With 2021 firmly into its second half and many in the gaming industry starting to consider what will land as 2021's Game of the Year, the International Game Developers Association gave one last moment in the spotlight to some of 2020's best titles. The association helds its first annual Global Game Industry Awards to honor some of 2020's best writing, art, and technology among many other categories, with titles like Hades and The Last of Us 2 taking home plenty of accolades.
The International Game Developers Association, or IGDA for short, is a global nonprofit organization that is billed as "serving all individuals who create games." Many will recognize the IGDA through its involvement with the annual Game Developers Conference. With the IGDA's broad focus on assisting members in several different areas of expertise, the organization is honoring some of the best titles of 2020 across many different facets of game design.
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The inaugural awards featured a number of prolific titles from 2020 with the biggest winner being Supergiant Games' Hades collecting nine awards including Narrative Design, 2D Animation and Character Design, and Voice Acting among others. Hades was lauded on release for the roguelike's characters and fast-paced dynamic combat which saw the game receive several nominations and winning Best Indie Game during the 2020 Game Awards.
Also taking a spotlight during the Global Game Industry Awards was Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2. The story-driven action-adventure was a massive success for Naughty Dog and taking home multiple awards including 3D Animation and Story. The title fared similarly well this past December during the 2020 Game Awards winning the coveted Game of the Year. Other titles like Ghost of Tsushima, Half-Life: Alyx, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla also received multiple awards during the inaugural IGDA awards.
Hades and The Last of Us 2 cleaning up during the awards should come as little surprise to gamers who have been following 2020's many award ceremonies. Both titles are regulars and have traded the title of Game of the Year back and forth through several different publications. Hades continues to reach a wide audience today with the title receiving ports to several modern consoles earlier this month. Both titles have stamped their mark on 2020 as the best offerings from their year and the debate over which game is truly the best will rage on.
Hades is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Last of Us 2 is available for PS4.
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Source: IGN