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The Recreation Awards is concurrently probably the most anticipated and dreaded evening of the yr in video games. It’s awkward, cringe-worthy, and the titles which might be broadly thought-about the perfect of the yr don’t normally get credit score the place it’s due. Regardless of the annoyances, although, it’s nonetheless an evening all of us come collectively to observe, whether or not it’s for the brand new trailers and bulletins, to see who really received, or simply to observe the trainwreck occur in gradual movement. It may be both a depressing or considerably pleasing expertise, and I select the latter by making my very own enjoyable out of spite.

So, I dismissed my immaculate MS Paint abilities and made a bingo card for this yr’s 2022 Recreation Awards, as a result of let’s be sincere, it’s gotten fairly predictable at this level. New trailers, mispronunciations, and Geoff’s point out of Hideo Kojima are principally all givens, however I needed to throw some wildcards in there too.

My predictions

For instance, the coveted Recreation of the Yr award is a toss-up this yr, with titles like God of Battle, Elden Ring, and Horizon Forbidden West within the entrance operating. I went forward and predicted Elden Ring was going to make it out on high, as a result of God of Battle and Horizon actually had their time within the solar, however FromSoft’s latest launch dominated the dialog for weeks, if not months. Plus, I simply suppose it’s the perfect recreation that got here out this yr.

One other prediction I’m begging to come back true is Immortality profitable Finest Narrative. I do know that, once more, the dialog in regard to this award centered round Elden Ring and God of Battle when nominees have been introduced, however from the place I stand, Immortality was an interactive narrative that was fantastically, elegantly advised, had attention-grabbing issues to say about artwork and the individuals who make it, and was the primary recreation I’ve performed in years that I felt introduced an entire new perspective to how we use this medium to inform tales. It’s in a league of its personal, and in my eyes, something lower than a win for Immortality is completely legal.

The Recreation Awards generally is a enjoyable method to replicate on the video games that got here out this yr and begin conversations about them, however on the finish of the day, the end result isn’t actually the end-all-be-all to the gamers. It looks like our weird relationship to the occasion as we all know it isn’t going away any time quickly (until somebody bests Keighley in hand handy fight), however no less than for now I can poke enjoyable at it.

So be at liberty to make use of my bingo card, or possibly make one in all your individual! You may watch the livestream of the Recreation Awards on Thursday, December 8, with the preshow beginning at 7:30p ET / 4:30p PT on all main streaming platforms.