It was an extremely successful night for several games (The Independent)
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The Game Awards – aka the Oscars for the videogame industry – has just wrapped up, and it featured some unexpected announcements, some huge wins for our favourite games and a first look at some already-announced titles.
While it’s been a bit of a tricky year for the gaming industry, with console manufacturers struggling against the continued chip shortage, we’ve still seen some incredible next-gen titles bounce into existence. It Takes Two had an extremely successful night, picking up the highest honour – game of the year – as well as trophies for best family game and best multiplayer game.
But it wasn’t the only title that did well. Forza Horizon 5 also had a whale of a night, winning in the categories of best sports/racing, innovation in accessibility and best audio design. And as we’ve come to expect from the Game Awards, we also got several peeks at new titles and exclusive trailers, as well as some exciting announcements from studios like Monolith and Rocksteady Games.
We were treated to a first-look teaser trailer for the upcoming Halo TV series, the announcement of Wonder Woman, and we can’t forget that long-awaited trailer for Alan Wake 2. There were also musical performances from Imagine Dragons and Sting, while Keanu Reeves showing off the Matrix Awakens experience was a particular highlight.
Want to find out who else won this year? Keep on scrolling. We’ve rounded up all the winners and where you can pick up the best games of the year below.
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox series X, Xbox series S, Xbox One, PC
It Takes Two is one of the surprise highlights of 2021, taking the top prize at the Game Awards in 2021. It’s a lovingly detailed co-op platformer designed to be played locally or online via a free “friend pass”. You control a couple who, while navigating through a difficult divorce, are transformed into a pair of tiny dolls who must set out on an adventure to return to their human form. Players take control of each partner and must combine their skills to overcome great obstacles such as talking squirrels, an astronaut baboon and their own relationship woes.
Awarded: Best game, audio achievement, music, performer in a leading role
Available on: PS5
As a roguelike, where levels are randomly generated, players take control of Selene as she crashes her spaceship on the planet Atropos. Every time she dies, time loops back to the point of impact and she must find a way to survive long enough and escape the planet.
The latest update, titled “Ascension” was released in March 2022 and adds online co-op and a new endless mode brilliantly named “Tower of Sisyphus” so it’s an excellent time to pick it up if you haven’t had a chance to play the game of the year.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart wastes no time in throwing the duo back into the fray in a dimension-hopping adventure to stop Dr Nefarious from destroying the fabric of time and space. The run-and-gun platforming action has changed very little since its first outing which is what makes Rift Apart feel so special in an age of hyper-realistic blockbusters.
With a wildly creative arsenal of new weapons and gorgeous graphics, Rift Apart is a powerful return to form and one of the Playstation 5’s best exclusive titles.
Forza Horizon 5 just wants you to have a good time. From its lush jungles to arid sandstorms, this fictional depiction of Mexico plays host to the Horizon Festival, where racers all over the world come to drive cars and drive them fast. With over 550 vehicles to choose from to race across 11 unique biomes, there is plenty of driving to be had across dynamic courses that make Horizon’s world feel truly alive.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was one of the first games announced for the PS5 and is the very first game to come from studio Ember Labs. It’s a story-driven action-adventure title, where players take control of the titular Kena, a spirit guide who helps the deceased move on to the spirit world. Aside from using her staff to battle enemies, Kena can recruit creatures known as the Rot to aid her in her quest.
Resident Evil Village wasn’t the only game to win a trophy at the Game Awards this year, Resident Evil 4 also picked up the gong for best VR/AR game. In this all-new version, you step into the shoes of special agent Leon S Kennedy on his mission to rescue the US president’s daughter who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult.
Although the first major PS5 exclusive divided opinion at launch, Housemarque’s sci-fi shooter has still managed to win best action game at the Game Awards. In our review of the game, our writer said that Returnal “is an obscenely difficult ‘roguelike’ (a sub-genre of RPGs in which levels are randomly generated and dying sends you right back to the very beginning of the game) with a steep learning curve that frustrates even experienced players”, but if you can get through it, “what awaits you is a stunning alien world, sharp combat mechanics and an immersive and rewarding plot”.
The sequel to Metroid Fusion – which launched in 2002 for the GameBoy Advance – Metroid Dread is the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game ever made, and now it’s the best action-adventure game of the year. “It’s a masterclass of level design, a side-scrolling platformer swimming in intricate detail and featuring reaction-testing combat and the best boss fights the classic series has ever seen,” our writer said in their review of the game.
One of the most well-known and most-loved real-time strategy games is back with Age of Empires IV, sweeping up the best simulation/strategy game award. Age of Empires IV places you in the middle of the most important, epic, historical battles that have shaped the world. The latest addition brings onboard 4K visuals for a new generation.
