Why not, let's throw down some predictions. I like having my dumb mistakes on record.
There are 31 categories, I'm only gonna list the ones I care about, please feel free to list as you like. I'm gonna say the ones I personally would pick and what I predict will win.
Token reminder that none of this is serious or important and just a fun silly thing to do. I regret I probably won't be able to watch live.
Game of the Year
Nominees: Elden Ring (ER), God of War (GoW), and 4 other games
Personal pick: GoW, because it is the one new game this year that gave me a total, complete, rewarding, full experience of joy and fun and pathos.
Prediction: Elden Ring, because critics are still too embarrassed that they really didn't like some of it as much as they thought they did at first.
Game Direction
Nominess: ER, GoW, Horizon: Forbidden West (H:FW), Immortality, Stray
This award is supposed to be "Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design," which to me would suggest a game that does something new. But none of these nominees do that so, man, what a weak list here.
Personal pick: I dunno.... Stray, I guess? I haven't played it yet but the fact that people are going nuts over just being a cat must mean this cat is designed so brilliantly that it's the most innovative thing on here.
Prediction: Elden Ring, as the go-to lazy pick
Best Narrative
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Immortality
Personal pick: Plague Tale, though GoW with a very close second or tie, as these narratives really hit me hard
Prediction: GoW, so as to give it something. I don't think the critic boner for ER will be hard enough to get it past this one.
Art Direction
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, Scorn, Stray
Personal pick: Scorn, just for being different. Second place H:FW, 'cause it's so freaking gorgeous and actually has very unique interesting areas and enemies.
Prediction: *yawn* ER
Score and Music
Nominees: ER, GoW, Plague Tale, Metal Hellsinger, Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Personal: Plague Tale. Truly masterful use- and restraint!- of score to enhance gameplay and story.
Prediction: Xenoblade. I don't play these games, I just know they have a reputation for good music, and this may be a nice away to through the JRPG heads a bone
Audio Design
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Gran Turismo 7
Personal: Horizon- such a good job of telling me where everything is as I played and everything sounding consistent but distinct
Prediction: Call of Duty, or maybe Gran Turism. I feel like the more technical awards is where they might give it to the big populist games, similar to how dumb FX flicks get Oscars.
Best Performance
Nominees: both main GoW guys, H:FW, Plague Tale, Immortality
Personal: Plague Tale. Best I've heard in a while, truly all-time great
Prediction: Immortality, since the description of the category explicitly calls out voice, motion, etc, and this one sort of does all of it technically?
Best Indie
Personal: Cult of the Lamb, 'cause it's the only one I completed.
Prediction: Stray, because cats
Actually deserving: Neon White. Truly a brilliant game and the most innovative, interesting and rewarding game of the year IMO.
Ok that's enough for now I may look at the rest later.
There are 31 categories, I'm only gonna list the ones I care about, please feel free to list as you like. I'm gonna say the ones I personally would pick and what I predict will win.
Token reminder that none of this is serious or important and just a fun silly thing to do. I regret I probably won't be able to watch live.
Game of the Year
Nominees: Elden Ring (ER), God of War (GoW), and 4 other games
Personal pick: GoW, because it is the one new game this year that gave me a total, complete, rewarding, full experience of joy and fun and pathos.
Prediction: Elden Ring, because critics are still too embarrassed that they really didn't like some of it as much as they thought they did at first.
Game Direction
Nominess: ER, GoW, Horizon: Forbidden West (H:FW), Immortality, Stray
This award is supposed to be "Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design," which to me would suggest a game that does something new. But none of these nominees do that so, man, what a weak list here.
Personal pick: I dunno.... Stray, I guess? I haven't played it yet but the fact that people are going nuts over just being a cat must mean this cat is designed so brilliantly that it's the most innovative thing on here.
Prediction: Elden Ring, as the go-to lazy pick
Best Narrative
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Immortality
Personal pick: Plague Tale, though GoW with a very close second or tie, as these narratives really hit me hard
Prediction: GoW, so as to give it something. I don't think the critic boner for ER will be hard enough to get it past this one.
Art Direction
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, Scorn, Stray
Personal pick: Scorn, just for being different. Second place H:FW, 'cause it's so freaking gorgeous and actually has very unique interesting areas and enemies.
Prediction: *yawn* ER
Score and Music
Nominees: ER, GoW, Plague Tale, Metal Hellsinger, Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Personal: Plague Tale. Truly masterful use- and restraint!- of score to enhance gameplay and story.
Prediction: Xenoblade. I don't play these games, I just know they have a reputation for good music, and this may be a nice away to through the JRPG heads a bone
Audio Design
Nominees: ER, GoW, H:FW, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Gran Turismo 7
Personal: Horizon- such a good job of telling me where everything is as I played and everything sounding consistent but distinct
Prediction: Call of Duty, or maybe Gran Turism. I feel like the more technical awards is where they might give it to the big populist games, similar to how dumb FX flicks get Oscars.
Best Performance
Nominees: both main GoW guys, H:FW, Plague Tale, Immortality
Personal: Plague Tale. Best I've heard in a while, truly all-time great
Prediction: Immortality, since the description of the category explicitly calls out voice, motion, etc, and this one sort of does all of it technically?
Best Indie
Personal: Cult of the Lamb, 'cause it's the only one I completed.
Prediction: Stray, because cats
Actually deserving: Neon White. Truly a brilliant game and the most innovative, interesting and rewarding game of the year IMO.
Ok that's enough for now I may look at the rest later.
