The National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) has announced the winners for its 23rd annual awards program, with Baldur’s Gate 3 once again winning the most coveted Game of the Year prize.
Larian’s acclaimed cRPG has also won the Original Dramatic Score (Franchise) and Role Playing Game (Franchise) categories. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 did not win the most awards. That honor goes to Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which earned seven prizes in the Animation (Technical), Art Direction (Contemporary), Camera Direction in a Game Engine, Character Design, Control Design (3D), Game (Franchise Action), and Performance in a Drama (Lead, with Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker) categories.
Tango’s Hi-Fi Rush, which will soon debut on PlayStation 5, won six awards, including Animation (Artistic), Gameplay Design (New IP), Game (Rhythm), Original Light Mix Score (New IP), Song Collection, and Use of Sound (New IP). Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI won five prizes: Costume Design, Direction in a Game Cinema, Lighting/Texturing, Performance in a Drama (Supporting, with Ralph Ineson as Cid), and Sound Editing in a Game Cinema. NEOWIZ’s Soulslike game Lies of P follows with four wins in the Art Direction (Period Influence), Game (Original Adventure), Original Dramatic Score (New IP), and Sound Effects categories.
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Remedy’s Alan Wake 2 both won three awards, like Baldur’s Gate 3. Zelda prevailed in the Engineering, Gameplay Design (Franchise), and Game (Franchise Adventure) categories, while Alan Wake 2 won the Graphics (Technical), Song (Original or Adapted for Herald of Darkness), and Writing in a Drama awards. The other multi-winners of this year’s NAVGTR are Nintendo for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, San Diego Studio for MLB The Show 23, tha LTD.’s Humanity, Survios’s Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition, and Summerfall’s Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical. The latter game also saw Laura Bailey winning
the Performance in a Comedy (Lead) prize for Grace; with this award, Bailey is now tied with Troy Baker as the most-awarded voice performer in the history of the NAVGTR Awards.
