With winners being announced on Tuesday, July 7, the Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2015 nominees have been revealed.
Leading the way in terms of games is Star Wars Battlefront with five nominations, followed by Fallout 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn with four, and Rainbow Six Siege and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End with three.
Elsewhere, EA and Sony Computer Entertainment were tied with 11 nominations each in terms of top publisher. For platforms, the PlayStation 4 saw 47 nominations, the Xbox One 46, the PC 34, and the Wii U four (multi-platform games are counted in all appropriate platform tallies).
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Best of Show
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games/SCE)
- Oculus Touch (Oculus VR)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/EA)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog/SCE)
Best Original Game
- Abzu (Giant Squid/505 Games)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games/SCE)
- The Last Guardian (GenDesign/SCE Japan/SCE)
- Unravel (Coldwood Interactive/EA)
Best Console Game
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games/SCE)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/EA)
- Super Mario Maker (Nintendo)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog/SCE)
Best Handheld Game
- Fallout Shelter (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (AlphaDream/Nintendo)
- Persona 4 Dancing All Night (Atlus)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (Nintendo)
Best PC Game
- DOOM (id Software/Bethesda)
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
- Just Cause 3 (Avalanche Studios/Square-Enix)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/EA)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best Hardware
- Microsoft HoloLens (Microsoft)
- Oculus Rift (Oculus VR)
- Oculus Touch (Oculus VR)
- Project Morpheus (Sony Computer Entertainment)
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller (Microsoft)
Best Action Game
- DOOM (id Software/Bethesda)
- Halo 5: Guardians (343/Microsoft Studios)
- Just Cause 3 (Avalanche Studios/Square-Enix)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/EA)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games/SCE)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions/Konami)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Microsoft Studios)
- The Last Guardian (GenDesign/SCE Japan/SCE)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog/SCE)
Best RPG
- Dark Souls 3 (From Software/Bandai-Namco Games)
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
- Fire Emblem Fates (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (AlphaDream/Nintendo)
- Sword Coast Legends (n-Space/Digital Extremes/Wizards of the Coast)
Best Racing Game
- Forza Motorsport 6 (Turn 10/Microsoft Studios)
- Need for Speed (Ghost Games/EA)
- Trackmania Turbo (Nadeo/Ubisoft)
Best Sports Game
- FIFA 16 (EA Canada/EA)
- NHL 16 (EA Canada/EA)
- Madden NFL 16 (Tiburon/EA)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (Konami)
- Rory McIlroy PGA Tour (EA Tiburon/EA)
Best Family/Social Game
- Disney Infinity 3.0 (Avalanche Software/Disney Interactive)
- Guitar Hero Live (FreeStyleGames/Activision)
- LEGO Dimensions (TT Games/WBIE)
- Rock Band 4 (Harmonix)
- Super Mario Maker (Nintendo)
Best Online Multiplayer
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (TreyArch/Activision)
- Halo 5: Guardians (343/Microsoft Studios)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/EA)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
- Tom Clancy’s The Division (Massive/Ubisoft)
Best Indie
- Abzu (Giant Squid/505)
- Below (Capy Games)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games/SCE)
- Wattam (Funomena)
Made up of 38 publications, the 2015 Game Critics Awards only considered games that were on display and playable at E3 2015, with games shown in private meeting rooms eligible along with those shown publicly on the show floor. Titles that were not made playable include Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and XCOM 2.
Previous Best of Show winners include Titanfall and Evolve.
[Source: Game Critics Awards via Geoff Keighley]
PSLS Best of E3 2015 Awards
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PSLS' Best of E3 2015 Awards
Here they are! These are the games that we thought were the cream of the crop at E3 2015. All games were able to be shown in some form, so don't expect Final Fantasy VII to make an appearance here (even though we really, really wanted to). Keep in mind that these are in no particular order and that the award names were created after all games were chosen to pertain to each game specifically.
Without further ado, PSLS' Best of E3 2015 Awards!
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For Honor
The Rock, Paper, Scissors Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Coming completely out of left field, Ubisoft's For Honor is the medieval four on four player game that no one knew they wanted until they saw it in action. Using some of the most innovated combat mechanics we have seen in some time, it has been able to mix weighty controls and a stylish setting to make this one of must watch titles to come out of E3 2015.
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Horizon Zero Dawn
The Unexpected New IP Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Guerrilla Games has shown us that they are chock full of new ideas. Horizon Zero Dawn is an epic, sandboxed, open-world game with a rich backstory. You all saw the robot tyrannosaurus, Thunderjaw, right?! Who ever thought we'd be hunting robots in the future? It's a far-out idea, and with the fluidity of combat and gorgeous art design shown to us at E3, gamers the world over will be chomping at the bit for more information and gameplay footage until the game releases.
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Destiny The Taken King
The "It Came From the Moon!" Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Love it or hate it, Destiny has been keeping players busy fighting its random number generator for almost a year. Now that the first season pass has run its course, the franchise is back with new The Taken King, an expansion that is looking to be bigger than anything we have seen come before it. Including new subclasses for each Guardian type, new strikes, a new raid and a whole new set of weapons, pieces of armor and exotics.
