Gaming Influence: Predictions - Game Awards 2022 ~ Part 2

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created back in WrestleCorp. However, not only will I be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series, but also video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll be giving my predictions for the 2022 Game Awards which will be airing the show live worldwide on December 8, 2022. I'm definitely excited for the game announcements and trailers for the show as anything can happen from all of the gaming companies so we'll see what they got.

However, the focus with these predictions is not on what games will appear on the show, but more on the awards themselves as I will only be doing some of them, but I'll be doing fifteen predictions for fifteen categories for the Game Awards this year. In addition, these predictions will be separated into three parts so this is Part 2 of my Game Awards predictions which will include Best Role-Playing Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Best Indie Game of the Year, and Best Audio Design of the Year. In addition, I'll first give my thoughts on the game themselves for the category they're under before giving my predictions on which game I think and want to win the award.

Anyway, let's get started!

We'll start with this category, Best Role-Playing Game of the Year.

Elden Ring is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco as they're well known for the Souls series including the Dark Souls series, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I generally enjoy Soulslike games and Elden Ring, it's no different as it brings the Soulslike game to a new audience with its open-world exploration and easier difficulty curve compared to other Soulslike games with it still being very challenging. Personally, I always feel like Soulslike games is more action-adventure games rather than RPGs where they do have RPG elements in them with the customization and all of that, but always felt like Soulslike games are more on the action and adventure aspect. However, that's just me and this game is amazing, but I don't consider Elden Ring in my personal opinion. Though, I can see why and it has a right to be the Best Role-Playing Game of the Year. 

Live A Live is a role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo as this game was originally exclusive to Japan for the Super Famicom in 1994 before being remade for Switch twenty-eight years later. I heard from people who have played this game before it ever came out worldwide that this is one of the best JRPGs of all time up there with Chrono Trigger. When people mentioned that to me, expectations are high so I went into this game with a lot of expectations, and luckily, they delivered. Despite being nearly a three-decade-old game, the remake of it with updated visuals and gameplay mechanics while staying true to the original made this game a classic, and I can see why it's being regarded as one of the best JRPGs of its time. Now, when comparing to Chrono Trigger, that's a whole different story, but definitely see the appeal of why it should be Best Role-Playing Game of the Year.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company this is Game Freak's first-ever attempt at an action RPG for the Pokémon series. The mainline Pokémon games generally stick with the same formula which does work, but it came to a point where it's repetitive and something needs to be changed for the series to become interesting and that game was Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Granted, sure, this game does have its frame rate issues and so forth, but the overall experience is a lot of fun with its exploration and catching Pokémon out of the actual fields throwing Poké Balls which is awesome. Despite not being the best RPG out there this year, it's still a lot of fun and I can understand why it's a nominee for Best Role-Playing Game of the Year.

Triangle Strategy is a tactical role-playing game developed by Artdink and published by Square Enix as they're bringing the classic tactical strategy games back in the 90s with Final Fantasy Tactics to a new light with Triangle Strategy. This game reminds me so much of Final Fantasy Tactics and when Square Enix announced that they're making a tactical strategy game in HD-2D with Triangle Strategy, I was freaking hooked after playing it, it definitely exceeded my expectations and I love it. Sure, it's text-heavy, but it's a story-driven game so it made sense so I enjoyed this game. However, Triangle Strategy is more of a strategy game than an RPG. Sure, it has RPG elements, but it's more focused on the strategic aspects of the game than anything else. Though, I can see why it's a nominee for Best Role-Playing Game of the Year with its RPG elements.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo as they're well known for their work with Xenogears, Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos, and the other Xenoblade Chronicles games. I've always been an advocate of Monolith Soft ever since Xenogears and I have to say that the Xenoblade Chronicles series from them might be the best from them yet and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is no different. This game has everything I wanted in an RPG, an interesting story (despite being rushed I feel like towards the end), fun gameplay, loveable characters, a beautiful world to explore, and an engaging soundtrack. I'm glad that this game delivers on everything I want from it and I'm glad that Monolith Soft is getting the recognition it deserved as I feel like it earned it. Therefore, I feel like it does deserve to be a nominee for Best Role-Playing Game of the Year.

In terms of which game I think is going to be Best Role-Playing Game of the Year, I think the winner will be Elden Ring. With Geoff Keighley being huge on this game and I can't doubt him on that, I feel like The Game Awards' judges probably will pick this one as it's definitely a fan favorite even with the fans as well so thinking that Elden Ring will win this category here.

In terms of which game I want to be the Best Role-Playing Game of the Year, I want it to be Xenoblade Chronicles 3. As I mentioned before, I feel like Monolith Soft deserves some kind of recognition here because I feel like they delivered some of the best JPRGs out there and it seems like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is that one game that might finally put their name on the map with one of the best Japanese developers out there. However, I don't see this game winning this category due to Elden Ring being there which I get and understand as I love Elden Ring too. However, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 needs this win more than Elden Ring, but that's just me and it won't win. Regardless, I'm just happy that the game is at least nominated here which makes me happy.

