Here Are Our Predictions For The Game Awards 2021

The Game Awards are back for their annual bout! This week on December 9th, Geoff Keighley will once again take the stage to host the ceremony LIVE from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Thursday, #TheGameAwards streams live everywhere.

Here's this year's hype trailer I personally edited to get us in the mood.

I am so excited to share this show with you.

Thanks to Hayley Williams for the song.

See you live Thursday at 4:30p PT / 7:30p ET / 12:30a GMT. pic.twitter.com/lWn6G6NDlS

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 5, 2021

With 30 categories pitting the most outstanding games, events and creators of the year against each other, everyone’s casting their vote on which nominations should take first place on the podium. Being the avid gamers we are, we’ve had one or two predictions ourselves. With over 80 games in the running this year, we certainly have our work cut out for us!

To make it easier on us all, we asked each member of the All Maverick news team to pick their favourites and why, then make a prediction. Read below to discover not only the nominees for each category, but who our team members think is likely to win! Remember that you too can cast your vote right now at The Game Awards Official Website.

Game of the Year

Nominations

• Deathloop
• It Takes Two
• Metroid Dread
• Psychonauts 2
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village

The burning question on all of our minds; which is the best game of 2021? I believe it is the game that is able to deliver the complete gaming experience across all facets and represents the best in what the media has to offer. As strange as it sounds, I believe the award should go to Psychonauts 2. It perhaps may not be the best in terms of combat and action like the other nominees on here, but it hardly falls behind either. Boss fights more than make up for this deficit, whereas the other games fall short in so many other respects. Deathloop stumbles in this regard with its enemy AI, and with singleplayer combat being the core fundamental gameplay of your game, this facet was integral to the challenge and therefore, enjoyment of the game. 

As for narratives, Resident Evil Village still plays out like a B-movie as per tradition of the franchise, Ratchet & Clank’s story is laughably vapid and Metroid Dread’s exposition dump in lieu of any subtle presentation is a notable weak point of the game. It Takes Two delivers a similar experience to Psychonauts 2 with its platforming gameplay and narrative but does not really excel from a technical standpoint. Psychonauts 2 stays ahead of its competitors with its wide highly stylised areas rife with hidden collectibles emphasising exploration, memorable cast of quirky and entertaining characters, an abstract art style with a strong identity, tight platforming and movement, that is complemented by smooth and engaging combat. With this in mind, one may say that its victory is a ‘no-brainer’.

James’s Prediction: Psychonauts 2

Best Game Direction

Nominations

• Deathloop
• It Takes Two
• Returnal
• Psychonauts 2
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

As time goes by, games have to constantly push boundaries to meet the ever-growing demand for the state-of-the-art. What Housemarque has created is a culmination of their commitment to bullet hell action gameplay combined with a unique foray into story approach. Unfortunately, whilst Deathloop has a similar story concept with timeloops and customisation, the incompetent enemy AI and questionable multiplayer implementation results in a game that fails to compel a player to engage with its design. This is a similar issue with reimagined nostalgic classics Psychonauts 2 and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, where expansion upon exploration mechanics such as badge customisation and rifts respectively are ultimately unnecessary due to the ease of combat with Ratchet and Clank being the most egregious offender with recycled bosses and paltry sum of enemy types.

Returnal’s starts by revolving the entire story around the main mechanic, death and the lack thereof, and draws the player into the narrative through its intrigue in the form of cryptic clues; clues which they will use to arrive at one of the multiple endings. Through the various enemy types which will not hesitate to eviscerate the unprepared, the player is compelled to engage in systems like weapon customisation which ties back to its adrenaline system which grants boons to the player if they do well but removes it all after a single hit is received. This combined with their utilisation of the PS5’s Tempest Engine to create an immersive soundscape to deliver ambience and auditory intel, and you have Returnal, a game of interconnecting concepts that delivers a fully cohesive experience.

