A reader is both frustrated and intrigued by The Game Awards, as he ponders the games that could’ve won and why he’s fine with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doing so well.
Before I delve into The Game Awards proper, I want to acknowledge that I do generally appreciate its existence, to promote the best games of the year, as well as the industry and the developers of the games. The people responsible for the games we love need our support more than ever before and The Game Awards is one of the best ways to showcase all this amazing talent.
The issue I have with The Game Awards is the issue I have with the Oscars and the Golden Globes. This issue I’m referring to is the mainstream pomp and ceremony of it all. The best games seem to always be the ones that are the most popular, which I don’t find to be a wholly reliable measure of greatness. There are some excellent games in the past that don’t get any awards.
2020’s Huntdown, for instance, is a great cyberpunk retro blaster, kinda like we’re seeing with the recent release of Terminator 2D: No Fate. Did Huntdown gain any recognition? Nope. Some games are unfortunately pigeonholed into a field of forgotten niches. I think there are potentially hundreds of great games on the PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox and Steam storefronts that don’t receive the acclaim they deserve because the spotlight shines on the familiar.
One thing about this particular year of the The Game Awards is that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning Game of the Year was axiomatic. Let’s not forget to mention that Clair Obscur dominated the indie game category like a muscle-popping body builder conquering a powerlifting competition against a quartet of skinny neophytes.
I’ve got no problems with Clair Obscur dominating the competition for the overall Game of the Year either, and I don’t want to undervalue nor diminish the achievement, but it was up against sequels and a new Donkey Kong game, so it stood apart very easily.
Now, if it was going up against last year’s winner Astro Bot, that would be a far more compelling battle. I would side with Astro Bot because Astro Bot has joy and old school charm, whereas Clair Obscur seems cloying in its attempts to emotionally engage. Yes, that might be twaddle, but my point is it’s not a game you look at and think joyful, cheery, and accessible to all.
I know many people don’t take The Game Awards seriously, but I think there’s an air of officiality to it because of the huge ceremony and all of the celebrities who attend. The Game Awards is essentially the video game industry’s WrestleMania, and it is equal parts exciting and overwhelming to experience it every year.
We need to remember that these award shows are just award shows, they highlight our perception of what the best games are every year. The winners don’t really mean they are objectively the best, it just means they won a shiny statue that their developers hold like a new ficus plant.
I’m no stranger to wishing that certain games won these prestigious awards. After all, I strongly wanted Astro Bot to win Game of the Year last year over Black Myth: Wukong because (as vehemently as you’ll disagree) Wukong is another Soulslike with a dingy if inspired presentation. I’ve played some of Wukong and it was impressive in a few ways, but Astro Bot transcended everything because it was a pure and utter pleasure that I haven’t felt in video games since the PlayStation 2 days.
So yes, don’t take award shows personally and enjoy what you want.
One more thing, why is Pragmata’s protagonist so reminiscent of Sam Gideon from Vanquish? Capcom probably has a thing for men in skintight exo suits. I doubt Resident Evil Requiem’s Victor Gideon is a relative of Sam either. Gosh Capcom, can’t you get any new ideas!
By reader James Davie
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