The 2016 Game Awards were hosted on Dec. 1 in Los Angeles to wide interest across the gaming community. The night had its highs and lows, and now that Thursday night has come and gone, here’s some of the highlights from the event:
Viewers have been excited over the brand new The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild trailers that premiered during the 2016 Awards show. There were two videos shown. One was a trailer for Breath of the Wild, exploring the game’s various settings available once the title lands on Nintendo Switch and Wii U next year. The other trailer featured official gameplay footage from the game, showcasing how Breath of the Wild looks and feels as development continues.
Death Stranding also received a brand new trailer, this time featuring another major actor: Mads Mikkelsen. The latest trailer revealed a bit more about the setting, introducing a war-torn setting that combines squirmy, tentacle-like creatures with military squadrons. Babies also feature again in this trailer as an important plot point. No word yet what Death Stranding is about, but Mikkelsen’s appearance certainly has players intrigued.
Thursday night wasn’t a perfect night, of course. Of particular note was the awkward Schick Hydro mascot, which looked like a Master Chief costume with an enormous razor for a head. The “Best Fighting Game” category was also met with controversy across the gaming community, with many fighting game fans arguing that Street Fighter V was not a strong choice for a winner. Part of the bad blood comes from Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel failing to hit the Game Awards, despite attempts from NIS and also critics such as Jeff Gerstmann giving the game a nomination.
Listed below are the various categories and winners announced for this year’s Game Awards:
Game of the Year
Winner: Overwatch
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Inside
DOOM
Titanfall 2
Best Game Direction
Winner: Blizzard (Overwatch)
Respawn (Titanfall 2)
id Software (Doom)
DICE (Battlefield 1)
Naughty Dog (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)
Best Narrative
Winner: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Oxenfree
Mafia III
Inside
Firewatch
Best Art Direction
Winner: Inside
Firewatch
Abzu
Overwatch
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best Music/Sound Design
Winner: DOOM
Inside
Battlefield 1
Rez Infinite
Thumper
Best Performance
Winner: Nolan North as Nathan Drake from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Emily Rose as Elena from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Cissy Jones as Delilah from Firewatch
Alex Hernandez as Lincoln Clay from Mafia III
Rich Summer as Henry from Firewatch
Troy Baker as Sam Drake from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Games for Impact
Winner: That Dragon, Cancer
Sea Hero Quest
Orwell
Block’hood
1979 Revolution
Best Independent Game
Winner: Inside
Firewatch
Stardew Valley
Hyper Light Drifter
The Witness
Best Mobile/Handheld
Winner: Pokemon Go
Clash Royale
Monster Hunter Generations
Fire Emblem Fates
Severed
Best VR Game
Winner: Rez Infinite
Thumper
Job Simulator
EVE: Valkyrie
Batman: Arkham VR
Best Action Game
Winner: DOOM
Battlefield 1
Overwatch
Gears of War 4
Titanfall 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
Winner: Dishonored 2
Hitman
Ratchet & Clank
Hyper Light Drifter
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Best RPG
Winner: The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, Blood and Wine
Dark Souls 3
World of Warcraft: Legion
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Best Fighting Game
Winner: Street Fighter V
Pokken Tournament
King of Fighters XIV
Killer Instinct Season 3
Best Strategy Game
Winner: Civilization 6
Fire Emblem Fates
The Banner Saga 2
Total War: Warhammer
XCOM 2
Best Family Game
Winner: Pokemon Go
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Dragon Quest Builders
Ratchet & Clank
Skylanders: Imaginators
Best Sports/Racing
Winner: Forza Horizon 3
MLB The Show 16
FIFA 17
NBA 2k17
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017
Best Multiplayer
Winner: Overwatch
Battlefield 1
Gears of War 4
Titanfall 2
Overcooked
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Most Anticipated Game
Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Red Dead Redemption 2
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Horizon: Zero Dawn
God of War
Trending Gamer
Winner: Boogie2988
AngryJoeShow
Danny O’Dwyer
JackSepticEye
Lirik
Best Fan Creation
Brutal Doom 64
Endreal: The Shards of Order
Best ESports Player
Winner: Coldzera
Faker
ByuN
Infiltrator
Hungrybox
Best ESports Team
Winner: Cloud 9
ROX Tigers
SK Gaming
Wings Gaming
SK Telecom T1
Best ESports Game
Winner: Overwatch
League of Legends
DOTA 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Street Fighter V
