Written by James Slater
Last week was the annual Game Awards show, a celebration of gaming throughout the years and a way to give props to the best of the best. However, the most important part to most people, more than the announcements and guest stars, is the alluded Game of the Year winner. No matter the winner, discussions and debates break out the moment a game is revealed to be worthy of the award. Beginning back in 2013, I'm going to look back at each year's winner, and give an insight into what I expected to win, and what I personally wanted to claim the title.
2014
Winner: Dragon Age: Inquisition
What I expected to win: Dragon Age: Inquisition
What I wanted to win: Dark Souls 2
An amazing start to the Game Awards, was to give Dragon Age the ultimate win. In no way was the year short of amazing releases, but this was the first of many years where the winner was practically predetermined before the show even began. A masterclass in RPGs from the legendary BioWare, Inquisition was critically acclaimed for many reasons, between the addicting gameplay, emotional story and awe inspiring world, especially for a 2013 game, puts it above any of the other nominees for the year.
However, that still doesn't mean I didn't want Dark Souls 2 to win. I am one of the most vehement Dark Souls 2 defenders, even enjoying it more than its predecessor. Dark Souls 2 is one of my most played games, bringing me all the way to NG+ 9, and even multiple playthroughs on other consoles, and the rereleases. Its divisive reception amongst the Souls community almost cemented itself from the win, and realistically Inquisition is the better game overall, but DS2 is still my personal favorite and winner of the year, amongst the nominations. Destiny 1 would be my winner for the year as a whole, however.
2015
Winner: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
What I expected to win: The Witcher 3
What I wanted to win: The Witcher 3/Bloodborne
In an (arguably) closer race, The Witcher 3 fought against some hefty competition, such as Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V, and Bloodborne. Each game earned dozens of glowing reviews and critical acclaim each, so to some, any of these heavy hitters could've secured an winning spot. But, having played through each, the Witcher 3 was the clear winner for me. It had everything most gamers desire, and isn't as complicated as MGS5 or as hard as Bloodborne. It truly wore its next-gen badge with honor and showed off the fidelity of the eight generation of consoles. Even without its later released expansions, the Witcher 3 stands above the rest as the definitive RPG and has only gotten better with time.
What I would assume was a close second is Bloodborne. Having developed a cult like following over the years, this game is often said to be the best FromSoftware has to offer, and I am one to agree. It remains the best Souldborne style game, and its a shame it is locked on one console with outdated graphical fidelity. As From's first step out of the souls series while keeping many of the gameplay elements, Bloodborne uses its dated gameplay elements masterfully, and accompanied by some of the best boss fights ever made and a gross yet equally engrossing world would've been a secure lock for GOTY status, if it wasn't for the juggernaut that is the Witcher 3 releasing when it did.
2016
Winner: Overwatch
What I expected to win: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
What I wanted to win: DOOM/Titanfall 2
Seeing Overwatch win an award of any kind, given the state of its 'sequel' may be a bit surprising, but at launch, Overwatch really took the world by storm. It was a $60, multiplayer only game that still had an unprecedented number of players, a thriving community and was fun, even with how unbalanced it was at first. This was a time where multiplayer only games actually sold, and coming from the behemoth that was Blizzard, the excitement and post launch gripped it had over gaming during its peak was truly something else.
All that being said, I swore Uncharted 4 was a clear winner. The 'end' of a well known and loved gaming series, one which earned near universal acclaim and spanned multiple generations, was almost guaranteed to walk away with the win. At the time, I was exclusively an Xbox gamer, so it took some years to loop back around to Uncharted 4, but from all I had seen at the time told me it was loved enough to earn, or at least, have a shot at earning any award it wanted. So to see it lose to a multiplayer only game was a surprise, and the first real surprise for me at the Game Awards.
My personal winner, above all, was DOOM (2016). The atmosphere and music of the game alone would've won it for me, but putting that on top of some of the most fun gameplay I had ever experienced, had me gripped for weeks, even after I had beaten it, and kept me in with the, controversial, multiplayer. At any point of the year I would've said DOOM was going to win and deserved the win, at least until Titanfall 2 released. Immediately taking the slot of 'most fun gameplay' award I had just given DOOM, Titanfall 2 is a titan of an FPS, containing one of the best FPS campaign missions of all time, and an absurdly good multiplayer, built off of the already fantastic Titanfall 1, gave this game enough to earn a nomination, and in my opinion, should've won it the win overall.
2017
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What I expected to win: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What I wanted to win: Persona 5
After the dud that was the Wii U, Nintendo came out swinging in 2017, releasing its new Nintendo Switch handheld console, and two nominees for Game of the Year (three if you count Xenoblade 2, which assuredly would've gotten a nomination had it not been released 'too late'). Nintendo has been responsible for some of the best games of all time, and Breath of the Wild is one of them. The game, which is tied for third best game of all time on Metacritic, received almost unseen levels of praise upon its release. The long awaited game instantly showed that the Switch was going to be a system to look out for, and it remains that way to this day.
