Gorgeous (mostly indie) games are clearly on the Game Awards' agenda for nominations this year.
Though a lot of this year's titles are sequels, they do not go the typical Hollywood route, choosing instead to reinvent themselves in a myriad of ways and give the judges a hard time.
Here are 7 games that stole the most nods ahead of the Game Awards on December 11 this year:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 12 nominations
French game developer Sandfall Interactive's debut is a dazzling RPG where turn-based combat meets real-time timing mechanics. You lead a suicide squad against The Paintress, a godlike figure whose harrowing presence has loomed over Lumiere for ages.
The critically acclaimed game went on to win big at the Golden Joystick Awards, setting its sights on the Game Awards next.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - 7 nominations
Hideo Kojima’s sequel to his 2019 third-person open-world masterpiece sees Sam Porter Bridges and his companions journey through post-apocalyptic Australia and Mexico to save humanity from extinction.
As with the first game, this gruelling game also offers cutscenes that would make Hollywood proud, in addition to smooth gameplay and limited narrative POV that makes it very immersive.
Ghost of Yotei - 7 nominations
With 'Ghost of Yotei', Sucker Punch dips into what made 'Ghost of Tsushima' great, and then builds on it. The result has been this gorgeous samurai action-adventure title that blends demon hunting with a flexible weapon-counter system.
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All of this revolves around a fairly simple, yet well-written revenge plot that sees Atsu pitted against an outlaw samurai group called the Yotei Six, led by an formidable villain, Lord Saito.
Hades II - 6 nominations
Supergiant Games’ acclaimed roguelite starts in medias res with Hades' daughter Melinoe embarking on a journey to defeat her grandfather Chronos, the Titan of Time.
Often described as a game layered to perfection, the sequel builds on everything fans loved, while expanding on the mechanics and story.
Hollow Knight: Silksong - 5 nominations
Team Cherry’s follow-up to 2D platformer 'Hollow Knight' has been delayed more times than fans can count, but the wait seems to have paid off.
Playing as Hornet, you parkour through the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom, craft tools, and face brutally precise bosses that frustrate you as much as they did in the prequel.
Patience is a virtue, the game seems to say—now more than ever—as it promises something of an epiphany on the other side of all the challenges that it unapologetically sets you.
Split Fiction - 4 nominations
As enchanting as it is fast, this smash-hit co-op title seems to take inspiration from the film 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once', as it never quite sticks to a particular genre, giving you the best of all genres.
'Split Fiction' is the story of two young authors who arrive at a mysterious tech company, hoping it would end their publishing woes, only to find themselves trapped in what seems to be the craziest of adventures that never bores.
Silent Hill f - 3 nominations
Touted as one of this year's biggest horror heavyweights alongside 'Resident Evil: Requiem', 'Silent Hill f' makes psychological horror artistic.
You play as Shimizu Hinako, who navigates the twisted paths of fog-heavy Ebisugaoka in 1960s Japan, solving complex puzzles and confronting grotesque monsters to survive.