The biggest night in gaming is upon us once again! The Game Awards 2024 are streaming today, Thursday, December 12th, 2024. The show starts streaming at 4:30pm Pacific (7:30pm Eastern) and can be viewed through various platforms including The Game Awards channels below.
And along with the annual show comes my tradition of predicting the winners. Skipping the Esports and Content Creator categories, because I do not follow any of those. After the predictions there will be a couple of hopeful announcement predictions as well.
Here are the Gamewrote predictions for The Game Awards 2024.
Most Anticipated Game
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Grand Theft Auto VI (Prediction)
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Monster Hunter Wilds
Best Adaptation
Arcane
Fallout (Prediction)
Knuckles
Like a Dragon: Yakuza
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Best Multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Predication)
Helldivers 2
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Tekken 8
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Sports/Racing
F1 2024
EA Sports FC 25 (Prediction)
NBA 2K25
Top Spin 2K25
WWE 2K24
Best Sim/Strategy
Age of Mythology: Retold
Frostpunk 2
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Manor Lords (Prediction)
Unicorn Overlord
Best Family
Astro Bot (Prediction)
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Super Mario Party Jamboree
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The Plucky Squire
Best Fighting
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Multiversus
Tekken 8 (Prediction)
Best RPG
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Metaphor: Refantazio (Prediction)
Best Action/Adventure
Astro Bot
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Silent Hill 2 (Prediction)
Star Wars Outlaws
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best Action Game
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Helldivers 2 (Prediction)
Stellar Blade
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best VR/AR
Arizona Sunshine Remake
Asgard’s Wrath 2
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Prediction)
Metal: Hellsinger VR
Metro Awakening
Best Mobile Game
AFK Journey
Balatro (Prediction)
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
Wuthering Waves
Zenless Zone Zero
Best Debut Indie Game
Animal Well
Balatro (Prediction)
Manor Lords
Pacific Drive
The Plucky Squire
Best Independent Game
Animal Well
Balatro (Prediction)
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Neva
UFO 50
Best Community Support
Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
No Man’s Sky (Prediction)
Best Ongoing
Destiny 2
Diablo IV (Prediction)
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
Best For Impact
Indika
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Closer the Distance (Prediction)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Neva
Innovation in Accessibility
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Diablo IV
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Star Wars Outlaws (Prediction)
Best Performance
Briana White, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Humberly Gonzalez, Star Wars Outlaws
Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
Melina Juergens, Senuas’s Saga: Hellblade II (Prediction)
Best Audio Design
Astro Bot (Prediction)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Silent Hill 2
Best Score and Music
Astro Bot
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (Prediction)
Metaphor: Refantazio
Silent Hill 2
Stellar Blade
Best Art Direction
Astro Bot
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (Prediction)
Metaphor: Refantazio
Neva
Best Narrative
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Metaphor: Refantazio (Prediction)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Silent Hill 2
Best Game Direction
Astro Bot
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (Prediction)
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Metaphor: Refantazio
Game of the Year
Astro Bot
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Metaphor: Refantazio (Prediction)
Now for a couple hopeful predictions on some announcements for this years show.
The most obvious one that everyone is likely hoping for would be anything Grand Theft Auto 6, this isn’t very likely, but who wouldn’t want to see more of the game. But Rockstar really doesn’t need to do anything to sell this game, it will be the biggest release of all time whenever it releases, especially as we get further into this console generation. There will be so many XBOX Series X/S and so many PS5s out there that this game will be massive.
More likely prediction would be the trailer for The Last of Us season 2, Geoff has a good relationship with Neil Druckmann it seems and this is the biggest event that they can likely tie the trailer to, there is not show running right now on HBO/Max that has a reliable audience like a Game of Thrones to tie a trailer to. The Game Awards seems like the best bang for their buck on impact releasing the long awaited trailer for season 2 of the hit show.
Along with the probable appearance of Neil Druckmann for The Last of Us season 2, there will hopefully also be the one more thing…The new IP from Naughty Dog. I would hope this comes as suggested at the end of the show, which would free up another big announcement earlier in the show. Another very, very longshot, the Uncharted whatever it is next from a non Naughty Dog Studio. I put this likelihood and virtually zero, but wishful thinking here.
From XBOX it would be great to see something Halo, but their rebranding wasn’t that long ago, so it doesn’t seem likely. However XBOX did have that incredible XBOX Games Showcase back in the summer, so perhaps a follow up on the new Gears title or Perfect Dark would land well here.
