The Game Awards is an annual event that brings gaming communities together to honor games which stand as icons of their genre. Vast improvements in technology for players and developers made 2022 an exceptional year for games, and many of the nominees who did not win still earned respect from fans.
The show lasted roughly three and a half hours and featured celebrities, world premieres of new games, trailers and awards for the most ambitious and accomplished games of the year. Here are some of the most important moments in this quick recap.
In the first major segment, actor Al Pacino awarded the Best Performance Award to Christopher Judge for his performance as Kratos in Santa Monica Studios’ highly acclaimed ‘God of War: Ragnarok.’ As a sequel to its predecessor, ‘God of War,’ the game picks up where previous events left off. In a world struggling under the tyranny of Asgard, Kratos, the last survivor of the Greek pantheon tries to escape his past while preparing for a battle fated to happen at the end of the world. Kratos is characterized with a stoic personality, but Judge’s acting makes the player feel sympathetic despite knowing Kratos’ past, and proves that even brutes can show emotion.
After several premieres and an orchestral performance, DC made an appearance with another trailer for their upcoming title ‘Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.’ Just like in the shows, DC aims to replicate a comedic and rather bizarre experience as the squad prepares for another adventure in this virtual adaptation.
A trailer was also dropped for the upcoming ‘Star Wars: Jedi Survivor,’ which once again features protagonist Cal Kestis as he carves his own path after the events of ‘‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.”
Renowned father of the ‘Metal Gear’ series and developer of ‘Death Stranding’ Hideo Kojima was featured in a dedicated segment to show off a trailer for his latest work, ‘Death Stranding 2.’ Current media leaves much for speculation, and it will be up to the fans to determine how the plot of this game will unfold.
Later in the night, Blizzard Entertainment took the opportunity to provide another glimpse into their highly anticipated ‘Diablo 4.’ As always, their animation was pleasing to the eye. The Diablo franchise focuses on the player in their quest to become stronger by progressing through the campaign and acquiring mountains of loot. With the fourth installment, fans are anticipating innovations, stunning graphics, and more enemies to vanquish.
Also on the program, Nintendo dropped their second trailer for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” After showing off lush details with varied environments all while paying homage to other titles in the franchise, the movie is shaping up to be one of the top video game adaptations of 2023.
A bountiful list of titles were nominated for this year’s Game Awards. Each nominee had something exciting to bring to the table and award winners demonstrated exceptional talent. Even in highly competitive categories such as Best Art Direction, audiences of the losing nominees were still appreciative of the victor. The biggest winners of the night were ‘Elden Ring’ and ‘God of War: Ragnarok’, each winning multiple awards.
The night came to a close with the crowning of the Game of the Year. There were six nominees, but it was clear that it would only be a debate between ‘Elden Ring’ and ‘God of War: Ragnarok.’ Both games had been decorated in awards that night, but in the end, the honor would go to From Software and their work on ‘Elden Ring.’ This boundary-pushing masterpiece is an unforgettable experience that boasts its colossal open world, enemy design and art direction.
Senior Gabriel Anderson recently set foot in the world of ‘Elden Ring’. “I expected Elden Ring to win game of the year as it was the largest game released this year and is one of the best open world games released recently,” he said.
It was time to conclude after the announcement of Game of the Year, but the show took an unexpected turn after a devious prankster took the mic. “I think I want to nominate this award to my reformed orthodox rabbi, Bill Clinton. Thank you, everybody,” he said, stealing some of the thunder from the winners.
After the bizarre statement, the crowd splintered into confusion. The 15-year old culprit had somehow made it onstage with the From Software team and struck at the perfect moment. Current findings suggest that his motivation was only for a prank, but the incident demonstrates the dire need for improved security in the future.
Anderson was also caught off guard by the prank. “I was mostly surprised as the kid acted like he was supposed to be there and no one was expecting it,” he stated.
Video games have advanced far beyond voxels on a TV screen, and continue to push boundaries as technology improves. 2023 promises exciting new games, but it will be difficult to top the accomplishments highlighted in this event.
