Player 2 Vs The Game Awards 2025
The latest big Geoff Keighley showcase is here, and this time it’s his annual gala, The Game Awards. Join Player2 editors, Paul James, and Stephen Del Prado, as the duo share their thoughts on each game revealed and award given at the big show.
The Pre-Show
The Free Shepherd
Paul: I can get down for “Border Collie Simulator 2027”! Okay, I’ll not be so derogatory towards the game because it actually looks quite good. The tone is great, the look of it simple but superb, and I’m intrigued by the sci-fi elements. In some ways I wish those elements weren’t there and I could just enjoy the game as a pure experience, but such is life.
Stephen: Certainly looks like it’s trying to fill the gap left by thatgamecompany with a mix of cozy elements and expansive vistas. Games with herding mechanics in the past can be frustrating rather than relaxing though, so I’d like to see some more gameplay and get a better idea of how The Free Shepherd will feel in the hands. I love a good open world game with spectacular views, but there also needs to be more to the experience than just beautiful screenshots.
Decrepit
Paul: While Resident Evil VII wasn’t the first ever first person horror game, it’s certainly the title that brought these types of games back to modern prominence. Decrepit is going for that same mantle and looked gruesome enough, but we’ll need to see more to know if there’s any substance to this one.
Stephen: Alright, this is pretty much a mixture of elements we’ve seen before, an elevator pitch of ‘What if Skyrim (or even Dark Messiah) met Dark Souls?”. I’ll give it a go, but I’m hoping for some more immersive sim elements given the first person perspective. This could be a ‘perfect storm’ kind of game for me if the difficulty is tuned right, because I can’t imagine Soulsborne combat feeling as elegant.
Audio Mech
Paul: I mean with the likes of Thumper and Beat Saber setting the world on fire with their rhythm gameplay, it seems everyone wants to give it a crack. Audio Mech looks pretty cool but it’s the sort of game I’d definitely like to demo before committing wholly to it.
Stephen: Call me a purist, but I kind of miss rhythm games that were nothing but note charts dropping down a screen at me. Audio Mech is using the trick of generating levels based on the users supplied music which has been done before, but perhaps not with a shmup shell around it. Also one I’ll be happy to try the demo which should be out now.
Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity Expansion
Paul: Adored the original Guild Wars and I’m actually tempted to go back to it given the recent re-release and controller functionality that has come to it. That said, I’m a mile away from even considering Guild Wars 2.
Stephen: I’m well past my MMO days and my knowledge of Guild Wars 2 is basically nothing. This looks cool for fans, but I’m not relapsing any time soon.
Escape From Duckov
Paul: There’s been a real positive sentiment for Duckov for quite some time now, but I’d not seen it in action until now. In the end, I kinda liked what I saw in a goofy way. I’ll keep my eyes out for it.
Stephen: What the duck?!?! Talk about a throwback to games like Jagged Alliance with that isometric view. I hadn’t heard anything about this title but it looks to be throwing a few ideas together and showed off more gameplay than a lot of the other trailers today, which makes sense given it’s been out for two months now. Buy Escape From Duckov on Steam Sale – it’s that magic Game Awards marketing push!
Pragmata
Paul: Capcom has a monster 2026 in store, and adding a Pragmata release date into the mix makes their Q1/Q2 even more stacked. Props to them, the game is looking great and subsequent reveals finally put the Megaman speculation to bed. I’ll keep a close eye on this in April. Now to see where Onimusha will drop.
Stephen: I thought we were done with the sad dad trope, but putting them in a knock-off Iron Man suit might be just what that formula needed to bring me back in. Akin to a Big Daddy and Little Sister from BioShock, Pragmata is overflowing with action and as an added bonus, is only about four months away. Hopefully the promised demo isn’t far off.
Solasta II
Paul: I’ve been more impressed by Solasta II in other showcases. This showing fell a bit flat for me. Good to know the voice talent is there, but that aside, I wasn’t super enthralled by what was show. Something more meaty would’ve been handy.
Stephen: Interesting to be really pushing the voice talent, Clair Obscura clearly having a resounding effect on the industry going forward and perhaps a way to push a more tactical WRPG these days given how beloved the genre has been of late. I also need to see a bit more, it’s always concerning when gameplay seems to take a backseat to everything else.