It would also be very likely we see whatever Kojima is working on with XBOX as well as a showing from Death Stranding 2, these would presumably come at different points of the show being that they are from competing brands obviously. But we know Geoff loves himself some Hideo Kojima, and there will likely be no shortage of his presence at this years show.
We know that we are getting Borderlands 4 at the show, I have been waiting for the series to feel right since the second game. Hopefully this new one will looks more fast paced, smooth, and show off the variations of the new/returning vault hunters. The original was a really unique look and feel and the sequel pushed it a bit further and had some great character classes, hope the new one is a true return to form.
And as always a few evergreen wishful thinking ideas, the return of Jet Motto or Motorstorm would be a welcome return. Or finally dusting off Syphon Filter for the modern era or more reasonable relaunching Resistance or any number of the long dormant IP from PlayStation. Or in the XBOX camp the long hoped return of Banjo-Kazooie or Conker’s Bad Fur Day, not as familiar with what IP they are sitting on, but be bold people.
But no matter what games win at this year’s show and what gets announced, we should all be happy we get this night every year. And we should all be thankful of the work Geoff Keighley does throughout the year to give the industry events like this and Summer Games Fest.
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A couple of months back on February 15th, XBOX released an Official XBOX Podcast regarding Updates on the XBOX Business. When this was announced there were rumors swirling that XBOX was going to put multiple titles out on other systems and that maybe XBOX was even going to go third party! Of course while there were some announcements of select titles going multiplatform, the rumors mill may have started swirling a bit too hard in regard to going third party.
All this recent talk and the peculiar position that Microsoft finds themselves in with the current state of XBOX got me thinking, what would I do If I Was President…Of XBOX.
The most obvious thing with XBOX, Gamepass is the star of the show. I would continue putting everything on Gamepass day one, this is the biggest, strongest selling point that we have going as a company. This certainly is a risk, but extremely bold move that we know our competitors can’t and won’t match. By doing that we are likely to greatly hurt our software sales potential, but that is where these next crucial steps have to come in. First we will strive to release every first party title day and date on PC as well, and while Gamepass has day one for all games, Gamepass for PC won’t have the same luxury. With Gamepass for PC, there will be a three to six months delay on titles landing there from first party, this will again push that the best value for any title from our vast first party studios is on a proper XBOX console. The only exception would be the Call Of Duty series, they’ll release as regular fully priced titles for all consoles day one and not be on Gamepass. Second major software update would be, yes we are going to publish on Sony and Nintendo consoles, almost every title we release as first party will come to one or both of their consoles after a full year exclusive on XBOX and Gamepass. Obviously this would only be hampered by the limitations of the Nintendo Switch, and games that wouldn’t meet the quality standards would only see their way to PlayStation consoles.
And now that we have established what our business plan is for releasing software, what can we do to ensure we have a much improved and more diverse pipeline of software releasing…
With all the various acquisitions Microsoft has made over the years we own a strong stable of studios and along with them a large assortment of highly diverse properties. Along with utilizing the diversity of such strong portfolio, we will emphasize developing a stronger and more consistent channel to actively listen to what the community wants. Ensuring we are giving the fans the content from Halo and Gears of War that they want, and bringing back titles in the Conker’s and Banjo Kazooie franchises. We will also use a strategy that has been working well for PlayStation and working towards greater integration across the various Microsoft studios to help work towards getting long awaited titles like Perfect Dark to release. Another key with our software is knowing that not every title released needs to be a massive AAA scale game, make arcade style Battle Toads releases similar to the recent TMNT games we’ve seen in recent years, and develop other smaller scale first party games with our various IP. Another goal would be to annualize Forza releasing a Motorosport and Horizon title alternately, with both games having a two year plan upon release. And while we feel great about our owned first party studios, we can’t do it all alone.
We will take chances on partnering with indie devs to get their titles either on XBOX exclusively or even better on Gamepass. And despite having a strong stable of studios we will not rest, we will continue to be aggressive in acquiring studios and partner with third parties to ensure some timed exclusivity on releases. Even going to a company like Embracer Group, or formerly known as Embracer Group now, and trying to acquire some of the IP they have long held and not utilized, going after critically acclaimed shooters Timesplitters and/or Red Faction or from a very different genre, Soul Reaver, to revive the franchises by one of our first party studios. Or going after plenty of the lesser known IP they hold, a franchise like Maneater could have some great potential with our owned studios as well, again focusing on pushing a diverse library for our players.
