Games that stole their Game of the Year nomination

Call the police! These games got robbed! Every year, The Game Awards presents the award to GOTY, and although sometimes it is fair with the nominees, other times it has left out some titles that, at least, deserved to be considered.

5: Bayonetta 3 (2022)

This year we had a lot of well-received and loved video games, and the list of GOTY nominees proves it. However, there is one that, as much as we hope and as incredible as it sounds, it seems that the judges forgot. We talk about: Bayonetta 3 . As we said in last week’s TOP, we think Stray is fun and good, but we feel that he stole the place of this tremendous hack n’ slash.

We fans of the witch had to wait 9 years to continue her adventure and to see the progress that Platinum Games had for the franchise. When we played it, we realized that it was worth it, as it surpasses its predecessors in almost every way. The story, despite its controversial ending, is very entertaining, and although there was a change in the voice actress, Bayo is just as charismatic and fun as ever.

4: Ori and the Will of the Wisp (2020)

Since The Game Awards were invented, the year that had the strongest contenders was undoubtedly 2020. Among them was Hades, considered the dark horse for being an indie. A few years ago, another indie game that won our hearts was Ori and the Blind Forest , and its success was so great, that Xbox Studios decided to buy Moon Studios to support them with its sequel: Ori and the Will of the Wisp .

This continuation improved Blind Forest in absolutely every aspect : it polished what it served and added mechanics and abilities that make it more entertaining. Yes, most of them are things that we already found in other games, but Moon Studios knew what had to be implemented so that Will of the Wisp would become one of the best metroidvanias of all time.

His map is much larger, and to make it feel full of life and things to do, Moon Studios added numerous NPCs who constantly give us side quests to explore every nook and cranny and find items that expand Ori’s combat and movement.

Despite the fact that it surpassed its predecessor and consolidated this small franchise as one of the best today, it was discarded from the final list. We asked ourselves, what else did he have to do to stand out? Not even my little boss is so demanding, I like it.

3: Outer Wilds (2019)

2019 was another very good year for the industry, as it had huge productions and great independent games for all tastes. The big surprise was Outer Wilds , a project that started as a master’s thesis, and gradually took shape and ideas from other games like Zelda: Wind Waker and Majora’s Mask . In 2018, Mobius Digital received support from Annapurna for the official launch one year later.

Outer Wilds tells us very little about the adventure, so that our curiosity is the way to get answers. We take the role of an astronaut who discovers that he is stuck in a loop that lasts 22 minutes. After that time, a supernova explodes that destroys us and sends us back to the beginning, so we must look for clues on various planets and space to change our destiny.

The developers wanted to imitate the feeling of exploration, mystery and intrigue found in movies like Apollo 13 and a Space Odyssey, and they succeed perfectly, since traveling to the planets within our reach is a joy. Well, those in charge of The Game Awards disagree with us; for them, titles like Control are better. We better agree not to be, thieves.

2: Nier Automata (2017)

In our TOP last week we said that PUBG should not have entered the competition for the 2017 GOTY, because although we understand its impact and importance, there were better titles. Of that incredible list, we believe that the one that most deserved to be considered is Nier Automata , since the installment developed by Platinum Games, in addition to being fantastic, is still very current.

We are not only saying this because of its relaunch on Nintendo Switch, but because it became one of the favorite games of many fans. His merchandise still sells like hot cakes, and 2B became one of the most popular characters in recent years, to the point that several dreamed of him joining the Smash Ultimate roster. Reasons for success are plenty of him, because his satisfying gameplay and fascinating story are plausible.

Despite the fact that its theme and mechanics are common today, Yoko Taro and company’s baby has a unique and remarkable creative direction, and that is why its world, characters, and narrative captivated us. That did not end up convincing the judges, and they left Nier out of the GOTY candidates, despite the fact that she was in other categories and won more awards. I guess not everyone can have good taste.

1: Forza Horizon 5 (2021)

Last year we played so many great titles that several were left out of the GOTY nominee list. Of all those, the one that hurt us the most was Forza Horizon 5 , as it was a massive leap for the franchise, and overall we think it’s a game everyone can enjoy, regardless of whether they’ve never tried a car installment before. Also, look at it, IT’S BEAUTIFUL! It looks better than Tepito’s licuachela.

The developers did a tremendous job with the setting in Mexico, as there are many details that all Mexicans recognize and are excited to find. The world, in addition to being beautiful, is quite extensive and fun to explore, so these elements make us drive for hours and be fascinated. To this we add the different game modes that make this experience perfect and round.

Forza Horizon 5 ‘s main strength is its perfect balance between arcade style and driving simulator, so hardcore motorsport fans can enjoy the more realistic side, and those who seek excitement, challenges and missions in a more casual and entertaining way. They also have a great time.

Despite being nominated in several categories, Forza 5 was not included in the GOTY category, something that to date hurts and burns us, since it is evident that no injustice was done to it.