Battlefield 1

Awarded

Game of the Year
Best Shooter
Best Atmosphere
Best Sound Design
Best Graphics, Technical

Nominated

Best Multiplatform
Best Voice Acting
Best Multiplayer
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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Awarded

Best PlayStation 4 Exclusive
Best Voice Acting

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best Music
Best Graphics, Technical
Best Action
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Inside

Awarded

Best Indie Game
Best Platformer

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best Multiplatform
Best Atmosphere
Best Story
Best Sound Design
Best Graphics, Artistic
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Fire Emblem: Fates Revelation/Birthright/Conquest

Awarded

Best 3DS Exclusive

Nominated

Best Strategy
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The Witness

Awarded

Best Puzzler
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Total War: Warhammer

Awarded

Best Strategy
Best PC Exclusive
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The King of Fighters XIV

Awarded

Best Fighter
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Odin Sphere: Lefthriser

Awarded

Best Reissue
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Deus Ex GO

Awarded

Best Mobile Exclusive

Nominated

Best Puzzler
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No Man’s Sky

Awarded

Most Disappointing Game
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Final Fantasy XV

Awarded

Best RPG

Nominated

Game of the Year
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The Last Guardian

Awarded

Best Graphics, Artistic

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best PlayStation 4 Exclusive
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Forza Horizon 3

Awarded

Best Xbox One Exclusive
Best Driving

Nominated

Best Graphics, Technical
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Dishonored 2

Awarded

Best Action Game

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best Voice Acting
Best Sound Design
Best Atmosphere
Best Multiplatform
Best New Character
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Firewatch

Awarded

Best Indie Game
Best Story

Nominated

Best Graphics, Artistic
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Overwatch

Awarded

Best Multiplayer
Best Multiplatform
Best New Character

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best Shooter
Best Sound Design
Best Graphics, Artistic
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DOOM

Awarded

Best Music

Nominated

Game of the Year
Best Shooter
Best Multiplayer
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Game of the year is always the toughest decision. There were so many fantastic games this year that 2016 makes the best year for games this decade. Can 2017 top it? As we creep further into this console cycle many highly anticipated games are going to be released.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield 1 not only was the best FPS this year, but it was a series and genre that was known for no character or depth and to suddenly rise from the ashes with said features. Being the first AAA shooter to delve deep into WWI territory and do it right is kind of amazing. With the best multiplayer this year, fantastic campaign, gorgeous visuals, and highly unique weapons, Battlefield 1 just couldn’t be topped.

Runner-Ups

Dark Souls III

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

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Watch_Dogs 2

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Dishonored 2

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DOOM

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Inside

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Overwatch

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Final Fantasy XV

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The Last Guardian

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

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We all have our favorite character that has either been around for 25 years or 2 years. Very few games can make an impactful character that’s iconic and becomes the face of gaming. The likes of Mario, Link, Samus, Sub-Zero, and Master Chief from yesteryears to Lara Croft, Gordon Freeman, Marcus Fenix, and Mega Man. This year had some of the best new characters in nearly a decade.

Entire Cast (Overwatch)

Overwatch’s entire ensemble is just bursting at the seams with personality and they are by far some of the most iconic characters in the last decade. From Widowmaker’s sniper rifle and purple armor to Mei’s fluffy snowsuit and glasses. Bastion’s unique personality and Tracer’s stances and yellow suit. There is so much personality and love in Overwatch that’s it’s hard to not find a favorite character.

Runner-Ups

Otus (Owlboy)

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Trico (The Last Guardian)

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Emily Kaldwin (Dishonored 2)

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Jack Cooper and BT (Titanfall 2)

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New to the upgraded PS4 Pro and Xbox One S is HDR. This is a brand new technology for 2016 that gives players better and more natural lighting effects through HDR or High Dynamic Range lighting. This is a process done through the TV and console on 4K sets and the results are just stunning. Only a handful of games used this feature this year and only a few of those utilized this feature to make their games pop with color and contrast.a

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

The use of HDR through Uncharted 4 is unlike any other game. The sweeping vistas and gorgeous lighting effects just jump off your screen and feed your eyes. The amount of detail that went into the use of HDR is fantastic. This isn’t just a switch that was flipped to jump on the bandwagon. If you have a 4K TV with HDR, Uncharted is a must-have.

Runner-Ups

Battlefield 1

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Gears of War 4

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The Last Guardian

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Forza Horizon 3

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Anyone can throw together some rock music or famous pop artists and call it a day. Creating original music that helps build your game world and make it more memorable is a challenge and very few games can pull off.

DOOM

DOOM’s soundtrack was a surprise hit as it took classic DOOM songs and gave them a crunchy metal techno mix. The music is raw and heavy and gets your blood pumping. The soundtrack is so good that playing it outside the game is highly recommended.

Runner-Ups

Dark Souls III

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

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Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

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Hyper Light Drifter

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Atmosphere is something in a game that makes you believe it exists or pulls you in. It’s not just being scary, but having a world full of life, culture, and lore. Some games can just be so convincing that you wish you never left.

Battlefield 1

Inside came in at a close second thanks to its intense and brutal world. Battlefield 1 creates a believable World War 1 setting that no other game has ever created. The battles are rich with detail and excitement. The sights and sounds are breathtaking and something that has been missing in shooters for decades.

Runner-Ups

Inside

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Firewatch

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

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Dishonored 2

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Great and memorable stories are hard to come by in games, and 2016 was the most disappointing I can remember. So many games this year were great but lacked memorable stories. There were a few that managed to really stick with us, so not all hope is lost.

Firewatch

It was a close toss-up between Firewatch and Inside. Firewatch delivered the most memorable and intense story with fantastically written dialog and characters. Firewatch kept me thinking about it months after playing and I tell people to play it whenever they ask what games have good stories.

Runner-Ups

Inside

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Gears of War 4

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine

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Sound design is tricky to decide as all games have a good sound or they wouldn’t be games. What makes the best sound design is a game that can pull the player into the most unique and unusual worlds and be convincing or make the player feel they are in an alternate reality.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield always wins this award for a good reason. DICE has some of the best sounding games ever created. The distant crack of a sniper rifle, explosions, dirt particles falling around you, people screaming in the background, and it’s the directional placement and unique sound engine DICE created with Bad Company and continues to amaze to this day.

Runner-Ups

Inside

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Gears of War 4

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Overwatch

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Dishonored 2

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This year was chock-full of games that were bursting at the seams with artistic visuals. These aren’t necessarily games that will make your graphics cards sweat, but they bring about a visual statement and help create and carve a unique path through the game industry like no other games can.

The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian is by far one of the most beautiful games ever created. Like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus before it, the game paints a wonderfully atmospheric picture before us and the visual style is so unique to the series that anyone can recognize it.

Runner-Ups

Firewatch

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Abzu

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Overwatch

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Inside

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Indie games have become the new go-to for unique game experiences and revolutionary new ideas that AAA games once brought to the table. 2016 couldn’t make that statement any more clear with fantastic indie games that get as much attention as AAA budget titles.

Firewatch

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Firewatch single-handedly had one of the most memorable stories this year. It sucked me in and I didn’t stop playing until the end. The murder mystery combines with being left alone, and the perfect pacing, add up to one intense adventure that you can’t put down.

Runner-Ups

Inside

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Stardew Valley

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Abzu

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Darkest Dungeon

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