The last major thing I would push as President of XBOX, consistently release special edition consoles and controllers. We will push for many of our first part titles to come out with a special edition console, this has been done throughout the last few console generations and is a great way to push console sales among your most loyal fans. At least one first party title yearly will get a unique special edition console and controller, which can be bought separately, as part of its release promotion. We would also push for third party partnerships, we’ve seen Spongebob, TMNT, and Bluey consoles released, and would love to see these continue on a more consistent basis even.
While these past few years have not gone as well as hope or expected, making these changes will help lead XBOX in the years to come. Gamepass on an XBOX console needs to be the place gamers want to be, because we will have the biggest and most diverse catalogue of games. This will come from our renewed aggression in acquiring studios and dormant IP from other studios, giving a helping hand to indie devs to ensure they can get their titles released, and continuing to partner with third party studios to get exclusivity that makes sense and benefits both companies. And we will push even further to get Microsoft owned IP on other consoles, we will push it first on our consoles and Gamepass, then to PC, then to PlayStation and/or Switch when possible. An XBOX with Gamepass will be the best value in gaming, but for those who don’t want to make that choice, we want access to our great titles across as many platforms as possible. We see a bright future here at XBOX and we hope that you will come with us on this journey.
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Tinykin is a game I came across about a year back while searching for something to play on my XBOX Series S with Gamepass. Played it for about an hour or so over cloud gaming, and while it was enjoyable, my unreliable Spectrum internet wasn’t too enjoyable, so I moved along to other games. Recently though, I came across the title once again, this time searching PlayStation Plus for something worthwhile on the PS5. Not wanting to have a similar experience, this time I downloaded the title and started a playthrough. This game is a true delight, it feels like a throwback to earlier console generations. The gameplay is a of 3D platforming while exploring level by level with some great puzzles added in with some Pikmin vibes using the Tinykin.
There are five different types of Tinykin that you discover throughout the various levels, starting with the pink which are your basic units that are used to carry items or move items for you throughout the game. Each of the first few levels brings you a new Tinykin which will perform specific tasks that are also introduced level by level.
Pink Tinykin carry/move items for you
Red Tinykin explode to unlock shortcuts/paths in levels
Green Tinykin are used to stack and climb to access areas
Yellow Tinykin are used to create bridges for traversal
Blue Tinykin are used to convey electrical currents.
Again each level will introduce a new Tinykin that will solve each levels conundrum, until you are left with a whole cast towards the final levels to solve the various puzzles with the full assortment of Tinykin. If you have played games in the Pikmin series this will be a familiar feeling and makes for some great, fun gameplay. Offering plenty of challenges and strategic action and some brilliant level designs as you traverse through the rooms of the house.
The level design is wonderful, bringing back vibes of the old Army Men games, the more recent Grounded, or perhaps even further back Honey I Shrunk The Kids vibes where you are a micro sized character in “real-life” style rooms throughout a house.
Chrysal Workshop: Homebase/Hub where you see your collected
Transidor Crossing: Hallway on split on two levels with a large staircase between them
City of Sanctar: Living room setting including a piano, stereo, TV, and various other furniture to explore.
Foliana Heights: Perhaps a nursery (like for plants…) with plenty of greenery and various terrariums that likely held some insect or reptile.
Waters of Balnea: Two room connected bathroom, one containing a toilet and the other with a bathtub.
Lands of Ambrose: Kitchen with an overflowing sink cascading into a waterfall, plenty of cabinets to search, and a countertop full of interesting appliances to utilize.
Celerion Park: Kids room complete with toy car race track and a building block castle.
(Redacted): Last level, no spoilers!
Each level is diverse and brings unique tasks, looks, and experiences as you gather your Tinykin and help the inhabitants of that level while working towards your goal. There are different objectives on each level, with a main path goal and extra goals and/or items to find if you are pushing towards that 100% completion. And in terms of difficulty there are some challenging spots when you are finding certain tasks that could make it a little hard for kids, the fun factor of the game should offset any challenges they face. Also the game is a rather easy Platinum or a maxed out Gamerscore, with plenty of guides or walkthroughs available if you get stuck on any of the extra challenges.
