Curious about which games are going to snatch those sought-after awards this year? A lot of good games came out in Q1 2023 alone, so read on to see which of these games could take home awards for Best Art Direction, Best Music, Game of the Year, and more!
Game Awards Nominee Predictions
Game Awards Nominee Predictions Video
Best Art Direction: Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush is a game that perfectly captures the vibrant essence of all the Saturday morning cartoons from your childhood. Its visually stunning art style, character designs, and meticulously crafted environments are rendered with great cell shading that makes the game look like something Nickelodeon would’ve made in the early 2000s.
Hi-Fi Rush stands out amongst other releases this year with its refreshing gameplay and stellar soundtrack, wrapped up with an unmistakably distinctive charming art style. Its uniqueness alone should be enough to give it an award for Best Art Direction.
Best Music: Octopath Traveler 2
Yasunori Nishiki was given the task of composing the soundtrack for a video game, but little did anyone know that he would go on to create nothing short of a masterpiece. The music in Octopath Traveler 2 is a true work of art, skillfully combining elements like soothing choral voices singing alongside melancholic piano melodies to evoke the beauty of the night. Triumphant trumpets accompanied by intense drumbeats capture the excitement of embarking on an epic adventure. Lutes filled with longing and violins that beckon sorrow create an emotional journey through sound.
With its ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions all at once, Octopath Traveler 2's soundtrack certainly deserves recognition. It has a strong chance of being considered the video game with the Best Music this year.
Best Audio Design: Dead Space Remake
Oh, the horrors of space! In the vast emptiness where screams go unheard, one can still find further terror aboard the Ishimura in the Dead Space remake. Imagine the bone-chilling experience of hearing necromorphs scuttling through air vents above, their presence palpable but unseen. It's as though they're playing a twisted game with you, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Combine that with the discordant hum of ventilators, soulless beeps from computers, and haunting automated voice messages echoing through the intercoms. This cacophony creates an atmosphere drenched in auditory horror that will leave your nerves on edge.
Folks, give this game a chance to win an award for Best Audio Design. The Dead Space remake may have scared you, but you know it deserves it.
Best Debut Game: Dredge
Sometimes, you've gotta hand it to some game developers and the wild ideas they come up with. I mean, seriously? "Eldritch Survival Horror Fishing Simulator" isn’t exactly the first thing you'd expect an up-and-coming game developer to come up with as their debut game. But that’s exactly what Black Salt Games did. It’s a small indie studio based all the way over in New Zealand, and for their first title, Dredge is undeniably one of the most unique and spine-chilling games that’s also somehow… strangely cozy. Those Kiwi devs sure know how to keep us on our toes.
Best Narrative: A Space for the Unbound
A Space for the Unbound is a point-and-click slice-of-life adventure game set in Indonesia during the 90s. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, actually…
Beyond its seemingly lighthearted facade of high school hijinks, feline companions, and retro arcade games lies a narrative that delves into the harsh realities of life. You’ll have to brace yourself for an emotional journey as the game fearlessly addresses hard-hitting themes such as abuse, social exclusion, anxiety, depression, and the looming specter of suicide. And we’re not even talking about the fact that the game’s plot involves the end of the world.
Though it may be just one star among many in the vast expanse of indie games, A Space for the Unbound aims to shine brightest in its storytelling prowess. So we hope that its heartfelt tale stands out as a formidable contender for the title of the video game with the Best Narrative in 2023.
Game of the Year: Resident Evil 4 Remake
When you delve into games like the original Resident Evil 4, it's easy to get that nostalgic feeling and think "they just don't make them like they used to…" Well, brace yourself because the Resident Evil 4 Remake not only shatters that notion, it might even surpass the original. With its slick action-packed gameplay, a stunning reimagining of the Villalobos region in Spain, and a perfect balance of those delightfully cheesy moments we all love about Resident Evil games, RE4 Remake proves that, yes, they can still make them like they used to.
For these reasons and more, I believe Resident Evil 4 Remake has a shot at becoming Game of the Year for 2023.