James’s Prediction: Returnal

Best Narrative

Nominations

• Deathloop
• It Takes Two
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Psychonauts 

Ever since the series’ debut, Life is Strange has proven time and time again that its here to stay and more importantly; that every installment always one-ups the last one. From the extremely loveable Maxine Caulfield to the story of Chloe Price in Before the Storm and the story of Sean and Daniel Diaz in Life is Strange 2, we’ve had an influx of extremely well written characters. These other nominations have their own qualities and features that could have won them this award but Life is Strange: True Colors has been the best Life is Strange yet. 

Life is Strange: True Colors focused on the themes of belonging and loss is what truly drives the hammer home for this one. That and a majority of fans getting behind the romantic relationship of Alex Chen and Stephanie Gingrich. This game has to win not only this award but all the others it has been nominated for along with it. The series is certainly (and hopefully) here to stay.

Daniel’s Prediction: Life is Strange: True Colors

Best Performance

Nominations

• Erika Mori (Alex Chen/Life is Strange: True Colors)
• Giancarlo Esposito (Antón Castillo/Far Cry 6)
• Jason Kelly (Colt Vahn/Deathloop)
• Maggie Robertson (Alcina Dimitrescu/Resident Evil Village)
• Ozioma Akagha (Julianna Blake/Deathloop)

The impact that a good character performance has on the immersion of a game should not be understated. These nominees have all brought life to their characters through various vocal techniques, styles and flair. Nevertheless, I believe that the award should go to Giancarlo Esposito for his unforgettable performance of the dictator Anton Castillo. To address the elephant sized woman in the room, Maggie Robertson’s Lady Dimistrescu certainly left an impression on the denizens of the internet with her dignified demeanour and haughty attitude. But by virtue of the character, the performance is one-dimensional; we never see anything more than just the monster that lords over her castle. This is a common theme amongst the other nominees, who deliver entertaining performances but fail to explore any other facet of their role. 

Ozioma Akagha and Jason Kelly have a cat-and-mouse relationship in Deathloop with great chemistry but the communication never really develops outside of flirtation and sarcasm for the majority of the game. Erika Mori delivers a realistic depiction of a teenager struggling to find her place in the universe but sees generally uniform intonation and dynamic. On the other hand, Giancarlo, armed with previous experience from Payday 2 and Breaking Bad, plays Anton Castillo almost flawlessly. His performance is interlaced with a wide array of dynamics, low menacing tones broken by a crescendo of shouting, contrasted by soft yet stern tones when talking to his son whilst delivering a gripping portrayal of the dictator’s descent into madness and desperation. Whenever El Presidente Anton Castillo is on screen, he does not demand your attention, he commands it.

James’s Prediction: Giancarlo Esposito

Best Multiplayer

Nominations

• Back 4 Blood
• Knockout City
• It Takes Two
• Monster Hunter Rise
• New World
• Valheim

A good multiplayer game is fun with friends, an excellent multiplayer game is fun regardless of friends, which is what I believe Monster Hunter Rise achieves through exceptional design philosophy and polish. I have not chosen New World due to its client-side exploits which show a clear lack of quality assurance and whilst Back 4 Blood’s experience is mostly bug-free, baffling design decisions such as the lack of audio cues for special infected and mid game enemy difficulty spikes, disqualify it from victory in my opinion. In a less egregious regard, both It Takes Two and Knockout City have good concepts and fun teamplay but have limited avenues for cooperative experimentation due to somewhat basic mechanics.

This is where Monster Hunter Rise and Valheim truly shine. Besides being competent games, they both offer a rich online space for players to explore and approach through their own experimentation and ingenuity. However, once you are past the first 35 hours of gameplay, only Monster Hunter Rise continues to offer more, with its vast collection of monsters that dwarf Valheim’s and its abundant weapon, armour and skill combinations. Furthermore, both monsters and hunters use the environment to their advantage which adds a second layer of tactics to each encounter. Monster Hunter Rise seeks to allow you as the player to express yourself not just through appearances, but also through the way you personally fight. Every time you dive into Kamura, you can be assured that the next hunt will not be the same as the last, which I believe makes it the best multiplayer game in this category.