Tank Rat
Paul: The tone of Tank Rat squares nicely with the vehicular combat gameplay. I’ll be curious to see how the game develops and what it does to not simply be considered “Twisted Metal in 2026”, but there’s a nugget of something there that has captured my interest enough to look further into it.
Stephen: Vehicular combat has been a genre I’ve missed over the years, so getting back behind the wheel to blow things up is something to look forward to. Customisation, some wild enemy designs and just a hit of realism in the world design might be a winning combo in 2026.
Bradley The Badger
Paul: Seeing Davide Soliani back in game dev was an enormous pleasure. He was done dirty with the release of the second Mario V Rabbids game. Going indie though seems to be paying dividends though because Bradley The Badger looks excellent. Love the look, love the humour, and I’m excited for more.
Stephen: Mascot platformer infringing on every major AAA release over the past few years? Bradley the Badger looks like a fever dream and a lawsuit waiting to happen, but who knows what’s gameplay and what’s meta teasing? At the very least, it has me eager for more info and that’s the primary purpose of this sort of marketing – well done Geoff!
Stupid Never Dies
Paul: Yep, this was certainly stupid, but in a gameplay sense, Stupid Never Dies was also very appealing. I’ll keep a close eye out for this one and hopefully it can deliver something close to the games that it’s so heavily inspired by mechanically.
Stephen: Disney already knows Zombies and musicals are a winning combo, so it was only a matter of time before a developer took the same route. Slick and stylish, let’s hope the gameplay can live up to the aesthetic!
The Main Show
Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic
Paul: Walls were shaking around the world with this reveal, and the spectacle was made all the greater due to the rumours swirling about KOTOR and its sequel through the week. We all went in expecting remakes, and instead, we’re getting Casey Hudson returning to the helm on an Old Republic game. We should all be super excited for this… in 2029-2030.
Stephen: Easily the period of Star Wars I’m most interested in, it’s one of the few titles that can show so little and still get me very excited. Coming off the high of Andor, my interest in the franchise is very much renewed so this is something I’ll be keeping an eye on. I have Outlaws on my to-play list for the holidays this year and having this on the extremely distant horizon is something, but I won’t be shocked if I’m booting this up on my PlayStation 6.
Soulframe
Paul: I was certainly intrigued by the style of Soulframe, but with the game giving off some Soulsborne vibes as well, there was also a lot of reasons for me to back away cautiously. Right now, that’s what I’ll continue to do unless I learn of some other reason to pivot my attention back towards the game.
Stephen: I mean, it has the word Soul in the title and is delivering what I’d expect from that, but it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Nightreign with a co-op title like this. I love the visual design, it has that warm, sumptuous look of Oblivion that has been missing from a lot of RPG’s of late, so if there’s some kind of trial or demo to see how it handles I’ll be there.
John Carpenter’s: Toxic Commando
Paul: I’ve been pretty lukewarm on Toxic Commando with previous showings, but I was really feeling it with this trailer. It’s the mindless fun that I think I need given the excessive numbers of overly serious RPGs i’m often playing. The tone was fun, and the action looks great too. I think I might be in.
Stephen: John Carpenter knows horror, so I trust him to get the vibes right, but if this is another online co-op zombie shooter then it’s a hard sell for me in the long term. We’ve had a number of these not quite manage to go the distance, so I have a few appendages crossed that this has a decent single player component.
Divinity
Paul: Larian seemed to look at every other game reveal, and stage presentation we’ve seen in gaming thus far, and sought to dial things up to 11 in every respect. From the crowd antics and actors being hoisted into the air, to the grotesque violence, and depictions of sex in the trailer, Larian set the stakes high and is promising a game that is even more expansive than what they presented with Baldur’s Gate III. A GOTY contender in whatever year it launches already.
Stephen: Funky stage show aside, there’s almost nothing Larian could do at this point that won’t gain the interest and attention of the wider gaming audience. Going back to their roots with Divinity is a bold move, but it gets them back to the IP they own as opposed to playing in Wizards of the Coast’s sandbox. Given that extra level of free reign, this could be the mostly hotly anticipated title of the next decade.
4Loop
Paul: The presence of a PlayStation x Bad Robot collaboration was revealed only a week ago, so I wasn’t really expecting for the partnership to bear fruit so early. Either way, here we are with 4Loop, a name that I can’t particularly get around, but a game that could. Just need to get the team together and hopefully the fun ensues.
