The biggest night of the year for gaming fans has come and gone, and it brought all the usual awkward theatrics you would expect from an event of this ilk. Like the good old days of E3, Geoff Keighley never fails to deliver strange and absurd skits that might make you groan. But it does just so happen he has a talent for doing so, as does he when it comes to creating the sense of occasion for an event like this. Much like the gaming landscape, this was a varied night of strange games announced that you will never play, mouth-watering teases for games you want to get your hands on right away, but also a night full of awards that were fully deserved, and a fair helping of some robberies along the way. As a poor, hard-done-to Brit, I made the questionable decision to stay up late and watch this whole ordeal as it happened, seeing the good, the bad, and the completely absurd. Fighting against fatigue, the whole experience was a fever dream that you seriously cannot get anywhere else. After all, what other show could have Miss Piggy groping Geoff Keighley, beside a cinematic trailer that shows somebody getting burnt at the stake, surrounded by an orgy for some reason, all in excruciating detail; need I say anymore? I am going to go through some of the bigger awards and announcements, giving my thoughts along the way.

Announcements

Decrepit

Decrepit is described as souls-inspired, which may make you groan because aren’t most games these days? Well, I would say that is fair enough, but this looks to take a first-person approach, which I can imagine would change the vibe and atmosphere a lot. Its dark, dungeon-crawler energy looks grim in all the right ways, and adding some horror to the souls formula would also be very welcome.

Stupid Never Dies

This is a flashy-looking action game that has some talent behind Devil May Cry behind it, and that alone is enough to sell it for me. A frantic combat sandbox that I can sink my teeth into is all I am after, and this looks promising that it will deliver. It looks very strange and out there in its presentation, which I am sure I can get on board with if everything else works.

Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic

I audibly gasped and almost rolled off my bed when I saw this. After hearing next to nothing about the Knights of the Old Republic remake, this is the next best thing. Though we know next to nothing about it other than this little tease, the fact that it is being helmed by Casey Hudson, famed director of the Mass Effect trilogy and KOTOR, is something to really get excited about.

Coven of the Chicken Foot

Following an old witch and her strange, whimsical companion, this is a dark fantasy narrative game with a wonderful-looking art style. This is the first game from Wildflower Studios and is helmed by Bruce Straley, former co-director of The Last of Us and Uncharted. With that CV, we might be in for a treat.

Divinity

If you saw anything about that strange statue in the Mojave Desert, this is the reason! Though this was slightly less surprising due to internet detectives figuring out what the statue was before its announcement, this is still very exciting. As Larian’s next project after Baldur’s Gate 3, this promises to be their most ambitious yet, but from the looks of the trailer, possibly the darkest and most grim too.

Control Resonant

Remedy’s sequel to Control has been rumoured for a while, but I do not think any of us could have imagined how strange it could go with it. Looking to be more of a melee-action game rather than a power-based shooter, you are no longer playing as Jesse Faden and are instead her brother, Dylan. If it is anywhere near as good as Remedy’s recent Alan Wake II, this will be very strange but also incredibly cool.

Forest 3

When Geoff Keighley said this was something unexpected, I did not take him anywhere near as seriously as I should have. From developer Endnight, this is a threequel to their The Forest games, following Sons of the Forest, which I have yet to delve into properly after loving the first game. Set in the future and potentially on some sort of strange alien planet, this is something completely different, and yet it still looks very atmospheric and creepy like its predecessors.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis/ Catalyst

Well, they kept teasing one Tomb Raider game, but I certainly did not expect two! With the former being a remake of the first game and the latter being a brand new title, this will bring fans new and old to the series. From the trailer, the environments look stunning and there certainly looks to be a lot more action, similar to the reboot trilogy. With releases in 2026 and 2027, and a TV series on the way, we will certainly be getting plenty of Lara Croft in the near future.

