Gaming
Astro Bot wins Game of the Year: full list of Game Awards winners
Balatro, Metaphor: ReFantazio also win multiple awards
The annual Game Awards 2024 is a celebration of the past year in gaming. Though much of the spotlight is rightfully shining on the trailers for the upcoming year, recognizing the best titles of this year is still necessary. Even if you want to buy the next games already, knowing the awardees and nominees can help you run through the list of what you might have missed.
2024 Winners
Without further ado, here’s the full list of winners for The Game Awards 2024:
Game of the Year
Astro Bot – WINNER
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Game Direction
Astro Bot – WINNER
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Best Narrative
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Metaphor: ReFantanzio – WINNER
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Silent Hill 2
Best Art Direction
Astro Bot
Black Myth: Wukong
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Metaphor: ReFantazio – WINNER
Neva
Best Score and Music
Astro Bot
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – WINNER
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Silent Hill 2
Stellar Blade
Best Audio Design
Astro Bot
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 – WINNER
Silent Hill 2
Best Performance
Briana White, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Hannah Telle, Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Humberly González, Star Wars Outlaws
Luke Roberts, Silent Hill 2
Melina Juergens, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 – WINNER
Innovation in Accessibility
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Diablo IV
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – WINNER
Star Wars Outlaws
Games for Impact
Closer the Distance
Indika
Neva – WINNER
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Best Ongoing Game
Destiny 2
Diablo IV
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Best Community Support
Baldur’s Gate 3 – WINNER
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
Animal Well
Balatro – WINNER
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Neva
UFO 50
Best Debut Indie Game
Animal Well
Balatro – WINNER
Manor Lords
Pacific Drive
The Plucky Squire
Best Mobile Game
AFK Journey
Balatro – WINNER
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Wuthering Waves
Zenless Zone Zero
Best VR/AR Game
Arizona Sunshine Remake
Asgard’s Wrath 2
Batman: Arkham Shadow – WINNER
Metal: Hellsinger VR
Metro Awakening
Best Action Game
Black Myth: Wukong – WINNER
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Helldivers 2
Stellar Blade
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
Astro Bot – WINNER
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Silent Hill 2
Star Wars Outlaws
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Best RPG
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Metaphor: ReFantazio – WINNER
Best Fighting Game
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
MultiVersus
Tekken 8 – WINNER
Best Family Game
Astro Bot – WINNER
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Super Mario Party Jamboree
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The Plucky Squire
Best Sim/Strategy Game
Age of Mythology: Retold
Frostpunk 2 – WINNER
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Manor Lords
Unicorn Overlord
Best Sports/Racing Game
F1 24
EA Sports FC 25 – WINNER
NBA 2K25
Top Spin 2K25
WWE 2K24
Best Multiplayer Game
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Helldivers 2 – WINNER
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Tekken 8
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Best Adaptation
Arcane
Fallout – WINNER
Knuckles
Like a Dragon: Yakuza
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Most Anticipated Game
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yōtei
Grand Theft Auto VI – WINNER
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Monster Hunter Wilds
Content Creator of the Year
CaseOh – WINNER
IlloJuan
Techno Gamerz
TypicalGamer
Usada Pekora
Best Esports Game
Counter-Strike 2
DOTA 2
League of Legends – WINNER
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
33 (Neta Shapira)
Aleksib (Aleksi Virolainen)
Chovy (Jeong Ji-hoon)
Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) – WINNER
ZyWoO (Mathieu Herbaut)
ZmjjKk (Zheng Yongkang)
Best Esports Team
Bilibili Gaming (League of Legends)
Gen.G (League of Legends)
NAVI (Counter-Strike)
T1 (League of Legends) – WINNER
Team Liquid (DOTA 2)
In the previous generation of handheld gaming, the Legion Go stood above the rest because of its innovative design. How can you compete against a detachable controller that doubles as a mouse? Now, it’s been a while since the original Go. It’s fair to ask what the next Go might look like. Today, a major leak has spoiled almost everything about the unannounced Legion Go 2.
As revealed by renowned leaker Evan Blass on X, the upcoming Legion Go 2 shares much of the same DNA as the original console. It will still have the same detachable controller-slash-mouse combo, for one. In fact, if you haven’t really paid attention to the original, you might struggle to find the updates in the design.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 1, 2025
This time, the shape of the two controllers looks more ergonomic. Rather than the more angular predecessor, the Legion Go 2 will have more curves and, therefore, more grip. It will also have a redesigned D-Pad, which will include a more tactile and omnidirectional circular island. (This is one of our tiny complaints with the original, so we’re glad this will be changed.)
Inside, the console will come with the more advanced AMD Ryzen Z2 and Z2 Extreme. It will have a 144Hz display with 500nits of brightness and support for 1200p resolution. Unfortunately, the leaked graphics don’t reveal what the GPU is underneath, so we can’t accurately predict what it can do.
Likewise, we don’t know when Lenovo plans to officially debut this unannounced device. But since the original was released almost two years ago, it might be about time for an update.
Allow me to frame this properly. Megaman X4, specifically Zero’s campaign, is one of my all-time favorites. I can’t recall every detail anymore, but I’ll never forget the feeling — chaining that three-slash combo, jump-dashing, wall-hopping, and pulling off special moves. Playing SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance brought all of that flooding back.
This game didn’t just scratch my itch for a good 2D action platformer — it satisfied it. From the action to the platforming to the presentation, everything clicked in a way that made me feel right at home, while still giving me something new.
