The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima are currently leading the 19th Annual Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G) Awards in nominations, with 15 and 14 nominations apiece. After dominating the 2020 Video Game Awards, the two PS4 games are looking good to sweep this award show.
The Last of Us Part 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, which follows the story of Ellie and Joel making their way across the post-apocalyptic United States filled with rabid human beings, infected with a zombie-like virus for which the only cure for may reside within Ellie. In The Last of Us 2, the game jumps several years into the future, with Ellie once again traveling across the country, except this time she is on a self-destructive path of revenge. Ghost of Tsushima has a similar story element, with the main character Jin Sakai taking on the entire invading force of the Mongolian army in order to free his people and save his Uncle. Along the way Jin finds himself straying from the path of the honorable samurai, instead opting to use fighting techniques such as poison to take down his enemies, much to the disappointment of his beloved Uncle.
According to Variety, The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghosts of Tsushima lead the G.A.N.G. Awards in terms of overall nominations. The G.A.N.G. Awards are given for achievements in music, sound design, dialogue, and audio mixing in gaming. Other games such as Hades and Spider-Man: Miles Morales are also up for a number of awards. Hades has 12 nominations across the various categories, while Spider-Man: Miles Morales is nominated for 11.
All of the nominees have been selected by Game Audio Network Guild Advisory Board members and committees. The award ceremony will be held on April 28 at 5 PM on Twitch. This is the second year in a row that the event is being held virtually, due to the limitations of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the US. The pre-show will feature various special guests and even some insights into games coming out in 2021. The Video Game Orchestra and 88bit will be performing live on stream.
Both The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima have won multiple awards since releasing in 2020, with The Last Of Uu 2 taking the coveted Game of the Year at the Game Awards in 2020. Ghost of Tsushima was actually voted the Player’s Voice Award at the Game Awards in 2020 by the online community, with TLOU 2 coming in second place. Both games have won awards for the game of the year and are both considered a huge success for Sony’s PlayStation 4.
These games have received critical acclaim and numerous nominations. The G.A.N.G recognizing the hard work and dedication of the developers at Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions comes as no surprise. This awards ceremony will be a close call between the two games, with both equally deserving of these awards and recognition.
Source: Variety