The highly anticipated return of Kratos and his son Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok has received the most nominations for the upcoming 2023 Bafta Games Awards, with a whopping 14 nominations for the game that sees players battling Norse gods. Following closely behind, the cat simulator game Stray, an underground success story, received eight nominations, while Elden Ring, the dark fantasy roleplaying epic that won big at The Game Awards, received seven nominations.
The Bafta Games Awards are one of the most prestigious events in the gaming industry, and being nominated for one is an accomplishment. Winning one of the famous golden masks is even more of an honour. Although God of War: Ragnarok is the most-nominated game since the awards began in 2004, leading in the number of nominations does not necessarily guarantee success on the night of the event. For instance, in 2020, the mysterious adventure game Control was nominated 11 times and only won one award.
God of War: Ragnarok has been nominated in several categories, including best animation and best game, and has received praise from critics and fans for the performances of its actors. Christopher Judge, who plays the lead character Kratos, Sunny Suljic, who performs as his son Atreus, and Danielle Bisutti, who plays the goddess Freya, have all received nominations for their performances in the game.
Several other games have also been nominated for the 2023 Bafta Games Awards. A Plague Tale: Requiem and the PlayStation-exclusive Horizon: Forbidden West both received five nominations, while Tunic, an independent game that is charming yet exceedingly difficult, also received five nominations.
It is worth noting that the Bafta Games Awards have often thrown up surprises in the past, with titles featuring unorthodox mechanics, stories, or gameplay often doing well. For example, in 2018, What Remains of Edith Finch beat The Legend of Zelda to win the title “best game”. Even lesser-known games can do well, such as the 2020 hit Untitled Goose Game, which revolved around a disgruntled goose and received four nominations.
This year’s surprise contender is Stray, a cat simulator where players work with robots to solve mysteries and puzzles in a dangerous city. The game was released in July 2022 to lots of buzz and positive reactions on social media, making it a strong contender in this year’s awards.
While being nominated for a Bafta Games Award is an accomplishment, winning is even more of an honour. The winners of the 2023 Bafta Games Awards will be announced on March 23, 2023, during a ceremony that will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.
