AS the year comes to a close, all the major releases of the year and lining up to get their awards.
That’s right, award season is upon us, and I decided to look back at all the winners of the big prize over the last decade to find out which is the best.
Each game is supposedly the best game in the year they came out, so this should be a battle of the titans.
Here’s all the games that won Game of the Year ranked worst to best.
10. Overwatch (GOTY 2016)
Runner-ups: Doom (2016), Inside, Titanfall 2, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
It is possible that in the dark days of 2016, we all thought Overwatch was great.
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However, Blizzard has done everything to tarnish that image with Overwatch 2 one of the worst-rated games of all time.
The hero shooter has been tarnished by the sequel which is filled with predatory microtransactions.
With the other excellent games that were nominated that year, it’s sad to see Overwatch as the one immortalised.
9. Dragon Age: Inquisition (GOTY 2014)
Runner-ups: Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls 2, Hearthstone, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
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We can all admit that 2014 wasn’t a great year for games. Middle-earth has sunk to obscurity, and Dark Souls 2 is seen as the series’ worst.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is by no means a bad game; in fact, it has a rather passionate fan base.
It’s an RPG with a rich story, and plenty of friendships or romances to make.
However, as the first GOTY winner it feels dated, as we eagerly await the release of Dreadwolf.
8. It Takes Two (GOTY 2021)
Runner-ups: Deathloop, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Resident Evil Village
It Takes Two is one of the more unique winners of GOTY, as it comes from a relatively small studio.
With forced co-op gameplay, you and your partner navigate a number of platforming challenges.
One of the more unique aspects is that most of the game took place off-screen, as you discussed the way forward with your partner.
We may never forgive it for just how annoying Dr. Hakim is though.
7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (GOTY 2019)
Runner-ups: Control, Death Stranding, Resident Evil 2 (remake), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Outer Worlds
FromSoftware is the only studio that has won GOTY twice, and it has also been nominated a whopping four years overall.
While Sekiro put an interesting samurai twist on the Soulsborne genre, we didn’t see a big enough change to justify the GOTY title.
It’s certainly a great game with fast-paced action and a lot more emphasis on getting involved rather than patience.
However, when it comes down to it we just preferred the other FromSoftware winner.
6. God of War (GOTY 2018)
Runner-ups: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Celeste, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Monster Hunter: World, Red Redemption 2
God of War is a triple-A game. It is quite possibly the most triple-A game of all triple-A games.
It is a remake of a classic, it has gorgeous 3D graphics, an engaging combat system, and bombastic boss fights.
God of War even aimed to show a softer more human side to Kratos that we didn’t really see until God of War 3.
At the end of the day, it really did nothing new leaving it lower down on this list.
5. The Last of Us Part 2 (GOTY 2020)
Runner-ups: Animal Crossings: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades
Part 2 of The Last of Us divided fans, as it completely shook up the gameplay of the original.
We have dual protagonists who tell two sides of the same story with ambiguity as to who is the hero or the villain.
By telling both sides of what is a very complex dilemma we see that sometimes morality isn’t black or white.
While some like a good versus evil story, The Last of Us Part 2 offered more shades of grey.
4. Elden Ring (GOTY 2022)
Runner-ups: A Plague Tale: Requiem, God of War Ragnarӧk, Horizon Forbidden West, Stray, Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The better of the two FromSoftware games on the list, Elden Ring opened up the genre to millions of new players.
While maintaining the challenge that the genre is known for, it was more approachable to people who couldn’t face the games before.
By adding in a lot of new styles of character customisation, people of all skill levels could rise to the challenge.
Elden Ring so far outstreaked the competition in 2022, it was the clear winner for anyone who played it.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (GOTY 2015)
Runner-ups: Bloodborne, Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Super Mario Maker
With all the inevitable ‘Best games of all time’ lists that are floating around, few have seen consistency in the top ranks as The Witcher 3 has.
While The Witcher 3 is one of the first games to win GOTY, it is an industry-changing icon that brought real choices to the RPG format.
Add this to the engaging characters, the detailed world-building, and dense story, and this game offered players everything.
Another industry-changing title that few games can compare to.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3 (GOTY 2023)
Runner-ups: Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 (remake), Super Mario Bros. Wonder
At the time of writing Baldur’s Gate 3 hasn’t won GOTY… yet, but we think that time will prove us right.
However, even if it ends up being Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3 deserves to be honoured for bringing a whole fresh take on the RPG genre.
The world is simply massive, and your teammates can easily live or die based on your decisions.
With its in-depth D&D gameplay structure, we think Baldur’s Gate 3 is not only deserving of GOTY, but is one of the best GOTYs.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (GOTY 2017)
Runner-ups: Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Super Mario Odyssey
We feel sorry for Persona 5, it’s an obviously excellent game that had the misfortune of being released in the same year as the game that broke the industry.
Breath of the Wild is the benchmark by which all games are judged, just look out how many times are compared to it to see this in action.
It has a massive open world, where you can literally skip to the final boss if you feel so daring, and not just a physics engine, but a chemistry engine too.
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Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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