So many great games have been released in 2022, and now The Game Awards have just revealed the nominations for Game of the Year. Most of the six nominees are quite predictable, as they are by far the most recognized AAA games of the year, such as God of War: Ragnarok and Fire Ring. And although they are favorites to win, all the games are hoping their personal favorites get the coveted prize.
The disappointment has run through fans every year since 2014 when the award was introduced, with many classic games missing out. Redditors have voiced their opinions on which games should have won instead, and they range from outrageously hot takes to games that are better remembered than the actual winners.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is undoubtedly one of the most realistic games of the 21st century, especially when it comes to its Western setting, as no other Western game comes close to the immersion of the 2018 game. Although it was nominated for Game of the Year, it lost out god of warbut TrippMiller believes that the Rockstar release is by far the superior of the two.
Redditor comments: “Nothing against god of war, it was a very good game. But Red Dead 2 is probably the best game I’ve ever owned.” Red Dead 2 certainly encouraged exploration more than the Sony release and it had more side quests and other things to do after the main story was completed as well. But both games were comparable in terms of following an emotional narrative.
Bayonetta 2
Spock thinks so Bayonetta 2 should have won 2014 Game of the Year over Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Redditor argues, “Well, Bayonetta was the better game. Relatively flawless, solid performance, good gameplay, fun, and so on.” However, being “solid” is not enough to win the GOTY, and it needs to do more than that.
Bayonetta 2 is a great hack-and-slash game that is endlessly replayable, but it was significantly lacking in terms of story, which Dragon Age Inquisition wins out on. The balance could have been restored this year as well, which Bayonetta 3 was a strong contender when it came to 2022 Game of the Year nominees, as it improves on its predecessor in every way. But it was totally overlooked in favor of other titles like Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was nominated for Game of the Year 2016, and it was apparently a one-horse race. There was no way any other game could have beaten the Naughty Dog release. Still, it shockingly lost to Overwatch, a multiplayer first-person shooter. Kikirevi was most dissatisfied with Uncharted’s loss.
The Redditor notes, “I don’t mind Overwatch let me tell you all this, it’s really impressive, fun and just amazing to play. But, Uncharted 4for me was a masterpiece.” A thief’s end had everything, including a narrative worthy of being the next Indiana Jones movie, and it was the gold standard for adventure games. The one area where Overwatch surpasses Fourquel with its superior and phenomenal multiplayer.
Ghost of Tsushima
Original AAA games are rare these days, as they are usually sequels or tied to other franchises in some way, which is because they have a guaranteed audience and are virtually impossible to fail. But the massive scale Ghost of Tsushima came along in 2020 and absolutely destroyed the competition. Set in an immersive open-world Japan, the Samurai game features one of the best revenge stories in a video game; and while it was nominated for Game of the Year, it lost out to another great, The Last of Us Part II.
Thecowardbox1561 thinks the samurai game should have won,”Ghost of Tsushima was absolutely fantastic! I loved every aspect of it, the ending especially cracked me up, too bad it was only recognized for its art design and not its other good features.” While the survival horror game was a lock for the win, given that another samurai game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicewon the GOTY the year before, Tsushima’s loss definitely surprised many players, and in any other year it should have dominated the competition, but TLOU was just too significant in gaming culture for it to tip the scales.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village was a return to the aesthetics of the most famous game in the franchise, Resident Evil 4. Both games take place in terrifying woodlands full of swamps and creepy cabins, and it was both a breath of fresh air and a trip down memory lane for fans. While it was nominated for Game of the Year in 2021, it lost out to the beloved It takes twoand YT_THEJASONKING thinks the loss was unfair, commenting: “I thought the game was amazing.”
However, the franchise may have a chance to win the GOTY again soon enough, as Resident Evil 4 remake is planned to be released in March 2023. Remakes have been nominated for GOTY before i.a. Resident Evil 2and though no one has won, Resident Evil 4 has the best chance.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
A deleted user thinks Marvel’s Spider-Man should have won 2018 Game of the Year, which lost to the phenomenal god of war. Redditor argues, “It would have won if it had the Raimi suit #shouldwelllistenedtothefans” While the inclusion of the suit would have been nice, the game had to do a lot more than that to win the GOTY.
There’s no doubt that the fighting gameplay is so rewarding, the story is a fresh take on the source material, and the world is so rich and detailed. However, these combat mechanics are lifted straight from Batman Arkham games, and there have been countless open worlds Spider man games that preceded the 2018 release. So the chances of winning were always pretty slim, especially when it was up against the recent restarts god of war.
Death Stranding
Death Stranding is an epic sci-fi action game developed by Hideo Kojima, and it marks the first major game from the prolific director following his split from Konami and Metal Gear series. Death Stranding has some major star power, as the film features Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux and Norman Reedus.
Even the smallest roles are consumed by influential directors such as Edgar Wright and Guillermo del Toro. But that star power wasn’t enough to win the 2019 Game of the Year award Sekiro. Domnyy is most disappointed by the loss, arguing, “Death Strandingon the other hand, had probably the best most detailed scenery I’ve ever traversed in a video game.” They may be right, but Death Stranding also faced criticism for its lack of story and gameplay.
Bloodborne
In 2015, Bloodborne lost Game of the Year to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and this deleted user is not happy about it. 2015 was a stacked year, and Witcher 3 knocked out many strong contenders, incl Fallout 4 and Metal Gear Solid Vbut the Redditor claims, “Bloodborne came out as probably the most memorable and more importantly the funniest. I’m sure I don’t need to explain why it should have won.”
The game of the year in 2022 can make up for this little, like Bloodborne is connected to Fire Ringwhich is an equal front-runner for the price with God of War: Ragnarok. Fire Ring is a spiritual successor to the 2015 game and is classified as a “SoulsBorne” game, and is the only release that has a chance to take down Kratos.
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2 is something of a legacy sequel, as it follows the original cult classic game by 16 years, and it needed all the success it could get, since the first game was a financial failure. Fortunately, it turned out to be a creative, colorful and detailed platformer that was a worthy follow-up to its beloved predecessor.
It was even nominated for Game of the Year in 2021, and while that was a nice surprise, it felt like a legacy nomination because of how beloved the original game is. But RedHeadGone really thinks it should have won. The Redditor comments, “Not a single award and arguably one of the best games this year. The game deserves so much more recognition.”
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed is one of the many Ubisoft franchises that gets almost annual releases and little changes between each one. But, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the crown jewel of the series, since its 400 BC Greek setting. is the franchise’s best open world yet, and it was influenced by all the leading RPGs, such as The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4in all the best ways.
The game was nominated for 2018 Game of the Year, which Joeyvierra92 thinks it should have won, but it lost again to god of war. The Redditor notes, “Honestly, I’m disappointed that Odyssey didn’t win, but I was happy to see them standing up there with the Titans of the gaming industry.” For Assassin’s Creed series, it’s truly an honor just to be nominated.
