Matt and Paul are back for another year of sarcasm, smiles and silliness as they look at gaming’s biggest awards night. Join them for Part 2 of their look at all the reveals and award winners for 2020’s The Game Awards. Part 1 can be found here:
Player 2 Vs The Game Awards 2020 – Part 2
Outriders
Paul: Outriders has continued to slide under my radar for quite some time now. People Can Fly do awesome work as they’ve previously proven with Gears of War Judgment and Bulletstorm, but this one just isn’t getting the big buzz that is perhaps worthy of the studio. This new trailer did get me to sit up and pay more attention. Early Feb is a good time for this one to come out so hopefully, it starts to get some traction soon
Matt: I have been watching this one for ages and am super keen to see what People Can Fly can do with the premise of “Destiny, but the powers are the point, not just for special occasions” Obviously, the end game is always the issue with these titles, but I am a lock for day one.
F.I.S.T: Forged In Shadow Torch
Paul: F.I.S.T was one of the awesome indies that PlayStation revealed to the world mid-year and I fell in love with the game. I’m thrilled to see it return and with a release window no less! Autumn is a great time for this fantastic looking Metroidvania, so just let me at it already!
Matt: It looks a bit like a 2D beat-em-up crossed with a Metroidvania, looking good and should be a great little title to play in between more serious affairs.
Evil Dead: The Game
Paul: I can’t say I’ve ever watched any Evil Dead content before, so this didn’t resonate with me whatsoever. I can’t argue with the franchise’s popularity though, so I’m sure the game will do quite well. Its reveal did serve as a nice Twitter feed refresh moment though for me.
Matt: After reading Paul’s statement above I can confirm his firing from Player 2. Hail to the King, Baby.
Ghosts & Goblins
Paul: WOW! Ghost & Goblins is back! There’s a lot of pressure on this game to be what the old school fans remember it to be. Fingers are crossed that it can deliver. I can’t say I was a Ghosts & Goblins fan though back in the day, so I don’t have any nostalgia for that pain it put players through. I’ll probably skip this one
Matt: The OG for making people throw their controller through the TV is back. I know people love this stuff but I can’t handle the rage.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Paul: I’ve had the means to play this one since it launched on PC, but I’m a console guy so the fact that we have a more solid window for the Xbox release pleases me. Can’t wait to take my plane to Paris and fly through for my wife who is in love with the place. Nice family bonding moments to come as a result of this title!
Matt: This is one of the technical achievements and one of the games of the year so letting more people experience the pure wonder and joy of this title is a good thing. Microsoft has wisely decided to skip making an Xbox One version because trust me when I say this is a game that needs all the horsepower it can get.
Returnal
Paul: Okay Sony, it’s time to add Housemarque into the fold already. They’ve been making superb arcade titles exclusively for PlayStation for years, and now they’re showing that they’re not just a one-trick pony with Returnal. I was quite taken by it when it debuted at the PS5 event earlier in the year, but a bit more gameplay in this showing has me convinced to play it. March 19 is a great time for it too. Can’t wait
Matt: Dumbest name of the show. Also, I want to say I love Housemarque, Alien Nation was one of my most played indies all last gen, but this just isn’t appealing to me. I guess I have been spoiled by such a range of fantastic rogue-likes in recent times.
Super Meat Boy Forever
Paul: A little stealth drop in between TGA segments, but Super Meat Boy Forever deserves better than that. I was thrilled to hear of the December 23rd release date for this title that we’ve had to wait far too long for already. Bring on this early Christmas gift!
Matt: Super Meat Boy Forever is going to be the perfect game to ignore the relos at Christmas with. Addictive, challenging and frustrating in equal measure. Bring it on.
Road 96
Paul: A procedurally developed road-tripping game is not something I’d have thought could engage me, but Road 96 has. There seem to be so many outlandish combinations and permutations of events at play here that make escape seem so unlikely. I want to take on those odds!
Matt: This was one of the coolest ideas I saw during the show. The one fear I have is that the developers shy away from commentary on refugees and the associated stigmas instead of embracing the obvious themes. If they can take that idea and run with it, I can see this really striking a chord.
It Takes Two
Paul: We don’t deserve Josef Fares and his wild imagination. It Takes Two won me over when it debuted last year, but this latest update has me even more excited to sit down with my wife and tackle it in co-op. The game looks stunning and is shaping up to be a blast to play. Super excited… and FUCK THE OSCARS!