Vengeful combat
The starting moveset is strong. You don’t feel like the character was held back — from the get-go, you already feel like a badass ninja. Combos are fluid, chaining light and heavy strikes with kunai throws, and you can cancel into dashes to keep the flow going. By the time you unlock new skills, the enemies have already ramped up in ways that make each addition feel necessary rather than just flashy.
What really sold me was how layered the combat becomes. Beyond standard combos, you can pull off executions once an enemy’s stagger gauge fills, rewarding you with bursts of health or ammo. Ninpo skills add another dimension — special moves that let you clear space or punish groups when things get hectic. Later on, amulets and traversal tools fold into combat as well, letting you customize your approach, whether that’s aggressive, defensive, or a balance of both.
Even with all that, fights never felt overwhelming. Deaths were on me, not the game. The enemy variety kept me on my toes, and boss fights in particular made sure I used every tool I had learned up to that point. Each one felt like a proper exam on my ninja training.
What sealed it for me was one of the early boss fights. On paper, it wasn’t the toughest, but I played it jetlagged on a flight — not exactly ideal ninja conditions. I knew I had the tools to win, but it still took me close to ten tries before I finally nailed the rhythm. I landed the finishing blow just as the pilot asked us to prepare for landing. That mix of stubborn challenge and sweet payoff is what this game nails so well.
Challenging platforming
Jumping, double jumping, and air-dashing felt second nature right away. If you’ve played other 2D action platformers, you’ll slide right into the rhythm. Wall-hopping and wall-running took me longer to get a handle on — about two and a half hours before I stopped second-guessing my inputs — but once it clicked, it opened up the game in the best way.
Stages always kept things fresh. One level had moving platforms over bottomless pits that punished sloppy timing. Another leaned on vertical climbs, forcing me to chain wall runs and dashes in rapid succession. Later on, environmental hazards like lasers and collapsing floors made traversal feel like puzzles as much as platforming tests.
I fell plenty of times, but I never felt lost or cheated. The level design does a great job of pointing you in the right direction without handholding. And when new abilities unlocked, they didn’t just add flair — they gave me access to hidden rooms and shortcuts in earlier stages, rewarding exploration without dragging the pace.
Artful presentation
The hand-drawn look nails the vibe. Sharp character sprites and backgrounds pop without being too busy, and it sells the whole cyberpunk-ninja aesthetic. Each stage feels distinct — neon-soaked cityscapes, industrial factories, and eerie temples keep things from blending together. Enemy designs also play into the theme, mixing traditional ninja motifs with futuristic twists.
The soundtrack does a lot of heavy lifting. Pulsing synth beats push you forward during combat, while moodier tracks give boss arenas real weight. It matches the action so well that I found myself nodding along mid-slash.
Voice acting is solid across the board. The lead only communicates through grunts and battle cries, which is equal parts funny and fitting, but the supporting cast delivers their lines with enough conviction to carry the story beats. Speaking of story, it’s serviceable — a classic tale of revenge and corruption. You won’t be dissecting it years from now, but it does enough to keep the momentum going.
You also don’t need to have played past Shinobi games to enjoy this one. It stands tall on its own, even if you’re coming in fresh.
Is SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance your GameMatch?
A quick note: starting with this title, we’re gonna carry over our playful way of saying what’s worth your time — a seal of approval of sorts — into game reviews.
- Swipe Up means it’s highly recommended.
- Swipe Right means recommended, but maybe not for everyone.
- Swipe Left means not recommended.
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is an easy Swipe Up. The action, platforming, and presentation come together to make for a riveting experience — the kind of game that respects your time while still pushing you to master its systems. It’s a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
And if you grew up chasing that Zero slash-combo high like I did, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is the modern revival you didn’t know you needed.
It’s available now on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
Blog
GadgetMatch at gamescom 2025: stepping into the world’s biggest gaming stage
This first gamescom won’t be our last.
Walking into gamescom for the first time, I felt both overwhelmed and grateful. Cologne turns into a celebration of gaming every year. Being there in person — seeing the scale, the creativity, the energy from fans and developers — reminded me how much we’ve wanted to be part of this moment.
Gaming has always been part of our DNA. Since 2017, GadgetMatch has reviewed games alongside the gadgets that power them. We’ve covered console launches, tested big titles, and told stories about how games shape everyday life. Being at gamescom felt less like trying something new, and more like coming home to a community we’ve long been part of.
Swiping in game reviews
And just like with gadgets, we’re gonna start carrying over our playful way of saying what’s worth your time into game reviews. A Swipe Up means highly recommended. Swipe Right means recommended, but maybe not for everyone. A Swipe Left means not recommended. It’s the same DNA, now applied to the worlds, battles, and stories we escape to.
An experience
On the ground, so many moments stood out. The massive lines waiting for Silksong. Capcom’s crowd-pullers like Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata. Spotting a GameSir controller — one of our long-time partners — while playing the Honor of Kings: World demo. Finally meeting peers I had only known through email.
@gadgetmatch Sights & Sounds at #gamescom2025 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch
There were cosplayers at every corner, ready to strike a pose. A cosplay village overflowing with anime merch I couldn’t ignore. Samsung and Genshin Impact sharing a massive booth, proof of how big mobile gaming has become. And yes, I finally played Phantom Blade 0, a game I’ve been waiting for.
gamescom 2025
gamescom shows the full range of the industry. The big, cinematic AAA titles. The clever indies with fresh ideas. It’s what makes covering games so exciting. Gaming is never just about the hardware. It’s about the stories, the worlds, and the communities that grow around them.
This first gamescom won’t be our last. We want to come back, not just as attendees, but as an active part of the gaming conversation. If you’re a publisher or developer looking for a platform that values both the tech and the stories behind your games, we’d love to tell them with you.
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