I would encourage everyone to give this game a shot, it is a true delight as mentioned before and it is the first game to be Gamewrote Approved and receive the Gamewrote Seal Of Approval!
Tinykin is available on PlayStation, XBOX, Switch, and STEAM, with a demo available on XBOX or Switch and is currently available through PlayStation Plus and was developed by Splashteam and tinyBuild.
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*Seal the artist nor the animal have approved their use or likeness in the Gamewrote Seal Of Approval*
Hi! Zach here, the founder and owner and writer and whatever else of Gamewrote. Some of you, not too many, but some may know me from my brief stint with PlayStation at San Diego Studio when I had the great fortune to work as an Online Community Specialist on their Games As A Service titles, Drawn To Death, GUNS UP!, and Kill Strain. Although rather brief, it provided some incredible incite into the industry and certainly made me realize the immense work and teamwork it takes to make videogames come to be. Now, however without further ado…
What is Gamewrote
Gamewrote can likely be best described as a passion project, a slow burn to keep myself engaged in writing about the industry I love the most. Being born in the 80s was perfect timing for someone who would grow to be a fan of videogames. With Atari and Intellivision already available, getting to grow up with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Mario Bros all the way to current day with the potential of the PlayStation 5 or the streaming convenience of an XBOX Series S. There truly is no entertainment medium that can compare to videogames, sure you can get lost in the story of a good book, see the action unfold in your favorite comic, see and feel the emotion of a great or thrilling movie. But videogames is the most in depth medium, it allows you to fully immerse yourself into it. Just look at a series like Grand Theft Auto from where it started with the original GTA to GTA:V (And soon GTA6!), the quality and scope of a game like that is unparalleled in other forms of media.
Main: Grand Theft Auto V’s trio, Insert: Grand Theft Auto PS1
No, Really…What is Gamewrote?
If you’ve made it to this point or if you’ve seen any previous content from here or elsewhere you might wonder, “Is there a meaning to GameWrote?”. And that’s a great question and…there is! The first part is rather obvious, Game comes from videogames. During my very fortunate couple years in the industry, I met tons of amazing people both in terms of my coworkers and peers in the industry. Along with meeting countless numbers of fellow fans of the industry at conventions, meetups, and other events during my time. Gaming is a truly unique, incredibly bonding form of entertainment, generating a great range of emotions, unique experiences, and captivating journeys.
And the Wrote portion comes from the written word obviously, but also from my favorite live theatre show Hamilton: An American Musical. Throughout the show there is a prevailing theme of Alexander Hamilton having a seemingly nonstop obsession with writing with “I wrote my way out” being a key line in the song “Hurricane”. Hamilton uses his writing to pull himself out of poverty, out of scandal or perhaps further into it, and as a way to help shape the founding of the United States of America. Now I’m certainly not in such a dire situation as poverty or scandal, but for myself it’s the hope that my writing can lead to leaving a regular job and making a living from game content. Full disclosure though I’m not holding my breath for this, but one can dream.
Why is Gamewrote
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it’s a way to keep myself engaged and keep some creativity flowing. This will hopefully lead to some constructive, mostly positive dialogue among fellow gaming friends online as well. And if somehow it leads me to be able to make money or potentially earn a living back in that industry even better.
When is Gamewrote
Currently the goal is to write at least one post per month, with the hope of getting to twice a month, then weekly, and one day time and life permitting to be able to cover industry related occurrences up to speed in as close to real time as possible. Also on occasion there will be some live tweeting of events such as The Game Awards or if a particular company does a showcase or press conference or insert what they call it here. Currently while there are plenty of things lined up to write/post about there is no certain or guarantied cadence for updates, although getting to a more consistent timed schedule would be the ideal goal in time.
Where is Gamewrote
First and foremost right here at http://www.Gamewrote.com, additionally on social media @Gamewrote on both Twitter and Instagram. Periodically gameplay footage can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@zat_thomas, recently played through Spider-Man: Miles Morales in preparation for Spider-Man 2 and uploaded that playthrough. And lastly if you want to send a Friend Request on PSN SD-Zach, don’t use that account as a primary, but eventually there could be some Twitch streaming and possibly some game with the community sessions. If there is something you enjoy on the page, please share with your friends, co-workers, peers, etc. any support goes a long ways.
Comment here and please follow @GameWrote on Twitter and Instagram to interact more with me.
