Game Awards 2024: Astro Bot wins Game of the Year award
Astro Bot took home the top honor at The Game Awards 2024, claiming the title of Game of the Year. The vibrant and charming PlayStation platformer triumphed over other notable nominees, including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Black Myth: Wukong, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and Balatro.
During the acceptance speech, Nicolas Doucet, studio head of developer Team Asobi, seemed to pay tribute to Nintendo, a longstanding rival. Along with the Game of the Year award, Astro Bot earned three additional accolades: Best Family Game, Best Action/Adventure, and Best Game Direction.
The night also celebrated the success of the indie game Balatro, which took home three awards, including Best Mobile Game. Metaphor: ReFantazio, another RPG, also won three awards, marking a strong showing for Japanese developers. Black Myth: Wukong, based on Chinese mythology, was recognized with the Player’s Voice Award, voted by the public.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth had a disappointing night, despite being nominated in seven categories, only securing a win for Best Music. Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga saw Melina Juergens win Best Performance for her portrayal of the title character.
In addition to the awards, the event featured star-studded moments, such as Snoop Dogg presenting the Best Ongoing Game Award to Helldivers 2 and performing a new song. Harrison Ford also made a surprise appearance alongside Troy Baker, who voices Indiana Jones in the recent game adaptation.
Though The Game Awards is often critiqued for its commercial-heavy focus, it remains a major event, attracting millions of viewers. This year, the show revealed several exciting new projects, including a new game from Naughty Dog titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, as well as the announcement of Okami‘s sequel and The Witcher 4.
In response to criticisms regarding the industry’s challenges, The Game Awards introduced the Game Changers Award, which was given to Amir Satvat, a Tencent Games director. He was recognized for his personal initiative to help laid-off game developers find new work, and his emotional speech resonated with many in the industry.
This year’s ceremony also highlighted ongoing issues, such as the strike by video game actors over AI protections and working conditions, and controversies over the eligibility of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in the Game of the Year category.
With 30 awards across multiple categories, including audio design and best independent game, The Game Awards continues to celebrate the best in gaming, while reflecting on industry challenges. Full details on the winners are available on the Game Awards website.
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