Matt: This looks great, honestly so much fun. A great sense of humour on display and using a failing relationship and a quest to reconnect is a brilliant idea for a two-player co-op adventure. The only problem I have is the same one I had with A Way Out and that is finding someone to play with.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gates of Oblivion
Paul: I think I need to finally pick up ESO. I adored Morrowind but life circumstances prevented me from being able to dive in when that expansion launched. Honestly, I’m probably busier now, with two kids, than I was before, but now that this Oblivion content is being added, I think I’ll just have to find a way to get in because the whole package is just getting too irresistible to ignore.
Matt: ESO is just about the only MMO that I have enjoyed playing on a semi-regular basis. It caters for single players better than just about any other MMO and the world and lore of Tamriel is an undeniable appeal. I am sure I will be checking out the return to Oblivion when it crosses my path.
Star Wars: Tales From Galaxy’s Edge
Paul: It looks like the success of Vader Immortal has resulted in more VR Star Wars affairs, and I was quite taken by what I saw of Tales From Galaxy’s Edge. It’s a shame I don’t have the new Quest 2, I’d been umming and arring about it during recent Black Friday sales but didn’t pull the trigger in the end. Oculus is making it really hard for me to not dive in with titles like this! In the meantime, I just have to hope it eventually comes to PSVR
Matt: Luckily for me I just got my hands on a Quest 2 so this is a galaxy that isn’t too far away. Seriously since I got my headset all I have heard from my 12-year-old son is “get a Star Wars game Dad.” This should keep him quiet for a while.
Oddworld: Soulstorm
Paul: I’ve been a fan of Oddworld for a long time, but there’s a level of polish and charm present in the promotional content for Soulstorm that is grabbing me like no other Oddworld game has to this point. I’m really excited for what Lorne Lanning and his team have in store for us, and Autumn 2021 can’t come soon enough
Matt: This is one stylish looking game that is for sure. Stunning is an understatement. Let’s hope the team at Oddworld Inhabitants can capture the gameplay gold though because it has been quite some time since their last new release.
Monster Hunter Rise
Paul: It’s only with Monster Hunter World that I finally toppled down the well on the franchise, but now that I’m in love with it, and Rise looks to be made of a similar DNA, I’m in. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be sinking many an hour into Rising, hopefully with some buddies, but even in solo play, I’ll be losing a lot of sleep to this one!
Matt: I am still not sold on Monster Hunter on a portable system after the grand fun that was Monster Hunter World. I am not sure I can go back to a smaller scale. Prove me wrong Rise, please… prove me wrong.
Evil West
Paul: Evil West has a cool style, but I’m not sure how exactly I’ll be playing the game. Third-person shooting? An FPS? I’d love to know this because it has a great personality, but seeing it in action is what I’m looking for next. Here’s hoping we learn more about this one soon.
Matt: Flying Wild Hog make great action FPS titles. Just look at the Shadow Warrior reboot for proof and this one is reminding me of Darkwatch, a game I loved on the original Xbox (it had a battleaxe Shotgun, how can you not love that) so I am keen to see more.
Scarlet Nexus
Paul: I wasn’t 100% on board with Scarlet Nexus when it first debuted at the Xbox Series X reveal event, but it’s been growing on me since that point. There’s still some anime stupidity that isn’t clicking with me, but the moment to moment action is hard to ignore, the game is looking great and I’m keen to get my hands on it
Matt: This looks like “Crazy Anime: The Game” I have no idea what the hell is going on and I don’t suspect that will change to much once I get my hands on it. That’s said the action looks smooth and if they can capture that DMC/Bayonetta vibe I am down.
Among Us
Paul: A new Airship map is great, but Among Us is something I’ve not allowed myself to get into up until this point and I don’t think there was enough shown here to change it. The Geoff Keighley mask was a bit funny though.
Matt: Will this sure as hell made my kids happy. Yet to play the game myself but it seems that Among Us is all anyone between the ages of 12 and 16 can talk about. It has even replaced the usual Fortnite dribble.
Fortnite
Paul: Master Chief was a poorly kept secret, but we didn’t see Red Vs Blue or Daryl Dixon and Michonne coming. Fortnite just going from strength to strength and continues to defy all logic that it will fall off a cliff sooner or later. Making those additions on top of Kratos earlier this week and it’s hard to see the momentum nosediving anytime soon.
Matt: Speaking of Fortnite dribble, am I the only one that finds jamming the Master Chief and Kratos into this game a little on the nose. It just smells too much like a cheap gimmick to me, even more so than the Star Wars and Marvel inclusions. The Red v Blue bit was worth a giggle though.
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Paul: I’ve never been a LoL guy, but when you’re getting ex Darksiders/Battlechasers developers at Airship Syndicate on board, with their visual stylings and top tier development chops, you might finally have my attention. This is one I’m quite keen on, and who knows, maybe it’ll be the perfect way to get me into the LoLiverse.