James’s Prediction: Monster Hunter Rise

Best Ongoing Game

Nominations

• Apex Legends
• Call of Duty: Warzone
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Genshin Impact
• Fortnite

It is inevitable that this category is going to cause an uproar no matter the result. Each entry has a dedicated fan base and for good reason. Fortnite has not only continued to be the household name for battle royales but has now evolved into the de facto social game for kids, holding social events such as in-game concerts and releasing a multitude of skins for player expression. Apex Legends however, offers arguably better gunplay and character tools than its contemporaries, delivering a premium proving ground for player creativity and skill. Yet, I believe that Final Fantasy XIV has the best chance it has ever had to take home the award.

It is undeniable that the game is riding an absolute tsunami of popularity as the community continues to grow larger. When you consider that the game has 3 expansions worth of critically acclaimed story and combat content, impeccable character balance and a plethora of fun and engaging side content such as player housing and ocean fishing, it is obvious why. The game has an almost endless number of activities and is an unparalleled social space in the MMORPG market. Most importantly, the support and communication between developers and the fanbase is far above the other nominees. 

As the only paid game in the nominees, FFXIV is fighting an uphill battle for popularity. But judging by its momentum, I’d say that it definitely has the potential to strive Heavensward to victory.

James’s Prediction: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Art Direction

Nominations

• Deathloop
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Psychonauts 2
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• The Artful Escape

As visually stunning as all the nominees for this category are, in my mind, only one game deserves the right to be crowned most aesthetically ingenious. While it may not come as a surprise to most, it’s worth saying all the same that ironically, it’s a no-brainer that Psychonauts 2 should take the title.

The fact that we’ve waited 16 long years since the original masterpiece graced our screens, it’s only fitting that it’s sequel should continue the originals’ legacy of visual mastery. Set within a physic camp and the mindscapes of various characters, Psychonauts is undoubtedly still one of the most imaginative series ever made, and with one of the most unconventional and vivid art styles. Looking like a bizarre fusion between Tim Burton and 1920’s German expressionist cinema, Psychonauts 2 casts crooked misshapen forms that are as comical as they are eerie, but for a game all about exploring the literal minds of those you encounter, it’s not only a fitting art style, but an art style that no other game can hold a mental candle to.

As vibrant and colourful as the other nominees are, nothing is as distinct, disturbing and iconic as Psychonauts’ visuals, and it would be a crime for it not to win this category.

Eliott’s Prediction: Psychonauts 2

Best Score & Music

Nominations

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Deathloop
• Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• The Artful Escape

Music is the core of most games, be it the menu screen or some form of in game radio, regardless it’s always an integral element. As good as the soundtracks to the other games are, none of them stick with me quite like Cyberpunk 2077 which has swiftly found its way into my everyday playlist for my general listening. 

My personal favourite song has to be ‘Chippin In’ from the entire soundtrack. If it wasn’t for Cyberpunk‘s overall inclusion of so many different genres I’d even be tempted to hand over this award to Guardians of the Galaxy, but at the end of the day it is Cyberpunk’s variety that wins it for me.

Daniel’s Prediction: Cyberpunk 2077

Best Audio Design

Nominations

• Deathloop
• Forza Horizon 5
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village
• Returnal

Audio is crucial for most games, especially the above nominations. I’m going to give this one to Forza Horizon 5 solely based on the reworked engine sounds, along with the new additions to the various sounds your cars and the maps themselves can make. From the whirling of a sandstorm, to the noises of the tremors when the volcano is about to become active once more. Another great addition to the overall design is the wildlife; you can hear the noises of the flamingoes whilst you whiz past them.

Overall, I have to give this one to Forza Horizon 5 and its overall improvement and its ability to capture the feeling of actually driving in Mexico! Maybe one day I’ll write a follow up and compare it to the real thing.. for now though, my explorations of Mexico will be purely digital and on Forza Horizon 5!

Daniel’s Prediction: Forza Horizon 5

Innovation in Accessibility

Nominations

• Far Cry 6
• Forza Horizon 5
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

As accessibility goes, I think it’s a valuable part of any game. After all, gaming is for everyone and they should be encouraged to play no matter what. In terms of innovation this is always something games should be striving for; everyone wants to play games so implementing new ways to ensure they can should be a top priority. 

