General Gaming News.

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,381
3,106
118
Country
US
TGA 2023 nominees are here!

Too many categories, so I'll just mention a few. BTW, the site is super slow right now, so if you wanna vote be prepared to wait for each category to load, and reload everytime you encouter a crash:

For GOTY, I am surprised Starfield isn't listed. Granted it's a flawed game, but given how vocal the defenders are, I was sure it was gonna be a nominee. Oh well, nothing of value was lost, and I'm voting for BG3

Best Game Direction, I'm giving it to Super Mario Wonders. It's an amazing 2d Mario game, truly suited for gamers of all backgrounds

Best Art Direction? Hi-Fi Rush

Giving Dead Space Remake the best audio design.

Voting SF6 for innovation to accessibility. Not sure why Diablo 4 is nominated for this category, but w/e.

Best Ongoing I was struggling between CP2077 and FF14. While you may laugh, I do think CP2077 had plenty of support to make amends for the crapppy launch. FF14 also had amazing support as always without bending over its playerbase. FF14 wins in the end.

Giving FF7 Ever Crisis the Best Mobile Game award.

For Best Action/Adventure, it was a close call between Alan Wake 2 and RE4R. Like holy shit, I was actually biting my nails. Gonna have to give to RE4R, because I enjoyed it slightly more.

Starfield finally gets a nominee after 17/31 categories, and it's for Best RPG. I laughed at its face and picked BG3. Lies of P was also there, but it really is more of action RPG rather than a pure RPG.

This year is cruel to make me choose between MK1 or SF6 for the Best Fighting Game. I mean I saw it coming, but that doesn't make it any less difficult

Giving FF7 Rebirth for the most anticipated. No contest.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
28,417
11,881
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
am surprised Starfield isn't listed.
Good 👍🏿!

This year is cruel to make me choose between MK1 or SF6 for the Best Fighting Game. WTF
SF6 for me, because it has the better single-player mode and bonus options. The game is so much fun to play and look at!

RE4R is my goty and action-adventure game the player, so they don't have much other options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,615
8,970
118
Oooof, watching those nominees I feel like I should feel really out of touch. I don't tho, because the Game Awards are not about the best games.

Haven't played most of these games, but voted for the games I believe are most deserving from absorbing the general vibes around them, so mostly Baldur's Gate 3 or Hifi-Rush.
 

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
19,941
4,691
118
Oooof, watching those nominees I feel like I should feel really out of touch. I don't tho, because the Game Awards are not about the best games.

Haven't played most of these games, but voted for the games I believe are most deserving from absorbing the general vibes around them, so mostly Baldur's Gate 3 or Hifi-Rush.
Only Neil Newbon on that list of Best Performance feels wild. Guess it's because he's the most popular character, but I'd almost want a seperate list of nominees just of the performances in Baldur's Gate 3.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

Johnny Novgorod

Bebop Man
Legacy
Feb 9, 2012
18,746
3,291
118
My GOTY from this list is RE4 but realistically it has higher chances are winning Action-Adventure. Predict a BG3 sweep.

And Sea of Stars for Best Indie.
 
Jun 11, 2023
2,592
1,874
118
Country
United States
Gender
Male


Looks taste, but if it's American chocolate it'll probably taste like vomit.
I know Wonka is probably a step or two above M&M’s but I’m pretty sure that controller would definitely melt in one’s sweaty gamer hand.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,381
3,106
118
Country
US


Looks taste, but if it's American chocolate it'll probably taste like vomit.
Not to mention of getting all that chocolate on your palm and fingers. I mean I don't like getting food-related liquids on my finger in general, but chocolate is definitely one of the worst
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan
Jun 11, 2023
2,592
1,874
118
Country
United States
Gender
Male
TGA 2023 nominees are here!

