The Game Awards 2024 Nominees Announced, Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Lead With 7 Nominations
The Game Awards announced the nominees for the best video games of 2024 across multiple categories Monday. PS5 exclusive Astro Bot and Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth lead the pack with seven nominations each, including the coveted Game of the Year honour. Other nominees for the night's biggest prize include action-RPG Black Myth: Wukong, indie roguelike deckbuilder Balatro, breakout RPG hit Metaphor: ReFantazio and Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree — the first DLC ever to be nominated for Game of the Year.
Metaphor: ReFantazio was also nominated for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music and Best RPG, rounding out a total six nominations. Indie darling Balatro, a poker-inspired roguelike deckbuilder, ended up with third highest nominations with five nods, while Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree garnered four nominations each.
Shadow of the Erdtree's Game of the Year nomination has irked a section of fans as it's not a standalone title. The Game Awards now allow for DLCs, remakes and remasters to be nominated in all categories “if the jury deems the new creative and technical work to be worthy of a nomination.” The inclusion of the Elden Ring expansion in the category means that the acclaimed Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth misses out on a Game of the Year nomination.
On the indie side, Animal Well, Balatro, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Neva, UFO 50 made up the nominees for Best Independent Game. Balatro, a breakout hit across platforms this year, was also nominated for Best Game Direction, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game. Neva, a puzzle-platformer from publisher Devolver Digital, also received nods for Best Art Direction and Games for Impact, with total three nominations.
The Game Awards 2024 marks the first time since 2019 that a Nintendo-published title isn't in the running for Game of the Year. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Game
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