The2021 Game Developers Choice Awardshave come and gone, with lead game designers and developers from the industry deciding the winners of each category. The nominees of the awards show were announced back in April and include many of the most lauded games released in 2020. The biggest2021 GDCA nomineeswere Supergiant Games' rogue-like dungeon crawlerHades, Sucker Punch Studios' action-adventure epicGhost of Tsushima, and Naughty Dog’s apocalyptic adventureThe Last of Us Part 2, all of which ended the show as winners.
But the most decorated game of the ceremony wasHades, an experience critics and fans have praised as a harmonious blend of narrative and gameplay with an incredible cast of characters. In particular,Hades’contextual storytellingand surprising endgame revelations reward players that put many, many hours into exploring the endless rooms of the Underworld. Supergiant’s meticulous work onHadeswas clearly noticed by other industry professionals as it brought home wins for Best Audio, Best Design, and Game of the Year.
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As for the rest of the field, awards were spread out among plenty of worthy nominees.The Last of Us Part 2continues its incredible awards run with another win at the 2021 GDCA for Best Narrative. Although it’s no stranger to controversy,The Last of Us Part 2has shocking plot twistsand an emotionally driven story that make it a powerful and immersive sequel to its predecessor. It also recently got a permanent price drop to $40 for the Standard Edition on PlayStation Store.
Ghost of Tsushimaended the ceremony with a win for Best Visual Art, which isn’t surprising. It’s a game full of stunning locations for endless experimentation with its photo mode and a creative interpretation of Japanese island culture. TheGhost of TsushimaDirector’s Cutis out now including PS5 upgrades and the Iki island expansion. Another game praised for its visual immersion is Valve’sHalf-Life: Alyx, a unique VR experience that took home the award for Best VR/AR Game against a field of competitors like Media Molecule’sDreamsand Electronic Arts’Star Wars: Squadrons.
Other winners include miHoYo’sGenshin Impactfor Best Mobile Game, and Kinetic Games’Phasmophobiagrabbed the award for Best Debut game from the studio. WhileDreamsdidn’t pick up a win for Best VR/AR Game, it did win the 2021 GDCA Innovation Award for pushing the boundaries of video games as an expressive medium. Games which were included as honorable mentions in multiple categories include Insomniac’sSpider-Man: Miles Morales, Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, and even Japan Studio’sPS5 debut gameAstro’s Playroom.
The Last of Us 2(Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps(Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios / iam8bit)