In one of my most controversial opinions, I am not the biggest fan of Breath of the Wild, and honestly would've even put its fellow nominee, Super Mario Odyssey, above it on the list. But, Persona 5 is my winner and it isn't even close to me. Persona 5 is one of my favorite games of all time, and was only recently knocked out of my top five games ever list by a game we will talk about later. Persona 5 is almost everything I look for in a game and left me hard pressed to find things I didn't like about it, outside of story beats. Even now I would've put this game in the GOTY winner list, but a nomination is okay as well.
2018
Winner: God of War
What I expected to win: Red Dead Redemption 2
What I wanted to win: Red Dead Redemption 2
The live reaction to God of War (2018) being revealed at E3 is one of my favorite gaming moments, even if I had never played the previous games in the series at the time. From the first trailer I knew this game was going to be special, and I even sought out almost every interview in anticipation for this game. Upon release, it was everything I hoped it was. Even though I was coming into the fourth game with only rudimentary knowledge of the first three, I enjoyed almost every aspect of it. The story had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through kept me enthused the entire way.
All that being said, I thought it was clear that Red Dead Redemption 2 was going to win. Having won almost every available award it was nominated for, it was a true Red Dead night at the game awards, and for good reason. With an admittedly slow start, everything that follows is what would be defined as a masterpiece. Potentially the best story I have ever played in a game, one of the best open worlds of all time and plenty to offer to any kind of player, the game is a masterclass in what video gaming is, pushing the limits on what gaming is capable of. However, seeing God of War win over it was shocking at first, but is definitely one of the two correct choices that could've been made that year.
2019
Winner: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
What I expected to win: Death Stranding
What I wanted to win: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Might be a bit of a shorter summary since the winner is a game I am not particularly a big fan of and the game I expected to win is one I still haven't played more than about 20 minutes. I'm not sure if it's just because I was doing something wrong but Sekiro never clicked for me. I tried, since it was a FromSoftware game and I like pretty much everything they make, but not this one. I can see why people liked it but I was still just stunned to see how well liked it was and how unanimous it was that this game 'deserved' its win. Maybe one day I'll come back around to it, but for now it's a gray spot for me.
Death Stranding is a game that, to this day, hasn't interested me in the slightest. Hopefully I'll check it out before the sequel releases, but from all the trailers shown beforehand, none of it really interested me, and I didn't see carrying around boxes in an empty open world as something I needed to spend my time on.
My personal game of the year is a game that wasn't nominated. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of my favorite games I've played, and up until 2021, was my favorite game on the Nintendo Switch. Outside of some of the DS games, it was the first Fire Emblem I really sat down and played and to this day I'm glad I did. It not only introduced me to an amazing series of games generations in the making, but also a type of game I most likely previously wouldn't have tried otherwise
2020
Winner: The Last of Us 2
What I expected to win: The Last of Us 2/ Ghost of Tsushima
What I wanted to win: Any of the other choices
What might be the most controversial Game of the Year winner, The Last of Us 2, which is still the most awarded video game in history. The primary issue with this game is its story. Without even addressing the main issue people have with the game, Joel's death, since going in it was clear he was going to die, the messaging of the game is just all over the place and not good. Spending upwards of 20 hours seeking revenge, only for it to be taken from you at the very last second, stings, and not in a way makes the message sit well with players, it just makes the decision to even play through the game one that comes into question.
This year, I didn't have a definite winner that I wanted. All the nominated games (outside of The Last of Us 2) were incredible experiences, made even better by the, at the time, current pandemic, keeping me inside and almost only with said games. If I had to pick one I wanted to win the most it would've been Ghost of Tsushima. Everything about that game just works in ways that other games have tried and failed to do. I am beyond excited for the sequel, and am glad it did win some awards during the show, though it should've also taken home the gold.
2021
Winner: It Takes Two
What I expected to win: ??
What I wanted to win: Metroid Dread
Probably the most surprising win in my opinion, though that doesn't mean it's undeserved. 2021 was the year I started my current relationship with my girlfriend and co-owner of this website, and of course we played through this game. Even in a relationship as new as ours, we found ourselves getting emotional at times, and having a blast at others. I can see where the game lacks appeal, especially for people without friends/partners they can play through the game with, but for those who can, it seems agreed that this game is a valid choice for the win. Of all the choices, however, I couldn't quite decide on what I expected to win. Any choice made would've been okay but I couldn't figure out what was THE game like each other year tends to have.
My clear winner for the year though was Metroid Dread. This game is a perfect 10/10 for me. It is still my favorite Nintendo Switch game, and one of the best games I have ever experienced. Everything about the game is practically perfect in my eyes, and would've been my reason for buying a Switch, if I didn't already have one. The game lived up to every year in the 14 year wait this game took before being released onto the masses. The Metroid series as a whole is one of Nintendo's more 'lowkey' offerings, never really breaking records as their other games do. In spite of this, Metroid continues to give out masterpiece titles throughout its entire lifespan, and Metroid Dread is one of the best examples of that.
