The Game Awards 2023 Winners: Baldur’s Gate III Crowned Game of the Year, Alan Wake 2 Bags Four Trophies, More

Baldur’s Gate III took home the top honour at The Game Awards 2023, held early Friday in Los Angeles, besting its lead competitor Alan Wake II. The Dungeons & Dragons-based sprawling RPG, which was strongly revered by both fans and critics alike, bagged six trophies, including Best Community Support and Best Performance. The latter was collected by Neil Newbon, who played Astarion, the silver-haired vampire spawn, holding our attention with his melodramatic persona and the occasional high-pitched screeches. Meanwhile, Remedy’s Alan Wake 2 won four awards across some of the most important categories, with co-directors Sam Lake and Kyle Rowley emerging as the best game directors of the year, alongside a writing/ narrative nod.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which orchestrated most of the gaming craze in early 2023, only won one award — for Best Action/ Adventure Game. Cyberpunk 2077, which saw a resurgence lately, with update 2.0 and its Phantom Liberty expansion, was crowned the Best Ongoing Game, for its commitment to fixing and essentially breathing new life into a title that drastically failed at launch. The indie game slot was a subject of controversy for its inclusion of the Nexon-owned Dave the Diver, though there’s no more room for outrage since another cutesy pixelated game Sea of Stars emerged victorious. The cast of the upcoming Fallout series also made an appearance on stage to present the award for Best Adaptation, which HBO’s The Last of Us series won — no surprise there.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Review

In addition to The Game Awards jury-voted winners, there was a Players’ Voice bracket, which as the name suggests, is completely governed by fan voting. Baldur’s Gate 3 was also a victor in that, beating out Genshin Impact, whose fanbase was called out last year for botting to skew the results in their favour.

With that, here’s the entire list of winners from The Game Awards 2023:

The Game Awards 2023 winners — the full list

Game of the Year

Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios) — WINNER
Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil 4 remake (Capcom)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

Best Game Direction

Alan Wake II — WINNER
Baldur’s Gate 3
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Narrative

Alan Wake II — WINNER
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt Red)
Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Best Art Direction

Alan Wake 2 — WINNER
Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks)
Lies of P (Round8 Studio/Neowiz Games)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Score and Music

Masayoshi Soken, Final Fantasy XVI — WINNER
Petri Alanko, Alan Wake 2
Borislav Slavov, Baldur’s Gate 3
Shuichi Kobori, Hi-Fi Rush
Nintendo Sound Team, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Adaptation

The Last of Us (PlayStation Productions/HBO) — WINNER
Castlevania: Nocturne (Powerhouse Animation/Netflix)
Gran Turismo (PlayStation Productions/Sony Pictures)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Illumination/Nintendo/Universal Pictures)
Twisted Metal (PlayStation Productions/Peacock)

The Last of Us Season 1 Review

Best Audio Design

Hi-Fi Rush — WINNER
Alan Wake 2
Dead Space (Motive Studio/EA)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Resident Evil 4

Best Performance

Neil Newbon, Baldur’s Gate 3 — WINNER
Ben Starr, Final Fantasy XVI
Cameron Monaghan, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Idris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Melanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2
Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The Game Awards 2023: The Biggest Announcements

Innovation in Accessibility

Forza Motorsport (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios) — WINNER
Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment)
Hi-Fi Rush
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Mortal Kombat 1 (NetherRealm Studios/WB Games)
Street Fighter 6 (Capcom)

Best Ongoing Game

Cyberpunk 2077 — WINNER
Final Fantasy XIV
Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment/EA)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)

Games for Impact

Tchia (Awaceb/Kepler Interactive) — WINNER
A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio/Toge Productions/Chorus)
Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc/Focus Entertainment)
Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
Terra Nil (Free Lives/Devolver Digital/Netflix)
Venba (Visai Games)

Baldur’s Gate 3 — WINNER
Cyberpunk 2077
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
Final Fantasy XIV
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