Subtitles are thankfully now the standard for most games these days and as they should be. However it wasn’t until looking into this award that I found out about The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. A game made by deaf people for deaf people which has all kinds of accessibility options. Previously I was going to hand this award to Forza Horizon 5 due to its incorporation of sign language, but now I wholeheartedly have to let The Vale take it’s well deserved award!

Daniel’s Prediction: The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

Games for Impact

Nominations

• Before Your Eyes
• Boyfriend Dungeon
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• No Longer Home

Making an impact in a video game is always much harder than it sounds. Some games rely on shock value like a plot twist you never saw coming (We’re looking at you, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic) whereas some just try and push the boundaries in terms of what the current hardware can take. 

My pick for this category has to be Life is Strange: True Colors. The Life is Strange series certainly knows how to make an impact with every instalment focusing on different themes and messages in life; and True Colors’ focus on belonging and loss has been the most loved by fans to date. Alex Chen, the protagonist, has easily won the fans’ hearts. The themes discussed and shown in this game resonated with myself on a deeply personal level so I may be ever so slightly biased when I give my utmost hopes of True Colors adding this award to its collection.

Daniel’s Prediction: Life is Strange: True Colors

Best Independent Game

Nominations

• Death’s Door
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Inscryption
• Loop Hero
• Twelve Minutes

Whilst I have more than plenty of praise to give both Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Inscryption for other upcoming categories, when pushed to predict simply the best Independent game of the year, I can choose no other than Death’s Door.

A hauntingly beautiful game, with a plethora of abilities that complement both combat and puzzle solving, Death’s Door is a tirelessly addictive and engaging game from beginning to end. The game hosts a chillingly sombre world, filled with endless hordes of unique bosses, enemies and secrets to uncover, supported by a monumentally atmospheric score that drives the tension exponentially through each dungeon you conquer.

Every other nominee has an undisputable charm and flair to them, some of which will earn great praise in other categories, but when it boils down to simple the mastery of a complete experience beginning to end, Death’s Door was nothing short of perfection, harkening back to the beauty of classic Zelda titles, whilst projecting its own unique and morbid flair.

Eliott’s Prediction: Death’s Door

Best Mobile Game

Nominations

• Fantasian
• Genshin Impact
• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• Marvel Future Revolution
• Pokémon Unite

While Mobile Gaming is not what it once was, being now riddled with an overabundance of pay-to-play mentalities and shallow gameplay designed for nothing more than mindless penny-squeezing, that’s not to say that some gems haven’t risen from the dirt.

While Pokémon Unite and Marvel Future Revolution may be a flashy re-skins of more popular action RPGs and Team Strategies, for me, Genshin Impact still holds the crown as to the most impressive and enjoyable open-world action that can fit in your pocket. Oozing with character and charm, Genshin provides you with the tools, abilities and assets necessary to feel like playing a Breath of the Wild anime in the palm of your hand. Before you call me a hypocrite for saying this immediately after dismissing Pokemon and Marvel for their copycat tactics, where Genshin differs is in it’s ever expansive fantastical world, original and diverse cast of playable characters, and unique RPG systems. It’s uniqueness and endless replayable is ultimately what allows it to stand firmly on it’s on two feet whilst the other nominees fall flat.

Eliott’s Prediction: Genshin Impact

Best Community Support

Nominations

• Apex Legends
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• No Man’s Sky

It is now more important than ever for studios to foster good relationships with their fans in order to understand their desires and needs to deliver a great gaming experience. In the list of nominees, only two stand out in this regard. Whilst Fortnite pulls the largest numbers in terms of content creation, the actual communication between fans and developers remains almost exclusively on an announcement basis. Destiny 2 and Apex Legends are more personable in this regard, but looking at the Destiny subreddit reveals a somewhat split fanbase. As for Apex, the legion of videos and posts surrounding the less than pleasant communication between developers and players regarding Wattson changes, reveals some dysfunction.

