With The Game Awards set to announce its full list of nominees for the December award ceremony, we the Out of Games staff have set out to predict, or, educationally guess, you might say, what that list is going to look like come Monday. Our first such article (this one!) will focus on the following categories: Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Indie, Best Fighting and Best Mobile Game.

Now, as with all award ceremonies, sometimes the nominees aren't necessarily the actual best in their respective categories. What we aim to convey here is the games we think will be nominated, not the games we personally found the best this year. Now, let's dig right in!

Best Game Direction

"Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design." 

Think of this category as equivalent to "Best Director" at the Oscars.

Baldur's Gate 3

Developer: Larian Studios
Check out our in-depth character creation guide if you're thinking of journeying into BG3!

Quote From Echo

One of this year's many dark horses, Larian Studio's Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterclass on how to design an expansive RPG where the player's actions throughout the story all have some notable form of impact. This results in everyone's playthrough feeling unique as each encounter can be approached from countless different angles. In addition to being a great standalone product, Baldur's Gate 3 ties wonderfully into the preexisting world of Faerûn, allowing both new and old fans alike to each get plenty out of the game.

Dead Space

Developer: Motive Studio

Quote From Noxious

When you set out to remake a beloved classic, the deck is stacked again you. It is very easy to underdeliver - just look at Warcraft III: Reforged. With the new Dead Space however, Motive Studio set a new standard for re-imagining old games. The game was rebuilt from scratch in a new engine, introducing modern tech such as volumetric and dynamic lighting, state-of-the-art spatial audio design, and even the complete removal of loading screens. What's more, it built on the original by adding additional story content that ties to the sequels, which fit so well it was even praised by one if its original writers. Wandering around the hallowed halls of the Ishimura reveals a clear, consistent vision that the game delivered on consistently and masterfully.

Hi-Fi Rush

Developer: Tango Gameworks

Quote From Nirast

Hi-Fi Rush is the surprise drop of the year. Nobody saw it coming (mainly due to the fact that it was released the same day it was announced), and just about every aspect of the game was polished right out of the gate. In terms of direction, this means the timing of the cutscenes in impeccable, the level design is clear and you never get lost, and the enemy fights are paced in such a way the difficulty curve is very smooth, even if the game gets quite a bit tough near the end. However, the most stand out feature about the game is the fact that the world moves in a constant rhythm. Plants will bop up and down, lights will turn on and off, platforms will arrange to create a pathway, all in time with the beat. That must've been a pain to get right, and the studio deserves the win just for that. 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Developer: Nintendo

Quote From Nirast

This honestly feels like quite a weird inclusion. The main idea behind the recent two Zelda games is that there's no direction, and in terms of cinematics, it's… not great. The delivery of most lines is meh at best (assuming there's voice actors in that specific cutscene), there's a lot of repetition in terms of what is being delivered through them, and the fact that you can watch the story out of order can make it quite a mess. On the flip side, if we're talking about world design, the game delivers in spades. Yes, it's the same map as BotW, but being able to visit old locations and see how the world has changed is great. The dungeons have improved since the last game, though they're not quite as good as pre-BotW Zelda, and the bosses and new enemies range from great to absolutely terrifying. Also, it's a Zelda game, of course it's getting nominated.

Spider-Man 2

Developer: Insomniac Games

Quote From Nirast

Marvel's Sony's Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 on the PSnot2, the sequel to Spider-Man on PS4 and Spider-Man Miles Morales, sees you play as two Spider-Men swinging around New-York and trying to stop Kraven the Hunter before Venom hogs the spotlight. The direction in Spider-Man is solid, despite a fairly rushed third act of the game and a stronger focus on Peter rather than Miles. The story flows well, the side-missions are all unique in some ways and offer some nice down-time from the insanity of the main story, and the emotions from the main characters come through very well despite both of them being masked. The returning Mary-Jane stealth sections have also been greatly improved, like just about everything else in the game.

Final Fantasy XVI

Developer: Square Enix

Quote From Nirast

Final Fantasy XVI is the first FF in a while to be set in a full-on fantasy  world, rather than the pseudo-tech settings of most past titles. This may detract points for not standing out enough, but the setting has plenty of unique elements that set it apart from other fantasy and Final Fantasy titles, and there's still familiar elements from past FFs, like chocobos, or the integration of summons. The game completely drops the turn-based elements of the series and goes for a full-on real-time combat system. It works well, but it may alienate some fans of the franchise. The voice acting and characters are solid, though, like Zelda, it will have some dialogue portions without any sound coming from the characters, which is jarring.   

