The Game Awards is an event everyone looks forward to. It is a jam-packed event from game announcements to the awards, decorated in the glamour and fame it is known for. Although there have been a lot of controversies surrounding this event as they focus on cinematic-focused games and leave core sports-based titles or racing titles, 2021 proved them all wrong. We have seen racing titles like Forza Horizon 5 and casual games like It Takes Two dominate the lists. Despite being a disappointing release, Cyberpunk 2077 won a runner-up award, and hundreds of announcements fueled the 9th December night. This article covers the best games released in 2021, according to The Game Awards.
1. The Game of the Year: It Takes Two
It Takes Two, developed by Hazelight Studios and published by EA, is a casual cooperative game based on the divorce of a couple. It won the Game of the Year award. This award was well deserved because It Takes Two takes the definition of a co-op game to the next level. It plays like a dream, and crazy optimization and astounding visuals make this game even more enjoyable. It Takes Two runs even on decade-old hardware.
Nominees:
- Deathloop (Developer: Arkane Studios, Publisher: Bethesda Softworks),
- Metroid Dread (Developer: Mercury Steam, Publisher: Nintendo),
- Psychonauts 2 (Developer: Double Fine, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios),
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Developer: Insomniac Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment),
- Resident Evil Village (Developer and Publisher: Capcom)
2. Best Game Direction: Deathloop
Deathloop, developed by Arkane Studios, and published by Bethesda Studios, won the Best Game Direction award at The Game Awards 2021. Deathloop is an extremely fast-paced first-person shooter, and it redefines the genre by quite a bit. It was developed by Arkane Lyon, the guys behind the Dishonored series. It is the best action game from 2021, and this award was hard-earned and well-deserved.
Nominees:
- It Takes Two (Developer: Hazelight Studios, Publisher: EA)
- Returnal (Developer: Housemarque, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Psychonauts 2 (Developer: Double Fine, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Developer: Insomniac Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
3. Best Narrative: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge improvement from last year’s Marvel’s Avengers. The game packs some RPG elements, coupled with a great story and character development. Thus, it is no surprise that this game won the Best Narrative award at The Game Awards. Although there were other strongly narrative-focused games like Life is Strange: True Colors and It Takes Two, there is something about Guardians of the Galaxy that sets it apart from the competition.
Nominees:
- Deathloop (Developer: Arkane Studios, Publisher: Bethesda Softworks)
- It Takes Two (Developer: Hazelight Studios, Publisher: EA)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Developer: Deck Nine, Publisher: Square Enix)
- Psychonauts 2 (Developer: Double Fine, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
4. Best Art Direction: Deathloop
Deathloop undoubtedly is the most graphically impressive game of this year. Everything from the astounding and highly-detailed levels to the graphics style looks extremely impressive. The game is fully exploiting the power of the PlayStation 5 and modern computer hardware. It easily deserved this award over the rest of the nominees.
Nominees:
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Developer and Publisher: Ember Lab)
- Psychonauts 2 (Developer: Double Fine, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Developer: Insomniac Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Artful Escape (Developer: Beethoven & Dinosaur, Publisher: Annapurna Interactive)
5. Best Score and Music: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
The NieR series is well-known in the JRPG genre. The remastered version of the original NieR Replicant game from 2010 features revamped graphics, and most importantly, reworked audio and music. The music of this game is too good to miss, especially those from the composer Keiichi Okabe. Although the competition was stiff with this one, The Game Awards’ panel took probably their best decision with this award.
Nominees:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Marcin Przybylowicz and Piotr T. Adamczyk, Composers)
- Deathloop (Tom Salta, Composer)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques, Composer)
- The Artful Escape (Johnny Galvatron and Josh Abrahams, Composers)
6. Best Audio Design: Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon games are known for their vibe and audio. And, Playground put hundreds of hours to design the audio of their latest entry in this series. Everything from car exhausts to surface reactions was individually recorded and compiled into a very authentic sounding world. Forza Horizon 5 deserved this award more than any game released not only this year but in the last 5 years.
Nominees:
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios/Bethesda)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games/SIE)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
- Returnal (Housemarque/SIE)
7. Best Performance: Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village
Lady Dimitrescu was a charismatic character in Resident Evil: Village. Although this award has some stiff competition from Erika Mori as Alex Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo in Far Cry 6, something about Lady Dimistrescu felt different. Maggie Robertson gave her best in bringing this character to life, and it won over the hearts of the fans. This award was won by a small margin as we cannot ignore Giancarlo’s character in Far Cry 6.