No Man’s Sky is the closest to being a possible winner, having an active fanbase that adores the development team and is enjoying a healthy update schedule. But when compared to the deluge of fan created content and passion of Final Fantasy XIV fans, there is just no competition. Developers reading forums, complaints about the game being rectified within days, the Director of the game, Naoki Yoshida, taking in-game selfies with players and even informing the community on personal matters such as the lead composer Masayoshi Soken’s remission from cancer, shows that the community support goes beyond the mere supplier to consumer relationship. Naoki Yoshida has once said in an interview, “please think of me as your friend” addressing the players. For a team to foster such an open and trusting relationship with their fans, it is obvious who should win this category.

James’s Prediction: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Debut Indie Game

Nominations

• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Sable
• The Artful Escape
• The Forgotten City
• Valheim

Every year, the line between indie-developers and AAA studios becomes blurrier and blurrier, and never has that been more prominently the case than for my personal pick for this category; Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

It cannot be understated enough how elegant, seamless and gorgeous this game is, looking better than any independent game should ever have the right to be. Whilst the other nominees also offer their fair share of innovation, inventive combat, ingenious puzzles and immersive worlds, it’s only Kena that truly combines all of these elements together. The game simply bleeds elegance and charm with it’s visual flair, it’s intuitive combat, it’s unique puzzles, and breath-taking world that was nothing short of sheer pleasure to explore. Kena simply radiates proficiency in every fibre of its construction, and I’m hard pressed to think of a more flawless debut from a new studio.

From looking at it, you would never guess that this was an Indie title made without AAA involvement, but it’s for that very reason why no game is more deserving than this to win!

Eliott’s Prediction: Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Best AR/VR Game

Nominations

• Hitman III
• I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar
• Lone Echo II
• Resident Evil 4 VR
• Sniper Elite VR

The entries for Best AR/VR Game have truly made immersive worlds that take advantage of the elevated interaction the medium is able to provide to create mind-blowing experiences. My pick for this category, Lone Echo II, pushes the boundary on what is possible in the virtual space and is what I believe the definitive VR game. The issue with the other nominees is that they are either too limited in interaction and content or Lost Echo II does what they do, but better.

Although Hitman III provides the player with a fantastic virtual sandbox, its dubious performance, graphical inconsistency, and anaemic amount of content make me doubt it would be the people’s choice. Also, as much as I am absolutely in love with Resident Evil 4 VR, with its addictive gunplay and full-length campaign, I must admit that it does not fully utilise the full interactive capabilities of VR; VR is just a gimmick. In fact, this applies to most of these entries here. You can tell that Lost Echo II was built from the ground up to be a true VR game. It has a gripping story, amidst the breath-taking starlit backdrop of space, complete with full 3D movement via the usage of thrusters and complex interactive puzzles rivalling that of I Expect You To Die 2. Lost Echo II provides a complete package, providing the best of what VR has to offer.

James’s Prediction: Lost Echo II

Content Creator of the Year

Nominations

• Dream
• Fuslie
• Gaules
• Ibai
• The Grefg

We passed this one around the All Maverick writers group and we weren’t sure who most of these are but I’m going to say Dream because who doesn’t enjoy a good dream? And yes I am referring to the now discontinued Cadbury White Chocolate bar.

Our Joint Prediction: Dream

Best Action Game

Nominations

• Back 4 Blood
• Chivalry II
• Deathloop
• Far Cry 6
• Returnal

The best action games allow the player to raise absolute hell, giving you the tools of destruction to paint the blood of your foes on the canvas of the battlefield. This is where I believe Returnal succeeds where others fail. I do not exaggerate when I state that every single other entry in this category has some sort of technical or gameplay issue. Chivalry II is still plagued by hitbox collision issues and an inconsistent multiplayer system, Far Cry 6 has AI that can be abused to unintentionally comical levels, Deathloop suffers a similar fate but at least does not hinder mission progress through NPC incompetence and Back 4 Blood’s recycled approach of shooting the glowing parts of infected to neutralise them, gets stale after the first couple hours of gameplay.

