As a seasoned video game journalist with over a decade of experience under my belt, I must say that the gaming industry has seen its fair share of questionable Game of the Year nominations. However, none have left me as bewildered and baffled as the 2022 nomination of Stray.
Every year, we honor outstanding video game creations across various ceremonies, with The Game Awards being the most renowned among them.
As a gamer, I can’t help but be drawn to the global spectacle that is Geoff Keighley’s celebration. However, since gaming is a form of subjective art, there’s always a buzz among us players about which titles truly warrant recognition.
Everyone has their individual thoughts, ranging from the belief that other games are superior, to doubts about the quality of certain titles; these opinions collectively shape the contenders for Game of the Year.
Consequently, I’ve prepared a list highlighting the major discrepancies in the selections made by The Game Awards, focusing on what I believe are the ten least deserving contenders for Game of the Year in history.
10 Black Myth: Wukong
Lowest Rated Nominee Ever
Although I can appreciate the case for Black Myth: Wukong as a contender for Game of the Year, its unique qualification lies in being the game with the lowest historical score on Metacritic to still be nominated within that category.
It’s clear that Game Science’s title might not have impressed the specialized press as much as titles like Astro Bot or Final Fantasy 7 Remake did.
Instead of focusing on other games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 or Nine Sols, I would have preferred to spotlight different titles. However, Black Myth: Wukong, with an average score of 81, remains among the top Souls-like games currently available.
9 Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
A Rough Start For A Legend
Among the numerous multiplayer games I’ve immersed myself in, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft stands out as one where I’ve spent a substantial amount of time. However, I find it hard to understand why this game was nominated for Game of the Year 2014, given my personal experience with it.
It’s indisputable that Blizzard’s card game stands out as exceptional within its genre, yet it required several years to earn this prestigious title.
Initially after its launch, Hearthstone didn’t have the same level of quality or impact as it would later develop. It wasn’t a poor game at all, but it was certainly not yet living up to its full potential.
To me, it felt premature to nominate Hearthstone, given that it might have overshadowed other well-established games like Wolfenstein: The New Order and Alien: Isolation.
8 Control
Brilliant But Unbalanced
I’ve developed quite a soft spot for Remedy Entertainment, as I find their Connected Universe concept, one of the most intriguing ideas the gaming industry has introduced in recent times.
Absolutely, Control plays a role within this universe, yet I believe it gained significant worth primarily from its connections rather than solely from the title itself.
Although I think it’s an excellent game and believe it’s not given enough credit, I personally found it fell short compared to games such as Devil May Cry 5, Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, and Metro Exodus.
The game’s nomination for Game of the Year eases my discomfort compared to past entries, but I find it more overt due to the strong competitors it faced.
7 God of War
The Ragnarök Prelude
Over time, I continue to believe that the God of War series showcases some truly remarkable concepts, which were expertly brought to life in their sequel by Santa Monica Studio.
It’s clear that the reboot significantly boosted the series, but it also has some noticeable flaws. These include the unpolished nature of its open world, the repetitive nature of its battles, and mechanical aspects that weren’t as finely tuned as they could have been at the time.
In a manner that considers other potential nominees like Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and Return of the Obra Dinn, and taking into account games more likely to secure a victory such as Celeste and Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War didn’t manage to sway me.
I know my opinion is an inflammatory one to say the least (the fact that it’s one of the most awarded games backs it up), but beyond being a magnificent Norse adaptation with a beautiful story, characters, and setting, I feel it wasn’t the masterpiece that God of War: Ragnarök eventually was.
6 Call of Duty 2
Taking Others’ Place
In the future, I’ll mention the Spike Video Game Awards (renamed as The Game Awards) just this once, due to what I consider a highly unusual circumstance that warrants it.
2005 was a significant year for gaming with the launch of Shadow of the Colossus, Jade Empire, Devil May Cry 3, and Kingdom Hearts 2. However, when it came to the committee’s nomination, they chose a war shooter that, while exceptional, didn’t top its genre in 2005.
