Now that E3 2019 has wrapped up, 64 judging publications for the Game Critics Awards have selected this year's 'best of E3' nominees. The winners will be announced on 27th June.
First party Nintendo titles are featured across multiple categories. Luigi's Mansion 3 is up for best console game, best action/adventure and best family/social game. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is also nominated for best console game and best action/adventure.
Apart from this, Pokémon Sword and Shield is being considered for best RPG and best family/social game. The July release, Fire Emblem: Three Houses has received a single nomination for the best strategy game and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is in the running for best sports game and best family/social title.
Take a look at the entire list of nominees below:
BEST OF SHOW
Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
Doom Eternal (id/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox)
Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix/Square Enix for PS4)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn/EA for PC, PS4, Xbox)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Watch Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
BEST ORIGINAL GAME
12 Minutes (Luis Antonio/Annapurna for PC, Xbox)
Bleeding Edge (Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios for PC, Xbox)
Control (Remedy/505 Games for PC, PS4, Xbox)
John Wick Hex (Bithell Games/Good Shepherd for Mac, PC)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division for PC, PS4, Xbox)
BEST CONSOLE GAME
Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix/Square Enix for PS4)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo for Switch)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo EPD/Nintendo for Switch)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn/EA for PS4, Xbox)
Watch Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft for PS4, Xbox)
BEST PC GAME
Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
Control (Remedy/505 Games for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Doom Eternal (id/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Wolfenstein: Youngblood (MachineGames/Arkane/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox)
BEST VR/AR GAME
Asgard’s Wrath (Sanzaru/Oculus Studios for PC)
Lone Echo II (Ready at Dawn/Oculus Studios for PC)
Minecraft Earth (Mojang/Xbox Game Studios for Android, iOS)
Phantom: Covert Ops (nDreams/Oculus Studios for Oculus Quest, PC)
Sniper Elite VR (Just Add Water/Rebellion for PC, PS4)
BEST HARDWARE/PERIPHERAL
Sega Genesis Mini (Sega)
Smach Z (Smach)
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Microsoft)
BEST ACTION GAME
Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
Call of Duty Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Doom Eternal (id/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox)
Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios for PC, Xbox)
Wolfenstein: Youngblood (MachineGames/Arkane/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox)
BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE GAME
Control (Remedy/505 Games for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo for Switch)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn/EA for PC, PS4, Xbox)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo EPD/Nintendo for Switch)
Watch Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
BEST ROLE PLAYING GAME
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (CyberConnect2/Bandai Namco for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix/Square Enix for PS4)
Monster Hunter: World Iceborne (Capcom for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Pokemon Sword and Shield (Game Freak/The Pokemon Co. for Switch)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division for PC, PS4, Xbox)
BEST RACING GAME
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beenox/Activision for PC, PS4, Xbox)
F1 2019 (Codemasters for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions (Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios for PC, Xbox)
GRID (Codemasters for PC, PS4, Xbox)
BEST SPORTS GAME
EFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (Konami for PS4, Xbox)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Sega for Switch)
Madden NFL 20 (EA Tiburon/EA for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Roller Champions (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC)
BEST STRATEGY GAME
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Wicked Witch/Forgotten Empires/Tantalus/Xbox Game Studios for PC)
Desperados III (Mimimi Games/THQN for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems/Koei Tecmo/Nintendo for Switch)
John Wick Hex (Bithell Games/Good Shepherd for Mac, PC)
Phoenix Point (Snapshot Games for Mac, PC, Xbox)
BEST FAMILY/SOCIAL GAME
Fall Guys (Mediatonic/Devolver for PC, PS4)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo for Switch)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Sega for Switch)
Minecraft Dungeons (Mojang/Xbox Game Studios for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox)
Pokemon Sword and Shield (Game Freak/The Pokemon Co. for Switch)
BEST ONLINE MULTIPLAYER
Bleeding Edge (Ninja Theory/Xbox Game Studios for PC, Xbox)
Call of Duty Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios for PC, Xbox)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Ubisoft Paris/Ubisoft for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
Wolfenstein: Youngblood (MachineGames/Arkane/Bethesda for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch Xbox)
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
12 Minutes (Luis Antonio/Annapurna for PC, Xbox)
Carrion (Phobia Game Studio/Devolver for Linux, Mac, PC)
FALL GUYS (Mediatonic/Devolver for PC, PS4)
John Wick Hex (Bithell Games/Good Shepherd for Mac, PC)
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna for Switch)
BEST ONGOING GAME
Destiny 2 (Bungie for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix for Mac, PC, PS4)
Fortnite (Epic for Android, iOS, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox)
Monster Hunter: World (Capcom for PC, PS4, Xbox)
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox)
If you're wondering why certain titles such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons didn't get nominated, here's the reason:
To be eligible for nomination, games must be "hands-on playable" to voting publications for at least 5 minutes of gameplay at E3 2019.