Returnal understands that the key to any action game is to have worthy opponents to test your skill. Enemy encounter design in this game is randomised but key opponents are deployed at set moments to always give the player an element of tactics to consider. Besides dodging and shooting, players may need to make considerations such as positioning themselves to bait out certain attacks, before going into melee to cut down an enemy that is immune to gunfire. The entire game is a constant dance of death where you weave through enemy projectiles as you deliver your wrath upon your foes, gaining more weapons and skills each time to venture unto the breach. This core gameplay of mastery that Returnal offers is what I believe will bring it victory in this category.

James’s Prediction: Returnal

Best Action/Adventure Game

Nominations

• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Metroid Dread
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Resident Evil Village
• Psychonauts 2

Right off the Bat (forgive the pun), I have no qualms in immediately making my case for Resident Evil Village to take the title, and no it’s not just because it’s a game we had copious amounts of fun fighting vampires with on our channel.

I shan’t dismiss the utter enjoyment I experienced from playing all 5 of the nominees, but whilst I place the latest Psychonauts, Ratchet & Clank, and Metroid Dread on par with other equally thrilling titles in their respective series, Resident Evil Village did just enough to make it an iconic adventure all on it’s own, and by far the most most memorable of the year.

From it’s ceasingly tense encounters with a menagerie of distinct, grotesque, and unique creatures and characters to the pure brilliance of it’s eerie isolated setting, Resident Evil 8 Village is by far the most memorable and epochal entry in the series history! From the Cultural icon of Lady Dimitrescu, to Heisenberg’s mechanical monsters, to the nightmarish ‘Baby’ encounter that will forever be the scariest moment I have ever experienced in my life; to make an impact as large as that, no other nominee could ever come close!

Eliott’s Prediction: Resident Evil Village

Best Role-Playing Game

Nominations

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Scarlet Nexus
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Tales of Arise

Having little to no knowledge of the other contenders but lots of in-depth knowledge on Cyberpunk 2077, I can say that Cyberpunk 2077 takes some beating. There are three different life paths lying down the foundation for your roleplaying experience. Some of mine are: A sneakerhead street kid who’s always spending her money on the latest footwear, and a failed experiment of a Corpo who was created to be the perfect employee but that didn’t expectly go to plan. 

Those are just my own little roleplays for Cyberpunk, there are many more out there that are far more creative and that use the sandbox better than I do. All in all though, Cyberpunk is one of my favourite games ever so of course I’m going to nominate it for this award!

Daniel’s Prediction: Cyberpunk 2077

Most Anticipated Game

Nominations

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarok
• Horizon Forbidden West
• The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Starfield

With a myriad of options to be excited about, there comes a point where anticipation is understandably stifled. As incredible as games like the latest Zelda and God of War were, their respective upcoming sequels will, no-doubt, offer more of what we’ve experienced before. Not a bad thing by any means, otherwise the sheer thought of them existing would not have warranted them a place on this list, but nonetheless, while ‘more of the same’ is already reason enough to be excited, there is only one nominee here that has my excitement soaring above the others.

Whilst I’m confident I will deeply enjoy the next Breath of the Wild and Bearded Kratos Bout, it’s Elden Ring that will most assuredly set the standard for the next decade of action RPGs. Whilst it’s always a welcome re-visit to worlds we’ve seen before, nothing gets the juices flowing quite like the prospect of a new elaborate fantasy setting, but not just any fantasy setting; one created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin! That alone has me more excited than anything that could possibly be announced in the next year (besides Banjo-Kazooie 3). Anyone who’s seen/read Game of Thrones or played a game of Dungeons & Dragons in their life will know full well why this game more than ever is deserving of monumental anticipation. Should it win the category as I hope it will, we can only hope that the finished game ends up being as expansive, explorative and endless as we hope.

Eliott’s Prediction: Elden Ring

Best Fighting Game

Nominations

• Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles
• Guilty Gear -Strive-
• Melty Blood: Type Lumina
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
• Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown

This year, the choices are difficult as all nominees are undoubtedly good games, but all fall somewhat short when compared to Arc System Work’s latest entry. The two closest competitors are Virtua Fighter and Melty Blood. However, whilst Virtua Fighter features excellent character balancing and methodical gameplay, its lacklustre art direction and presentation is noticeable when compared to the other nominees. Meanwhile, despite Melty Blood‘s highly technical and satisfying execution, with clean visuals and additional new mechanics, the game may have set the entry barrier too high to its own detriment. I believe this is one of the core reasons it will drop behind on the popularity front despite being a high quality game. Therefore, I predict Guilty Gear Strive will take the victory as it strikes an almost perfect balance of what makes a fighting game successful.

