It's that time of year again. On December 7th, Geoff Keighley will host the 2023 Game Awards, celebrating the best the year has to offer. Nominees have already been announced for The Game Awards, and some games have excellent chances of winning considering the number of nominations they have received. Looking at the list below, it is no surprise these games are nominated in so many categories.

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The buzz around most of them was big, and their releases were met with a large fanfare. With all the good press, it only makes sense for these games to be put on such a high pedestal. Gamers will have to wait until December 7th to see if they actually win, though.

10 Street Fighter 6

3 Nominations

• Best Fighter
• Best Multiplayer
• Innovations In Accessibility

Capcom's fighting game did a lot of work to bring newcomers into the fold with the option to switch over to a simplified combo input.

Those disinterested in the competitive nature of fighting games could also jump into the World Tour Mode for a comprehensive single-player journey with exploration, cinematics, and a compelling progression system. Despite all the changes, the sixth entry remains faithful to the systems and mechanics that brought in longtime fans in the first place.

9 Resident Evil 4

3 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Audio Design
• Best Action/Adventure Game

While some might decry the inclusion of a remake into these categories, anyone who played the game understands why it earned its nominations here. Even though it covers the same story beats as the 2005 title, it is rebuilt from the ground up and enacts subtle changes that make it a whole new experience for even those who are intimately familiar with Resident Evil 4.

Like all great Resident Evil games, there is a lot to keep players running through the story again like higher difficulty modes and unlockable weapons.

8 Final Fantasy 16

4 Nominations

• Best Narrative
• Best Score And Music
• Best Performance
• Best RPG

The changes to the formula Square took with the 16th entry piqued a lot of gamers' interest. The game was also rated M and aimed for a more mature medieval aesthetic than whimsical.

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Even if some Final Fantasy devotees were displeased by the switch to an action game with RPG elements, they still had a compelling story to follow with a stand-out performance by Ben Starr, who has since become a delightful presence on the Internet. It also did more than enough to earn its soundtrack for best score and music. The tunes are great, easily living up to the high bar set by the series.

7 Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

4 Nominations

• Best Narrative
• Best Performance
• Best Community Support
• Best Ongoing Game

This one is almost cheating a little bit because it's all about the Phantom Liberty expansion. The game's four nominations serve as a victory lap for the 2020 title. The original release was severely undercooked, filled with bugs, and performed poorly on consoles.

A steady stream of patches and a big update that came with the Phantom Liberty release makes it feel like a whole new game. It is the game fans should have gotten three years ago. While it is unfortunate the game's road was this rocky, it at least has a happy ending.

6 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

5 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Art Direction
• Best Family Game
• Best Multiplayer

A new Super Mario Bros. release is always a special event. Super Mario Bros. Wonder proves that the 2D formula still has a lot to offer. The unique ways players can interact and help each other online definitely earn it the multiplayer nomination. The eye-popping visuals show how great art direction can make Switch games look gorgeous despite the old hardware.

Mario games are always a pleasant reminder of just how glorious the joy of play can be with incredible design not relying on a film-like narrative or microtransactions.

5 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

5 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Art Direction
• Best Score And Music
• Best Action/Adventure Game

It is bold for Nintendo to set the sequel in the same game world as Breath of the Wild, but Tears of the Kingdom proves how an old playground can receive new life with a new set of mechanics. The physics system most of Link's tools deal with is simply breathtaking.

On top of that, the game has a unique way of doling out its narrative that fits into the non-linear structure and evolves on what the 2017 predecessor was doing. It is like putting together a giant puzzle bit by bit, but nothing feels too confusing or out of place regardless of which piece players pick up first.

4 Hi-Fi Rush

5 Nominations

• Best Art Direction
• Best Score And Music
• Best Audio Design
• Innovation In Accessibility
• Best Action Game

Hi-Fi Rush came almost literally out of nowhere. Coming from Microsoft-owned Tango Gameworks, it was shadowdropped and players were immediately blown away by its art, design, and unique combat based around rhythm. Its short length also really helped people check it out with no longterm commitment.

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With this many nominations and the great reception out of the gate, one can only hope it will receive a sequel or some sort of successor to expand upon its innovative concepts. It might not be Evil Within 3, but fans of the developer at least see that they can put out great products.

3 Marvel's Spider-Man 2

7 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Narrative
• Best Audio Design
• Best Performance
• Innovation In Accessibility
• Best Action/Adventure Game

Most people were confident they were jumping into a great game with this sequel. Still, Insomniac put tons of effort into improving upon the solid foundation built by the last two Spider-Man titles. The two playable protagonists kept gmaeplay interesting, combining the best parts of the 2018 game and Miles Morales.

Miles and Peter play just similar enough to not trip up players when switching between them but they also have their own distinct abilities. It's a triple-A game to the highest degree with a narrative worthy of the greatest Spider-Man stories.

2 Baldur's Gate 3

8 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Narrative
• Best Score And Music
• Best Performance
• Best Community Support
• Best RPG
• Best Multiplayer

If there's one game on the list that comes close to being the "everything game", it's this one. Baldur's Gate 3 has an answer and reaction to almost every move players make. The fact all these branching paths are met with great dialogue and performances makes the game stand out among its peers.

The multiplayer goes above and beyond with split-screen and online options. Players can travel together, take on separate quests at the same time, or just sow chaos for each other. It is hard to see the game not taking at least half of these awards home.

1 Alan Wake 2

8 Nominations

• Game Of The Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Art Direction
• Best Narrative
• Best Audio Design
• Best Score And Music
• Best Performance
• Best Action/Adventure Game

While Remedy games have always had their fans, Alan Wake 2 feels like it broke out in a whole new way. Alan Wake 2 is the perfect combination of all the weirdness, quirks, and meta-narrative that makes the developer so special. Players need to go into Alan Wake 2 expecting the unexpected.

Even then, they can have no idea what they are in for. In an age where countless game releases are pouring out every week, being this unique and outlandish is exactly what one needs to stand out from the pack. As players, it is a stunning breath of fresh air and a reminder of everything the medium is capable of.

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