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'Red Dead,' 'God of War' lead Game Award nominations

Dusty Ricketts
dricketts@thedestinlog.com

The movie industry has the Academy Awards. Music, the Grammy's. Video games? The biggest comparable event we have is The Game Awards, which will stream live Dec. 6 and has grown to one of the biggest events in gaming each year.

It's not only a time when game creators come together to have their work recognized. Game developers have used the event to announce some of the biggest games ever, titles like "The Last of Us."

The Game Awards are a little different than the Oscars and the Grammys. Although there is a panel of judges who vote in the different categories and their votes weighted, the public also has the opportunity to vote for their favorite games of the year. And the voting is live now.

Nominations for the event were announced on Tuesday, and "God of War" and "Red Dead Redemption 2" topped the list with eight nominations each.

I voted earlier this week. I'm not going to go through the entire ballot, but here are some of the categories and who I think will win (not necessarily who I voted for, but in some cases it is).

For Game of the Year, the nominees are “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” “Celeste,” “God of War,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” “Monster Hunter: World,” and “Red Dead Redemption 2.” I voted for "Red Dead," but I actually think "God of War" will take this one. "God of War" is my biggest gaming blind spot this year. Although I'm sure I would love it, I never picked it up when it came out in April. Everything I've heard about the game makes it sound like it's right up my alley.

For Best Narrative, the nominees are “Detroit: Become Human,” “God of War,” “Life is Strange 2: Episode 1,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” and “Red Dead Redemption 2.” I am completely captivated by the story that "Red Dead Redemption 2" is telling so far, but I would like to see this award go to "Spider-Man." That game was like a greatest hits album of Spider-Man stories, and its portrayal of Doctor Octopus was the best I've seen in any medium.

The most stacked category to me was the Best VR/AR Game, in which the nominees are “ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission,” “Beat Saber,” “Firewall Zero Hour,” “Moss” and “Tetris Effect.” Any of these games could take it.

Dusty Ricketts is the editor of The Destin Log and The Walton Sun newspapers and can be reached at dricketts@thedestinlog.com. He is currently playing "Star Wars Battlefront 2" and "Red Dead Redemption 2." You can find him to play online through his PlayStation Network ID, DustRAG316.