It absolutely blows away the competition on the presentation front with its anime cell shaded art style, stunning character models and assets complimented by the triumphant vocals of Daisuke Ishiwatari. Furthermore, it made the bold move of reducing the difficulty of combo execution that the series was so well known for. This controversial decision ultimately paid off, as the series saw a flood of newcomers whilst still providing veterans enough avenues of experimentation through flexible combo routes, unique character mechanics and tools to set up advantageous situations and aid counter play.

It may not be the most mechanically rich or balanced fighting game, but it is definitely the most fun one, both for players and spectators alike.

James’s Prediction: Guilty Gear Strive

Best Family Game

Nominations

• It Takes Two
• Mario Party Superstars
• New Pokémon Snap
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
• Warioware: Get It Together!

Despite many multiplayer marvels being present here in this category, only one for me truly fulfills the quota of “Family Game”. It Takes Two may very well be the best 2 Player Co-Op game ever made, Warioware: Get It Together may provide some very light frantic fun, Mario 3D World is as ever absolute chaos, and Pokemon Snap is… really a game that is best enjoyed solo.

If you haven’t already guessed, Mario Party Superstars absolutely steals the crown here. Family game implies a game that is easy and accessible for a ‘Family’ to play together. While there’s no doubt that the other nominees are fun, competently well made games in their own right, one struggles to imagine a full family engaging for long with the chaotic frustrations of Mario 3D World or the limited 2-player nature of the long story-driven It Takes Two. Only Mario Party Superstars can provide a simple, easy, but ceaselessly fun experience that both the elderly grandparent and 4-year-old sibling can enjoy. 

Being the game that brought the series back to its roots with simple but memorable boards, fantastically addictive and simple minigames, and the welcoming charm that only Mario Party can provide, I can’t see this award going to anyone else!

Eliott’s Prediction: Mario Party Superstars

Best Sim/Strategy Game

Nominations

• Age of Empires IV
• Evil Genius 2: World Domination
• Humankind
• Inscryption
• Microsoft Flight Simulator

Over the years there’s been countless ways for video games to simulate real life strategy and experiences, whether it be through a literal emulation of a Euro Truck, or strategising how best to sacrifice tiny plant men so you can rebuild your spaceship (RIP my loyal Pikmin). While every year gives us countless Army strategies and vehicle simulations, truly only the most inventive and ingenious take on the genre deserves to take the title!

Out of the nominees available, for me, none other than Inscryption deserves to win the category. A visually distinct and eerie horror card game, Inscryption is a true innovation in gaming, combining themes and genres together to create a genuinely tense albeit addicting strategy game. Building a deck of various animals in hopes of staving off your opponent killing you in cold blood, this game deserves the prize more than most purely for just how memorable the experience of playing it is!

Eliott’s Prediction: Inscryption

Best Sports/Racing Game

Nominations

• F1 2021
• FIFA 2022
• Hot Wheels Unleashed
• Forza Horizon 5
• Riders Republic

Sporting games are the norm these days with a new one coming out each year that sees the bare minimum in terms of actual additions besides an updated roster of sporting talent. For that reason, both Fifa and F1 are certainly out of the running for this award in my own opinion. 

Riders Republic felt oddly flat and repetitive for me. Hot Wheels Unleashed is an arcade game which whilst very good, still only has two modes which doesn’t offer much in terms of variety. My overall love and admiration for the Forza series is why I’m giving my vote to Forza Horizon 5! It introduced new depth in terms of creating a character which gave us the option of prosthetic limbs for those who want representation via their in-game character. It also added the option for your create a character to be non-binary allowing the selection of they/them pronouns. This is why I have to give this award to Forza Horizon 5. Its sheer addition of these features I hope sets the standards for games to come. 

