Video Games
‘Deathloop’, ‘Psychonauts 2’ And ‘Resident Evil Village’ Lead The Game Awards 2021 Nominees
Microsoft must be giddy over this year’s nominees for The Game Awards 2021. Two of the software giant’s studios in Bethesda and Double Fine Productions make up the bulk of the nominations, with Bethesda’s Deathloop earning eight nominations, and Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2 earning five. Both games are nominated for Game of The Year, alongside Nintendo’s Metroid Dread and Capcom’s Resident Evil Village.
Deathloop is also nominated in Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, Best Performance (twice), Best Art Direction, and Best Action Game. Psychonauts 2 has nominations in Best Action/Adventure, Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, Best Game Direction.
Metroid Dread is also nominated for Best Action/Adventure title (alongside Resident Evil Village), while Village is also nominated for Best Audio Design, and Best Performance in Maggie Robertson‘s Lady Dimitrescu. Capcom also has a nomination in Resident Evil 4 VR as Best Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality title.
Other genre titles nominated include Housemarque’s Returnal, which has nods in Best Game Direction, Best Audio Design and Best Action Game. Shin Megami Tensei V is nominated for Best Role-Playing title, and Turtle Rock Studio’s Back 4 Blood is nominated in Best Action Game and Best Multiplayer.
Lastly, From Software’s Elden Ring, Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Ragnarok and Bethesda’s Starfield are nominated for Most Anticipated title.
Voting for the nominees is now open, so head on over to The Game Awards website to log your votes. The Game Awards takes place live on December 9.
Video Games
Bloober Returns to ‘Star Trek’ With Psychological Thriller ‘Star Trek: Shadow Frontier’ [Trailer]
Bloober Team weren’t done dropping news this week. After surprising everyone with SAW: Genesis at Summer Game Fest yesterday, they’ve now announced a new horror-slanted Star Trek title with Paramount Games Studio in Star Trek: Shadow Frontier. This is the second Star Trek title Bloober has developed, having released the VR body horror title Star Trek: Infection earlier this year.
“We’ve long admired the way Bloober Team crafts deeply immersive, atmospheric experiences that keep players on the edge of their seats,” said Paramount Games Studio senior vice president and head of creative and production Shawn Kittelsen. “For Star Trek: Shadow Frontier, it was essential to partner with a studio that could both honor that legacy and push it forward. We have full confidence in Bloober’s ability to deliver a game that does justice to the ‘Star Trek’ name while bringing something bold and new to the beloved franchise.”
Launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, the Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam in 2027, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is a story-driven action-adventure that sees players step into the role of former Lieutenant Ro Laren (voiced by Michelle Forbes). After crashing onto a distant planet overtaken by a strange consciousness, Ro Laren must survive in an environment that is as breathtaking as it is lethal. Ro’s mission is driven by duty and purpose. But here, discovery comes at a terrible cost. The more she uncovers, the deeper she is pulled into a corrupted labyrinth where her memories twist and the planet threatens to sever her connection to reality.
The hostile ecosystem of the planet poses a constant threat to Ro’s existence. It seeks to absorb Ro’s consciousness, burrowing deep into her mind and plaguing her with haunting visions. Environmental hazards and obstacles lurk around every corner. Exploration is both your only path to salvation and your potential undoing. Players will be able to use their Tricorder to scan and analyze items, and of course rely on their Phaser to solve puzzles and fend off enemies.