Growing up as a child of the 80/90s it was hard to not love some good ol fashion wrestling. For myself it was WWF, then WCW, then a little bit more WWF/WWE but I eventually grew out of love with wrestling. But a few years back something caught my interest and brought me back in love with it again, All Elite Wrestling or AEW. while I didn’t watch from the very beginning, I became a weekly viewer and fan during the pandemic years. Watching the incredible quality of wrestling from the shear in ring entertainment aspect got its hooks in me good. Then came the announcement in May of 2022, of their first videogame, AEW: Fight Forever.
Having personally got back into the WWE2K games as well a couple years back and having grown up with the essential Nintendo64 era wrestling games, I was excited to see that AEW: Fight Forever was intended to be a spiritual successor to the N64 era games. These were endless fun with arcade style over the top action and in many ways it carries the torch of those older games. In terms of fun factor, Fight Forever is brilliant arcade style fun, it is fast paced and over the top in many, many ways. Definitely sets itself apart from the well established WWE2K series, and there is certainly room for both titles and styles. But if AEW: Fight Forever wants to become the staple that 2K is, there are certain improvements that should be considered.
Below are suggestions I feel would improve the Fight Forever experience and help ensure they can keep this game going as well as their brand in general. And whether or not the fine hardworking people at YUKE’S and THQ Nordic take my input or not, they really should get out there with a solid road map for the title in the next month or so. Perhaps lining it up with the expected August update that will bring the Stadium Stampede, battle royale mode, to the game and have some solid additions by years end to show they are intending on supporting and improving the game moving forward.
Expand Max Character Count: With the announcement of the Stadium Stampede battle royale mode being added to the game, it shows that the game can have more action on screen than currently allowed, however that mode is not confined to the ring and ring area as the regular game modes are. This would likely be a very challenging change, and it is likely capped at four characters at once for a reason, but there is certainly some great additions that could come to the title if more were possible. Imagine what would be possible with maybe six or even say ten wrestlers able to be in a match together, not just how much better it would make current modes like the Casino Battle Royale, but perhaps…
More Match Types: Under the assumption that upping the max character count is possible in regular in ring game modes (The Stadium Stampede mode has been shown off and obviously has a much higher max), how great would adding the AEW World Trios Titles into the mix, or having three or four-way tag matches. Another obvious addition, Blood & Guts, having just come off this year’s epic match with the Golden Elite vs Blackpool Combat Club. How insane would the gameplay be with two rings inside a massive cage and two five wrestler factions going at it, pure chaos in the best way possible.
More Arenas And Locations: Both in terms of more arenas, but anyone who is a fan of AEW knows they are no stranger to fighting in the crowd, the stands, the concession area, etc. Adding more areas throughout an arena seems like an obvious addition, again some assets are already there with what the Stadium Stampede trailer shows. And in terms of more arenas, how is there no Daily’s Place!? This small, intimate arena is where AEW blossomed into the unique brand it is and started to thrive.
More Alternate Attire: While there are some alternate attires in game for some wrestlers, there should be multiple attire for most if not all the wrestlers in the game. And these can even be items that need to be purchased in the in game store with earned currency, you earn plenty of it and it would be a great thing to work towards. Furthermore the current way to adjust the attire is not very simple, should be as basic as select wrestler->select attire, then play.
Vastly Improved Creation Options: Even beyond the roster, which will be covered a little later, the creation content options by far the most underwhelming part of AEW: Fight Forever. The game gives a small base quantity of customizations for create a wrestler and even for create an arena, then has a bit more available for purchase in the in-game store. However it is very minimal, and doesn’t have much in the way of customization within the options outside of an assortment of items having custom color options. And the game offers no community options as have been standard in the WWE2K titles for a long while. Expecting that community download/upload options in their first title isn’t too fair, but expecting a much wider array of clothing, accessories, etc. is very fair. Hopefully this is something that gets expanded on regularly with updates, adding new outfits and accessories.
Official Minigame Party Mode: The minigames are the most unique option in the game, make this a full on mode beyond what it is now. Think Mario Party style knockoff even, go All Out…The game has a fair number of minigames available to unlock within the game, but only starts with the initial three games. There are also a few announced already as part of the DLC/Season Pass, but there is certainly room for a lot more and again, more of an expanded unique party mode featuring the minigames.
