Game Awards 2023

Leading Nominees

Based on my knowledge of the gaming industry and past Game Awards shows, some of the leading nominees for major awards at The Game Awards 2023 are likely to include:

God of War Ragnarök

The highly acclaimed PlayStation exclusive God of War Ragnarök from Santa Monica Studio received widespread critical praise upon its release in November 2022. With its cinematic storytelling, polished gameplay, and visuals pushing the PS5 to its limits, God of War Ragnarök seems poised to be a top contender for “Game of the Year”. Its narrative and characters could also be recognized.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s massive open-world Soulslike Elden Ring took the gaming world by storm following its February 2022 launch. With over 16 million copies sold, Elden Ring demonstrated how accessible and popular the Souls formula could be to a mainstream audience. Its atmospheric world and challenging but fair gameplay have many fans hoping it wins for categories like “Game Direction” or “Art Direction”.

Horizon Forbidden West

The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West continued Aloy’s story on PS4 and PS5 to widespread acclaim. Guerrilla Games expanded the open world and added new abilities and machines to battle. Its visuals and continued high-quality narrative could see it competing in categories like “Best Score/Music” or “Narrative”.

Potential Dark Horse Candidates

While the above seem to be the frontrunners based on critical and commercial success, some other 2022 games could potentially surprise as dark horse candidates in major categories:

• Stray: The charming indie adventure game where you play as a cat exploring a cybercity won many fans for its endearing gameplay concept and emotional story.
• Cult of the Lamb: This unique roguelike hybrid of action and cult management was a breakout hit, blending genres in an addictive and humorous way.
• Tunic: The isometric action-adventure game with its own inventive language of visual clues was praised for its clever Zelda-inspired design.
• Immortality: This unsettling mystery game from Sam Barlow using found movie footage was lauded for its innovative storytelling and unforgettable narrative experience.

So in summary, while blockbusters like God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring, and Horizon Forbidden West seem poised as frontrunners, some intriguing smaller titles could end up surprising come The Game Awards ceremony in December 2023. It should be an exciting night celebrating

Here are some key takeaways from the article on Game Awards 2023 predictions:

• God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring, and Horizon Forbidden West are likely frontrunners for major awards like Game of the Year due to their critical and commercial success in 2022.
• God of War Ragnarök’s polished gameplay, visuals, and cinematic storytelling position it well for awards. Elden Ring demonstrated how accessible the Souls formula could be with its atmospheric world. Horizon Forbidden West expanded its open world and story.
• Smaller, breakout hits from 2022 like Stray, Cult of the Lamb, Tunic, and Immortality could potentially surprise as “dark horse” candidates due to their innovative designs and memorable experiences.
• While blockbusters have the edge, expect some intriguing smaller titles to possibly win awards based on their creative accomplishments.
• The Game Awards ceremony in December 2023 will celebrate and honor the best games of the previous year. Frontrunners from 2022 have momentum but don’t count out dark horses either.