Awards

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Most Anticipated	007 First Light Grand Theft Auto VI Marvel’s Wolverine Resident Evil Reqiuem The Witcher IV	Grand Theft Auto VI	The Witcher VI

Starting off with one of the more stupid and superficial categories, this one is literally just down to personal preference, and I do not think you can argue otherwise. As much as I would love to say it is anything other than GTA VI, it is without a doubt that this is most people’s most anticipated game, perhaps of all time. GTA has never really connected with me, but I know a lot of people love it, so this does make sense. I purely have The Witcher VI down because if you could give me any of those games now, it would be that without question, having loved both 2 and 3.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Multiplayer	Arc Raiders Battlefield 6 Elden Ring Nightreign Peak Split Fiction	Arc Raiders	Split Fiction

This was a tough one because I have not played Peak or Arc Raiders, but I cannot see anything overcoming my experience with Split Fiction. It is just brilliantly simple in its presentation, and yet so complex in its design. But above all, it is so much fun to play. I almost put Battlefield 6 as I have been playing a lot of that recently, being one of those perfect games to jump into for a couple of games after a long day at work. But when I think back to the actual multiplayer experience, playing this with my girlfriend was a great time, and I would love more games akin to Hazelight’s signature style. I take a slight issue with Arc Raiders due to its AI usage. However little implementation it may have had, it is a slippery slope that we should not condone.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Family Game	Donkey Kong Bananza LEGO Party! LEGO Voyagers Mario Kart World  Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Split Fiction	Donkey Kong Bananza	Mario Kart World

When I think of the best family game, I do not think of it as just the best amongst a selection of games that kids can play. Donkey Kong Bananza was wonderful and is a pretty perfect game that many of a younger audience would love, potentially getting them properly into games as a result. For me, when I think family game, I naturally drift to the game that I have spent the most time having fun with family and friends on. Mario Kart World was far and away that game for me, and months after its release, I am still playing it quite a lot with others, and I doubt I will get sick of it anytime soon.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best RPG	Avowed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II The Outer Worlds 2  Monster Hunter Wilds	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

This was perhaps one of the biggest robberies of the night, and I do not think it is controversial to say so. I love Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 so much, but in terms of being a fully fledged RPG, it does not even come close to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Having finally caught up this year with some of my backlog, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was a long affair that I somehow never got tired of, considering how grating it can be for some people. Its oppressive realism is an exceptional foundation for an RPG, making the world feel lived-in while also allowing for proper immersion. You are not particularly special, and you do not matter in this vast world, but the way that your choices shape the story and the way that you build Henry up work so well. You feel so in tune with this world and its narrative, and that is purely from the RPG experience of feeling like you actually live in this world. I could go on forever, and I will talk about it more in my end-of-year roundup, but it has quickly become one of my favourite games of this year.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Action/ Adventure	Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Ghost of Yōtei Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Hollow Knight: Silksong Split Fiction	Hollow Knight: Silksong	Hollow Knight: Silksong

The first award so far that I wholeheartedly agree with! I loved Silksong, and it just about lived up to its hype for me. I think there are better and more complete games here, but functioning as an Action/Adventure, this nails it. It is the adventure side of things that tips this over for me, just as in the first game, moving through the world and exploring its nooks and crannies is so enthralling. I am a bit sour on Team Cherry for not bothering to turn up to the awards because they did not think they would win big, but that does not affect how good this game is.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Action	Battlefield 6 Doom: The Dark Ages Hades II Ninja Gaiden 4  Shinobi: Art of Vengeance	Hades II	Ninja Gaiden 4

I loved Hades II, and it is certainly a much better and more complete game than Ninja Gaiden 4. But it is hard to ignore just how good the combat for Ninja Gaiden 4 is, and I think that is the thing you should really be looking at. It is exceptionally fun to play, and even amongst some of its other glaring issues, it somehow manages to outshine them to such a high degree, which is purely a testament to how good this is as an action game.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Performance	Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Charlie Cox, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Erika Ishii, Ghost of Yōtei Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Konatsu Kato, Silent Hill f Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle	Jennifer English	Jennifer English

I was immensely close to choosing Troy Baker here, not just for the fact that Indiana Jones seems to have been mostly forgotten this awards season, but also because of how well Troy Baker pulls off the character. He was even endorsed by Harrison Ford himself for it! Still, Jennifer English is a true talent, and everything she has touched in the past few years has turned to gold, with this capping off her hard work. Maelle is an exceptional character full of grace and purity, but also deep melancholy, and English really knocks that portrayal out of the park.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Score and Music	Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silksong Darren Korb, Hades II Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Toma Otowa, Ghost of Yōtei Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach	Lorien Testard	Lorien Testard