Overhaul Season Pass and DLC Pricing: One of the most glaring issues with the game as of release was the roster, despite having a solid number of overall talent, over fifty wrestlers initially, it felt very outdated and puzzling. For instance why is Jeff Hardy included in the game, yet Matt Hardy who has been with AEW longer was a pre-order bonus or $5 DLC add-on. Then there’s the announced DLC having wrestlers like FTR, Keith Lee, The Bunny, etc as when most have been staples of the brand for a long time. At the other end of the spectrum, why in the world is Cody Rhodes in this game still or why is Aubrey Edwards (nothing against Aubrey, she’s great!) a playable character when so many actual wrestlers are missing?
When you think of the various wrestlers that have been around for a year or more that are absent and not even mentioned as the season pass DLC, it’s puzzling. You would hope for a massive Ring of Honor DLC pack bringing in Athena or the Gates of Agony along with the various championship belts from that promotion. Or perhaps just having more recent AEW wrestlers like Skye Blue or Willow Nightingale or even more obviously relevant the two biggest wrestlers in the women’s division in Toni Storm and Jamie Hayter. And ultimate pie in the sky dream DLC, New Japan Pro-Wrestling Pack. Bringing the biggest stars through the digital forbidden door, giving everyone the chance to reenact the likely match of the Year Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega in Fight Forever.
The current DLC/Season Pass is seemingly very high priced especially considering the content in there compared to the game and the game’s $59.99 price tag rather than the now standard $69.99. Having a $29.99 price for a very minimal selection of additional content, is not a great value. The season pass appears to add six wrestlers and four minigames, that’s all, and certainly a bad value compared to the overall game’s offering at $59.99 of over fifty wrestlers and fifteen minigames. Here is what is currently available and announced for DLC:
Available Now
Matt Hardy pack ($4.99) giving users access to what was the preorder bonus, two versions of Matt Hardy
Season Pass ($29.99) which will include the following three packs
FTR: Revival Pack ($11.99) with the duo and two extra minigames
Upcoming
Limitless Bunny Bundle ($11.99 presumably) with Keith Lee, The Bunny, and two extra minigames
Hookhausen Very Handsome, Very Evil Pack ($11.99 presumably) with HOOK and Danhausen
Add More Campaign Content: While the WWE2K campaign/career mode seems to go on endlessly with not a real clear direction and a lot of repetition from my experience, the Fight Forever campaign is rather condensed by comparison. It has a nice setup and takes the player through four chapters and plays well along with having multiple branches depending on successes and failures in matches throughout the campaign. And part of what it lacks, can actually be something that helps to ease the addition of more story chapters, there are almost exclusively text based story with very, very limited VO. Hopefully they are able to add more chapters beyond the initial four that are there now, something like a Forbidden Door PPV chapter if there is an eventual NJPW add-on.
Make Stadium Stampede Fully F2P: Now this may be the plan already, and if it was already announced as being the case, my bad…
But make Stadium Stampede a full free game for even people who don’t own AEW: Fight Forever, much like what Call Of Duty does with Warzone. Allow people to download basically the full Fight Forever title and have access to just this mode, while blocking access to the regular/base game. This would hopefully add to the player base for the mode and more importantly be a lane for new users to adopt the full title over time.
There you have it! What Gamewrote would do to improve AEW: Fight Forever. With that all said, I can’t stress this enough, the game is a blast to play already. These changes are more longevity based and I would urge them to make continued changes to this game for a couple years rather than try for an annual release like 2K does. The base game is great and is ripe for more content add campaign chapters, add modes, add wrestlers, add content creation, add to this wonderfully unique game. I will also state that I have only played this game solo to this point, I have not tried the online modes, nor have I played any couch coop/competitive. And I can only imagine the fun my friends and I would have had in our younger days playing this game together.
OH! And make the character indicator a default setting from the start, damn near impossible to know who you are targeting without that on…
Comment here and please follow @GameWrote on Twitter and Instagram to interact more with me.
While time has not permitted me to post nearly as much as I would like on here for quite some time, figured it would be a nice quick post to predict The Game Awards 2022. With the show airing Thursday, December 8th, now is the perfect time to throw out predictions on a majority of the categories and add a few predictions or more possible a few wishlist items for the show. First up, here are the categories, nominations, and my predicted winner for them, I skipped a handful of categories that I have no interest in, but most are covered below. Mind you these are not necessarily what I feel should win for the categories but what I think will win, Horizon and As Dusk Falls would win much more if it was what I felt should win.