Nominees:
- Erika Mori as Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
- Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo, Far Cry 6
- Jason E. Kelley as Colt Vahn, Deathloop
- Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake, Deathloop
8. Games for Impact: Life is Strange: True Colors
Games for Impact was the first award of the show, and Life is Strange: True Colors bagged it. In tough times like the one we went through, what could be better than a game focused on human connections. True Colors was a deep exploration into this rather untouched topic, and it surely has more impact than any other game launched this year.
Nominees:
- Before Your Eyes (Developer: GoodbyeWorld Games, Publisher: Skybound Games)
- Boyfriend Dungeon (Developer and Publisher: Kitfox Games)
- Chicory (Developers: Greg Lobanov, Alexis dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit, Publishers: Geg Lobanov, Finji)
- No Longer Home (Developer: Humble Grove, Publisher: Fellow Traveler)
9. Best Ongoing Game: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Final Fantasy XIV won the best ongoing game. Although the list had some big titles like Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite, the award went to a decade-old game for keeping players thoroughly engaged in the game. The other titles keep seeing spikes in player counts and the numbers dip when there is little to no new content being added. Thus, we can justify this award.
Nominees:
- Apex Legends (Developer: Respawn Entertainment, Publisher: EA)
- Call of Duty: Warzone (Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven, Publisher: Activision)
- Fortnite (Developer and Publishher: Epic Games)
- Genshin Impact (Developer and Publisher: MiHoYo)
10. Genre-Based Awards:
i. Best Indie Game
Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Developer and Publisher: Ember Lab)
Nominees:
- 12 Minutes (Developer: Luis Antonio, Publisher: Annapurna Interactive)
- Death’s Door (Developer: Acid Nerve, Publisher: Devolver Digital)
- Inscryption (Developer: Daniel Mullins Games, Publisher: Devolver Digital)
- Loop Hero (Developer: Four Quarters, Publisher: Devolver Digital)
ii. Best Mobile Game
Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Developer and Publisher: Ember Lab)
Nominees:
- Fantasian (Developer and Publisher: Mistwalker)
- League of Legends: Wild Rift (Developer and Publisher: Riot Games)
- Marvel Future Revolution (Developer and Publisher: Netmarble)
- Pokemon Unite (Developer: TiMi Studios, Publisher: The Pokemon Company)
iii. Best Community Support
Winner: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (Developer and Publisher: Square Enix)
Nominees:
- Apex Legends (Developer: Respawn, Publisher: EA)
- Destiny 2 (Developer and Publisher: Bungie)
- Fortnite (Developer and Publisher: Epic Games)
- No Man’s Sky (Developer and Publisher: Hello Games)
iv. Best VR/AR
Winner: Resident Evil 4 (Developer: Armature Studio, Publishers: Capcom, Oculus Studios)
Nominees:
- Hitman 3 (Developer and Publisher: IO Interactive)
- I Expect You to Die 2 (Developer and Publisher: Schell Games)
- Lone Echo II (Developer: Ready at Dawn, Publisher: Oculus Studios)
- Sniper Elite VR (Developers and Publishers: Coatsink, Just Add Water, Rebellion Developments)
v. Innovation in Accessibility
Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios)
Nominees:
- Far Cry 6 (Developer: Ubisoft Toronto, Publisher: Ubisoft)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Developer: Eidos Montreal, Publisher: Square Enix)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Developer: Insomniac Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Developer: Creative Bytes Studios, Publisher: Falling Squirrel)
vi. Best Action Game
Winner: Returnal (Developer: Housemarque, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Nominees:
- Back 4 Blood (Developer: Turtle Rock, Publisher: WB Games)
- Chivalry II (Developer: Torn Banner Studios, Publisher: Tripwire Interactive)
- Deathloop (Developer: Arkane Studios, Publisher: Bethesda)
- Far Cry 6 (Developer: Ubisoft Toronto, Publisher: Ubisoft)
vii. Best Action/Adventure Game
Winner: Metroid Dread (Developer: Mercury Steam, Publisher: Nintendo)
Nominees:
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Developer: Eidos Montreal, Publisher: Square Enix)
