Games to be nominated for GOTY in Games Awards

Key takeaways

• Shovel Knight was the best indie game that didn't receive a GOTY nomination in 2014, showing the lack of indie representation during The Game Awards.
• Undertale, which became a viral hit in 2015, deserved a GOTY nomination due to its unique mechanics and story, and yet it lost to Rocket League for Best Independent Game.
• Dark Souls 3 was surprisingly left off the 2016 GOTY nominee list, a FromSoftware project that won over fans and critics with its quality.

game award is a world-renowned awards ceremony that celebrates the best the gaming industry has to offer each year, with its most prestigious award being Game of the Year (or GOTY). With its 2024 edition just around the corner, now is a good time to reminisce about all the great titles that weren't nominated for the show's grand prize in years past.

It is important to note that these video games should not replace the existing nominees in their respective functions; They could have made it to the final list if the Game Awards had room for at least one more nominee. After all, every year was full of great video games on all platforms, so it makes sense that some of them didn't make the cut.

8 Shovel Knight

Game Awards 2014

• Nominees: Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls 2, hearth, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor& Dragon Age: Inquisiton (winner)

The first edition of The Game Awards was held in a competitive year with many high-quality video games, so many of the best were sadly left out of the final GOTY nominee list. Furthermore, one of the most egregious examples of this was the excellent 2D side scroller of the Yacht Club games, Shovel Knight.

It's an incredible and super fun indie platformer that made a huge impact on gamers because it had the essence of some of the best classics from the NES era. While Shovel Knight Having won the award for Best Independent Game in 2014, the final GOTY nominee list was seriously lacking some much-needed indie representation. However, the sports awards have changed a lot since then, and so has the game Shovel Knight Will definitely be nominated for a grand prize today.

7 Undertale

Game Awards 2015

• Nominees: blood borne, Result 4, Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, Super Mario Maker& The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (winner)

This is another case of a unique indie game that made a huge impact on the industry, yet didn't get the recognition it deserved. There is no denying it Undertale was one of the biggest video games of 2015, as Toby Fox's brilliant take on the RPG genre became a viral sensation that everyone was talking about at the time.

With creative mechanics, heartwarming plot twists, a charming sense of humor, and an incredible soundtrack, Undertale It has all the elements of a typical GOTY nominee. Surprisingly, it didn't even win Best Independent Game, for which it was nominated but lost against Rocket League. It's not much of a surprise, though, after all Rocket League It was also very popular at that time.

6 Dark Souls 3

Sports Awards 2016

• Nominees: Titanfall 2, doom, inside, Unknown 4: A Thief's End& Overwatch (winner)

The Game Awards 2016 has been one of the most controversial editions of this award show, mainly due to the fact that many people believe it's a multiplayer game. Overwatch Don't win a GOTY like a single-player adventure Unknown 4 or doom (2016). But there's another great single-player game that's strangely missing from that final list, and it's this one Dark Souls 3.

It's funny because, these days, Game Awards is always famous for awarding and recognizing software and its high-quality releases, but Dark Souls 3 Although it didn't receive a single award in 2016, it was another great entry in an iconic series that was well received by both fans and critics. At least it was nominated for Best RPG, but it still lost The Witcher 3DLC of.

5 NieR: Automata

Sports Awards 2017

• Nominees: Horizon: Zero Dawn, Personality 5, Super Mario Odyssey, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds& The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (winner)

2017 was an incredible year for gaming, and thus, it was also a great year for the Game Awards. Not only did 2017 come out with a lot of great PlayStation exclusives, but it was also the debut year of the Nintendo Switch, which meant it was almost impossible for anything else. was killed or The Legend of Zelda To win big prizes. However, it is still very strange NieR: Automata Didn't even get a GOTY nomination.

The action RPG from Square Enix and Platinum Games was an instant hit among players and critics alike due to its instantly recognizable characters, incredible boss fights, magical soundtrack, and surprisingly deep story and themes. And yet, it wasn't nominated for a GOTY nor could it win in the Best RPG category. On the bright side, NieR: Automata won the award for Best Soundtrack, not to mention that it is fondly remembered by many to this day.

4 Devil May Cry 5

Sports Awards 2019

• Nominees: Control, Death Stranding, The Outer Worlds, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate& Sekiro: Shadows die twice (winner)

2019 was another highly competitive year with a solid lineup of GOTY nominees and many great games that unfortunately missed out. And was one of the most loved titles that didn't make the cut Devil May Cry 5Which at least managed to win Best Action Game but could easily have been nominated for the Grand Award as well.

With the great Hideaki Itsuno in the director's chair, Devil May Cry 5 It was a much-needed return to form for the franchise, especially after a controversial release DmC: Devil May Cry In 2013. With its impressive graphics, deep and satisfying combat system, memorable characters, exciting boss fights, and challenging battles, Devil May Cry 5 Undoubtedly one of the best games in the hack-and-slash genre.

3 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Sports Awards 2021

• Nominees: Deathloop, Metroid Fear, Psychonaut 2, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Resident Evil Village& It takes two (winner)

The 2021 edition of The Game Awards is particularly interesting because, in a year as prestigious as the nominees are Metroid Fear or Resident Evil VillageGOTY Awards were presented It takes twoA more unconventional co-op game made by a small studio. It was a different and realistic final choice, but many other solid titles were still left out of the nominations list, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in the forefront.

After the monumental failure of Marvel's Avengers, The game was a breath of fresh air that proved that single-player adventures based on classic superhero teams can not only work but they can be extremely fun and creative. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy It did for this team what Insomniac did for Spider-Man a few years ago, and it's very unfortunate that a sequel never materialized. Thankfully, it won the award for best story.

2 Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Sports Awards 2022

• Nominees: A Plague Story: Requiem, Horizon: Forbidden West, a stray, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, God of War Ragnarok& Alden Ring (winner)

It's easy to forget that early 2022 was a great time for this Pokemon Fans, because Pokemon Legends: Arceus came out, and it finally changed the formula of the franchise in a fun and creative way that fans have been asking for. Unfortunately, a few months after it came out, Game Freak and Nintendo released it Pokemon Scarlet and PurpleA game that, while far from bad, was extremely divisive due to its many bugs and glitches.

Scarlet and purple Didn't qualify for GOTY, though Pokemon Legends: Arceus was Unfortunately, this was not possible, probably due to the fact that the reputation of the former was being damaged. Pokemon IP at that time. It's still one of the best modern console JRPGs, and the gameplay proves that Pokemon The franchise could be effectively retooled for a more modern audience. The Game Awards were aware of its importance, as it was nominated for Best RPG, although it lost to the star of that year's show, Alden Ring.

1 Final Fantasy 16

Sports Awards 2023

• Nominees: Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Super Mario Bros. Wonder& Baldur's Gate (winner)

Many people consider 2023 to be one of the best years for gaming in decades, and as a result, many high-quality video games were eligible to be nominated for GOTY but didn't make the final list because there wasn't enough room. them. Amongst a sea of ​​examples, Square Enix Final Fantasy 16 One of the most unexpected mistakes was.

This action RPG is far from perfect, but it did so many things right that it managed to leave a huge impression on those who played it. It has many great qualities, such as a dark and fascinating storyline, complex characters, incredibly realistic graphics, an addictive combat system, some of the absolute best boss fights in the entire industry, and a beautiful soundtrack, which deservedly won its respective awards. Final Fantasy 16 For many people, it was their first glimpse at a true next-gen AAA experience, and it certainly deserved a spot among all the other GOTY nominees in 2023.