Best Independent Game

Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio) — WINNER
Cocoon (Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive)
Dave the Diver (MINTROCKET)
Dredge (Black Salt Games/Team 17)
Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing)

Best Debut Indie Game

Cocoon — WINNER
Dredge
Pizza Tower (Tour de Pizza)
Venba
Viewfinder

Best Mobile Game

Honkai: Star Rail — WINNER
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (Applibot/Square Enix)
Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Sunblink Entertainment)
Monster Hunter Now (Niantic/Capcom)
Terra Nil

Best VR/AR Game

Resident Evil Village VR Mode (Capcom) — WINNER
Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital/SIE)
Humanity (tha LTD/Enhance Games)
Horizon Call of the Mountain (Guerrilla Games/Firesprite/SIE)
Synapse (nDreams)

Best Action Game

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco) — WINNER
Dead Island 2 (Dambuster Studios/Deep Silver)
Ghostrunner 2 (One More Level/505 Games)
Hi-Fi Rush
Remnant 2 (Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing)

Best Action/Adventure Game

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — WINNER
Alan Wake 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Resident Evil 4
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Resident Evil 4 Remake Review

Best RPG

Baldur’s Gate 3 — WINNER
Final Fantasy XVI
Lies of P
Sea of Stars
Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)

Best Fighting Game

Street Fighter 6 — WINNER
God of Rock (Modus Studios Brazil/Modus Games)
Mortal Kombat 1
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Ludosity/Fair Play Labs/GameMill Entertainment)
Pocket Bravery (Statera Studio/PQube)

Best Family Game

Super Mario Bros. Wonder — WINNER
Disney Illusion Island (Dlala Studios/Disney)
Party Animals (Recreate Games)
Pikmin 4 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Sonic Superstars (Arzest/Sonic Team/Sega)

Best Sim/Strategy Game

Pikmin 4 — WINNER
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (WayForward/Nintendo)
Cities: Skylines II (Colossal Order/Paradox Interactive)
Company of Heroes 3 (Relic Entertainment/Sega)
Fire Emblem Engage (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)

Best Sports/Racing

Forza Motorsport — WINNER
EA Sports FC 24 (EA Vancouver/EA Romania/EA Sports)
F1 23 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (Milestone)
The Crew Motorfest (Ubisoft Ivory Tower/Ubisoft)

Best Multiplayer

Baldur’s Gate 3 — WINNER
Diablo IV
Party Animals
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Most Anticipated Game

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) — WINNER
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)
Star Wars Outlaws (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco/Arika)

Content Creator of the Year

IronMouse — WINNER
PeopleMakeGames
Quackity
Spreen
SypherPK

Best Esports Game

Valorant (Riot Games) — WINNER
Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
Dota 2 (Valve)
League of Legends (Riot Games)
PUBG Mobile (LightSpeed Studios/Tencent Games)

Best Esports Athlete

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (League of Legends) — WINNER
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (CS:GO)
Max “Demon1” Mazanov (Valorant)
Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez (Call of Duty)
Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk (League of Legends)
Phillip ”ImperialHal” Dosen (Apex Legends)

Best Esports Team

JD Gaming (League of Legends) — WINNER
Evil Geniuses (Valorant)
Fnatic (Valorant)
Gaimin Gladiators (Dota 2)
Team Vitality (Counter-Strike)

Best Esports Coach

Christine “potter” Chi (Evil Geniuses – Valorant) — WINNER
Danny “zonic” Sorensen (Team Falcons – Counter-Strike)
Jordan “Gunba” Graham (Florida Mayhem – Overwatch)
Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Team Vitality – Counter-Strike)
Yoon “Homme” Sung-young (JD Gaming – League of Legends)

Best Esports Event

2023 League of Legends World Championship — WINNER
Blast.tv Paris Major 2023
EVO 2023
The International Dota 2 Championships 2023
VALORANT Champions 2023

