Top Contenders for GOTY 2024

Patrick_Yu · October 3

Black Myth Wukong is strong contender for GOTY 2024.jpg

What is The Game Awards?

The Game Awards is an annual event established in 2014 by game journalist Geoff Keighley to honor the best achievements in the video game industry. Building on its predecessor, the Spike Video Game Awards, the show has become one of the most anticipated celebrations of gaming excellence. This year's ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater on December 12, 2024, with a preshow hosted by Sydnee Goodman.

Featuring 31 categories, The Game Awards recognizes achievements in areas like best narrative, game direction, indie game, score, performance, and esports. However, the highlight of the event is the Game of the Year (GOTY) award.

What is Game of the Year?

The Game of the Year (GOTY) award is the most prestigious accolade at The Game Awards, recognizing a game that delivers an outstanding experience across multiple dimensions. This award is given to a title that excels not only in gameplay but also in narrative, technical achievements, innovation, and emotional impact. Winning the GOTY title cements a game’s legacy within the industry and showcases its ability to push creative boundaries.

This year’s nominees for GOTY are:

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Astro Bot
Black Myth: Wukong
Balatro
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Metaphor: ReFantazio

These six games represent the pinnacle of what gaming achieved in 2024, showcasing innovation, artistry, and technical excellence.

The 6 official nominations for Game of the Year 2024

1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth stands as a top contender for Game of the Year 2024 due to its ambitious reimagining of one of the most beloved RPGs of all time. Building on the success of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth takes the already impeccable blend of action and turn-based combat to new heights, introducing fresh mechanics and new party members that enhance the strategic depth of battles. The game’s massive open-world regions, split into six distinct areas, offer players an immersive experience filled with meaningful side quests, exploration, and optional activities. Each region is thoughtfully designed, capturing both the beauty and environmental devastation of a world suffering under the impact of Mako energy. This reimagined world delivers breathtaking sights while maintaining the original game's core themes of environmental preservation and survival, reinforcing the emotional connection players have with the world and its characters.

The game’s story is equally ambitious, as it attempts to create an alternate timeline for Final Fantasy VII, offering both a nostalgic revisiting of classic moments and a bold new direction. While this narrative shift is sometimes complex and divisive, Rebirth excels in its character development, with each party member getting a chance to shine through powerful voice acting and emotional cutscenes. The returning Materia system and newly added Synergy Abilities deepen the combat experience, rewarding players for mastering tactical gameplay. Even with its occasional narrative stumbles, Rebirth manages to capture the magic of the original while offering a fresh, engaging, and emotionally resonant journey, making it a standout candidate for Game of the Year.

2. Astro Bot

Astro Bot, the third game in the Astro Bot series, is a strong contender for GOTY 2024, and while it doesn’t feature the VR support seen in its predecessor, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, this doesn’t impact its status as a top-tier platformer. Instead, the lack of VR serves as a differentiator, allowing the game to shine through its creative level design and clever use of the PS5’s features. Team Asobi delivers a masterclass in platforming, with each level introducing unique gameplay mechanics—such as cymbal-based platform manipulation or gyro-controlled rocket ships—that are used just enough to captivate before moving on to something fresh. The use of the DualSense controller enhances the experience, from blowing into the mic to using the gyro, making the game feel immersive and inventive without the need for virtual reality.

What truly sets Astro Bot apart is its seamless blending of nostalgia and innovation, ensuring that the PlayStation cameos like Kratos Bot and Nathan Drake Bot are fun bonuses but not the core reason for its success. The level design consistently surprises players with new powers, secrets, and challenges, all while maintaining fluidity and creativity that keep the gameplay engaging from start to finish. Even without VR, Astro Bot is one of the most finely crafted platformers of recent years, excelling in mechanics and design. Its ability to stand as a standout platformer while paying homage to PlayStation’s history makes it a prime contender for GOTY 2024.

3. Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong is a strong contender for GOTY 2024 not only because of its technical ambition and challenging combat but also due to the creators' dedication to delivering a polished, evolving experience. The developers at GameScience have shown an impressive commitment to refining the game post-launch, listening to player feedback, and addressing technical issues, much like the continuous improvements seen with other major releases like Cyberpunk 2077. This dedication has allowed them to create a unique action RPG that blends soulslike combat mechanics with the fast-paced, combo-heavy style of traditional action games, offering players a thrilling and deeply rewarding experience. Its intricate progression system, coupled with the immersive story drawn from the classic Journey to the West, adds layers of depth to the game’s world, while its stunning visuals and creative boss encounters make each moment unforgettable.

