GOTY and What It Means to Me
Okay, let's get this out of the way first — I don't like how the Game Awards works. I especially don't like how Game of the Year works. That said, it's probably the only feasible way to do it, so it is how it is. A popularity contest. Usually tilted slightly by streamers and whatever games were big in the community as a whole — which isn't a terrible way to decide what deserves to be in the running — and then voted on by a panel of experts.
Now, I don't have a lot of insight into how those experts make a final decision, but it's fairly obvious year on year that popularity does matter, and usually things like sales and other analytics come into play.
My opinion? That's all well and good for almost every category of the awards — but Game of the Year? Something awarded for "this is the best possible thing out of all choices this year"? I personally think that should go to the game that's pushed the envelope — games that are changing the industry and trying new (successful) things. Now, most of the time that still lines up with whichever game wins, and I have nothing to complain about. Sometimes it doesn't, and I can rant about my opinions.
But this year... there are new things to rant about, apparently.
Uh Oh, DLC Drama
It's 2024. We've had an absolutely insane lineup of game releases. The potential hits for GOTY are all phenomenal. I feel like I've thought that every year recently, which is a good sign for the sheer quality that we're still getting amidst the noise. But the drama this year... well, it's that DLC (and remakes) are finally officially considered eligible for GOTY status. This has riled up the community a little — and while I think there are arguments both ways, I think it's the right thing to do — in certain circumstances.
Should DLC have its own category? Absolutely. Should remakes? I'd say no, but with the number we're getting nowadays — and the quality — yeah, we probably should do that too. But where is the line drawn? FF7 Rebirth is a contender this year — that's technically a remake, but it's so far removed from the original that I think it rightly deserves to be considered like it's a fresh new game.
What About That DLC?
Okay, okay. Shadow of the Erdtree. It's DLC, you can't argue that definition. It doesn't exist without the base game — which already has a GOTY trophy sitting on the shelf. But this is where things get muddy, I think. Should we consider all DLC as contenders? Probably not. But when DLC comes along and drops an amount of new content that it might as well be a standalone game harkening back to the old days of true expansions — with just as much quality, hard work, effort, and love poured into it — can we truly say that it "can't count"? I don't believe so, and thus... it's in the running. Get mad or don't, it's nominated.
The Lineup
All that said — I don't think it'll win. Which kind of makes the whole argument moot. It's one fantastic entry to a lineup that is, honestly, full of quality and talent. Let's take a look at them, shall we?
Astro Bot — Not a surprise. This is what happens when you take a Sony IP but apply Nintendo first-party polish to it. For something that grew out of the PS5 tech demo, Astro Bot might be one of the better 3D mascot platformers we've seen in the modern era. I genuinely wouldn't be surprised to see it sweep the awards a little.
Balatro — A piece of my heart always loves to see a surprise indie show up for GOTY, and Balatro certainly deserves to be here. Not a lot needs to be said — it's simple but complex, unique, and took the gaming world by storm.
Black Myth: Wukong — Again, no surprise to see Wukong make the list. While I personally think it lacked some things, there's no arguing what an impact this game has had overall. For something to come out of a previously unknown studio in China and sweep across the Western markets and be so beloved is an achievement all by itself. It also helped show that you don't need those overbloated modern AAA budgets to really strike AAA quality — just love and passion for your art.
Shadow of the Erdtree — As discussed above!
FF7 Rebirth — Another no-surprise. An excellent follow-up to the first part, with huge improvements and nostalgia-fuel.
Metaphor: Refantazio — A surprise hit, but after playing it (and I still need to finish), it deserves this spot through and through. The whole lead-up to release, all I could think was, "What a dumb name," and "I didn't enjoy Persona much so I'll probably give it a miss," but then I played it and... yeah. It's good. It's very much an Atlus game, but shifting the Persona mindset and design ethos into a more palatable setting and story did wonders.
What Do I Think?
Honestly, I have a tough call for my personal choice this year. As noted earlier, I usually try to go by both what I personally enjoyed combined with what I feel has affected or shifted the industry in a meaningful way. I feel no single nominee has really stood out above the others in that regard, but currently, I'm tossing up between Metaphor, FF7, and Balatro. I'll probably need some more thinking time to really decide.
But What About the Rest of the Awards?
Do they matter? (Yes, they do. I just wasn't focusing on them and haven't had a chance to really go through the lists.)