Game Awards 2021: the nominees and what to expect

Game Awards 2021: the nominees and what to expect

The Game Awards return for 2021 and this year's nominees have been announced, including the six titles vying for the prestigious Game of the Year crown.

There are several game awards events throughout the year, but the Game Awards are usually the biggest, attracting fans desperate to see their favorite titles win, as well as those excited to see trailers and reveal projects in the works at 2022 and beyond.

This year's favorite is Deathloop, which received eight nominations across all categories; however, we will have to wait and see how much he actually earns. Interestingly, Cyberpunk 2077 (one of the most controversial games this year) received a few nominations, including Best RPG, which could mean that CD Projekt Red is regaining favor with the public.

Here's a look at this year's Game Awards nominees, along with an explanation of how to tune in to watch the event live. You'll also find last year's winners in each category.

The nominees for the Game Awards 2021

Here's the list of nominees for (the most) award categories at this year's Game Awards. We're ignoring the ones for eSports and Content Creator of the Year, but you can find those nominations on the official Game Awards website.

Some categories are pretty self-explanatory, like Best RPG or Best Action Game, but others can be a bit more confusing. Below these titles, you'll find our brief explanation of how the winners are chosen, as well as information on how this category can give us clues as to which games will win the most prestigious awards on the show.

If you want to vote for your favorite games in play, be sure to visit the Game Awards website to vote before this year's event.

Game of the Year 2021

Game of the Year is awarded to, you guessed it, the best game released last year according to fans and judges. This is often a difficult category to predict until the night begins, though as prices begin to drop it can quickly become clear which game is the favourite.

Based on previous winners, we think this will be a single player action/adventure game with open world exploration elements (with six of the previous seven winners in this category). Much of this list also ticks those boxes, so this year is everyone's game.

If you want to read more about the games below, we've written reviews for Deathloop, Metroid Dread, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village. You can also check the time we spent playing Psychonauts 2 and It Takes Two.

Julianna intenta apuñalar a Colt en Deathloop

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Best Game Direction

Best Game Direction is hard to quantify next to Game of the Year, as the two categories can often seem quite similar, which is why in most years the winner is the same for both awards.

Sorry Returnal, but as the only game on this list not in the Game of the Year category, I might be at a disadvantage statistically.

Best story

Which game this year had the best story? This is a fairly self-explanatory category where judges are encouraged to consider the underlying story above anything else when judging games.

Best Art Direction

“Are video games art? It's a hotly debated topic, and this category aims to pick the game from last year that proves the answer is a resounding 'yes'.

Se requieren dos

(Image credit: EA / Hazelight Studios)

Best Soundtrack and Music

If you like listening to video game soundtracks, you should pay attention to this category as you will definitely want to add the winning score to your playlist.

Typically, longer adventure titles have an advantage here, as players spend much more time listening to the score than shorter experiences, but we'll have to see.

Best Audio Design

Audio design differs from sheet music and music in that it's about judging the immersive feel of game audio and how well real sounds translate into virtual space.

For example, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare won in 2019 for its emphasis on weapons fired indoors with a different sound than weapons fired outdoors; the two again are different from if a gun is pulled towards a door.

Impact games

Games for Impact celebrates games that deliver an engaging experience with an important social message to share. In previous years, we've seen games win awards for mental health and trans awareness, and we think this list is full of must-see titles every year.

Terror Metroid

(Image credit: Nintendo)

best current game

These games will not be released this year, but the developers have provided new content and updates that keep the experience as fresh as when it was first released.

Best Indie Game

This category celebrates games by designers outside of the traditional publisher system: independent creative teams that often deliver a more unique experience than you'd expect from a AAA blockbuster.

best mobile game

Psiconautas 2

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios / Double Fine)

Best Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Game

You'll find several of these games on our best VR games list, and since several are exclusive to the Oculus platform, you'll also find them on our Oculus Quest gambling games list.

We loved I Expect You To Die 2 and Lone Echo 2 when we played them, though we expected Resident Evil 4 to be popular with voters as well.

Best Action Game

Best Action / Adventure Game

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

(Image credit: Sony)

Best role-playing game

Best Fighting Game

Best Family Game

Normally the 'best' game categories are self-explanatory, so we don't need to explain them, but the best family game is weird. While many adults will love these titles, this category is a polite way of saying "Best Game for Kids," something that's fun for the whole family.

Best Simulation/Strategy Game

Best Racing/Sports Game

Best Multiplayer Game

Dimitrescu Resident Evil Village Lady

(Image credit: Capcom)

most anticipated game

Finally, we have the category that looks to the future of gaming and pays homage to a title that has yet to be released but that fans are incredibly excited about.

Last year he won Elden Ring and he seems to be on his way to winning again this year. That would put it in a good position to win Game of the Year upon release, as Last of Us Part 2 and Breath of the Wild both won this category before meeting fan expectations.

If you want to know more about the games on this list, we've rounded up everything you need to know about Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, and Starfield. Hopefully we'll learn more about some of these games during the event.

How to watch the Game Awards 2021

How to watch the Game Awards 2021

This year, the Game Awards will once again have in-person guests, but unless you're lucky enough to get an invite to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, you'll need to catch the live stream of the show.

Official live streaming services are yet to be announced, but we're expecting streaming on YouTube and Twitch as two of the biggest platforms; however, we will have to wait and see.

Why watch the 2021 Game Awards?

It's easy to dismiss the Game Awards as a pageantry to congratulate game developers behind the scenes at the end of the year. But anyone who has watched the Game Awards live stream in recent years knows that this is more than the big game reveal.

In 2019, Microsoft gave us our first look at the Xbox Series X console, which we weren't expecting, and in 2014 we got the world premiere of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before it happened on Nintendo Switch. . Last year ended on a high note with a sneak peek for a new Mass Effect game.

Check out last year's Game Awards

The Game Awards 2020 are available to watch (and review) here and on YouTube on VOD. If you want to see the kind of ads we saw last year, you can check them out.

Winners of the Game Awards 2020

2020 Game of the Year Winner

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(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

Winner for Best Game Direction (2020)

Best Winning Story (2020)

Winner for Best Art Direction (2020)

Winner of Best Soundtrack and Music (2020)

Square Enix

(Image credit: Avenir)

Winner for Best Audio Design (2020)

Best Performance Winner (2020)

Impact Games Winner (2020)

Best Current Game Winner (2020)

Winner for Best Independent Game (2020)

Inframundo

(Image credit: Supergiant...


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