai: Star Rail - Best Mobile Game
- Resident Evil Village VR Mode - Best VR/AR Game
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon - Best Action Game
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Best Action/Adventure Game
- Street Fighter 6 - Best Fighting Game
Interestingly, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, despite being nominated in seven categories, didn't secure any wins.
Upcoming video games
Apart from the awards, there were plenty of announcements of new games coming soon. Here's a list of some of them.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
It’s coming to Xbox Series X and PC in fall 2024.
Welcome one and all to the inauguration of the tournament for the throne!
— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) December 8, 2023
The epic fantasy, Metaphor: ReFantazio, becomes a reality in Fall 2024!
More information: https://t.co/4NiplW2QKK pic.twitter.com/fw6Q9dNTnl
Persona 3 Reload - The Meaning of Life
Coming on February 2, 2024.
World of Goo 2
The classic puzzler will have a sequel in 2024, coming out 15 years after the original.
Windblown
Windblown, the latest creation from Motion Twin, the developers behind Dead Cells, places you in the role of a Leaper who needs to protect the Ark from an entity known as the Vortex.
The game's trailer, featuring adorable anthropomorphic creatures meeting grisly fates, suggests that many of your allies won't survive. But their sacrifices won't be in vain, as you can absorb their memories and skills, using them to continue the fight.
The Rise of the Golden Idol
It's a sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol. Scheduled for 2024, the game will be available on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and as part of Netflix's mobile offerings. According to the Steam listing, Rise will feature 15 cases.
The upcoming game continues the series' impressive artistry, transitioning from a pixel-focused style to a visually stunning, looking like like a painting come to life.
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus
The upcoming game from the developer of Inscryption is a follow-up to Pony Island. Daniel Mullins' latest creation is titled Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, and its peculiar yet captivating trailer is a must-watch. The game is coming in 2025.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
This remake for modern systems will be out on February 28, 2024, and it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC (via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.com).
The Game Awards ceremony
The Game Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honor achievements in the video game industry. Established in 2014, the show is produced and hosted by Canadian game journalist Geoff Keighley.
In the Game Awards 2022 ceremony, God of War Ragnarök took center stage, with eleven nominations and six awards. It won in categories such as Best Narrative and Best Action/Adventure Game, with Christopher Judge, the lead actor portraying Kratos, earning Best Performance, and the game's composer, McCreary, won the Best Score and Music award. Elden Ring won the prestigious Game of the Year title, along with honors for Best Game Direction and Best Role-Playing Game.
The event also unveiled several new games, such as Crash Team Rumble, Death Stranding 2, Hades II, and Judas. Keighley approximated that the presentation featured more than 50 games, with around 30 to 40 of them being announced titles showing new content. The initial glimpse of The Super Mario Bros. Movie was unveiled during the event.
