GDC Reveals Its GOTY 2021 Nominees, Voted for by Game Developers

Resident Evil 7 should win GotY from that list of developer-chosen candidates which means Deathloop is bound to win.

I have yet to find a single real life videogamer fan who actually loves Deathloop. Not one. It is like one of those high-brow European flicks nobody actually enjoys but everyone respects out of fear of being labeled ignorant. Like an cringy Oscar bait film that crashed at the box office but gets 10 nominations out of respect.

The awards chosen by developers is always really interesting. There’s a level of appreciation for work beyond superficial stuff and more focusing on truly impressive boundary pushing. In that sense, this is a really good bunch of games, especially the Best Debut category.

@Oscarjpc Deathloop’s a fantastic game. I’ve only seen people bashing it on this site.

@oscarjpc I have not played it yet, but have a friend who really liked it. Possibly you just keep like company?

@Oscarjpc It's diet Arkane. I don't get it.

@Oscarjpc Deathloop's AI was so dumb when the game launched so the high 9 and 10s review scores, having played it, are amazing to me. But it has been patched and improved now and from what I hear the game is what it promised to be.

@Integrity It is a good game, but it's easily at the bottom of Arkane's output in the last 10 years. It's a 7 imo.

@gavin_is_gavin "really liked it" is not "loved it". I loved GoT, I really liked Resogun. See the difference now?

@Orpheus79V yes I'd agree. I much preferred Prey and Dishonoured 2.

I feel like Returnal is getting snubbed quite a bit. The game is seriously fantastic, and arguably the best game on the PS5 right now.

@Nerdfather1 100% agree with you. Returnal is an amazing experience, and in my humble opinion, really pushed the rogue-like genre forward with some amazing gameplay, beautifully twisted art design, an interesting story, and awesome use of the new DualSense. Very disappointing that it’s not gotten more love from developers. Maybe that says more about Housemarque than the actual game? Who knows…

I'm just all for Arkane picking up any nominations and awards.

@Nerdfather1 I concur. It should be in the list for GotY. Gameplaywise, visually and audibly more interesting than Deathloop I don't know what could've held it back from being nominated.

@Nerdfather1 Returnal was a game in the classic sense. Like a compulsive coin-op, from the arcade days of yore you couldn’t tear yourself away from - couldn’t afford to keep playing either, only in this case money is time. Deathloop; on the other hand leaves me wandering around aimlessly like a dementia sufferer trying to remember wtf I’m supposed to be doing?! Whilst being intermittently spotted but ey if I’m spotted in style; it’s all good…

Deathloop is 'great' for the £28 I paid for it. Definitely not a 10/10, I think pushsquare got their review just right

Great list. I'm interested in seeing what devs pick.

For my GOTY is FH5 or Deathloop, but Deathloop has it's oddities that IMO keep it from being the total polished GOTY product.

FH5 has to win for Sound design, though Guardians is fantastic as well.

Narrative has to be Guardians. I can't stand anything Marvel or DC (Insomniac is dead to me), yet I walk away totally enamored by the quality of that game's storyweaving and character building (and acting) and it became a favorite of the year.

No strong opinions in the other categories. Technology is a puzzling one with that list. None of them really seemed to be pushing amazing tech. Maybe Returnal ought to get that with how they did such a good job procedural producing world variations in 3D space.

I don't think Returnal is getting snubbed. It's amazing at what it does, but it's smooth gameplay and slick graphics mask nicely that it's a very tiny game with very little in the way of total environment content as is true for all rogues. It doesn't have to be achievement worth to be a great game to play, but it's tiny space and scale means it's hard to give it much leeway in awards.

I definitely care more what game developers have to say about GOTY then "gamers." Nominee for tech should of been MSFS for console since it's the first ever on a console and surprises everyone I show from kids to gamers to moms to cats.

@nessisonett That game was probably one of the hardest games for me to finish in the past couple years. It just is not good.

Deathloop winning award left and right but gamers didn't care about it and the game already discounted just a couple of weeks after it launch, and nobody (beside critics) talked about it either.

This award is more for those in the games industry rather than for gamers.

@Oscarjpc well I'll be your first real life counter-example

@SweetSummerShunv I'm glad you like it. So now we just need to meet so you´re my first real life counter-example.

Haven't played death loop (yet) but did play mooncrash (prey dlc) and it was fantastic.

Halo infinite been nominated to both Best Technology and Best Design is a joke.... the fact this is coming from Game Developers makes it even worse....

But then again Oscars are also chosen by "experts" too, and most of the times they are a joke too...

Also Returnal should be have considered as GOTY. Deahtloop was an average game in every aspect.

Nice to finally see Unpacking get some love. One of my favourites from last year.

I’ve always been a huge fan of that art style though.

I dunno, seems like the same bs everywhere else is putting out.

Hi there fellow gamers.
Deathloop is great.
Deathloop is love.
Deathloop is life.... Sort of
That´s is all
Oh and Guardians of the Galaxy deserves best narrative. Eidos Montreal did a fantastic job on that one.
And once again Returnal and Housemarque don´t get the praise they deserve.
But I´m here to give them all the praise. Returnal is awesome.
My Personal 2021 GOTY. Still need to get the Platinum though.
Cheers, stay safe everyone and happy gaming to us all

never seen anyone play Deathloop