The Game Awards 2021 has officially crowned its Game of the Year (GOTY), with It Takes Two beating out the likes of Metroid Dread to score the top prize. The awards show honored a number of 2021 releases across a range of different categories in the star-studded livestream celebration, which also saw a host of new game reveals, including the announcement of Star Wars Eclipse, an upcoming game set in the High Republic era.
2021 may have felt like a quiet year for video games, in part due to the ongoing global pandemic which continues to impact both game development and game launches. Many exciting titles were originally scheduled to release this year, including Sony sequels God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West, before being delayed to 2022 to allow for further time in development. 2021 may have lost a lot of games, but it also saw the successful release of many critically-acclaimed titles, including the Xbox Game Pass success Forza Horizon 5, indie hits such as Chicory: A Colorful Tale, and the record-breaking Halo Infinite multiplayer.
The coveted The Game Awards' Game of the Year 2021 award has this year gone to It Takes Two, developed by Hazelight and published by EA. The winner bested the likes of other 2021 successes, including Metroid Dread and Resident Evil: Village. In an emotional acceptance speech, director Josef Fares thanked both the team's developers and the fans for their ongoing support and enjoyment of the game while accepting the award from Neil Druckmann. The full list of GOTY 2021 nominees can be seen below.
The Game Awards 2021 GOTY Nominees:
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
It Takes Two has been one of the best game releases of 2021 for many fans, wowing players not only with its unique graphics and charming world, but also its gameplay and story. The title has bested some of the biggest names in gaming, with many of the other GOTY nominees being highly-anticipated sequels from existing franchises, making the win perhaps even more impressive. It Takes Two joins the ranks of previous TGA GOTY winners including Santa Monica Studio's God of War (2018), FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2 (2020).
With The Game Awards 2021 now wrapped, fans are beginning to look forward to 2022's offerings, and speculate on which title might be next to be crowned GOTY. Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Dying Light 2, Saints Row, and Destiny 2: The Witch Queen all release in February, ensuring a promising start to the year. Barring any delays, fans also have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, and God of War's sequel to look forward to, both of which are likely candidates for GOTY 2022 nominations.
Source: TheGameAwards