It’s about as natural for some titles to be nominated for Game of the Year as it is a cold day in you-know-where for others. However, this year, the nominees for the highest honors in gaming are of such high caliber that it’s almost ridiculous. It’s nearly as unprecedented as 2023, which is something that none of us would have thought when it started. So why not discuss each game’s chances heading into awards season?
Just to clarify, though: This isn’t a precursor to our own Game of the Year Awards or any sort of hint at what could win. Any title at this point is still fair game. We’re just discussing all the major contenders and their chances of winning across the industry as a whole. With that said, there is one that many consider to be a shoo-in for The Game Awards, if nothing else – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
And how could it not be? It was the highest-rated new game among critics for months at a time – and no, those Switch 2 versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom don’t count. For many gamers, it’s an experience that’s near and dear to their hearts in terms of narrative and characters; a success story that we hadn’t seen in a while from a group of developers who separated from a big triple-A publisher to pursue their creative vision.
Some loved exploring its Belle Époque world and taking in the stunning art direction. Others relished in its combat challenges, even though it was easy to over-level and unlock some truly broken builds by the end. Many found it to be the contemporary Final Fantasy that they’ve always wanted. Others, like me, felt like it set a new bar for $50 releases while sending a message to the utter messes that dared charge even $70.
It’s no surprise then that it would sweep the Golden Joystick Awards, winning Best Storytelling, Visual Design, Soundtrack, Supporting Performer, Lead Performer and Studio of the Year before nabbing the Ultimate Game of the Year prize. With 12 nominations at The Game Awards, the most in the show’s history, it’s a clear favorite to pull a Return of the King and dominate this awards season.
The only real competitor that truly comes to mind at this stage is Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Granted, when the first game was released, its unorthodox gameplay, bizarre narrative and strong performances were enough for multiple nominations but only a few wins. Blame it on the inherent friction of the design, or whatever or just the fact that it was unlucky to release in the same year as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Either way, it was a dark horse.
Not so with the sequel. It’s among the highest-rated new titles of the year, and the second-highest-rated among exclusives. It redefined visual standards for the generation with its gorgeous landscapes and impeccable character models. And while it’s always a toss-up how the story could turn out, Kojima Productions surprised us with some genuinely emotional hits on top of the usual twists, expanding on Sam’s story in so many welcome ways.
That’s before even getting to the gameplay, which accommodated so many other styles of play, resulting in a much more enjoyable experience. Long story short, it’s not just the prestige of Hideo Kojima’s name – Death Stranding 2 stands as a strong, well-rounded experience. No wonder then that it’s tied with another exclusive for the second-most nominations at The Game Awards, but we’ll get to that.
Instead, now would be a good time to talk about the truly beloved darlings that more than deserve to be in the Game of the Year discussion, but who are unlikely to win the big one. Blue Prince, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Split Fiction – it’s a shame because each of these games is incredible in what they do, be it in KCD 2’s world design and sheer immersion, or Split Fiction’s range of gameplay experiences within its co-op framework. And then there’s Blue Prince – a truly innovative take on the puzzle genre with enough mysteries to keep players running around, even after hundreds of hours. If any of these games had been released last year, they may have taken the crown, but 2025 is too packed.
Unfortunately, that may also apply to Ghost of Yōtei. Now, I loved Ghost of Tsushima to bits, flaws and all. To say that I had high expectations for Yōtei, even before it was announced, would be an understatement. And yet, it surpassed almost every single one of them. The combat, exploration, visuals, overall presentation and narrative – it all felt personable and pitch-perfect. So while it’s yet another title that I could see earning numerous awards for its soundtrack, performances, visuals, and whatnot, Game of the Year may be out of its reach.
The same goes for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Years and years of anticipation punctuated by endless memes of “Where Silksong?!” during showcases resulted in one of the greatest side-scrolling action-adventure games ever made. Heck, it’s perhaps the only title that managed to crash nearly every major storefront as soon as it launched. But while many were enthralled by Pharloom and its multitude of secrets on top of the unforgiving bosses, there were a scant few who weren’t feeling the magic or the challenge. Which is a shame for many reasons that I’ve discussed before, but I can see those many moments of frustration, even if they made victory taste that much sweeter, bringing the experience down for some players.
Then we come to the wildcards like Donkey Kong Bananza. For all the talk about how Xbox hasn’t been nominated for The Game Awards’ grand prize since 2010, it’s almost as surprising that no Nintendo exclusive has won since 2017 (with Breath of the Wild understandably taking the industry by storm). As much fun as Donkey Kong Bananza is, I can see it suffering the same fate, simply because of all the other contenders on the field. That doesn’t take away from how incredible a 3D platformer it is, and it’s probably guaranteed to mop up all the Nintendo-specific awards, even with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond coming up.
Hades 2 is a dark horse in many ways, exiting early access several weeks after Silksong and delivering a fantastic evolution of the original’s formula. The ending wasn’t nearly as well-received, but as a rogue-like, it remains at the tippity top of such experiences to play. Will that be enough to elevate it above the others? Probably not, even with its stellar combat, characters, and presentation, but the fact that it’s become undeniable brings a smile to my face.
Of course, you also have games which have much lower chances of claiming a ton of awards, despite leaving their own mark. I can see AdHoc Studio’s Dispatch winning some awards for its performances and writing, but it likely won’t go much further beyond that, which is a shame considering it’s one of the best narrative adventure games in years and years. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is as faithful a remake as you can get, but whether it’s due to the lack of boundary-pushing or the sheer number of other contenders, it may have to be content with winning top honors for remakes.
The same goes for Silent Hill f but in the horror category. As uncomfortably disgusting yet disturbingly compelling as it is, I don’t see it getting much mainstream recognition beyond the art direction and story. And as much as I like Absolum with its mix of rogue-lite mechanics, beat ’em up action and gorgeous 2D visuals, it’s unlikely to even win out in the indie category.
Regardless of all the above games’ chances and how many awards they accrue, they’re all fantastic titles that you should experience. Which one is your favorite to claim Game of the Year? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
