A week or so back we told you about the nominees in the Game Critics Awards; the best games from E3 as chosen by North America’s premier video game critics. Today, we tell you who won, and which games have ultimately been selected to partake in the great big annual PR circle jerk. They’re also the game you probably want most over the next year.
Turtle Rock’s evolved multiplayer shooter Evolve won a Best in Show along with three other Game Critics Awards. E3 darling No Man’s Sky won 3, making them the two big winners of the night.
Darryn’s beloved Arkham Knight – which was tied with Zoe’s choice of Evolve in our own E3 awards – won best Action game, so he’s not a complete numpty. Here’s the list of winners. Nothing particularly surprising or interesting. I have to believe that The Crew won best racing by default, as it seems like the most boring thing in the history of videogames, but that would be my own anti-racing bias talking.
Here’s the list of winners, with Evolve’s numerous wins boldened for posterity. We’ve played the game a few times now, and had a blast every single time.
- Best of Show: Evolve
- Best Original Game: No Man’s Sky
- Best Console Game: Evolve
- Best Handheld/Mobile Game: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
- Best PC Game: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
- Best Hardware/Peripheral: Oculus Rift
- Best Action Game: Evolve
- Best Action/Adventure Game: Batman: Arkham Knight
- Best Role Playing Game: Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
- Best Racing Game: The Crew
- Best Sports Game: NHL 15
- Best Strategy Game: Civilization: Beyond Earth
- Best Social/Casual/Family Game: Mario Maker
- Best Online Multiplayer: Evolve
- Best Independent Game: No Man’s Sky
- Special Commendation for Innovation: No Man’s Sky
The Division; Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain; and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt were not made available for the judges to play, and were thus not considered for an award.
What do you think? Deserving winners?
Last Updated: July 2, 2014
Admiral Chief Fairburne
July 2, 2014 at 09:33
RELEASE IT!!!!
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 2, 2014 at 09:33
Only one that I want out of those is Arkham Knaartjie.
Dutch Matrix
July 2, 2014 at 09:38
There you go… (Refresh)
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 09:42
Is that the Green Goblin? where is the hoverboard?
Rince&Shitity
July 2, 2014 at 09:46
Green? How your cones bro? 🙂
Dutch Matrix
July 2, 2014 at 09:48
Too much Catnip, I’m afraid…
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:04
Ah, yes. Indeed
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:04
Um. colour blind. Looks green to me. Um?
Rince&Shitity
July 2, 2014 at 10:17
🙂 It’s Orange 😉
Sith JJ
July 2, 2014 at 10:23
That’s clearly black.
Wait, why does everything look black to me?
Rince&Shitity
July 2, 2014 at 10:50
Hue hue hue
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:49
Um. What does everyone else see in the pic?
Rince&Shitity
July 2, 2014 at 10:51
Says ‘Fuck the colour blinds’ 🙂
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 13:45
Ah, thanks for that. So I finally get to get some? 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:04
The dlc
Brenz
July 2, 2014 at 09:37
How did Dragon Age beat The Witcher?
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 09:42
I love both, but would also put Dragon Age on top.
Dutch Matrix
July 2, 2014 at 09:47
With a dragon!
Brenz
July 2, 2014 at 09:48
Nonsense, Geralt slays dragons between breakfast and shagging barmaids!
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 09:50
He would get owned so bad trying to fight creatures from the veil.
Fight 1: Witcher vs. Lust Demon
Geralt loses.
Brenz
July 2, 2014 at 10:01
No ways, Geralt would never fall for that bitch.
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:02
We talking about the same Geralt? He pretty much bangs anything and everything with 2 legs and bewbs.
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:03
Not when I play! We choose which two legs with great care and comfort
Triss for the win!
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:04
Hell I always kept some spare roses with me in Witcher one …. just in case I run into a street worker or two. 😛
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:06
Well, yeees. Of course. Choosing with care does not mean choosing stupidly or anything. Just did not try to get all 20 cards in first game.
Some of the nudity surprised the crap out of me too, like the dryad lady (green?) and the vampires, fully clothed, attack them and they go naked?
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:08
Well that’s how he rolls. He can attack just about anything and they will go naked. Call it his “special” power. 😛
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:08
I think point is made. Geralt is a very astute judge of character, as seen in two games. He still does the nasty but knows it is not cool
Dutch Matrix
July 2, 2014 at 09:50
Yes. But even Geralt will perish if hit with a dragon over the head…
heist
July 2, 2014 at 10:51
actually slaying dragons goes against his made up witcher code
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
July 2, 2014 at 09:48
AFAIK The Witcher wasn’t in the list since it wasn’t available to be played or something? BS really
May have been some other list though…
Witcher 3 should just win though!
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 09:49
Easy witcher has great story and great visuals but never had decent gameplay. DA seems to have all that and a bag of chips. Still buying both though.