Next, we'll talk about this category, Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is an action-adventure survival horror stealth game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Entertainment as it's the sequel of A Plague Tale: Innocence. A Plague Tale series has definitely been on the rise ever since the first game and this game brings a good mixture of intense action it brings as well as the exploration of the world the game has with adventuring. Adding in the elements of survival horror and stealth along with the action-adventure make this game stand out compared to the others here in this category as it definitely has a right to be Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year. 

God of War Ragnarök is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as it's the continuation of the popular action-adventure series, God of War. I adore God of War on PS4 as the game exceeded my expectations and God of War Ragnarök, just expanded what I love from God of War on PS4 and I absolutely adored this game. This game definitely embodies the essence of what an action-adventure game should be and has every right to be the Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year.

Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as it's the sequel of one of the best games in 2017, Horizon Zero Dawn. I enjoyed Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, it just expanded upon what happens from the first game and I love it. Its fun gameplay especially with the use of the bow & arrow as well as the exploration of the world including exploring underwater is incredible. With those two aspects, this definitely has a right to be the Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year.

Stray is an adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive as the game revolves around a cat exploring its own habitat. As I mentioned previously with this game, the exploration for this game is a lot of fun especially playing as a cat which is awesome. However, despite that, the game does really have a lot of action so it wouldn't be classified as an action-adventure game even though it's a nominee for Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year. Despite that, it's still a fun game, but it's just not an action-adventure game, just an adventure game.

Tunic is an action-adventure game developed by Tunic Team and published by Finji as the player play as a fox in a classic 2D Legend of Zelda mixed with Soulslike into one. This game definitely defines what an action-adventure game is like as I mentioned that it's a mixture of a classic 2D Legend of Zelda game and Soulslike element gameplay into one which is executed pretty well. This game definitely has a right to be Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year with it being a mixture of classic 2D Legend of Zelda and Soulslike gameplay.

In terms of which game I think is going to be the Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year, I think the winner will be God of War Ragnarök. God of War on PS4 won the 2018 Game of the Year for the Game Awards where it also won Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year as well that same year. I wouldn't be surprised if God of War Ragnarök win this category here as well due to past history so I'm thinking that God of War Ragnarök would win Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year here.

In terms of which game I want is going to be Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year, I also want the winner to be God of War Ragnarök. As I mentioned above, along with the history of God of War winning awards at the Game Awards, it's just a fantastic game in general where fans of the series even enjoy it so for sure, I want God of War Ragnarök to win Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year and it has a great chance of doing so.

Next, we'll discuss the category of Best Action Game of the Year.

Bayonetta 3 is an action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo as they're well known for games like NieR Automata, Astral Chain, Vanquish, and other Bayonetta games. Even though I have issues with Bayonetta 3 like the ending of the game in terms of its story direction, the actual gameplay of the game is as awesome as always like the last Bayonetta games with its hack-and-slash combat which I love. Plus, the addition of the Kaiju battles is a lot of fun which makes the combat and action fun so it definitely has a right to be Best Action Game of the Year because of that.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision as they're well known for the Call of Duty franchise with its intense action gameplay. Even though I’m not into the Call of Duty games, I’ll admit that the gameplay of Call of Duty games is action-heavy, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II seems to be no different where I can see why it has a right to be Best Action Game of the Year.

Neon White is a first-person shooter and puzzle-platforming game developed by Angel Matrix and published by Annapurna Interactive as it brings a mix of a shooter and puzzle platforming with a cards-based system into one. Its unique concept of bringing three different genres into one actually worked out pretty well and it makes it a fun action game in its own right where I can see why it has a right to be Best Action Game of the Year because of the unique gameplay.

Sifu is a beat 'em-up game developed by Sloclap who also developed Absolver as the game brings in the action with the beat 'em-up genre. Sifu definitely bring in the action aspect with its gameplay and with it being a beat 'em-up game, you should have expected it and luckily, it delivered on that front. I can see why this game is a nominee for Best Action Game of the Year because of its action beat 'em-up gameplay and combat.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a beat 'em-up game developed by Tribute Games and published by Dotemu as it brings back the old-school arcade beat 'em-up games with fun action combat. As I said, this game has classic and modern action with the old-school arcade beat 'em-up combat mixed with modern controls and it's wonderful. I can totally see why this game is a nominee for Best Action Game of the Year with its old-school arcade beat 'em-up gameplay combat.

In terms of which game I think is going to be Best Action Game of the Year, I think the winner will be Sifu. With the game being associated mainly with PlayStation right now, Game Awards' judges tend to favor PlayStation games more than other consoles games so I wouldn't be surprised at all if this game wins Best Action Game of the Year this year and I believe it does deserve if it does win as it's a really fun beat 'em-up game.

In terms of which game I want is going to be Best Action Game of the Year, I want the winner to be Bayonetta 3. As I mentioned before, despite having issues with the game's ending and direction story-wise, gameplay in terms of combat, delivers and it's a lot of fun as it shows what action combat is all about with the hack-and-slash genre. Now, I don't think it will win due to the competition in this category here, but for my personal taste compared to the other games here, Bayonetta 3 to me, is the Best Action Game of the Year due to its combat alone.

Next, we'll discuss the category of Best Indie Game of the Year.