Stephen: JJ Abrams is back! In game form. With Westworld levels of 3D printing and some horror/sci-fi aesthetics, 4Loop has an intriguing concept but hopefully doesn’t end up feeling generic. Again, anything purely online isn’t going to get me onboard at this stage, but a solid solo component will.
Coven Of The Chicken Foot
Paul: I was looking forward to seeing what came of Bruce Straley’s team almost more than anything else in this showcase. An ex-Naughty Dog lead, Straley has helmed some of the franchise’s most iconic IP and has now gone independent with Wildflower Interactive. I quite liked the visual style of Coven Of The Chicken Foot, and while I’ll need to see more of it to be sold as a gameplay experience, we’re off to a good start based on what we’ve seen so far.
Stephen: Cute, platformer puzzly gameplay with a distinct aesthetic that looks like a mix of Dragons Lair and Howl’s Moving Castle, let’s hope the name doesn’t hold it back. Throw in a dash of The Last Guardian with a companion and this could be something worth dedicating some time to.
Ontos
Paul: I loved the creepy vibe of Ontos. I have no experience with SOMA and so I perhaps don’t have the perspective on where this one is headed that others might, but I was nonetheless impressed by the look of the game. I’ll be eager to see more.
Stephen: You had me at SOMA. Seriously, there’s nothing from this team I won’t try after that experience, and Ontos looks to be pushing their musings even further. I hope they can balance the horror aspects with the exploration a little better this time around, but this is a day one for me, no doubt.
2XKO
Paul: It’s well documented that I’m not really a fighting game guy, and so for as popular as 2XKO is, I’m in no hurry to check it out. That all said, it’s cool that the game is now bound for PlayStation and Xbox.
Stephen: I am absolutely not a fighting game person, I haven’t really dabbled since Tekken 3. This has a cool visual style and 2v2 can be a cool twist. Not bad, but not really one for me.
Resident Evil: Requiem
Paul: I used to be completely opposed to horror games, until Matt Hewson convinced me to review Resident Evil VII, now I’m a big fan of RE titles. The leaks had already revealed that Leon was on his way to Requiem, but the way he was presented was awesome. This game seems to be ticking all of the important boxes for Resident Evil fans, and now we’ve just got a few more months to wait before we can see it all for ourselves.
Stephen: Capcom have been knocking it out of the park with the Resident Evil franchise for years now, and this entry looks to be no different. I must say I prefer the third person angle, so I’m glad they’ve kept that aspect. Cramped location? Check. Inescapable stalking presence? Check. Leon Kennedy? That’s a big check! A gameplay greatest hits might be on the cards with this one, so I’m keen to see more in the lead up to release.
Order Of The Sinking Star
Paul: I’m just not intelligent enough to tackle a game like this. I was so overwhelmed by The Witness, and Braid was a brainbuster, but this… 1400 levels? Jonathan Blow, are you trying destroy the minds of everyone who plays this game?
Stephen: Confession – I’ve never played Braid or The Witness, so I already know I’m going to struggle wrapping my brain around this one. Definitely an impressive pedigree, but I have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy these sorts of games and the expansive nature, while impressive, I find a bit overwhelming to be honest.
Exodus
Paul: I wasn’t wowed by Matthew Mcconaughey’s voicework in this latest Exodus trailer, he felt a bit flat and disinterested, but with that aside, I’m loving everything else. We’ve waited a long time for any semblance of a return of Mass Effect, and Exodus could well be that title. Time will tell, and we’ve unfortunately got to wait until 2027 for the full release, but I’m pleased by the direction that this game is taking.
Stephen: Sci-fi third person action games are almost a dime a dozen, but Exodus looks to have a few interesting conceits and worldbuilding that might elevate its storytelling. Of course, none of this matters if the gameplay isn’t tight but with 18 months before release, the’s plenty of time to polish up.
Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons
Paul: I was impressed by Warlock, though it was a CG-fest and so I’d like to see a lot more of it before I consider putting some of my hard-earned down on it. That said, I’m a big tone, and energy guy, and this game was ticking those boxes for me.
Stephen: It takes more than a cool licence and a flashy CGI trailer to charge these batteries, so Warlock has a ways to go before I can really speculate on what it will be. Obviously there’s a ton of cool D&D references in there and Stranger Things 5 wrapping up will push interest in the property higher, so hopefully Warlock can deliver on that promise – fingers crossed for an immersive sim? I should be so lucky.