Best Art Direction

Awarded for outstanding creating and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

Hi-Fi Rush

Developer: Tango Gameworks

Quote From Echo

While the comic book graphic style has been around in video games for a long time, Hi-Fi Rush takes it and its heavy emphasis on music to create a wonderfully alive world. In addition to the stunning backgrounds, the world itself is constantly moving to the beat, resulting in the entire game feeling alive. The comic book aesthetic also lends itself wonderfully to further enhance the goofy, over-the-top nature of the characters and the story.

Planet of Lana

Developer: Wishfully Studios

Quote From Nirast

Planet of Lana features a hand-painted 2D style that just looks gorgeous in motion. Just about any screenshot of the game can be a paining, and the outside sections of the game in particular look stunning, especially on an ultrawide monitor.

Cocoon

Developer: Geometric Interactive

Quote From Nirast

The best word to describe Cocoon is "alien". If you look at any single object in the game world, you'd have no idea what it is or what it can do. Despite that, the game is never confusing, and it feels like you're exploring various uncanny biomes up until the very end of the game. 

Super Mario Wonder

Developer: Nintendo

Quote From Nirast

First mainline 2D Mario game since New Super Luigi U in 2013, and the first to feature a new art style since New Super Mario Bros in 2006. And what an art style it is, with a painted look and very expressive characters that make everything look colorful and vibrant. And the Wonder effects are just the cherry on top!

Armored Core VI - Fires of Rubicon

Developer: FromSoftware Inc.

Quote From Noxious

It's hard to put into words how well Armored Core VI succeeded in painting the perfect post-apocalyptic world for mechs to fight in. From the first second of its trailer, you know you're about to witness a masterclass in conveying atmosphere, mood, vibe to a dark degree few games dare achieve. In AC VI, the environment passes the difficult threshold of becoming a character itself. What's more, the mech designs are a perfect fit with their surroundings - a world of steel, smoke, soot, snow, peppered with ominous clouds, refreshed by the occasional dim and hopeless sun, and inhabited by creatures built of the same cold grey matter. It's extremely hard to pull off a game whose color palette consists of mostly grey (mech, environment) and orange (sun, thrusters). Armored Core VI excels at it.

Best Indie

Awarded for outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.

Thirsty Suitors

Developer: Outerloop Games
Make sure to read out hot-off-the-press review of Thirsty Suitors.

Quote From Echo

A mix between a soap opera and a giant therapy session, Thirsty Suitors is all about a girl coming back to her hometown after making countless mistakes. While each of its main gameplay mechanics are fine on their own, they each do a wonderful job at furthering the story of each of its flawed characters, making them feel more human as they each deal with their own feelings. Thirsty Suitors is further complemented by its excessive caricatures that know when to be grounded and when to go crazy, as well as its art style that allows the game to have its wackier moments when it needs to.

Sea of Stars

Developer: Sabotage Studio

Quote From Echo

Sea of Stars set out to do one thing and one thing alone. Make a modern turn-based JRPG that harkens back to the SNES classics like Chronotrigger. Not only did it accomplish this, but in many ways it surpasses many of the old-school classic JRPGs with its gorgeous pixel graphics, great music, a large world that is both fun to explore and easy to get lost in, and even the genre standard of a completely irrelevant mini-game that has no reason to be as fleshed out and addictive as it is.

Planet of Lana

Developer: Wishfully Studios

Quote From Nirast

Planet of Lana is a puzzle-platformer set on a planet where Lana lives. Duh. The game sees you, the titular Lana, try to survive an alien invasion and find your family and friends who were abducted. The main mechanic of the game sees you issuing orders to your adorable pet, Mui, as you traverse the environment, avoid enemies, and discover the hidden history of the world. The game oscillates between chill and stressful, all with a gorgeous art style to boot.

Cocoon

Developer: Geometric Interactive

Quote From Nirast

A very unique, if short, experience. The puzzles really put your brain to work, and the storytelling, abstract as it is, will make you question your place in the universe for a bit. The bosses are a tad out of place, but they're all unique and a fun challenge to overcome. The highlight is certainly the world-hopping, being a great visual experience every time you do it. We have a full-blown review of the game if you're interested in our full thoughts on the game.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

Developer: Summerfall Studios

Quote From Nirast

Stray Gods is what happens when you take a visual novel, frame the main character for a murder mystery, set it all in an urban-fantasy world where the Greek Gods are scattered to the winds… And then make it a musical! Those elements work together to make for a very unique experience. Add an absolutely stacked cast of actors such as Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Khary Payton, and the whole package comes together gloriously.

