Sci-Fi 3D’s Best-in-Show From This Year’s Video Game Awards

An amazing year of games leads to some surprising winners at this year's ceremony.

Astro Bot

Astro Bot walked away with the crown this year. It not only won Game of the Year but also won awards for Studio/Game Direction and Best Family Game. While some players were annoyed that more complicated or graphically impressive games didn’t win, Astro Bot deserves all of the accolades it received.

The reason for this is pretty simple. Astro Bot reminds us of why we fell in love with gaming in the first place. It may not be super challenging and it certainly doesn’t break any new ground visually but it chooses to focus on solid gameplay mechanics and fan service. Not only that but it allows for people of any dynamic to jump in and rekindle their love for gaming as a whole.

Helldivers 2

While it may have lost some steam due to the PlayStation subscription kerfuffle, Helldivers 2 is one of the most enjoyable games in recent memory. The Game Awards took note of this and handed over the Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game for their efforts.

If you haven’t Played Helldivers 2 yet, it is basically Starship Troopers the game. Players essentially fight hordes of alien bugs while being promoted to fight for freedom by their fascist government. Helldivers 2 manages to blend political satire and First Person Shooter in a way that is both comical and super addictive.

Balatro

If you find yourself asking how a poker game wound up taking the awards for Best Mobile, Independent, and Debut Indie Game, you obviously haven’t played it yet. Balatro follows in a long line of rouge like games that on the surface seem overly simple but become addictively complicated as you progress.

While the first hand of Balatro is a standard poker game, it quickly becomes something so much more. By utilizing the unique Joker cards and various upgrades, players can manipulate their decks to create wild combos never conceived at the physical poker table. Not only that but the game also features boss rounds which will quickly humble the unprepared player. Balatro is not only a great poker game but one of the best games of the year.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Atlus never fails to impress with their new releases. While fans were initially fearful that the company was moving away from their beloved Persona franchise, they were quickly proven wrong. Atlus took the best parts from all of their franchises and shoved them into a medieval world of political intrigue and dug deep into the world of philosophical insight.

Not only is the story one of the best in gaming history but they managed to improve basically everything about the Persona framework. Characters are no longer held down to one position and experimentation is encouraged. It is no wonder why this game walked away with the award for Best Narrative, Role Playing Game, and Art Direction.

Baldur’s Gate 3

I am slightly fearful that we will not see a game like Baldur’s Gate 3 again for some time. Although not a new entry, Baldur’s Gate 3 was featured at The Game Awards and walked away with Best Community Support. This makes sense as the team has continued to push out new updates and work alongside players for mod support.

Baldur’s Gate 3 just announced what is promised to be the game's final update. However, thanks to the dedication of the great people over at Larian Studios, people will likely be modding and updating this game for decades to come.