The Female First Awards 2019 continue today with another dive into the world of video games! After celebrating the top five video game performances of the year in yesterday's (December 11th, 2019) category, we're now handing out the big one: the award for Video Game of the Year. If you've played any of the five nominations we've listed below, we're sure you'll agree that they deserve their spot on the list!
Nominee: Resident Evil 2
Capcom were taking a big risk, bringing arguably their greatest masterpiece back from the archives and deciding to remaster it for a modern day audience. Fortunately, that risk paid off, and they ended up delivering one of the most stellar horror gaming experiences the world has ever seen, with Resident Evil 2.
Updated graphics allowed for an immersive, white-knuckle ride that refuses to give up its grip right through to its terrifying conclusion. The zombies you face are the real stars of this game, forcing the hairs on your neck to prickle whenever you hear them shuffling in the distance; and making you scream out loud when they pounce from a dark area, despite you expecting them with every step you take. With realism on their side, showcased through high-definition visuals, Capcom exceeding all expectations.
Nominee: Luigi's Mansion 3
The Luigi's Mansion games of the past have been big hits, so naturally, gamers were hoping for big things from the third instalment in the series. That's exactly what Nintendo delivered with Luigi's Mansion 3, bringing back all the elements of the game that have worked so well in the past, whilst adding some fresh mechanics to allow for exciting new co-operative play.
Luigi is a fan-favourite Mario universe character for good reason. He's a bit of a coward when compared to his brother, and who can blame him? He's spent his life living in the shadow of his sibling, despite all the good he has done to help fight against the evils of the world. Here, he's given the chance to shine, and shows that he can be the hero everybody needs when the time calls.
Nominee: Death Stranding
Whether you loved or loathed the gameplay, Death Stranding had to have a place on our list of nominations this year. It's one of the most talked-about video games of 2019, with Hideo Kojima serving up another mind-bending adventure, with one of the most star-studded casts in gaming history.
What's really a high point for Death Stranding is the narrative and performances put it by its stellar roster of actors. There's no denying the effort put in to ensure that every character involved in the story here, has been worked on passionately, both by the creative team and the stars bringing them to life. They're the blood of the game, and keep it engaging throughout. More than anything, they deserve to be celebrated.
Nominee: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The curse of Star Wars video games came to an end this year! When we reviewed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, we said it was Game of the Year material, and we weren't joking! A brand new story with compelling new characters and challenging mechanics combines to create some of the most exciting gameplay of 2019.
Combining elements of Assassin's Creed, Uncharted and Tomb Raider with the Dark Souls-esque combat and life/death system, proved to be a real winner for Fallen Order. It's extremely tough at times, but ensures that you keep coming back to earn your way to the climactic finale.
Nominee: The Outer Worlds
Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2019 was The Outer Worlds. As an entirely new IP, it had a lot to prove if it were to make waves with gamers, but it did exactly that. An intriguing storyline and characters that you can't help but fall in love with ensured that people came back time and again to explore the various locations and discover exactly what was going on behind-the-scenes of this dystopian universe.
Hopefully, this is the start of a major franchise which will flourish and continue to deliver exciting new gaming experiences in the years to come!
And the winner is...
Luigi's Mansion 3! This was one of the toughest categories to judge, but in the end, we couldn't have given this award to anybody else.