Best Fighting

Awarded for the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.

Mortal Kombat 1

Developer: NetherRealm Studios

Quote From Nirast

Gore has never looked this good. Mortal Kombat 1, despite the name, is the latest entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise. This game sees players performing fatalities in a rebooted MK universe… again, with the main thing setting the game apart mekanikally from previous games being the introduktion of Kameos, which allows you to kall on other karakters for special moves during kombat. This is probably the best looking fighting game on the market, with the realistik graphiks really adding to the impakt of fatalities.

Street Fighter 6

Developer: Capcom

Quote From Nirast

Another misleadingly numbered game (there's been A LOT of SF titles), Street Fighter 6 sets out to offer a nice entry point for both the franchise in particular and the fighting game genre as a whole. Offering a simplified control scheme and a career mode meant to help you get to grips with fighting games, SF6 is the best title to get you into a genre with a very high skill ceiling.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Developer: Fair Play Labs

Quote From Nirast

The sequel to 2021's Nickelodeon knock-out arena fighter, this entry sports a roster of 29 playable characters from Nick's cartoon catalogue, a number that's sure to grow. The game released on the same day that the announcement for the announcement of the nominees was posted, so it miiiight just squeeze into the nominations. It's predecessor wasn't able to get the title, and this year the competition is even more fierce.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Developer: Tribute Games Inc.

Quote From Nirast

Look, this isn't a fighting game, but we couldn't find a game that would fit this category other than the mobile Street Fighter game, and Sifu was nominated last year, so roll with it. TMNT Shredder's Revenge is a great throw-back to classic NES and SNES Turtles beat-em-ups, with modernized gameplay and a popping art-style. Turtle power!

Best Mobile Game

Awarded for the best game playable on a mobile device.

Honkai Star Rail

Developer: miHoYo

Quote From Echo

The latest mobile game from Hoyoverse, it is no surprise that Honkai: Star Rail has been a great mobile gaming experience. It has great dynamic combat, an excellent soundtrack, and stunning visuals that run impeccably on mobile devices. While its worlds are smaller than one would find in a game like Genshin Impact, it makes up for this by having each of them significantly more packed and lively. Each of the character's personalities are able to shine with the game's text message system, which also result in some funny exchanges in addition to further progressing the characters.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis

Developer: Applibot & Square Enix

Quote From Nirast

Have you wanted to get into the larger Final Fantasy VII mythos, a game with more spin-offs than there are numbered Final Fantasy games (only slight exageration)? Well, you're in luck, because Ever Crisis aims to offer all of them in a single package via monthly episodes, while also expanding on it. The combat is a mix from how it was in the original game, while the presentation is inspired by the much more recent Remake.

Street Fighter Duel

Developer: Capcom, Crunchyholl Games

Quote From Nirast

Street Fighter Duel is a game where 2 teams of up to 3 fighter go up against each other. The attacks are automated and your main input stems from executing special moves and then continuing them with combos, a process that can also be automated, and by improving your troops. You can go up against the computer in levels stretched across a linear map, or fight against other players online.

Monster Hunter Now

Developer: Niantic & Capcom

Quote From Noxious

In another episode of "Pokemon Go But It's a Different Franchise", we have Monster Hunter Now. "MHN" pushes you to leave the coziness of your gaming dungeon and venture out into the world to battle scary augmented-reality monsters, and the short battles are actually quite alright. While the depth of strategy doesn't increase over time, the moment-to-moment gameplay loop still provides a solid chunk of fun for the 75 seconds of time you have to defeat a monster - or automatically lose! MHN, compared to some of its other AR predecessors like The Walking Dead: Our World and Jurassic Park: World Alive, actually has the solid foundation required to succeed for a long time.

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals

Developer: Night School Studio

Quote From Noxious

It's rare these days to find an actual, respectably-made, non-predatory mobile game. OXENFREE II is a welcome exception! While the game launched with a few technical issues on mobile, those have been summarily fixed and the game is a prime example of how to port an experience to mobile and keep it meaningful and true to itself. To put it bluntly, you can look at games as being focused more towards fast-food design or art. Most mobile games are firmly in the fast-food category. OXENFREE II is a great example of an art game playable on your travel-size black mirror. Amazing sound design, compelling narrative and a well-crafted atmosphere earns this game a nomination.

Join us tomorrow as we take on five more categories! Now, regarding what you've just read, how accurate do you think our predictions are? Any other game you think has a shot at being nominated? Let us know in the comments below!