Players’ Voice

Baldur’s Gate 3 — WINNER
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libery
Genshin Impact
Spider-Man 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom


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PlayStation Black Friday Sale 2023: God of War Ragnarök, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Resident Evil 4, More

PlayStation launched its annual Black Friday Sale, late last week, offering discounts of up to 70 percent on key titles on the PS4 and PS5. The promotion is live across some first, but largely third-party releases, and is slated to end November 28 on the digital storefront. God of War Ragnarök is a standout among the catalogue, available at a 38 percent discount for Rs. 3,099, tasking Kratos and Atreus on a journey to the Nine Realms to prevent the prophesied apocalypse. PS Plus Premium/ Deluxe members also get a three-hour free trial period, in case you feel like testing the waters. Those who only own an old-gen PS4, however, can opt for the dedicated version at Rs. 2,279.

Meanwhile, its prequel God of War’s Digital Deluxe Edition will set you back by Rs. 999 at a 50 percent discount. The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the beloved post-apocalyptic zombie-killing game, at is available at Rs. 3,099 (38 percent off) for the PS5 — its sequel hasn’t received a discount. And of course, you can reach out to local retailers to acquire a physical copy of the same, which costs Rs. 2,499. In the same undead vein, you could also pick up Resident Evil 4 remake and step into the shoes of pretty-boy cop Leon S. Kennedy as he ventures into a ghoulish Spanish village to rescue the President’s daughter from bizarre cultists. It is available at a 43 percent discount for Rs. 2,279.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review

The newest Assassin’s Creed title also makes it way its way to the Black Friday sale. After three open-world RPG focussed titles, Ubisoft has taken a back-to-basics approach with the franchise in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, set in ninth-century Baghdad with a focus on stealth and crafty assassinations. Released last month, AC Mirage is listed at Rs. 2,799 after a 20 percent price drop.

Fighting game fans have two choices to pick from — Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1. The former takes a vibrant turn, adding some RPG elements into the mix akin to the Persona games and a career-forming story mode that’s reminiscent of Yakuza. Street Fighter 6 also adds a Modern Control pattern, bridging the gap between old schoolers and newbies to the genre — the standard edition costs Rs. 2,239 after a 44 percent discount. Conversely, Mortal Kombat 1 marks another reboot of the franchise, after Liu Kang achieved godhood and altered the timeline to ensure peace in the lands. It’s listed for Rs. 3,359 — 30 percent off — and is perfect for those who enjoy some super-cool cinematics to go along with their fatal combos.

Speaking of cinematics, Final Fantasy XVI is also on sale, with its narrative-driven action RPG experience offering ability-based combat and slick cutscenes. The game tosses you into the war-torn lands of Valisthea to prevent the source of all magic, Aether, from fading away, by engaging in large-scale cinematic Eikon battles that ditch the franchise’s long-running turn-based combat. FF16 goes up for Rs. 2,879.

Final Fantasy XVI Review

Harry Potter fans could step into the enchanted hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and tap into ancient magic while juggling between responsibilities like attending classes, exploring the dense Forbidden Forest, crafting potions, and fighting Dark Wizards. Hogwarts Legacy is up for Rs. 2,399 on the PS4 and Rs. 2,639 on the PS5. The Black Friday discounts will please Star Wars fans, too, who can continue Jedi Knight Cal Kestis’ story and take on the oppressive Empire in the acclaimed souls-like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor for Rs. 2,699. For a more authentic souls-like experience, you could consider picking up the recently released Lies of P, where you take control of Pinocchio in a twisted Belle Epoque setting to rid the gothic town of Krat from pestilence. The game comes in at Rs. 3,039 on both PS4 and PS5 after discount.

Sports fans can get their annual dose of arcade football experience through EA Sports FC 24 at Rs. 2,249, or pick up NBA 2K24, the latest entry in the acclaimed basketball series, at Rs. 2,499.