Too many categories, so I'll just mention a few. BTW, the site is super slow right now, so if you wanna vote be prepared to wait for each category to load, and reload everytime you encouter a crash:

For GOTY, I am surprised Starfield isn't listed. Granted it's a flawed game, but given how vocal the defenders are, I was sure it was gonna be a nominee. Oh well, nothing of value was lost, and I'm voting for BG3

Best Game Direction, I'm giving it to Super Mario Wonders. It's an amazing 2d Mario game, truly suited for gamers of all backgrounds

Best Art Direction? Hi-Fi Rush

Giving Dead Space Remake the best audio design.

Voting SF6 for innovation to accessibility. Not sure why Diablo 4 is nominated for this category, but w/e.

Best Ongoing I was struggling between CP2077 and FF14. While you may laugh, I do think CP2077 had plenty of support to make amends for the crapppy launch. FF14 also had amazing support as always without bending over its playerbase. FF14 wins in the end.

Giving FF7 Ever Crisis the Best Mobile Game award.

For Best Action/Adventure, it was a close call between Alan Wake 2 and RE4R. Like holy shit, I was actually biting my nails. Gonna have to give to RE4R, because I enjoyed it slightly more.

Starfield finally gets a nominee after 17/31 categories, and it's for Best RPG. I laughed at its face and picked BG3. Lies of P was also there, but it really is more of action RPG rather than a pure RPG.

This year is cruel to make me choose between MK1 or SF6 for the Best Fighting Game. I mean I saw it coming, but that doesn't make it any less difficult

Giving FF7 Rebirth for the most anticipated. No contest.

Pretty good selection of games this year. I mean, I can’t really complain about any of them, even though I also haven’t even played almost all of them as it is. Biggest surprise though…five friggin Esports categories? Good god they must’ve been wining and dining Geoff for that spotlight.

I think two things are going to dominate the air of this year’s show though, and they’re only announcements. Oh, and the night probably wouldn’t be complete without some kind of oddball security issue/technical difficulty for all the YouTubers to devour.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

Old_Hunter_77

Elite Member
Dec 29, 2021
2,006
1,850
118
Country
United States
Ok so the GOTY Awards... well I'm pretty much not surprised at any of the nominees especially for GOTY. Certainly we all expected BG3 and Tears, and Spidey 2 taking the requisite Sony spot. RE4 also I expected (or the Dead Space remake), ignoring the complaints about remakes counting, because it was so well received. The final spot I did expect an indy like Sea of Stars actually but I wonder if Super Mario Wonder benefits from it having just come out. I mean this could have easily been the Hi-Fi Rush or Dave the Diver spot just as easily. Not saying the SM game isn't good- it does look delightful- just it's the only one that took me by surprise.

My predictions are that BG3 will win GOTY to prevent nerd arson at Geoff's house, Spidey 2 won't win anything big (the "Sony" spot is for crowd-pleasing action games that bore critics; aka the ol "Horizon" game), and that Cyberpunk will win something for the redemption story. I wish I was confident Cocoon will win best indy but Sea of Stars seems to really have hit a lot of people right in the nostalgia gut.

I also think Alan Wake 2 could be the dark horse here- it has a certain appeal that could take voters by storm and it came out recently. It's very writerly and artsy and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to is being a "survival horror" game, in the same year as two acclaimed survival horror remakes- can see that good vibe carry it over other games for more awards than many think.

As for the award show itself, I predict: at least one befuddling celebrity, one GTA 6 trailer, and one awkward political comment about Israel/Palestine that will lead to the greatest of awkward Geoff Keighley transitions we've ever seen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
19,941
4,691
118
My predictions are that BG3 will win GOTY to prevent nerd arson at Geoff's house, Spidey 2 won't win anything big (the "Sony" spot is for crowd-pleasing action games that bore critics; aka the ol "Horizon" game), and that Cyberpunk will win something for the redemption story. I wish I was confident Cocoon will win best indy but Sea of Stars seems to really have hit a lot of people right in the nostalgia gut.
Hey, both God of War '18, and TLoU2 won GOTY. It just depends whether the big Sony game comes out in a year that has the critical darling (Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring), and this year that darling is obviously Baldur's Gate 3.
 

