The gaming industry's spokesperson, Geoff Keighley, has just graced the industry with the annual Game Awards nominees ahead of the ceremony on December 8, and as fans expected, God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring are in hot competition for a vast number of awards. Though Elden Ring hit the ground running at the start of the year, with FromSoftware hitting it out of the park once again, God of War Ragnarok has just released, and it's miraculously living up to the monumental hype that surrounded it. This year's Game Awards are going to be a close one.
In the last few years, there have often been clear contenders for each category of the Game Awards. While there are always strong choices, there's usually only one or two titles that audiences are sure could take home the award. This year, every single category of the Game Awards is stacked with huge titles that performed extremely well earlier in the year, and while the awards could go to any of them, God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring are certainly the fan-favorites to win.
What's Getting More Game Awards - God of War Ragnarok or Elden Ring?
The nominees for the Game Awards 2022 have just been announced, and right out of the gate, God of War Ragnarok seems as though it may have the edge over Elden Ring, with 10 individual nominations across all the categories. That being said, Elden Ring still has a total of seven nominations, so it's still got a chance to win big on December 8. Interestingly, though, God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring are up against each other in a total of six categories, making the competition extremely fierce.
Beginning with Best Narrative, it seems like a safe bet to assume that God of War Ragnarok will take the award home over Elden Ring. While Elden Ring's storytelling is compelling and engaging, it still has that classic FromSoftware obtuseness that newcomers can find a little off-putting, whereas God of War Ragnarok delivers a succinct, beautiful, epic narrative that's easy to understand, but thematically complex.
For Art Direction, the award could really go either way, with both games having distinctive, consistent styles throughout that flesh out their respective worlds in visual ways. The Best Score and Music award is another that could go either way, with Elden Ring's boss music being among FromSoftware's best, but God of War Ragnarok's being used to elevate every scene it's used in. Both could also be in with an equal chance of winning Best Audio Design, though a different nominee on the list is a little more likely to get it based on past years' results.
When it comes to the big two, Best Game Direction and Game of the Year, it really is anyone's game. Elden Ring fans could argue that its non-linear design, FromSoftware's eagerness to try something new, and its vast, wonderfully grim world is enough to snag both awards, but God of War Ragnarok fans may disagree, believing that the game's tighter narrative, its epic scale, improved combat mechanics, and increased enemy variety are the factors that make it deserving of the win.
Of course, it's always possible for other games to swoop in unexpectedly and take their awards right from underneath them. Immortality, for instance, is probably a front-runner for Best Narrative, and may take home more awards than some might expect. Similarly, Metal: Hellsinger could take home the award for Best Music and Score, with its heavy metal anthems being a real standout this year.
God of War Ragnarok is available now on PS4 and PS5.