Among the many challenging scenarios that my gaming memory has stored, this one stands out as particularly puzzling. It’s not due to any shortcomings in Call of Duty 2, quite the contrary; it’s more so because the other games I compared it to were brimming with such high-quality features.
5 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Not Great Enough
I took a break from the Assassin’s Creed series after Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, as the change in direction made it difficult for me to continue enjoying subsequent releases. However, with the release of Assassin’s Creed: Origins, I felt compelled to return to the franchise again.
Instead, my return to the franchise would be initiated by Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, which I found disappointing when it was nominated in 2018, given that other deserving titles like those mentioned were overlooked.
There’s a variety of views circulating about whether Odyssey’s path was the correct one. Although it wasn’t the best Assassin’s Creed game, it did garner a Game of the Year nomination for the first time since 2012. Personally, I lean towards the perspective that ‘more’ isn’t always better.
4 The Outer Worlds
A King Among Gods
As a follower of Obsidian Entertainment, I have a strong fondness for The Outer Worlds. Although it might not be their most exceptional creation, I appreciate it as a solid game that didn’t receive the recognition it deserved, so whenever people talk about it positively, it makes me happy.
As a gamer, I must admit that while it was an enjoyable experience, it didn’t quite measure up to what I consider a Game of the Year contender. Compared to the heavyweight titans and brilliant indie games it went up against, it fell short in my book.
I was overjoyed by its nomination, but it didn’t take the top spots for the best open world, RPG, or shooter games of 2019. So, while The Outer Worlds was praised as simply good, I believe a Game of the Year contender should strive for more than that.
3 Overwatch
The Only Unavailable GOTY Winner
Concerning controversial Game of the Year (GOTY) candidates, it is challenging to identify a choice that sparks more agreement than Overwatch, particularly among enthusiasts of solo gaming experiences.
2016 was bursting with amazing game titles, some of which didn’t even reach the nomination round. Titles like Dark Souls 3, Dishonored 2, The Witness, and Hyper Light Drifter were standouts, and there were many others that deserve mention too.
It’s undeniable that Overwatch holds significant worth and importance in the gaming world, especially considering its impact on the multiplayer sector. However, it’s important to note that a multitude of other games could potentially fill its shoes within the industry as well.
Additionally, being the sole title unattainable for Game of the Year (GOTY), it has sparked speculation that its nomination and victory may have been questionable.
2 PUBG: Battlegrounds
An Unfinished Phenomenon
Despite not being fully complete, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a trailblazer within the Battle Royale gaming genre, received a nomination for the prestigious Game of the Year award.
As a gamer, I find myself amazed by its record-breaking player count and standing among the top games for concurrent users. Yet, I ponder if these metrics are truly fair when comparing it against the exceptional gaming experiences of 2017.
I can list some of them, including NieR: Automata, Nioh, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Night in the Woods, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Prey, and Hollow Knight. There are likely many more I haven’t mentioned.
Although I recognize my preference for single-player games and appreciate the merits of PUBG, it’s disheartening to see some groundbreaking games overlooked due to its dominance in the nominations.
1 Stray
Not Even The Best Indie
After more than a decade in video game journalism, I’ve never encountered a scenario similar to what Stray has produced. It’s been nominated for Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and is a strong contender for Game of the Year… And even now, I find it hard to comprehend how it was developed.
As a devoted gamer, I’d say at its peak, Stray stands out as an adorable, uncomplicated platformer set in a captivating world. However, it falls short of being the crème de la crème and is light years away from contending with the games that dropped in 2022.
Among all the exceptional choices in the category, it’s hard to comprehend why this particular selection became a unique blotch on The Game Awards legacy – a fact that seems to be explainable only by the overwhelming affection for cats among the voters.
Among the independent games, Tunics, Norco, Cult of the Lamb, Pentiment, Sifu, and Signalis were superior choices, if you will allow me to point them out.
Without a doubt, Stray stands out as the least deserving Game of the Year (GOTY) nominee that I have encountered so far. It is also one of the most puzzlingly acclaimed video games I’ve witnessed during my lifetime.
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2024-11-26 19:09