Old_Hunter_77

Elite Member
Dec 29, 2021
2,006
1,850
118
Country
United States
Hey, both God of War '18, and TLoU2 won GOTY. It just depends whether the big Sony game comes out in a year that has the critical darling (Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring), and this year that darling is obviously Baldur's Gate 3.
Sure.. but also I think those two games had that critical serious acclaim. GoW18 was a big freaking deal- it made the silly Kratos serious and the whole father son thing matured it and critics ate it up (tbf so did I). Same with TLoU2. I think Alan Wake 2 is the game that has that energy now. Spidey 2 is "just another good Sony game."

But honestly at this point I would be utterly shocked if anything other than BG3 wins GOTY. And I was one who laughed at the idea a few months ago but there's no denying the absolutely runaway love this thing has from its fans, critics, and most importantly the meme community. And given the impact even I have to say it is is GOTY, even though I personally didn't enjoy my attempt at playing it. This game was a big friggin' deal in a year of big friggin' deals.
 

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
19,941
4,691
118
Sure.. but also I think those two games had that critical serious acclaim. GoW18 was a big freaking deal- it made the silly Kratos serious and the whole father son thing matured it and critics ate it up (tbf so did I). Same with TLoU2. I think Alan Wake 2 is the game that has that energy now. Spidey 2 is "just another good Sony game."
True.

I think the thing with the Spider-Man games is that in order to sell it as Spider-Man it can't really reach very far. GoW '18 was a refresh of a dead franchise and ridiculed character, and TLoU2 was... well, it certainly did something to seriously cause a stir. Spider-Man can't really do that, and so it never really has the ability to truly stand out.
 

Johnny Novgorod

Bebop Man
Legacy
Feb 9, 2012
18,746
3,291
118
And now for something completely different.

Jirard "The Completionist" Khalil is being accused of charity fraud after it was exposed that the charity he co-directs, Open Hand Foundation, hasn't donated a single dollar of the (roughly) hundred thousand raised every year since 2014. Jirard and the foundation's response has been so far that they were merely sitting on the money, and have been looking for a suitable donor for the past decade (while falsely claiming to be supporting other foundations).

I didn't know this Karl Jobst. Clickbaity titles and thumbnails aside I'd say he's a pretty good reporter from this one very clear, informed, succinct video.

 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
28,417
11,881
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
And now for something completely different.

Jirard "The Completionist" Khalil is being accused of charity fraud after it was exposed that the charity he co-directs, Open Hand Foundation, hasn't donated a single dollar of the (roughly) hundred thousand raised every year since 2014. Jirard and the foundation's response has been so far that they were merely sitting on the money, and have been looking for a suitable donor for the past decade (while falsely claiming to be supporting other foundations).

I didn't know this Karl Jobst. Clickbaity titles and thumbnails aside I'd say he's a pretty good reporter from this one very clear, informed, succinct video.

@FakeSympathy already posted the video in the Gaming Articles thread, but I don't mind the spreading of the word.
 

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,381
3,106
118
Country
US
And now for something completely different.

Jirard "The Completionist" Khalil is being accused of charity fraud after it was exposed that the charity he co-directs, Open Hand Foundation, hasn't donated a single dollar of the (roughly) hundred thousand raised every year since 2014. Jirard and the foundation's response has been so far that they were merely sitting on the money, and have been looking for a suitable donor for the past decade (while falsely claiming to be supporting other foundations).

I didn't know this Karl Jobst. Clickbaity titles and thumbnails aside I'd say he's a pretty good reporter from this one very clear, informed, succinct video.

Yep, he’s scummy af. As for Karl, I’d say he’s thorough with his research. He exposes fake speedruns and explains how legit impressive speedruns are done.
 

CriticalGaming

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 28, 2017
11,108
5,612
118


Looks taste, but if it's American chocolate it'll probably taste like vomit.
Anything to not make an actual video game huh? Fuck it, eat your controller.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,615
8,970
118


"Just admit it. You're obviously captivated by my bodacious beach bod."

Taking bets on who will say that line. My money is on Hojo
 
  • Like
Reactions: CriticalGaming