The contest for 2024 Game of the Year has not yet begun. Tomorrow, the nominations will be revealed, giving communities and fanbases of particular games some hope or crushing their dreams altogether. Last year, Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and others were nominated. There are six nominees and one winner for the ultimate prize, though that’s far from the only award available. Here’s who I expect will join them in 2024.
Game of the Year Predictions
The Game Awards allows six Game of the Year nominations. Honorable mentions include Balatro, Animal Well, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Silent Hill 2, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Final Fantasy is an iconic franchise with numerous award-winning titles. Their remakes/remasters/rebirths have not broken that trend. The Game Awards has never been shy about nominating and sometimes awarding remakes, with the Resident Evil 4 remake earning a nomination in 2023. In my opinion, remakes and DLCs shouldn’t necessarily win the award, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a virtual lock for a nomination.
Astro Bot
If Super Mario Bros. Wonder, admittedly a brilliant and creative platformer, earned a nomination last year, then consider Astro Bot another lock. It redefined 3D platforming in a way that has been missing from the genre since the Super Mario Galaxy games. It made excellent use of the PlayStation 5 and its controller and was one of the most fun gaming experiences in 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
The Game Awards, and typically gaming audiences, love RPGs. Baldur’s Gate 3 won it all last year, and Metaphor: ReFantazio has been one of the most talked-about titles in the genre this year. It took the world by storm and is a very strong contender for the award. If nothing else, it will be yet another nomination for Atlus Games.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The Zelda franchise is one of the most beloved, and every good entry to it stands a good chance of earning a nomination. Nintendo has had the Midas touch lately, so while The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom might be a bit of a dark horse, I believe it will earn a nomination. For my money, it is easily one of the best games to come out this year, though I’ll admit some bias there. Still, it redefined 2D top-down gaming and fused elements of 2D and 3D into a brilliantly fun package. Don’t be shocked by a nomination.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Did I mention how much everyone loves RPGs? Dragon Age: The Veilguard did something most games can’t. It came out ages after its predecessor and somehow lived up to the massive expectations. The metrics are all there for what so many called BioWare’s best game. It should absolutely earn a nomination, though it may not even win best RPG since the field is so stacked.
Helldivers II
It has been a little while since Helldivers II was truly relevant, so allow me to refresh your memory. For months, all anyone was playing was this game. The rare multiplayer title to get this much attention, Helldivers II took the world (galaxy) by storm. Everyone was fighting for democracy and playing a multiplayer game. That hasn’t happened really since the prime days of Fortnite, and while it’s not likely to win Game of the Year, Helldivers II needs to be immortalized.
In Conclusion
These predictions are all but assured to be wrong. There are so many good games from this year and I do not envy having to pick the six best, since that’s such a tricky and subjective endeavor. Still, if you haven’t played any of these, it might be a good time to try them out before the Game Awards names a winner in December.
