The Top 10 Highlights from The Game Awards 2024

The Game Awards celebrated it’s 10th Anniversary last night, and as expected, delivered a show full of surprises and big wins for gaming’s biggest titles this year. The game industry has changed so much over the past few years, losing many major conventions, gaining some new ones – and yet, The Game Awards has consistently remained one of the biggest nights in the entire industry. With that in mind, it was difficult to narrow down the events of The Game Awards 2024 to a Top 10 list – but we’ve done just that!

Read on for our list of the The Game Awards 2024’s biggest highlights, from major wins, to game-changing announcements. In advance of the event, we also shared our predictions for where the awards would go – you can find our list of predicted winners here. Without further ado, let’s get into our list of the Top 10 highlights from The Game Awards 2024!

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10. ‘Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds‘ is Announced

Image by SEGA

As you may be able to tell from some of the other articles we’ve put together here on Nerdy Nook, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is a big deal for us. So, any time anything connected to this world is announced, it shoots to the top of our priority list, and the return of the Sonic Racing franchise for the first time in over 5 years was more than enough to justify a placement here. The team at SEGA certainly knows when to make an appearance – with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 just around the corner, hype for the franchise is at all-time high – especially hype for Sonic’s sombre counterpart, Shadow.

That being said, as excited we are for CrossWorlds, there’s very little to talk about here, as all we were treated to was a less than 30-second cinematic teaser trailer. We could admire how clean Shadow’s ride looks. We could talk about how SEGA has managed to highlight Shadow in the Year of Shadow one more time before the curtain falls on it. Overall though, we’ll just say, as tiny as this teaser was, it was more than enough to rouse our attention, and we can’t wait for more news on this upcoming release.

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9. Bandai Namco Reveals ‘Shadow Labyrinth‘

Image by Bandai Namco

Well, absolutely no one could have seen this coming. I’ve looked back on this trailer more and more, trying to figure out just where this came from. Before you begin your typing, yes – I know there was an episode based on this idea in Secret Level, and it was just as bizarre then as it is now. To sum up Shadow Labyrinth, it’s like if Pac-Man found himself in a Metroidvania game with Dark Souls theming. It’s as strange as it sounds, and yet, I think I’m on board.

I will refrain from sharing my opinion on how this announcement essentially confirms my suspicions that Secret Level was somewhat of a roundabout advertising scheme, and instead share my excitement for Shadow Labyrinth itself. I love when any game developer is willing to try something completely new and out of left-field, particularly one as big as Bandai Namco – so, regardless of how much the insanely sinister tagline of ‘You Must Eat’ made me laugh, I’m going to give credit to this game for catching me totally off-guard. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more information on it for sure.

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8. Melina Juergens Wins Best Performance

Image by Ninja Theory

The ‘Best Performance’ category had more than a few worthy contenders this year. However, I was rooting for Melina Juergens to take this one home. So, you can imagine my delight when her name was called, as she won her second ‘Best Performance’ award for this very role. In 2017, Juergens took home the prize for her incredible work as Senua in the Hellblade franchise, and now, 7 years later, the character has awarded Juergens once again with Hellblade II.

I feel like anyone criticising Juergens’ win due to her win in the same role prior is underestimating just how much work Juergens has to do in the Hellblade games. Quite literally, without her commitment to the performance, the games would simply not work. She is central to the series in ways that practically no other nominee can say that they were – the Hellblade franchise is essentially a character study of Senua, with very few side characters or storylines to focus on outside of her own mental turmoil. A well-deserved award for a very talented performer – bravo!

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7. ‘Overcooked’ Developers Reveal ‘Stage Fright’

Image by Ghost Town Games

This announcement left me torn – on the one hand, we all need to rejoice at the fact that Ghost Town Games are back, and they’re returning to their chaotic co-op formula that made Overcooked such a hit. On the other hand, oh my god we’re going to go through the stress of Overcooked again, a stress I simply cannot handle. Ghost Town Games have announced Stage Fright, a crazy co-op adventure in the same vein as Overcooked, set in an escape room-style setting.

There’s a world in which I rated this announcement higher, a world in which the team behind it gave us a deeper look at the game beyond a lengthy cinematic trailer. I do wish that game developers would wait to announce their games until they have some gameplay ready to show off – I really have no idea of what this game is going to play like. All we have to go off to surmise the quality of this title is the reputation they’ve gained from Overcooked. We’ll just have to wait and see where future news on Stage Fright takes us, but for now, we’re excited for more.

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6. ‘Elden Ring’ Isn’t Going Anywhere Any Time Soon

Image by FromSoftware

I am a huge fan of Elden Ring. It’s one of FromSoftware’s finest works to date, and the hype surrounding it is absolutely justified, if sometimes overexaggerated. Until now, the studio has had a very routine way of doing things – they release a title, they release a DLC, they move on to a new title. However, it seems that even FromSoftware themselves aren’t immune from Elden Ring’s allure, as a new multiplayer adventure has been revealed – Elden Ring: Nightreign.

I have complete confidence in this studio at this point, so naturally, this was a huge announcement for me. With that being said, I’m a little on the fence about a multiplayer experience in this sort of game. The Soulsborne games have always felt like a solo experience – yes, you could always call in friends for assistance when needed, but they ultimately felt like introspective challenges, games where you faced the hurdles thrown at you on your lonesome, and grew as a result. I’m excited to learn more about the world of Nightreign, and I’m glad that the Elden Ring experience isn’t over just yet, but I’ll keep an air of skepticism about me until it releases to the world.