And the nominees are…
Game Of The Year: Predicted Winner: Elden Ring
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Stray
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Game Direction: Predicted Winner: God Of War Ragnarok
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Immortality
Stray
Best Narrative: Predicted Winner: God Of War Ragnarok
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Immortality
Best Art Direction: Predicted Winner: Horizon Forbidden West
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Scorn
Stray
Best Score and Music: Predicted Winner: God Of War Ragnarok
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Metal: Hellsinger
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Audio Design: Predicted Winner: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon Forbidden West
Best Performance: Predicted Winner: God Of War Ragnarok, Christopher Judge
Horizon Forbidden West, Ashly Burch
A Plague Tale: Requiem, Charlotte McBurney
God Of War Ragnarok, Christopher Judge
Immortality, Manon Gage
God Of War Ragnarok, Sunny Suljic
Games For Impact: Predicted Winner: As Dusk Falls
A Memoir Blue
As Dusk Falls
Citizen Sleeper
Endling-Extinction Is Forever
Hindsight
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
Best Ongoing: Predicted Winner: Fortnite
Apex Legends
Destiny 2
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Genshin Impact
Best Indie: Predicted Winner: Stray
Cult Of The Lamb
Neon White
Sifu
Stray
Tunic
Best Mobile Game: Predicted Winner: Marvel Snap
Apex Legends Mobile
Diablo Immortal
Genshin Impact
Marvel Snap
Tower Of Fantasy
Best Action Game: Predicted Winner: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Bayonetta 3
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Neon White
Sifu
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Best Action/Adventure: Predicted Winner: Horizon Forbidden West
A Plague Tale: Requiem
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Stray
Tunic
Best Role Playing: Predicted Winner: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Elden Ring
Live A Live
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Triangle Strategy
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Fighting: Predicted Winner: Sifu
DNF Duel
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R
The King Of Fighters XV
Multiversus
Sifu
Best Family: Predicted Winner: Splatoon 3
Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope
Nintendo Switch Sports
Splatoon 3
Best Sim/Strategy: Predicted Winner: Victoria 3
Dune: Spice Wars
Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope
Total War: Warhammer III
Two Point Campus
Victoria 3
Best Sports/Racing: Predicted Winner: NBA 2K23
F1 22
FIFA 23
NBA 2K23
Gran Turismo 7
Olliolli World
Best Multiplayer: Predicted Winner: Overwatch 2
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Multiversus
Overwatch 2
Splatoon 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Best Indie Debut:Predicted Winner: Tunic
Neon White
Norco
Stray
Tunic
Vampire Survivors
Most Anticipated Game: Predicted Winner: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Final Fantasy XVI
Hogwarts Legacy
Resident Evil 4
Starfield
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Now with that covered here are a few predictions, then a few wishlist items.
Predictions
Fairly good look at whatever the next/new Silent Hill game is
Game set in the Knives Out movie setting, maybe it’s a Tell Tale style game, or perhaps a point and click game
New Kojima game, probably XBOX exclusive
Gameplay trailer for Spiderman sequel
Trailer for Wolverine game, probably not gameplay
Grounded update maybe a bit of a roadmap
Ghosts Of Tsushima sequel teaser
The Legend Of Zelda trailer
At least one new Marvel Studio property announced
Assassins Creed update
BioShock update
Wishlist
Next Elders Scrolls title teaser with tentative release window
Sunset Overdrive for PS5 and announcement of sequel
The Last Of Us multiplayer game release date, beta info, and trailer
Infamous remake or potentially a new title from a different PS Studio
Animal Crossing Update, DLC, something for the game/series
Syphon Filter is back!!! Alright this won’t happen, but I can always dream
I genuinely feel like this year’s show will be a lot bigger on the announcements and reveals, the past few years were rough with all the reasonable Covid issues, studios overhauling workloads and schedules to adapt to work from home and remote/hybrid roles. But it feels like the industry is turning the corner over the past few months and we will finally start to see the new/next generation take off. These first few years have been underwhelming to a large degree and next year should be the shift needed to push the next gen consoles to feel like there is actual separation from the PS4/XBOXone generation.
The Game Awards will be streaming Live on Thursday, December 8th at 4:30PM PST. Links below should put you through to the Twitch or YouTube stream from The Game Awards, and there are some prizes to be earned through watching on Twitch, check out @thegameawards on Twitter for details on that. And follow @GameWrote on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GameWrote) for some likely live tweeting on announcements.
