The Game Awards 2017 was better than last year’s. Such has been the trend for Geoff Keighley’s pet project – ever since the infamous Spike Video Game Awards first reached saturation, you can practically see Keighley straining against the inherent restraints of his chosen medium.
He’s constantly seeking to give the games industry a history and a prestige that it does not actually seem to want.
Inside the venue itself, the audience came alive for every utterance of the phrase “World Premiere,” and got appropriately unglued for stuff like surprise Zelda DLC or Bayonetta 3. But with so much space in between the awards and constant ad breaks that were also shown to everyone in the theater as well, folks started checking out as the show went on. I’m not sure if the folks at home heard this, but when it came time for the last eBay Deal of the Night™, some guy in the audience sarcastically cheered. It got the biggest laugh of the whole show.
I didn’t need to be at the Game Awards in person. Multiple times during the show, I wished I was at home, clowning along with everyone else on Twitter. But I will say this in Keighley’s defense: the Venn diagram between the stuff that feels like a Keighley inclusion and the (intentionally) good parts of the show was a whole circle. The lifetime achievement awards are a great step in the right direction, and Carol Shaw was a great pick for this year’s show. The live orchestra was fun, especially the part where they played musical selections during the Game of the Year nominee list.
I do feel bad for Keighley, though. People give him a lot of guff, but have you read those Final Hours stories? The man deeply cares about video games, but it seems the industry just doesn’t want an answer to the Oscars if the guy has to fund the show by teaming up with McDonalds and Uber Eats. Anyway, that From Software thing was super obviously a Bloodborne 2 teaser and now I’m excited for 2018 all of a sudden. Here are all the winners from The Game Awards 2017.
Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Best Game Direction: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Best RPG: Persona 5
Best Action/Adventure Game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Best Narrative: What Remains of Edith Finch
Best Art Direction: Cuphead
Best Score/Music: Nier: Automata
Best Audio Design: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Best Performance: Melina Juergens as Senua in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Games for Impact: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Best Ongoing Game: Overwatch
Best Independent Game: Cuphead
Best Mobile Game: Monument Valley 2
Best Handheld Game: Metroid: Samus Returns
Best VR/AR Game: Resident Evil 7
Best Action Game: Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Best Fighting Game: Injustice 2
Best Family Game: Super Mario Odyssey
Best Strategy Game: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Motorsport 7
Best Multiplayer: TBA
Student Game Award: Level Squared
Best Debut Indie Game: Cuphead