Screamer
Paul: I’m already not much of a racing guy, but then you go tossing the weeby energy on top. Thanks but no thanks.
Stephen: Heavy on drama, light on gameplay in this trailer. Initial D hasn’t had anywhere near the amount of game adaptations it could, so perhaps Screamer can fill the car-racing, J-drama void I’ve felt all these many years. Not far off either!
Control: Resonant
Paul: I really liked, but didn’t love Control initially, but with the more time that has passed, it has continued to grow in my heart. What we’ve seen of Control 2 wasn’t really what I had expected of it. I figured we’d been getting more Jesse Faden, not her brother, I’d expected more of the oldest house, not time outside of it. But I also implicitly trust Sam Lake and his team and Remedy, so sign me up. Can’t wait to check Control: Resonant out in 2026.
Stephen: HOOK IT INTO MY VEINS. Control was top tier Remedy worldbuilding with a few mechanical things that could have been improved. Following Alan Wake 2, I can’t wait to see how they further push this franchise and expand on the core concepts. Whether it will hold up close to a decade after the original will remain to be seen, but it does give me a good excuse to replay Control in the near future.
Gang Of Dragon
Paul: I’ve long been wanting to get into Yakuza, but the avalanche of games has made it impossible for me to jump in without playing ever game prior. Gang Of Dragon seems to be going for the same idea as Yakuza, and I can jump in at square-one. Sign me up.
Stephen: Japanese criminal underworld? Former Yakuza dev? I’ll be fighting our editor for this one, no doubt – cannot wait to see what a fresh take on the setting and a new cast of characters can do.
Street Fighter Movie
Paul: The whole presentation of it aggravated me, but my anti-wrestling sentiment probably has a lot to do with that. I hope the movie does well, but it won’t even be a consideration for me to check out.
Stephen: Look, this is either going to be quite cool and stylish, or a hot mess. They look the part, and there’s a number of experienced fighters and martial artists in the cast, but it could go
LEGO Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight
Paul: Geoff got to announce this one earlier in the year, and I loved what I saw then, and with more and more info coming out, I’m more and more keen. My son has been getting into video games via previous LEGO Batman games too, so I look forward to this being another title to bond over.
Stephen: A LEGO riff on the Arkham games? I’m here for it. With an impressive roster of rogues and characters, this is the sort of thing that my kids and I can enjoy together, even if they don’t quite understand the gameplay references. I’d been tired of the older LEGO formula in the past so it’s obviously great to see them continuing to branch out in the sort of gameplay LEGO titles can offer.
Tomb Raider: Catalyst
Paul: I’ve been looking for more Tomb Raider/Uncharted-like titles for a while now. It’s been mighty thin since Nathan Drake departed the scene, and so I’m thrilled that between last year’s Indiana Jones, and now Lara Croft’s return, a new golden age is upon us. Fortunately, Catalyst wasn’t the only Tomb Raider fix we got.
Stephen: Drake’s back, baby! Well, not quite, but this certainly does look like what my gaming life has been missing since Uncharted 4 rolled credits. 2027 is a fair way off however, so hopefully Legacy of Atlantis keeps the energy and excitement up for the franchise while we wait.
Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis
Paul: I’m down for as much Tomb Raider as they can give us, so sign me up for a reimagining of the original adventure. Perhaps some work can be done to bridge the trio of games from the 2010’s with the original titles through this re-release, but I’m super excited for the path they’re going down with this. They’ve already got my money secured.
Stephen: Remaking the first Lara Croft adventure with Legacy of Atlantis will be a welcome announcement for those wanting to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise. It will be interesting to see how well it holds up and what if any concessions or improvements need to be made for audiences in 2026.
Forest 3
Paul: The Forest, Children Of The Forest, Forest 3, who gives a fuck?
Stephen: I must’ve missed Forest 2…
Invincible Vs
Paul: I’ve not watched Invincible, but I’ve only heard universally positive things. I’m keen to check out the franchise, but I’m not sure if the game will be my speed.
Stephen: This reminds me, I really need to get back to watching Invincible. Using some of the animation framerate tricks popularised by Spiderverse but here surely a tribute to Clayfighter, Invincible VS will hopefully excite fans of the franchise keen to put certain characters head to head.
Orbitals
Paul: I’m in love with the 80’s/90’s animation, and the gameplay looks really cool. The fact that this is a Switch 2 is both a surprise and a disappointment, but it won’t be stopping me from picking up the game to take it for a spin.