- Psychonauts 2 (Developer: Double Fine, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Developer: Insomniac Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Resident Evil Village (Developer and Publisher: Capcom)
viii. Best Role Playing Game
Winner: Tales of Arise (Developer and Publisher: Bandai Namco)
Nominees:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Developer and Publisher: CD Projekt Red)
- Monster Hunter Rise (Developer and Publisher: Capcom)
- Scarlet Nexus (Developer and Publisher: Bandai Namco)
- Shin Megami Tensei V (Developer: Atlus, Publisher: Sega)
ix. Best Fighting Game
Winner: Guilty Gear -Strive- (Developer: Arc System Works, Publishers: Arc System Works, Sega, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe)
Nominees:
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles (Developer: CyberConnect2, Publisher: Sega)
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina (Developer: French-Bread, Publisher: Delightworks)
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (Developer: Ludosity, Fair Play Labs, Publisher: GameMill Entertainment, Maximum Games)
- Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (Developer and Publisher: Sega)
x. Best Family Game
Winner: It Takes Two (Developer: Hazelight Studios, Publisher: EA)
Nominees:
- Mario Party Superstars (Developer: NDcube, Publisher: Nintendo)
- New Pokémon Snap (Developer: Bandai Namco, Publishers: The Pokémon Company, Nintendo)
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Developer and Publisher: Nintendo)
- WarioWare: Get It Together! (Developer: Intelligent Systems, Publisher: Nintendo)
xi. Best Sports/Racing Game
Winner: Forza Horizon 5 (Developer: Playground Games, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
Nominees:
- F1 2021 (Developer: Codemasters, Publisher: EA Sports)
- FIFA 22 (Developer: EA Vancouver, Publisher: EA Sports)
- Hot Wheels Unleashed (Developer and Publisher: Milestone)
- Riders Republic (Developer: Ubisoft Annecy, Publisher: Ubisoft)
xii. Best Sim/Strategy Game
Winner: Age of Empires IV (Developer: Relic Entertainment, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
Other Nominees:
- Evil Genius 2: World Domination (Developer and Publisher: Rebellion Developments)
- Humankind (Developer: Amplitude Studios, Publisher: Sega)
- Inscryption (Developer: Daniel Mullins Games, Publisher: Devolver)
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (Developer: Asobo Studio, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
xiii. Best Multiplayer
Winner: It Takes Two (Developer: Hazelight Studios, Publisher: EA)
Nominees:
- Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock/WB Games)
- Knockout City (Velan Studios/EA)
- Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
- New World (Amazon Games)
- Valheim (Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain)
xiv. Best Debut Indie Game
Winner: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Developer and Publisher: Ember Lab)
Nominees:
- Sable (Developer: Shedworks, Publisher: Raw Fury)
- The Artful Escape (Developer: Beethoven & Dinosaur, Publisher: Annapurna Interactive)
- The Forgotten City (Developer: Modern Storyteller, Publisher: Dear Villagers)
- Valheim (Developer: Iron Gate, Publisher: Coffee Stain)
xv. Players’ Voice
Winner: Halo Infinite (Developer: 343 Industries, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
Nominees:
- Forza Horizon 5 (Developer: Playground Games, Publisher: Xbox Game Studios)
- It Takes Two (Developer: Hazelight Studios, Publisher: EA)
- Metroid Dread (Developer: MercurySteam, Publisher: Nintendo)
- Resident Evil Village (Developer and Publisher: Capcom)
xvi. Best Esports Game
Winner: League of Legends (Developer and Publisher: Riot Games)
Nominees:
- Call of Duty (Developers: Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Beenox, Raven, High Moon, Publisher: Activision)
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Developer and Publisher: Valve)
- DOTA 2 (Developer and Publisher: Valve)
- Valorant (Developer and Publisher: Riot Games)
xvii. Most Anticipated Game
Winner: Elden Ring (Developer: FromSoftware, Publisher: Bandai Namco)
Nominees:
- God of War Ragnarök (Developer: Sony Santa Monica, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Horizon Forbidden West (Developer: Guerrilla Games, Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Developer and Publisher: Nintendo)
- Starfield (Developer: Bethesda Game Studios, Publisher: Bethesda)