PlayStation Summer Sale 2023: best deals on PS4 and PS5 games

God of War Digital Deluxe Edition at Rs. 999 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

God of War Ragnarök at Rs. 3,099 — 38 percent discount (NEW LOW)

The Last of Us Part I at Rs. 3,099 — 38 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at Rs. 2,699 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at Rs. 2,319 — 42 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales at Rs. 1,999 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Hogwarts Legacy (PS5) at Rs. 2,639 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Red Dead Redemption 2 at Rs. 1,320 — 67 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Assassin’s Creed Mirage at Rs. 2,799 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

EA Sports FC 24 at Rs. 2,249 — 50 percent discount (NEW LOW)

EA Sports FC 24 Review

NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition (PS5) at Rs. 2,499 — 50 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition at Rs. 749 — 75 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Resident Evil 4 at Rs. 2,279 — 43 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Horizon Forbidden West at Rs. 2,639 — 34 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Diablo IV at Rs. 3,359 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Lies of P at Rs. 3,039 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut at Rs. 999 — 70 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade at Rs. 1,139 — 62 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Mortal Kombat 1 Review

Final Fantasy XVI at Rs. 2,879 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Mortal Kombat 1 at Rs. 3,359 — 30 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Street Fighter 6 at Rs. 2,239 — 44 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)


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Street Fighter 6 Demo Is Now Available on PS4 and PS5; Capcom Offers In-Depth Look at the World Tour Mode

Street Fighter 6 just got a free playable demo on the PS4 and PS5. During the Street Fighter Showcase, held early Friday, developer Capcom unveiled a chock-full of new details about its upcoming fighter, ranging from Year 1 DLC characters to its single-player World Tour mode, and dropped a surprise demo, featuring Ryu and Luke as playable characters. The SF6 demo is now live on PlayStation and will be available on April 26 to those on PC and Xbox Series S/X. The demo lets you try out World Tour and build a custom avatar/ fighter, who can then be transferred over to the full game at launch — provided it’s the same platform. Any progress will not carry over.

As with every iteration, Street Fighter 6 will serve as a platform for fighting fans over the next couple of years. The previous instalment, Street Fighter V, released in 2016 and still maintains an active player base, with tons of in-person tournaments to go along with. Capcom will keep things fresh and exciting by adding new fighters to its Street Fighter 6 roster as DLC. First up, the tech-savvy Rashid is slated to arrive in the summer (Global North) of 2023, followed by a new addition to the franchise, A.K.I., in the autumn — marking the end of DLC additions in 2023. The remaining two characters drop next year — Street Fighter V’s Ed in early winter and the franchise-regular Akuma in spring 2024.

Capcom is also going hard on its single-player mode by introducing RPG mechanics. The World Tour mode throws you into the sprawling Metro City with a new character created, whose looks can be fully customised, ranging from changes to hair, eyes, skin, and more. From there, you’ll train under coach Luke and go through basic fighting moves and combos, before setting out on your adventure. The world itself has an open feel to it, featuring bystanders in a Yakuza-like city, who can be openly challenged to fights. The more you battle, the stronger your avatar becomes, thanks to EXP which can then be exchanged for upgrades to stats such as vitality (HP). Some fights come with specific objectives, which upon completion, grants rewards. Keeping in line with the RPG elements, players can purchase and equip clothing, which ultimately affects their stats and appearance. Capcom also notes that the product line will change periodically, so it’s best to keep checking the store every now and again.

You can also purchase food and consume food from local vendors, which can restore health and give your stats a temporary boost. Items like energy drinks can be used mid-battle to gain an upper hand akin to SEGA’s Persona series of games. Players can also learn Master Action from legendary fighters like Chun-Li, once they get enrolled in their fighting school. Feel free to undertake any special missions from your masters, further strengthening your relationship levels. Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode also includes a Drive Stall move, which can be activated to slow down time and safely escape any ambushes.

Street Fighter 6 releases June 2 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.


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