Daniel’s Prediction: Forza Horizon 5

Best eSports Game

Nominations

• Call of Duty
• CS:GO
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Valorant

This category celebrates the games that provide the canvas for players to showcase their finesse, and the spectacle that sells out entire stadiums. Each of the nominees have hosted countless tournaments fostering active competitive scenes. Yet, one of them edges out the competition with their commitment to community support and content updates. Contrary to this, Counter-Strike has not seen any major updates for some time, seeing only questionable gun balancing, community maps being added to the competitive pool and some new skins. Call of Duty does this better than most of the nominees adding new weapons and balance patches at regular intervals.

But as far as community support goes, Call of Duty struggles to connect with their players, with changes often being met with frustration. This is reflected in the game’s content creation and fanbase passion, which is leagues behind Riot Games’ community. League of Legends is still a behemoth of an E-Sport game, having held more than 2600 tournaments in total, with teams participating from more regions than any of the nominees. Moreover, the game has released more than 140 champions, had countless balancing changes to keep the game fresh and a vibrant content creation scene; it decimates the competition in popularity. Furthermore, with additional media such as the Team Fight Tactics auto chess game, numerous songs made by their k-pop style group K/DA, the universally loved Arcane series and an upcoming fighting game, Riot’s game continues to uphold its position as a legend in entertainment and put fun at the forefront of its ethos. 

James’s Prediction: League of Legends

Best eSports Athlete

Nominations

• Collapse
• S1mple
• Showmaker
• Tenz
• Simp

All of these nominees are phenomenal at their respective games which is what got them nominated but I’ve chosen Simp to take home this award; the man who helped Atlanta FaZe to victory during the 2021 Call of Duty championships.

His exceptional performance at the CoD championships is why I think he deserves to take the title.  His ceaseless dedication to both FaZe and the team is more than reason enough to prove why he’s a deserving winner.

Daniel’s Prediction: Simp

Best eSports Team

Nominations

• Atlanta Faze (Call of Duty)
• DWG KIA (League of Legends)
• Natus Vincere (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
• Sentinels (Valorant)
• Team Spirit (Dota 2)

Whilst all the nominees are very deserving of an award personally I’m giving my vote for Atlanta FaZe; I’ve followed the brand as a whole for a while now and want to see them take an award back to the brand.

After all they did win the Call of Duty Championships which proves they are the best Call of Duty team out there and function as a team which is even more of a reason why I’m giving them my vote!

Daniel’s Prediction: Atlanta FaZe

Best eSports Coach

Nominations

• Airat “Silent” Gaziev
• Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov
• Andreii “B1AD3” Horodenskyi
• James “Crowder” Crowder
• Kim “KKoma” Jeong-Gyun

Yeah we need to come clean here and admit that we know absolutely nothing about any of these coaches (we only know coaches that have wheels), so for lack of anything better, we’re simply going to choose “James ‘Crowder’ Crowder” purely for the fact that his name rhymes with Chowder, and with the Winter months now upon us, who would dare turn down a refreshing bowl of warming goodness?

Our Joint Prediction: James “Crowder” Crowder

Best eSports Event

Nominations

• 2021 League of Legends World Championships
• The International 2021
• PGL Major Stockholm 2021
• PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2020
• Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters

Once again, all of us failed to attend or acknowledge any of these events, so for fear of ending our predictions on an anti-climax, we’re choosing “Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters” purely because it sounds the most exciting.

Our Joint Prediction: Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 2 Masters

So there you have it! Whether we end up being correct or not, speculation is fun all the same, and in any case gives us something to fill the day with. Remember that you can read the full list of winners from last year’s show here! 

From all of us, thank you so much for reading. Who do you think deserves to win? Are any games a shoe-in for success? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to check back here after the awards to see if we guessed right!

The Game Awards 2021 will livestream for a bit over three hours on Thursday, December 9th from 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT. Which is 12:30am on the 10th for the UK (GMT).

For more coverage on The Game Awards, as well as other Gaming & Entertainment news, keep following All Maverick!