Stephen: Leaning heavily into Space Adventure Cobra and Macross, Orbitals as a Switch 2 exclusive isn’t terribly surprising with the vibe it’s giving off. It’s been a while since I played anything resembling Space Harrier, so Orbitals could be a great way to revisit that style of game.
Diablo IV: Lord Of Hatred
Paul: I really need to get going on Diablo IV already. I adored III, and have some childhood nostalgia with II as well, but time hasn’t opened up to lean into Diablo IV like I’ve wanted and needed to. Perhaps over the coming holidays that’ll be my chance, because I’ve already missed Vessel Of Hatred, but I can get myself Lord Of Hatred ready still!
Stephen: Paladin alert! As the next big bit of content for Diablo IV, it has me a little bummed that I haven’t even tried the base game as of yet. Might be something to address when this launches, but the fact you can prepurchase and start playing as a Paladin right away is a pretty cool move on Blizzard’s part.
Marvel Rivals
Paul: Marvel Rivals has been quite popular, but it’s not my jam. The constant support of the game is great to see though, and for the fans, I hope they keep filling their boots.
Stephen: This game has totally slipped past my radar, and this trailer didn’t really tell me much about the game itself. Looks like Deadpool is joining the roster though, and Rogue was dropped in the interim update at the time of the trailer. As a big X-Men Animated Series fan, this can only be a good thing.
007: First Light
Paul: I watched and live-streamed this, and I was in a fit of giggles when the Lenny Kravitz news popped, letalone when he appeared on stage. It just tickled me that they’re going down this route. Anyway, that has been IOI’s schtick for a while now, so I guess it checks out. Anyway, the game itself is something I’m incredible excited for, so bring on the end of March.
Stephen: Taking the ‘iconic villain’ approach from Far Cry, this trailer doesn’t really reveal too much about how 007: First Light will play which is a misstep in my opinion – IOI have a strong pedigree with the Hitman series and incorporating the James Bond mythos into that playspace feels like a surefire hit. Fortunately, there are gameplay trailers elsewhere, so quickly go and check one out to justify putting this onto your ‘must play’ list for 2026.
Lords Of The Fallen II
Paul: Yeah pass. This isn’t a Soulsborne for me.
Stephen: I love Soulsborne games but I find it hard to stick to some of them for the long haul. One thing Lords of the Fallen II could do to keep me interested is go back to the earlier boss designs from Demon’s Souls and the original Dark Souls that it aped and keep it far less multi-phase, a trait I’ve grown tired of in later FromSoft entries. The visual design is eye-catching and I hope there’s some sort of demo or trial for me to test whether this will truly be the ‘darker, more demanding’ experience the developers are promising. As a bonus, it looks like the Lords of the Fallen remake has received its final patch adding new difficulties and enemy behaviours, so now might be a good time to replay that in preparation.
Saros
Paul: Sneaky there PlayStation. You didn’t announce a delay, it just suddenly slipped a month out of the March Madness window. With some of the other reveals of the night, it seems that late April won’t be that much better for Saros, but setting competition aside, I’m so down for Saros. The shield could be a massive game changer, and so I’m excited to see how it all comes together. April 30 is circled on my calendar.
Stephen: Don’t need to see the Housemarque name to know this is them – it’s got their fingerprints all over it. Sci-fi, inhospitable planet, dying suns and bullet-hell mechanics aplenty, Saros will surely appeal to Returnal fans and looks to be pushing even further with a much brighter, if no less horrific, visual style. A further emphasis on story could make this even more of a breakout hit next April.
No Law
Paul: The Ascent shot for the stars, but fell quite a ways short in the end. I’m hopeful that No Law can be a reflection of the necessary lessons being learned.
Stephen: Cyberpunk John Wick with a hint of immersive sim? SOLD. NoLaw might not be doing anything new, but it’s certainly combining elements I like into what appears to be a frenetic package, the pace of movement and verticality resembling Dying Light more than anything. With no set date though, it feels like this is a 2027 release.
Devil May Cry Season 2
Paul: I’ve still not checked out the first season, but Geoff’s reveal that season 2 is coming in May means that I need to get on my bike and check it out. The Evanescnce performance was pretty sweet too.
