Every year the British Academy for Film and Television Arts also celebrates the best of games. I always find it interesting to dig into the titles that were nominated and find out a bit more about what makes them shortlisted and eventually win.
The best game winner in 2019 is the Playstation game God of War.
Trailer and images courtesy of IGDB presskit
Personally, I am not a big fan of games where I have to go around and kill things or smash up stuff. But the action-adventure game God of War has added a bit more of a compelling storyline and emotional journey into the mix which adds to the experience.
In the game, Kratos the son of Zeus and God of War loses his wife and her last wish was to have her ashes spread across a realm far beyond… Kratos at the same time becomes the single father to Atreus his son, who has a lot to learn about being a God and a whole range of skills such as managing emotions, leading from the heart and fighting wisely.
The game graphics and open world are amazing and the acting is life-like and believable, which makes it more interesting to the player. Off course the game also requires you to fight several battles with your Levithian axe and as you play you unlock further powers that are useful to you in the game.
What can we learn from it for serious games and gamification?
First of all that your main lead character can evolve from a simple fighter to a more complex emotional being. I think in a lot of workplace designs we still see very one-dimensional interactions or action/trigger/reward sequences. Whilst those sequences are the core design, it doesn’t mean you should eliminate the added human dimension of emotion through storytelling and character development.
The big life event of the death of the wife and mother creates a relatable loss, which most of us have or will experience in some shape or form. In work, there are significant events too that unite people in emotion, whether it is a big win or a big loss. I think British politics and peoples reactions to Brexit show us that. So the loss or win doesn’t even have to live inside an organisation, but the responses and emotions do. How can you build that into your game design to make it better and more life like?
Another thing we can learn from this game is that iterative design works. The character evolves over time, in its first version the lead was much more one dimensional and the gameplay more focused on battles. If we see that as our core design, the next iterations make it evolve into something more engaging by adding more dimensions such as a companion (the son) and the emotional journey they are on. Recognisable situations and how to respond to them from fatherhood are again an iteration worth having.
Check out the full list of Bafta winners and nominees below:
Best Game
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
- Celeste
- God of War
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Return of the Obra Dinn
British Game
- 11-11: Memories Retold
- Forza Horizon 4
- Res Dead Redemption 2
- The Room: Old Sins
- Overcooked 2
- Two Point Hospital
Artistic Achievement
- Detroit: Become Human
- Gris
- God of War
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Return of the Obra Dinn
Audio Achievement
- Battlefield 5
- Detroit Become Human
- God of War
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Tetris Effect
Debut Game
- Beat Saber
- Cultist Simulator
- Donut County
- Florence
- Gris
- Yoku’s Island Express
Evolving Game
- Destiny 2: Forsaken
- Elite Dangerous: Beyond
- Fortnite
- Overwatch
- Sea of Thieves
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Family Game
- LEGO Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles
- Nintendo Labo
- Overcooked 2
- Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pickachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!
- Super Mario Party
- Yoku’s Island Express
Game Beyond Entertainment
- 11-11: Memories Retold
- Celeste
- Florence
- Life is Strange
- My Child Lebensborn
- Nintendo Labo
Game Design
- Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
- Celeste
- God of War
- Into the Breach
- Minit
- Return of the Obra Dinn
Game Innovation
- Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
- Celeste
- Cultist Simulator
- Moss
- Nintendo Labo
- Return of the Obra Dinn
Mobile Game
- Alto’s Odyssey
- Brawl Stars
- Donut County
- Florence
- Reigns: Game of Thrones
- The Room: Old Sins
Multiplayer
- A Way Out
- Battlefield 5
- Overcooked 2
- Sea of Thieves
- Super Mario Party
- Super Smash Bros.
Music
- Celeste
- Far Cry 5
- Florence
- God of War
- Gris
- Tetris Effect
Narrative
- Florence
- Frostpunk
- God of War
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Return of the Obra Dinn
Original Property
- Dead Cells
- Florence
- Into the Breach
- Moss
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Subnautica
Performer
- Christopher Judge as Kratos in God of War
- Danielle Bisutti as Freya in God of War
- Jeremy Davies as The Stranger in God of War
- Sunny Suljic as Atreus in God of War
- Melissanthi Mahut as Kassandra of Sparta in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2
EE Mobile Game of the Year (Public Vote)
- Brawl Stars
- Clash Royale
- Fortnite
- Old School Runescape
- Pokemon Go
- Roblox
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