Cult of the Lamb is a roguelike game developed by Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. When I first saw this game, I was really intrigued by it due to its gameplay and art style. After playing the game myself, I can see why people enjoyed this game as it’s really fun to play, and adding the roguelike elements to this game every time you die made the story seem interesting. Plus, you play as a lamb so that’s awesome in its own right and I can see why it can be Best Indie Game of the Year.

Neon White is a first-person shooter and puzzle-platforming game developed by Angel Matrix and published by Annapurna Interactive. As I mentioned numerous times before, this game is really good and definitely stands out among other games due to the mixture of a first-person shooter, puzzle-platforming, and card-based deck gameplay system all into one. This has every right to be Best Indie Game of the Year because of how different the game is compared to others while still being quite fun.

Sifu is a beat 'em-up game developed by Sloclap who also developed Absolver as the game brings in the action with the beat 'em-up genre. You wouldn’t think that this game would be developed by an indie studio, but it is and it’s really impressive what Sloclap can do in a game like this and have every right to be Best Indie Game of the Year.

Stray is an adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. Similar to Sifu, you wouldn’t think this game is developed by an indie studio, but it is and this is BlueTwelve’s first game as well which is extremely impressive. Stray definitely has a right to be Best Indie Game of the Year just the way this game is designed and developed.

Tunic is an action-adventure game developed by Tunic Team and published by Finji. As I mentioned numerous times before, with the combination of a classic 2D Legend of Zelda mixed with Soulslike gameplay makes this game extremely fun and challenging while also looking very charming. This definitely has a right to be Best Indie Game of the Year because of the mixture of art style and how the game is played.

In terms of which game I think is going to be Best Indie Game of the Year, I think the winner will be Stray. Just like with Best Debut Indie Game of the Year, Stray is in many categories including Game of the Year which shows that even if Stray doesn’t win Game of the Year, it’ll at least win the indie categories and this includes Best Indie Game of the Year as I can see it happening.

In terms of which game I want is going to be Best Indie Game of the Year, I want the winner to be Cult of the Lamb. Despite enjoying all of these indie games listed there, I found the most enjoyment with Cult of the Lamb due to its gameplay, art style, and story. Plus, I think it also has a good chance of winning this category if it weren’t for Stray, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Finally, we'll talk about this category, Best Audio Design of the Year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision as they're well known for the Call of Duty franchise with the way they incorporate what's going in a war through audio design. Just like with the past Call of Duty games, their audio design is well done and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is no different. The way they incorporated the sound of gun shooting, war cries, and screams really sells the idea that the player is in an actual war which is why it has a right to be Best Audio Design of the Year.

Elden Ring is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco as they're well known for the Souls series including the Dark Souls series, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for their sense of urgency and survival using audio design. FromSoftware really delivers in terms of audio design when feeling the sense of urgency and survival as Elden Ring is no different. The sound when you hear that big impact from a boss trying to hit you and the sound of your character fighting with low HP gives you that instinct to do whatever you can to survive. This has a right to be Best Audio Design because of the way FromSoftware designed the audio for fighting for survival.

God of War Ragnarök is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as they're well known for their intense action and display when using audio design for it. The God of War games generally do have a great audio design with the intense action they have and God of War Ragnarök is no different. With the sound of impact when landing hits on enemies as well as enemies landing hits on Kratos, it feels impactful and feels like you’re Kratos in that situation when facing enemies. This has a right to be Best Audio Design of the Year because of the way Santa Monica Studio designed the audio for combat and action.

Gran Turismo 7 is a sim racing game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as the audio design for Gran Turismo games is generally top-notch with it making it feel like you're actually driving an actual racecar. With the use of PS5 with its 3D audio, you can really hear the engine of the car and the speed that you’re on when driving in-game which is incredible as it has every right to be the Best Audio Design of the Year.

Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment as the use of audio design with the environment sounds made this game more alive than ever in its world. Horizon Zero Dawn had a really good audio design with its environment sounds and Horizon Forbidden West is no different. The sounds of the animals in that world adapting to their habitats, the sound of nature when exploring the landscape, and the sound of water when swimming underwater are absolutely incredible. This has every right to be Best Audio Design of the Year due to Guerrilla Games taking advantage of using environmental sounds to make the world of Horizon more alive.

In terms of which game I think is going to win Best Audio Design of the Year, I think the winner will be Elden Ring. As I mentioned before, Game Awards’ judges as well as Geoff Keighley loved Elden Ring so I expect it to win here because of that.

In terms of which game I want to win Best Audio Design of the Year, I want the winner to be Gran Turismo 7. Despite the other games in this category also having great audio design, I feel like Gran Turismo 7 executed the audio design perfectly in my opinion so even though I don’t see it winning this category, I feel like it should earn it, but any of these games on this category does deserve to win it as well.

Those are my predictions for the Best Role-Playing Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year, Best Action Game of the Year, Best Indie Game of the Year, and Best Audio Design of the Year for Game Awards. 

Which games do you think or want to win the awards in each category? 

Let me know in the comments below and look forward to the final part, Part 3, of my predictions for Game Awards 2022.

Thank you for reading.