Due to this rule, the following projects were ineligible for nomination by the jury: Cyberpunk 2077 (CD PROJEKT RED), Dying Light 2 (Techland), Marvel's Avengers (Square Enix), Ghostwire: Tokyo (Bethesda), Deathloop (Bethesda), Elden Ring (Bandai Namco), Halo Infinite (Xbox), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo), FIFA 20 (EA), Sea of Solitude (EA), The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo), Gods & Monsters (Ubisoft), Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Quarantine (Ubisoft), LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (WBIE), Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco), Google Stadia, Outriders (Square Enix).
What are your thoughts about these nominated games? Do you expect Nintendo win any of these categories? Tell us below.
[source gamecriticsawards.com]
Comments 28
Luigis mansion 3 did look amazing so that doesn't suprise me. Links awakening though, wow. I love how it looks too, wasn't sure if everyone else thought like I did.
I bet FF7 will beat it though, and I wouldn't even be mad.
Pokemon Sword and Shield gets nominated for best RPG when they're a multitude of better games?
Those being:
Astral Chain
Daemon x Machina
Dragon Quest 11
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Trials of Mana
@iLikeUrAttitude
None of those games were playable at E3 as required to be nominated.
Sorry, but FF7R deserves the nod. It looks superb. It would have stolen E3 if Nintendo hadn't shown up with the goods like they did.
@iLikeUrAttitude Astral Chain and DxM aren't RPGs.
Fire Emblem is more of a strategy game (and, appropriately, is listed in the strategy game section).
DQXI S, as cool as it looks, is a port.
Wait but isn't Cyberpunk 2077 THE hype on the moment? They should make a category for best DLC.... B-K #1
@KazooieTooie cyberpunk was amazing but they only showed a one hour gameplay video. Press need free access to play the game for it to be eligible for any of these awards.
Otherwise it would have cleaned up for best in show, best PC game, best adventure game, etc
@iLikeUrAttitude Astral and Daemon aren’t even RPGs. Why do you think they should be nominated for best RPG ahead of Pokemon? Rest of the games weren’t even playable for press and thus aren’t nominated
To me only Grandia HD collection, Luigi's Mansion 3 and Link Awakening.
@Ralizah Wait, hold on.
So you're saying FF7 would have been the best if Nintendo hadn't showed up?
Wouldn't that mean that it's not actually the best?
Great to see Fire Emblem And John Wick Hex nominated to best strategy game.
Also So happy to see CONTROL Up there (Remedy is Back)
@Kalmaro I'm saying all of Nintendo's big games were needed to keep FF7R from completely running away with the event.
All of Nintendo's stuff considered together > FF7R for me.
But it was the most singularly impressive game there.
@Ralizah That's fair.
At least one of them is targeting 60fps
FFVII remake was comfortably the best game at E3 for me, Links Awakening looks cute but appears to stick far too closely to the original game for me
Im a big Nintendo fan and yes there E3 show was amazing, but to be honest ff 7 deserves this one, that game looks so stunning and so many love is turned into it, amazing, I play only exclusives on my ps4 and this one is pre orderd with the big bundle already
What's the point of awards for games that aren't even out yet? What a waste of time! Sorry but any award given to a game that's not out for the public to play is absolutely meaningless to me.
LOL Pokemon got nominated? After the Galar Dex controversy? I'm dying!
@TheAwesomeBowser
The games had to be playable at E3 so the list was always going to be easier to get on since you could play Pokemon there unlike other RPGs .
@Ralizah The term RPG is probably the most misused term so far as game genres go. It refers to a game with role playing
Fire Emblem Three Houses is more an RPG than Final Fantasy VII. FFVII doesn’t really have much role playing
These “awards” are so ridiculous. Play some unfinished games in various states for as little as 5 minutes then decide which is the best game!! Come on. I can understand a most impressive demo award. But calling them best racing game best RPG etc seems over the top
You spelt Astral Chain wrong.
@iLikeUrAttitude 3 out of those 5 are not RPGs
In my opinion, they should have included a category for Best E3 Announcement. I'm certain that Zelda Breath of the Wild Sequel would have won that category.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake isn't even a complete game, or is it?
Agreed followed by Panzer Dragoon
So the smach z is real? I keep hoping for some hands on impressions.
Where is Astral Chain? Poor taste on their part.
Okay. Why are we nominating games the general public hasn't even played in full yet?
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