Today, Microsoft showed off what is to come from their various studios including the recently acquired in an official sense, Bethesda Game Studios during their XBOX & Bethesda Games Showcase. Both Microsoft and Sony are still vying for the advantage as we move forward during the first year of the new console generation. Console sales are going great for both companies with hardware selling out within minutes of becoming available online from any retailer, in any version of the hardware. XBOX Series X or Series S consoles are still an elusive buy for many eager gamers around the world. And while Sony has not had many true PlayStation 5 exclusives just yet aside from the just released Rachet & Clank: Rift Apart, they have delivered a decent amount of PlayStation exclusives cross generationally, such as Spiderman: Miles Morales. Microsoft however have really yet to release much in the way of next gen or cross generational exclusives to their consoles. With what should seem to be a distinct disadvantage however, there seems to be a shift in the gaming power struggle, one that has even started to get a PlayStation diehard since since their original console considering picking up my first XBOX console.
There are three key factors that Microsoft seem to be have going in their favor and could potentially lead to the upper hand early in this generation. Continue to play on their online and now even more so streaming advantages. Strengthening and promoting Gamepass even further. And when it comes down to it the biggest factor in most console generations, exclusives, what can your console give the gamer that no one else can. Let us dive deeper into these three factors and see just how strong of a position Microsoft is starting to find themselves in.
Streaming
Both Microsoft and Sony brought digital versions of their newest consoles to market last fall, but Microsoft did so at a far more competitive rate and seem to have intentions of pushing this even further moving forward. The XBOX Series S gets you into the new gen for only $299.99 and while it lacks some qualities of the XBOX Series X, it gets the basics of the job done at a great price. And while they did not cover this during the showcase today, working towards the realm of console free next gen streaming as a possibility from one of the two major brands is a huge win if they can pull it off effectively.
Gamepass
There have been no shortage of bold moves when it comes to Gamepass for Microsoft. Pushing out many first party titles day and date on Gamepass to getting a deal to release former PlayStation exclusive MLB The Show not only on to XBOX consoles, but including it with Gamepass. Microsoft certainly seems to know the advantage in not only maintaining the advantage their players get when they buy into Gamepass, but continually trying to expand on the value of the offering. And today twenty-seven of the thirty games shown off during the showcase today will release day one with Gamepass.
Exclusives
When push comes to shove, we all know what makes a generation and/or what generally wins a console war, exclusives. And while Nintendo has some amazing strengths with all their first party characters and titles, they are not really considered on the same battlefield as Microsoft and Sony. And to be honest over the past few generations, Sony has truly been on a level unto themselves when it comes to quality exclusive games. However in recent years Microsoft has been aggressive in adding quality studios to their lineup and ultimately with their financial advantage over Sony this is how Microsoft can most greatly impact the next gen console war. With the official announcements today bookending their showcase that Starfield and newly announced Redfall will be XBOX console exclusives, Microsoft delivers a massive blow to Sony for this generation.
Microsoft has a bevy of titles now at their disposal from their twenty-three studios for either cross platform to generate revenue like they do with Minecraft and presumably will do with established titles like DOOM, Elders Scroll, Fallout, etc or to release as a console exclusive to boost hardware/platform sales like they are with their two new IP shown off today Starfield and Redfall along with lesser known titles like Outer Worlds 2.
Recap
In his closing monologue, Head of XBOX Phil Spencer said it best, “You, the gamer, are at the center of everything we do”. Microsoft has learned a great deal from the previous generations and seem as well placed as they ever have been to compete on a high level. While PlayStation continues to revamp what they are doing and representing, XBOX is making it clear, they are games first and games focused, this generation dropped all the extra gimmicks, positioning the Series X/S perfectly. And there are always more studios to purchase or deals to make, which only stand to strengthen this positioning. Sony most assuredly have plans in place that we are not fully aware of, studios working on titles we can assume such as Insomniac with a true Spiderman sequel, along with ones we have no idea about such as whatever the new IP Bend is working on. PlayStation for the first time in years seem to be in need of some reassurance to their faithful, can they compete with for the first time a games focused Microsoft.
What are your thoughts on what you have seen during this virtual E3 this year? What you hope to see still announced and what are you looking forward to playing in the coming months. Comment here and please follow @GameWrote on Twitter and Instagram to interact more with me.
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