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5. ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ Wins Big

Image by Studio Zero

I really wanted Studio Zero’s Metaphor: ReFantazio to take home some gold at this year’s Game Awards. The release was one of the most pleasant surprises of the entire year in gaming. With a gorgeous art style and compelling gameplay, I saw the game taking home at least one award this year, but didn’t see much else for it in the face of such stacked competition. As expected, Metaphor: ReFantazio had ‘Best Art Direction’ in the bag. What I didn’t expect was the title’s two additional wins, in the ‘Best RPG’ and ‘Best Narrative’, the latter of which is a huge win for this game.

‘Best Narrative’ is such a huge win for Metaphor for two reasons – firstly, it’s a really big award. Many major titles have taken the win in previous years, as Studio Zero’s 2024 release now stands in the ranks alongside the likes of God of War: Ragnarok and Red Dead Redemption II. The second reason is that, in many ways, this win separates Metaphor from the shadow of the Persona franchise that some gamers have subjected it to. While the ties to Persona will never completely disappear, nor should they, it’s nice to see these awards further justify ReFantazio’s standalone nature – each time it took home a new award, it brought a smile to my face.

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4. Josef Fares Thrills With ‘Split Fiction’ Announcement

Image by Hazelight Studios

Josef Fares is one of the most endearing figures in the gaming industry right now. As far as game company directors go, it’s rare to find a figurehead as open and aware of the perspective of the fans as Fares. Now, under his direction, Hazelight Studios is back with a new title in the same, split-screen co-op vein as A Way Out and It Takes Two, with the fantastical reveal of Split Fiction, set to release in 2025.

Hazelight Studios has a fairly solid reputation with these types of games. A Way Out was a revolutionary co-op experience, with an incredibly emotionally compelling storyline, while It Takes Two took a much lighter approach, while still retaining, if not building on, the heart of A Way Out. It Takes Two even managed to take home the prestigious ‘Game of the Year’ award in 2021. In summary, if Split Fiction manages to live up to the standard set by its predecessors, it’ll be one for the books, and honestly, under Fares’ guidance, I have very little doubt that it will.

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3. Fumito Ueda Returns With a Mysterious Project

Image by Team Ico

Fumito Ueda is a big deal. As the director behind masterpieces such as The Last Guardian and Shadow of the Colossus, any mention of his name often makes gamers’ ears perk up in excitement. At this year’s Game Awards, Ueda announced that he is working on a new project, codenamed Project: Robot, and the mystery surrounding it has made me fully convinced that we will not see a release date for this title within the next 2 years – that doesn’t mean I can’t get excited about it now though!

There’s, once again, not a ton to say about the trailer – this was a year of cinematic reveal trailers, with very little gameplay to go off of. However, you can be sure that Ueda and the team are cooking up something beautifully wacky behind the doors of Team Ico. More than ever before though, it looks like this mysterious release will hit some emotional notes, focusing on a derelict, robotic world. I feel like a broken record at this point saying ‘I’m excited to hear more’, but that’s really all I can say – there’s not a lot to say about this trailer. I am simply, excited.

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2. ‘The Witcher 4’ Steals the Show

Image by CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red have had a difficult time over the past few years, but one thing is undeniable about the studio – when they do a good job, they do a very good job. And, perhaps their most infamous ‘good job’ was The Witcher franchise, particular The Witcher 3, one of the most beloved games of all time. So, it’s unsurprising that the announcement trailer for the game’s long-awaited sequel would steal the spotlight at this year’s Game Awards.

The Witcher 4 is going to be a huge deal, regardless of its quality. With Ciri taking centre-stage as the protagonist, and CD Projekt Red confirming that this is the beginning of a new ‘trilogy’ of games, there’s a lot of hype riding on this title. All I can hope is that the team takes their time with this release. Once again, the dreaded ‘cinematic’ word can be used to describe this trailer, so there’s no gameplay to talk about, but at this point in the list, who’s surprised? I am, once again, excited.

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1. ‘Astro Bot’ Takes the Crown

Image by Team ASOBI

I had a feeling that an Astro Bot ‘Game of the Year’ win was on the horizon, but it was so satisfying seeing it come to fruition. Astro Bot took home the most wins this year at the Game Awards, and it was absolutely deserved. If you haven’t had the fortune of playing it yet, I hope you get to soon – it’s a love-letter to the platforming genre, the likes of which the game industry has been missing for a long, long time.

It’s great to see a game like this take home the gold. Here’s hoping that it’s win will inspire game companies to take a chance on more original ideas, and also, games with smaller-scopes than the crazy, open-world adventures that we’ve come to routinely expect from the industry. Astro Bot is a more than worthy victor for the coveted ‘Game of the Year’ prize – this is how it’s done!

See also: Best PlayStation Games of All Time

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Conclusion

It was a cinematic year for the Game Awards, but there was absolutely no shortage of announcements this year, and some very deserving wins for some of the night’s biggest victors. Though some of my favourite games this year walked away without any wins, it will still a solid year all around. If anything, some of the snubs only prove how strong 2024 was for gaming! What did you think of this year’s Game Awards? Be sure to let us know!

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