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Call of Duty Black Ops 3
The Momentum Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Call of Duty is moving forward to a new generation. Activision has a deal with Sony now. Black Ops 3 is entirely on the new generation of consoles. Things are changing. And so is the gameplay. The new, flowing movement system in Black Ops 3 is unlike any other Call of Duty game, and the Specialist system opens up the game to feel a bit more rewarding to the midline players. Keep in mind there's even four player co-op in the campaign, both online and local!
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LEGO Dimensions
Best Game with Batman, Gandalf, Scooby Doo, Chell, and Homer Simpson in it
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Imagine if you took all of your LEGO games and dumped them into a bucket, the same way that you did with your LEGO sets when you were a kid. This is LEGO Dimensions, and it is redefining the way that we see crossovers in video games, with some surprising and hilarious cameos. It also remains true to the nature of the source material, while injecting it with a metric brick ton of LEGO humor. Don't forget that you actually get to collect physical LEGO toys to play!
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Lost Dimension
This Game Stabbed you in the Back for this Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Travelling up a tower filled with bad guys, using super powers, and then killing off one of your companions, that is Lost Dimension for you. It sounds extremely messed up and that is just fine by me. The combat is incredibly fun while also being very strategic and unforgiving. The cast of characters are all really well done and the little nuances of trying to make it to the top present a very unique and refreshing RPG that is sure to help anyone with an RPG fix. It would have been cool to see it on PS4 but people with a PS3 and Vita shouldn't hesitate to give this a look.
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Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain
The Goodbye Kojima Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
The master of stealth action is here, and despite some recent drama with series creator Hideo Kojima, Snake hasn't skipped a beat. What we saw and played at E3 was dripping with cinematic presentation, and as usual there are multiple ways to play the same mission. There are few moments in gaming as tense as when you dash out of sight of an enemy who had previously seen you, and they start making their way towards you. Are you hidden well enough, or should you prepare for a fight? I expect this will be another entry that will sap countless hours of gamers' time.
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Mirror's Edge Catalyst
Freerunner Medal of Merit
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Having been one of the gems on the PlayStation 3 generation, Mirror's Edge Catalyst is the re-imagined prequel that is setting the stage for why the series protagonist Faith is the only one who can save a city dividing amongst itself. Using a complex control layout, it offers players the ability to learn how to best traverse around the whole city of Glass in a first for the series. On top of that, its first person view point gives it a unique point of view that is sure get players excited for its fast paced action, and new hand-to-hand maneuvers.
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No Man's Sky
Mr. Universe
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
*Sean Murray wasn't available to accept the award, so Adam Boyes graciously accepted it on his behalf and posed for this picture. We've been assured the award will make it to its proper home.
A massive universe predicated entirely on a not so simple formula that allows a small team of devs to make something massive and of a scale beyond anything done in games, No Man's Sky leads the charge for games that offer a sense of wonder and discovery. If you've ever questioned what's out there beyond our own planet, No Man's Sky intends to let you explore that query.
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Rainbow Six Siege
The Medal for Bravery in the Face of Certain Death
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
After years have passed since we last saw the franchise, Rainbow Six is back and looking to expand on the type of gameplay that made it first successful with Rainbow Six: Siege. Using a four on four player attack and defend style of gameplay for its multiplayer. Players are having to work together like never before in an all out tactical battle that will surely have them yelling at their TV screen.
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Ratchet and Clank PS4
The Captain Quark Award of Excellence
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
The game, based on the movie, based on the game. Insomniac Games is no stranger to quirky (or is that Quarky?) humor, and their venerable Ratchet & Clank series is finally getting a debut on the PS4. Having played the game at E3, I can safely say that it looks unbelievably good. We're finally at the point where it looks like you're playing a Pixar movie. The game explores Ratchet's origins, and allows us to play through areas from the earliest games in the franchise, re-imagined. The new jetpack opens up countless paths in the new open-ended areas, and the PS4 hardly breaks a sweat. Long-time fans and newbies alike will find plenty to enjoy.
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Willy Chyr's Relativity
The Einstein Would be Proud Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
This came out of nowhere. Take Portal, remove the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, keep the companion cubes, turn every surface into a walkable area, and you get some of the gist of Relativity. By simply pressing a trigger button, the wall that you're facing will become the floor, and any cubes that are on that wall will fall if there's nothing below them in the new perspective. I haven't been this excited about a puzzle game since Echochrome.
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The Last Guardian
The "We Missed You" Award
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
The Last Guardian has a storied history, tied in pretty closely with PlayStation LifeStyle's own history. If you want to know more about this tale, check out Anthony's story about the fear of nearly killing the Trico here. Fortunately, we were all able to breathe a sigh of relief as The Last Guardian made its showing as a PS4 title, and still looks to have that wonderful Team Ico flair and emotion of a bond between man and animal.
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Unravel
Best Yarn-based Puzzle Game
Read our E3 2015 preview here.
Unravel came from nowhere, appearing on EA's stage and surprising everyone with its beautiful tale full of heart, both within the game, and in the story behind the creation of the game. Add in that it is an excellent puzzle platformer with unique gameplay and stunning visuals, and you have the foundation for a game that is sure to be a tearjerker when it releases.