2022
Winner: Elden Ring
What I expected to win: Elden Ring
What I wanted to win: Elden Ring/Xenoblade Chronicles 3
In what might be the most obvious choice in the history of the show, Elden Ring is a truly once in a lifetime experience. Diehard Soulsborne fans, casual gamers, and even people who have never picked up a controller before all converged on this game, breaking record numbers of players consistently through the year. In what is essentially FromSoftware's magnum opus, Elden Ring takes elements from nearly every previous title, combining them into what is almost a perfect game from technical, gameplay and artwise. Containing one of the best open world's ever created, any amount of playthroughs will almost certainly reveal a previously unknown secret for players to discover.
Even if Dark Souls 2 is still my personal favorite FromSoft game, there is almost no denying Elden Ring is their best. Almost everything about the game works, especially for their first truly open world game. Some of my favorite bosses in the catalog/gaming as a whole take the form of Malekith, Radahn, and Dragonlord Placidusax. Each new area finds a new way to top the last and keep me on the edge of my seat as I search every nook and cranny possible. The win was obvious, though I would've also been happy with a Xenoblade win, if only for the fact that its predecessor was snubbed.
2023
Winner: Baldur's Gate 3
What I expected to win: Baldur's Gate 3
What I wanted to win: Baldur's Gate 3 / Alan Wake 2 / Armored Core 6
Already taking home six separate awards during the 2023 show, this year could've been a repeat of 2018 and still given the award to an unexpected winner, however, the win was in the dice for Baldur's Gate 3, and deservedly so. This game is a true masterclass of gaming. It is hard to find a game was as much detail poured into every inch of a game as there is on display here. Every single playthrough is different, and to this day there are quests, characters and dialog choices I have yet to find, and between the engaging story, extremely likeable cast, and choices galore, I hope to never fully 'finish' this game. The constant support from the developers at Larian Studios makes it even better, somehow. A playthrough on launch will be completely different to one today, with the game rapidly approaching its eight (and seemingly final) title update.
2023 is one of the best years of gaming of all time, with an almost endless onslaught of critically acclaimed games spread throughout a packed year. This reason is why I would've been okay with most of the picks winning, though I was leaning toward Baldur's Gate and Alan Wake 2 taking the crown. Alan Wake 2 almost transcends what counts as a gaming experience, incorporating live action elements in ways I didn't expect but was grateful for, as the experience is one I'll never forget. Even saying all of this, my personal favorite game of the year was Armored Core 6, and even if it wasn't nominated for the potential win, it wins in my heart, and deserves the award it won, and many it won at other shows.
2024
Winner: Astro Bot
What I expected to win: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
What I wanted to win: Metaphor Refantazio
We are now brought to this year's recent show. 2024 had its own fair share of potential winners for this coveted awards, and in what seems to be a surprise to a lot of viewers, Astro Bot took home the award. Personally, if it wasn't going to be my personal winner, Metaphor, then I'm okay with it being this one. The game harkens back to the 3D platformers of old, to the point where the developers even gave the forerunners, Nintendo, a shoutout during the acceptance speech. After Sony closed down their Japan Studio division, which was resposnible for some of the best 'unconventional' Playstation titles, it feels almost cathartic to watch this game take the win. I hope the award and the overall acclaim this game received, ending as the top rated game to release in 2024 on review aggregator site, Metacritic. With my thoughts of Shadow of the Erdtree's nomination already being laid out previously, it was even better for the expansion to not take home the award that most of the other choices deserved even more.
That being said, it stings me a bit for my personal winner, and new addition to my top five games of all time, Metaphor Refantazio, to not take home the award. The 'sting' is made better by the fact that the game took home three other award, each deservedly so. Metaphor takes everything ATLUS learned in their Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series and perfected it. It is almost beautiful how good everything about the game is, with one of the best character groups in their reservoir, and easy the best villain the company has ever made, I had my head on a swivel whenever he was around. I plan to write a full insight into everything I like about this game, so I will save my further thoughts for such, but as for the subject to this article, I was hoping for a GOTY win for my beloved Metaphor, even if it seemed relatively unlikely.
Time will only tell what 2025's Game Awards will bring. Will it be a Grand Theft Auto 6 sweep, taking home the whole list? Will the award go to Monster Hunter Wilds? Or, as I'm already hoping, will Metroid Prime 4 take home the gold and hopefully give the series the recognition it deserves. As for now, all we can do is wait, and play through the highly anticipated released coming in 2025, enough to provide out 10% power into the final vote, and just hope the judges vote in each of our respective favors. No matter who wins the next GOTY award, I'll just hope each new game gets the respect and recognition it deserves, if not at the 'official' Game Awards, then in other publication's award lists, and amongst the gamers who will experience them. At the end of it all, gaming is an artform that is completely unique, and is used as a way to destress after a long day, connect to our friends on other parts of the planet, and gives us a way to experience masterful new worlds and put ourselves into the action in ways no other art medium can, and its only right that we celebrate the achievements of these.
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