Stephen: Oh yeah, they made a DmC series? It’s probably cool and stylish, but not really my jam – I have a hard enough time getting games played, let alone watching streaming series based on them. I hope you’re excited though, DmC fans!
Where Winds Meet: The Imperial Palace
Paul: Everybody talks about Wuxia like it should be a known thing, but until I googled it for the sake of this piece, I had no idea what Wuxia meant. Anyway, another uncompromising Soulslike, so nah, no thanks.
Stephen: Hot damn, a playable Wuxia game? It’s crazy that this slipped past, but it could have been caught up in my online filter, as it apparently has a single player option? I’ll have to check it out given that it’s F2P, as it’s definitely a concept I can get behind.
Total War: Warhammer 40K
Paul: I’m not a Total War person, and I’m even less of a Warhammer guy, and so while David Harbour did a great job of spruiking the game, it’s just not something that I’m going to get into.
Stephen: The Total War series already received acclaim with 2016’s Warhammer, so I can’t see moving into the 40K universe impacting that at all. Expecting high scores across the board and many satiated fans once this hits – as if that CGI trailer wasn’t enough, the gameplay footage pushed this into HYPE territory!
Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve
Paul: I was confused most of the way through this, as someone who is an Ace Combat newbie. I didn’t pick it for a while until they beat us over the head with the word “ace” for the twentieth time. It does look pretty awesome though. Maybe this will be my entry point.
Stephen: Who needs the Top Gun license, right? Drama, aerial combat, burgers – this trailer had it all. Ace Combat has faded from consciousness somewhat, so it’s cool to see it coming back with such force – I imagine the series will have more than a few new fans after this reveal.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Paul: The rumours of a Star Wars Racer of some sort popped in the hours before the show kicked off, and so I was pretty hyped for the return of some pod-racing. I never expected it to look as good as it did, and the return of Sebulba is an exciting prospect. Another one that has my locked-in interest.
Stephen: They said Burnout, so I’m buying this. Star Wars and pod racing is just the cherry on top really – shout out to Sebulba, my biggest question from this reveal is what Burnout are we talking about here – Takedown or Paradise? More details please, because some open-world pod racing just might Force a purchase out of me.
Out Of Words
Paul: I like that Geoff uses The Game Awards stage to promote smaller, niche titles. Out Of Words first that bill to a tee, although it’s not as indie as I would’ve liked given Epic Games are a major financial backer. Anyway, the game looks good, so I’m keen to see more.
Stephen: I’ve not really managed to get stuck into any of these co-op adventure titles of the past decade, but the Laika aesthetic and striking animation could sway me. Here’s hoping it plays as well as it looks!
Duet: Night Abyss
Paul: I really liked the look and style of this one, but as a F2P RPG akin to the Hoyoverse filth, I couldn’t be much less interested.
Stephen: Another one of those F2P open-world RPG titles, these are something I would have gobbled up in my teens but these days just remind me how out of time and touch I am. Looks great visually and I’m sure it keeps you in a nice little skinner box with regular dopamine drops, but as I’ve said before, my days of dabbling with these types of games is long gone.
Phantom Blade 0
Paul: They promised that we’d get a release year this year, which has become a more refined release date. The flag has been placed in the ground for September, and because this one has difficulty levels, it has my interest. I like the look of the game, and the fact that it’s accessible to non-Soulsfans like I, almost guarantees my financial investment – as long as its as good as it looks.
Stephen: Evoking God of War as much as anything else, the Wuxia elements and the sheer style this exudes means I’ll be sure to try Phantom Blade 0 before its September release next year. Inventive boss designs and the fast-paced combat could help this stand out from a crowded field of competitors.
Megaman: Dual Override
Paul: Capcom can’t really put a foot wrong at the moment can they? They’re digging into the library and pulling out some bangers at the moment. Between the 2026 slate, plus Megaman: Dual Override and Okami (presuambly both are 2027), I’m delighted by what continues to come down their pipeline. It’s great stuff, and this new Megaman looks fantastic.
Stephen: Damn, what a soundtrack! I’ve never been a Megaman person, but it’s never too late to start. 2027 is a long way off however, so there’s little point in getting too worked up. Still, great art design and use of colour will surely get plenty of newcomers into the franchise. Maybe drop a demo in 2026 to tide us over?
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Paul: A brief tease that didn’t give much away, but I loved the first movie (as did my kids), and this household will be going ASAP when the game hits cinemas.
