This was undoubtedly the highlight of the show, the moment for which hundreds of thousands of people stayed up until 5:30 AM for this evening’s Game Awards (in addition to announcements and other World Premieres): the game of the year award went to Astro Bot. Team Asobi’s game faced stiff competition from titles such as Black Myth Wukong, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor Re-Fantasio, Balatro, and Elden Shadow of the Erdtree, but it emerged victorious with the ultimate statuette. Upon receiving his award for the game’s recognition, Nicolas Doucet, Astro Bot’s game director, was visibly moved and accepted the trophy from Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, which won Game of the Year in 2023, with immense joy and gratitude towards all his colleagues at Team Asobi. This win put a smile on every gamer’s face, as well as children who discovered a game of extraordinary mastery, with an incredible pace and seamless gameplay. A thoroughly deserved accolade that will likely remind Sony Interactive Entertainment there is room to bring back platformer games within their ecosystem.