Matt: Look LoL is not traditionally my type of game, but the desire of the franchise to move outside of the MOBA genre will likely get people like me interested. It makes sense when they have so many fantastic characters that they should get a chance to shine in new settings and this looks like it will be exactly that.
Grand Theft Auto V Online
Paul: I’m so over GTA V by this point. It’s time to ride off into the sunset guys! I know you won’t because you’re making millions of dollars a day still at this point, but come on then, just do your own thing in your own little silo, and come back to me when GTA VI is ready to roll out!
Matt: Look GTA V is a licence to print money, personally I only really enjoy the SP stuff but there is no denying the love people have for the online mode so it makes sense that Rockstar keeps that very large crowd happy with new content.
Humankind
Paul: Was it this time last year when Mankind was first unveiled? I think it may have been, but I was quite taken by the game then, and an April 2021 launch is fantastic news to come from TGAs. Keen to see and learn more about it. I’ve been needing a Civ style fix for a long while now.
Matt: I have been very keen on this one since its announcement. I love me some Civilization and this looks to have a wonderful spin on that formula. Whether or not it can hold up to Firaxis’ strategy behemoth remains to be seen, but I am very keen to find out.
Medal Of Honor: Above & Beyond
Paul: Another excellent Oculus get that further fuels my internal struggles over getting an Oculus Quest 2. Above & Beyond looks great, and for an EA title of this scale to be stealth dropped like this is kinda a big deal. Respawn, you make everything turn to gold at the moment, I can only hope you’ve saved the Medal of Honor franchise too
Matt: Well that Quest purchase seems to be a good one. This looks like a cracker and apparently the stuff that Respawn has done with the veterans is wonderful so I am very keen to fire this one up and see what it is all about.
Mass Effect
Paul: This one frustrates me, because it looks so damn good, but I know it’s so bloody far away. Bioware barely has anything to show us of Dragon Age, and yet they start teasing the future of Mass Effect too? Give me a break! I can’t wait to put on my N7 gear again, but just like Bethesda and The Elder Scrolls VI, this shouldn’t have been even teased for a couple of years yet. One thing at a time, please! Bioware has been proppy on its feet in recent years, and trying to maintain hype cycles for two different massive games isn’t the best way to restore fan confidence, and if anything might cause the studio to buckle under external pressures. I still couldn’t help but woot and yell though in excitement.
Matt: You know what I said in the Dragon Age bit about not buying into the hype with Bioware? Bugger that I am all in. MASS EFFECT IS BACK BABY AND I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS AT ALL.
Musical Performances
Paul: There was a weird live act in the pre-show that was dubbed a World Exclusive, that was confusing and their music didn’t really jive with me, but everything outside of that was excellent. The London Symphony Orchestra spots were excellent, especially the Mario 35th anniversary celebration, while Eddie Vedder did a fantastic job performing a Pearl Jam gem in Future Days. To learn so much of the connection between that song, Neil Druckmann and then it’s presence in The Last of Us Part II made me appreciate its inclusion even further.
Matt: I loved the performances this year. Eddie Vedder was a real highlight but the orchestra was wonderful too. I missed the pre-show Gorillaz knock off so I can’t comment there but otherwise a big A+ to the musos from me for this year.
The Award Winners
Paul: As I’d expected (though I’m honestly still unsure if I agree) The Last of Us Part II cleaned up the awards. Naughty Dog titles just have something that few developers can achieve, and The Last of Us Part II perhaps best encapsulates the best of the studio’s exploits. Seeing Hades, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Ghost of Tsushima get some love too was also fantastic.
Matt: I think it went pretty much how I expected things to go. I would have liked to see Hades take home the gong, but there is no doubt The Last of Us Part 2 is a fantastic achievement and should be celebrated. Probably the most predictable year for awards in the show’s history, but that doesn’t change the fact that all the awards were well deserved.
Closing Thoughts:
Paul: There were definitely more reveals than usual, and I guess that’s a by-product of the inability to get many people on-site with Geoff. The forced social media segments that Sydnee Goodman had to discuss weren’t great, nor was seeing a bunch of Wooper running along the bottom of the screen, but I find it hard to argue that this wasn’t the best all-round show that Geoff has put together to date. No cringe, some fantastic (though overall smaller scale) reveals, a great spread of winners, and hardly any lulls in the momentum probably makes this remote take on TGAs the best one yet!
Matt: That was one massive slab of reveals. For me this was the biggest game event this year, eclipsing Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft and every other event that I saw. There is no doubt Geoff has the lock on getting absolute fantastic games to show off for the first time at his show. The side promo stuff was annoying as ever but hey, these things cost money so I can ignore it. The only other thing I missed was a lifetime achievement award. It has been in the last few years, but this year it was skipped which is a shame.