There has only been one soundtrack this year that I have made any effort to re-listen to outside of playing the game, and that is Lorien Testard’s magnificent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 accompaniment. So much of it is goosebump-inducing, full of adrenaline and power, but also very tender and ponderous. There is a wide range, from some of those bigger popular tracks that flagship the project, but it is also full of lots of quirky experimentations. Testard’s own story, being spotted for the job, having done nothing but post some small pieces on Soundcloud, is remarkable, and it is just one of the many wonderful success stories that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has brought about.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Art Direction	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Ghost of Yōtei Hades II Hollow Knight: Silksong	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Hollow Knight: Silksong

More of me playing devil’s advocate here, but whilst I think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s art direction is stellar, Hollow Knight: Silksong just about takes it for me. The feel of moving through that world is an experience like no other, and its art direction only enhances that further. It is not just its animation that makes it so brilliant, either; the way it creates that atmosphere in its environments through all of its creative components really wins the day here. There are not many games that I can think of that are similar to the vibe of Hollow Knight, and that is mostly down to its well-realised art direction.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Narrative	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Ghost of Yōtei Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Silent Hill f	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Although I have yet to play Silent Hill f, I am quite assured in my decision for best narrative. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II certainly came very close, as that odyssey that you go on through that game is really special. The way it ties together the narrative threads left dangling from the first game, whilst introducing a load of new elements in a brand new setting, it works so well. The characters, too, are all so well-written, all lovable in their own way, with their own conflicts that feel raw and human. However, where Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is special in this regard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is somehow more special. Everything I have said about the former is true of it, and then some. Its emotional core is just much stronger, and its subtleties and symbolisms are so intelligent and heartfelt that I could not choose anything else. It takes a lot to make me cry at a game, but this had me in its first few minutes, and it did not let up.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Best Game Direction	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Ghost of Yōtei Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Silent Hill f	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

To have good direction is for all of the game’s parts to work together to even become greater than its final sum. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is so good because all of its elements are so strong, but it also manages to become even better due to its presentation as a full package. Its well-paced introduction of new combat systems is expertly designed, and the characters that come with that enter the story with such impact. Its twists and turns in its narrative are so well managed, made even more stunning and cinematic by its art design, but also the performances that bring it to life. Thinking back to the prologue, I would not have cried at this had any of its elements been off. The slow drip-drop of impending doom is fed to you in its narrative, the characters respond to that so coldly at first, and yet are immediately softened when it becomes all too real. How the music in that scene works wonders too, each beat hitting precisely as it should. I will not spoil it for anybody who has not played it, but if these multiple awards do not indicate to you already, you probably should fix that.

Award	Nominees	Actual Winner	My Winner
Game of the Year	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Donkey Kong Bananza Hades II Hollow Knight: Silksong  Kingdom Come: Deliverance II	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Was there ever any doubt? Not for years have I seen a game that has garnered so much praise, and yet earned every single bit of it. I am sure you are sick of me talking about it now, as you probably are on social media too. But I do not think that this game should be downplayed. Made on a budget of only around $10 million, it was a debut game for Sandfall Interactive and the band of brothers and sisters that came together to make this seem so strong. It oozes passion, overflowing creativity, and such emotion that I cannot think of a more deserving winner for the Game of the Year. No doubt, you will have people trying to be controversial, saying it is not that good, but I will never understand where they are coming from. This has quickly made its way into my top games of all time, and I will be keen to see what Sandfall does next.

So that is another year of The Game Awards finally over, and it has been a brilliant year of games that are worthy of this grand celebration. Keighley has put on another great show that highlights many deserving games for some of their strengths, but the main thing is that it is nice to see people care so much about games as an art form. Video Games are slowly starting to break through into the mainstream, not just being a nerdy little hobby. While it definitely is that too, that is not something to be ashamed of at all because there are so many great pieces of art that have been made this year. With some of those brilliant announcements too, the future is certainly bright, and there will hopefully be some even better stuff waiting for us next year. I will be doing a full year in review with both games and film soon, talking about some of those that I have not had a chance to review.