This is a continuation of the previous post about my nominations for Steam Awards 2023. The remaining categories are: –
Oustanding Visual Style Award
This category is full of games with beautiful landscapes that make you want to live in the virtual world instead. Over the years, The Outstanding Visual Style has built quite a reputation for games which provide soothing visuals, but my nomination goes out to a title which I call “beauty in brutality”— Atomic Heart.
Atomic Heart is an open-world first-person shooter/ slasher based in a “sublime utopian world” as per the developers (Mundfish). It combines gore and violence with vibrant environments in a sci-fi setting. Although the game features an open world, it is filled with odd-looking creatures who gun out for anything that moves.
Reason: It’s becoming increasingly rare to see AAA titles like Atomic Heart resonate with the masses. On a personal note, the game feels Doom-like, albeit with a slightly disappointing voice acting. Storyline-wise, not so good, but this Award category is concerned with Visuals only, so my vote stands corrected.
Most Innovative Gameplay Award
Ah, the fabled category of innovation! Full of games which were once considered to be catering to a niche, made their way into mainstream gaming and made a mark. Such is also the tale of Contraband Police.
When I picked up this game, I thought it was a Gas Station or Car Mechanic Simulator clone. Made for people who want a nice and relaxing end to their day. But, boy was I wrong. It went from a funny policeman with a heavy accent teaching me the basics of checking the IDs of people arriving at the border to a storyline that allows you to make choices and mould your own journey. Do you desert your country in the hopes of a bright future or will you stick with the nation on the righteous path of justice?
Reason: It was a surprisingly good game, and for fans of the Simulator genre, Contraband Police offers that and plenty more.
Best Game You Suck at Award
I take the title of this category with a grain of salt. Being a competitive gamer, it hurts my heart to accept defeat or even consider myself to be weaker than a programmed character. For me, this category would always include Counter-Strike, Rainbow Six Siege, followed by Elden Ring until recently. But Sifu seemed like a dark horse. It neither has a hundred weapons to choose from nor does it support people with varying game styles, it is just non-lethal combat in the purest form.
The first few hours in Sifu make you feel like the Karate Kid, but as time passes, you start feeling the mentally-taxing fights making you sweat. Getting the timing right with dodges and counters, while keeping 10 different move combos in your mind is no mean feat. It is easy to play, but very hard to master.
Reason: I suck at Sifu.
Best Soundtrack Award
Soundtracks are easily the most neglected aspect of reviewing a game. Nowadays, it’s all visuals, graphics, tons of textures to render and the game finally running at 14 frames per second. This Award category rightfully provides respect to the dedication of Sound Artists and Composers who build an atmosphere that supports the setting of the game.
The Last of Us is an action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features a powerful and emotional Soundtrack composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, an Argentine musician known for his work in film and music production. The Soundtrack complements the game’s narrative and enhances the emotional impact of the story.
Reason: The task of creating music for a title with a complex storyline is pretty challenging. Even though I detest the developers who launch their games on console only, TLoU is a welcoming exception.
Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award
It is clear what this category asks for— Games that allow players to make moral choices while engaging in a relatable storyline. Baldur’s Gate III combines such a fluid story with its detailed and ravishing setting to bring out a product that is hard to miss.
The story begins with our character being captured by mind flayers, aberrations with psionic powers. The mind flayers intend to turn us into one of their own, a process known as ceremorphosis. During such a process, we gain some newfound powers through a tadpole implanted in our brains. We endeavour to find a find to remove this tadpole.
Reason: I know how strange the story sounds, but trust the process and see how amazing this game gets with time.
Sit Back and Relax Award
It’s the holiday season, so kick back, relax, and enjoy your favourite city-building sim game with some snacks. Cities garnered positive reviews for its expansive gameplay options, modding support, and the ability to create intricate and realistic cityscapes. Cities Skylines II, thanks to its predecessor’s success, has made it a standout title in the city-building genre. It garnered positive reviews for its expansive gameplay options, modding support, and the ability to create intricate and realistic metropolises.
Reason: It doesn’t ask you to be hyper-attentive and makes every gaming session feel contemplative. In addition, it features a serene and calming atmosphere, with relaxing music and the gentle hum of city life. Ambience is the keyword.
That concludes my nominations for the Steam Game Awards. Kind in mind that all the games that I’ve mentioned are also my personal recommendations for the year 2023.
Keep it cool!
The Paper Byte 