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:03
By covering their characters in baby oil to disguise lazy programming 😛
FoxOneZA
July 2, 2014 at 10:06
The Banana loves Dragon Age. Critics love the Banana.
Hammersteyn
July 2, 2014 at 09:39
The critics seem to be rEVOLVING around Evolve
Ta dum tsh!
Sith JJ
July 2, 2014 at 09:59
Skerp soos ‘n appel
Rince&Shitity
July 2, 2014 at 09:41
WI TCH ER!
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 09:44
Best Strategy Game: Civilization: Beyond Earth
Oh yeah, that sounds more like it. I always hated that Civ ended at “our” tech levels. I wanted it to gone, all Sci-fi like.
Civ II Call to Power tried that but ultimately the game was just boring.
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 09:51
And that is why Alpha Centauri was awesome.
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:02
Yes and no. Separate game, not one continuing.
How about this: Civ II, go to space becomes Master of Orion 2, with race traits. Meet other races, fight it out win,
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:10
No … if we do this then we do it with Infinite Space rather.
Brady miaau
July 2, 2014 at 10:12
Infinite Space? Must admit to lack of knowledge. I play Moo2 to this day though.
Pieter Smal
July 2, 2014 at 09:50
No music awards? LAME!
FoxOneZA
July 2, 2014 at 09:55
Best Racing Game was pulled out of a hat. Hands-on impressions of the game were nothing more than meh but Ubi has to win something right?
FoxOneZA
July 2, 2014 at 09:56
How is No-Man’s Sky innovative?
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:01
No loading screens.
FoxOneZA
July 2, 2014 at 10:05
Lies! The sky is the largest loading screen to man!
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:05
Especially after a joint.
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:03
Procedural creature generation. Never been done before.
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:05
Besides those huge penis things in Spore
Kromas
July 2, 2014 at 10:07
Yeah luckily this is all self generated and only human input is needed once so unless the devs make a penis creature we won’t see that (i think). However if they do make a penis creature then we will see 17 million variations so that would be interesting.
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:09
Human artistic FREEDOM for the WIN 😛
Hammersteyn
July 2, 2014 at 10:03
You start on a planet with your ship. And if you look up at the sky you can visits each and every one of the starts you see because each and every planet is generated randomly. It sounds very ambitious, maybe too ambitious
Sith JJ
July 2, 2014 at 09:58
The Crew hey?
Surely they played it on console and were free of U(don’t)Play
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:01
RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER!!!
Guild
July 2, 2014 at 10:03
Nothing for Destiny? And after all the money spent on it….
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:04
They are going to blow the rest on the list out of the water with their sales…. (In my opinion, the Alpha was awesome and hopefully the Beta continues that and then the full game just expands on it more)
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:07
Did you just cut and paste your comment from the Titanfall or Watch Dogs thread? 😛
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:09
Hahahahaha!!! No!!! I am not a COD clone!!!
Dude I am starting to think that Destiny has me under a spell or something, I have tried to open the Alpha back up 10 times!!! Haven’t even deleted the Alpha!!! I want to play it again sooooo badly it hurts!!!
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:10
This is how I feel…… *refresh for image
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:13
Reminds me of Darryn when he found out that South African retailers had delayed Borderlands 2 by another week.
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:15
I now feel and understand the mans pain!! The 17th can’t come too quickly for me!!
At least I have Sniper Elite 3 to keep me company till then. Once again they have made a game which I want to replay a mission as soon as I am finished with it!! Great game, full of stealth and tactical thinking!!
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 2, 2014 at 10:17
Still too soon 😛
oVg... what castle?
July 2, 2014 at 10:11
Ill give it to Activision, they do know their market, but discard their endeavours as quickly as Bobby can say “You are Fired” when ratings go down.
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:13
I hope not!!! I really want to play Destiny, and I feel like playing it for the next 10 years!! That is why I am downloading it rather than buying the disc….
Milesh Bhana
July 2, 2014 at 10:17
still surprises me that Sunset Overdrive didn’t get much love in these critic award things.
Jonah Cash
July 2, 2014 at 10:18
I am with you on this!! It is probably the game that I would buy a Xbox ONE for, yet it seems to have been forgotten by these critics….
Rags
July 2, 2014 at 10:49
Rainbow Six looks awesome, but arcadey. Hope they make it more realistic in the upcoming builds.
Anon A Mouse
July 2, 2014 at 10:50
All this hype about Evolve and it didn’t even win the Best Original Game award. I think that says it all.
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
July 2, 2014 at 11:23
You guys should add this to the article:
“The Division; Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain; and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt were not made available for the judges to play, and were thus not considered for an award.”
Ngoc Anh
July 2, 2014 at 15:02
good good. I like it .