What truly sets Black Myth: Wukong apart is how GameScience combines visually stunning environments and a rich cultural narrative with deeply satisfying gameplay. The combat, which requires a balance of twitch reflexes and strategic resource management, feels both engaging and fair, and the game’s rich lore and breathtaking boss fights ensure that every challenge is worth overcoming. Although the game has experienced some technical hiccups, the developers have remained committed to addressing these issues while continuing to refine the game’s performance and gameplay. This active engagement with their community has helped Black Myth: Wukong evolve into one of the most compelling gaming experiences of the year, firmly establishing it as a top contender for GOTY 2024 and one of the best boss rush games of the decade. Personally, this is my GOTY of the year.

4. Balatro

Balatro is a remarkable entry into the roguelike genre, offering an experience unlike any other by centering its mechanics around poker. Its gameplay is deceptively simple yet incredibly satisfying, allowing players to create powerful hands while experimenting with a wide variety of card types, deck modifications, and multipliers. The thrill of building hands like flushes, coupled with the rush of seeing your multipliers skyrocket, makes each run an addictive adventure. The game’s structure, encouraging players to push the boundaries of its system, adds a level of depth and replayability that feels endless, while never becoming overwhelming or frustrating.

The game’s hypnotic art direction and dynamic soundtrack create an immersive experience, while its strategic deck-building mechanics elevate it as one of the most innovative indie games of the year. As a standout indie title built by 1 man development team, Balatro not only competes for GOTY but is also a favorite for the Best Indie Game award. I say this game has a Gros Michel chance of winning GOTY.

5. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

While DLCs are eligible for GOTY under the Game Awards' rules, it's rare for them to win, even when they’re as remarkable as Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Typically, expansions tend to perform better in categories like Best Ongoing Game, much like Cyberpunk 2077 with its Phantom Liberty DLC in 2023. That said, Shadow of the Erdtree is a monumental achievement, delivering a full 30-hour experience that rivals the original game in both scope and execution. FromSoftware showcases its mastery once again, creating a world that feels as treacherous as it is captivating, filled with complex characters, beautifully designed environments, and pulse-pounding boss fights. The Land of Shadow embodies everything that made Elden Ring a masterpiece, offering a dense, diverse environment rich in exploration and discovery.

The DLC not only brings new weapons, spells, and upgrades but also deepens the Elden Ring lore, making the world feel more expansive and complete. Every boss encounter feels like a finely tuned challenge, rewarding players who adapt and experiment with their strategies. With its breathtaking environments and masterful design, Shadow of the Erdtree enhances Elden Ring's already towering legacy—especially after the original game won Game of the Year in 2022. However, despite its brilliance, the chances of this DLC winning GOTY are slim but not zero.

6. Metaphor: ReFantazio

This game deserves its place as a Game of the Year contender for its masterful blend of deep storytelling, refined RPG mechanics, and striking artistic vision. Developed by Atlus, the game builds upon the studio’s celebrated Shin Megami Tensei and Persona frameworks, offering a politically charged fantasy tale set in the Kingdom of Euchronia. The narrative tackles weighty themes such as inequality, racism, and political corruption, with a candid and progressive lens that doesn’t shy away from exploring the harsh realities of its world. The combination of a daily calendar system and the innovative Royal Virtue and Bond/Follower mechanics enriches the gameplay, providing players with meaningful ways to connect with the world and its diverse characters. By balancing its social elements, dungeon crawling, and turn-based combat with a streamlined, momentum-driven structure, Metaphor delivers a cohesive and deeply rewarding experience.

At its core, Metaphor is a celebration of the power of fiction to inspire real-world change, contextualized through a breathtaking fantasy setting. Its Archetype-based combat system offers unprecedented flexibility and creativity, while the narrative's emphasis on unity and collective action resonates strongly. Complementing this is its stunning art direction, which juxtaposes gothic, grotesque visuals with breathtaking landscapes, all underscored by Shoji Meguro's sweeping orchestral score. By refining Atlus' hallmark systems and adding fresh twists, the game creates an experience that feels both familiar and groundbreaking. Metaphor: ReFantazio stands out as a poetic and hopeful journey, championing the ideals of justice, empathy, and diversity while reminding players that even the smallest actions can inspire change.

Conclusion

The 2024 Game of the Year nominees showcase an incredible array of talent, innovation, and storytelling. From the masterful platforming of Astro Bot to the artistic brilliance of Black Myth: Wukong, these six games represent the pinnacle of gaming this year. With the ceremony set for December 12, 2024, the competition for GOTY promises to be one of the most exciting yet. Stay tuned for updates as the gaming world prepares to crown its best of the best.