Stephen: Mama mia! This thing will print money and no doubt keep my kids happy for 89 or so minutes, so I’m here for it. Not much of a new reveal however, since we know Bowser Jr. is kicking around and Luigi steps up when necessary. See all you other parents in the theater Term 1 school holidays.
NioH 3
Paul: NioH continues on continuing on. I’m no Souls fan, but there are many who are, and the NioH games have been continually giving PlayStation fans a steady fix of games in the genre. Props to Team Ninja on their work, and for dropping a demo next month.
Stephen: Not far off now, but I managed to miss every network test to this point. I also didn’t finish Nioh 2, but I trust Team Ninja to deliver another excellent title in Nioh 3. This might be the last one they can put out with their current level of fidelity however, given the competition they’re facing in the space going forward. Demo in late January and they’ve traditionally been pretty generous, so anyone on the fence will be able to make an informed decision then!
Solo Levelling: Arise
Paul: We’re near the end of the show, and at this point, I’m expecting bangers. Geoff had been doing that, and then dropped a went fart on us with this one. Anyway, moving right along.
Stephen: Hitting consoles next year, this looks pretty bland to me, the sort of game that ticks a few boxes but doesn’t quite measure up when I’m playing it. Not sure I’m buying what it’s selling, but I’ll keep an eye out when it hits Series X and PS5.
Highguard
Paul: I’m stunned by two things about this game. First, that a team made up of prominent Respawn alumni could get this far into development, and not have their game leak (as far as I know), and secondly, that Geoff would allow this to be the final game reveal of the show. Highguard looks good for what it is, but this isn’t the “one more thing” reveal befitting of The Game Awards.
Stephen: F2P PVP Raid shooter – some things I like, plenty I don’t. Looks like it would be a blast to play, shooting bad guys from my ghost-horse, but I never have the time or inclination to get good enough at these titles to really get the most out of them. Has to be exciting for fans of the genre given the devs involved though, so look out for Highguard very soon.
Guests & Performances
Paul: The cast of Street Fighter annoyed me, as did Miss Piggy, Evanescence did a fantastic job, David Harbour spoke well, and other profiled individuals did their job. It was a mixed bag in this respect, mostly on the positive side of the spectrum though.
Oh, and shoutout to The Game Awards orchestra, who again did a fantastic job throughout. A greatly underappreciated part of the fun.
Stephen: Do you think they pay any of these people, or are they just fulfilling their contracted promotional responsibilities? Obviously a cool move to assemble that much of the Street Fighter cast, but musical and celebrity guests at these shows are always hard to pick – the gaming audience is so broad how could you possibly cater to all of them?
The Award Winners
Paul: Clair Obscur swept pretty much as we’d expected, which is both deserved, but also disappointing for a lot of other developers who released games that could’ve won in most other years, but instead had to take on the French, who actually knew how to win for a change.
Stephen: I mean, sure! I played some of these, not really all of them, and many of the choices seemed obvious. The arguments for and against Clair Obscur around being ‘indie’ will keep popping up, but that’s a broader argument the industry can’t seem to agree on anyway. Award shows are popularity contests anyway, so nothing in this shocked me at all.
Closing Thoughts
Paul: This was one of Geoff’s best shows yet. The ending was a bit flat as far as the announcements are concerned, but otherwise, he paced the reveals well, didn’t time anyone off the stage, and delivered in all other ways that you’d expect an award show such as this to deliver in. Of course, as always the awards are an afterthought, but thats the unfortunate side-effect of Geoff having to finance so much of it himself. Gotta recoup somehow
Finally, just a little bit of extra love for Geoff and his family. That was an extremely moving moment when he spoke about his recently passed father. Everything I’ve ever seen or heard about Geoff suggests that he keeps the world at arms reach most of the time, presenting well, but not giving much of himself. The way he spoke of, and paid respect to, his dad was fantastic, and it was even more classy that cameras didn’t swing towards the empty seat to reinforce the point. Well done Geoff.
Stephen: I’ve never watched The Game Awards before, and it strikes me that the Awards kind of ended up peppered throughout a bunch of marketing hype. Some things I’m excited about, but the older I get the less I can muster any enthusiasm for things that are more than a few months out – there are plenty more games on the horizon than just those in this showcase for example, so keeping something in the back of your mind for 18-24 months seems folly, more so in the case of something like Fate of the Old Republic.
