All The Biggest Announcements From The Game Awards
If you thought 2020 was a big one for games, hold onto your butts because 2021 and beyond are opening the doors to a whole new galaxy of gaming. This year has been massive for the industry thanks to the releases of AAA titles including The Last of Us Part II, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Cyberpunk 2077. The list goes on, but added to this, we've had a boom in the esports scene in the midst of COVID-19, AND the release of next-gen consoles with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
Even as 2020 winds down, there was a slew of major announcements at December 10's Game Awards. Effectively the video game version of the Academy Awards, the Game Awards was THE event of the year as we were gifted trailers, announcements, and teases galore. With so much packed into the ceremony, it was easy to lose track of what was going on. Blink for even a second and you might've missed the next big thing. With this in mind, here are the biggest Game Awards announcements for 2020.
A new Perfect Dark Game
Possibly the biggest (and best) announcement was a new Perfect Dark game. Back in 2000, Perfect Dark was released as a spiritual successor to the N64's critically acclaimed GoldenEye 007. Microsoft previously put together a secret team to work on an "AAAA title", but over the years, the announcements have never amounted to much. We now know The Initiative is working on Perfect Dark. Although the cinematic trailer confirmed the return of the titular Joanna Dark, you'll have to wait a little longer to find out more.
Left 4 Dead is Back 4 Blood
While we sadly won't be getting another Left 4 Dead game, Back 4 Blood is the next best thing. Similar to GoldenEye/Perfect Dark, this one is being billed as Left 4 Dead's spiritual successor. Coming to current and next-gen consoles in June 2021, Back 4 Blood features giant (quite literally) zombies and a quartet of survivors trying to stay alive. More than just a first trailer, Turtle Rock showed off some impressive gameplay.
Among Us is taking flight
With InnerSloth's Among Us becoming a surprise hit of 2020, the tiny development team has promised to keep things ticking along in 2021. It's already been a year since we were dropped into a new map, but coming in "early 2021" is the Airship. As well as introducing new cosmetics and the ability to spawn wherever you want, there are new tasks for Crewmates to undertake as they try and avoid being killed by the Imposter(s) among them.
Dead Space is back (sort of)
It really was a busy year for spiritual successors in terms of biggest Game Awards announcements. Don't worry, it's the last time we'll use that word in this article. Despite it looking like Dead Space is dead and buried in the depths of outer space, The Callisto Protocol neatly fills the void left behind. Set in the year 2320 on the Jupiter moon of Callisto, you have to navigate this ravaged landscape and fend off murderous monsters. Survival horrors continue to be a major market, so get ready to hide behind the cushions for this one. Dead Space creator Glen Schofield says he wants to make the scariest game ever for PC - you've been warned.
Smash Bros. is getting a new face
Final Fantasy is once again bleeding into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with the arrival of Sephiroth. Entering the arena alongside fan-favourite Cloud, the Final Fantasy VII villain is swinging his giant sword and taking on the colourful cast of fighters. You don't have to wait long to see how Sephiroth fares. Nintendo has promised the latest DLC fighter will be coming later this month. It sounds like heads will roll.
Vin Diesel goes Jurassic Park
One of the biggest surprises was a digital recreation of Vin Diesel for Ark 2. The Fast and Furious star has turned dinosaur hunter in this sequel to Studio Wildcard's 2017 survival game. Here, Diesel plays Santiago, who helps his clan escape the snapping jaws of those toothy dinos. As well as Ark 2, there's also an animated series to accompany the game. Even if the trailer has divided fans, the voice cast for the show is truly remarkable. Wildcard has somehow managed to nab Gerard Butler, Malcolm McDowell, David Tennant, Elliot Page, Karl Urban, Russel Crowe, and Diesel. Consider our interest piqued.
Master Chief is coming to Fortnite
While leaks spoiled the surprise ahead of time, we now officially know Master Chief will be jumping off the Battle Bus and into the Fortnite map. Even though the star of the Halo series has previously been confined to Xbox and Windows, you'll be able to play with him for the first time ever on PlayStation. Suiting up alongside the likes of The Mandalorian's Din Djarin and God of War's Kratos, Master Chief is joining the expanding cast of mercenaries in Chapter 2 Season 5. If that wasn't enough, we're also getting a Walking Dead crossover thanks to Daryl and Michonne popping by for a battle royale bloodbath.
Mass Effect is massive
If seeing video game Vin Diesel wasn't a big enough surprise in terms of biggest Game Awards announcements, how about the unexpected tease of a new Mass Effect? Looking like it's set in the immediate aftermath of Mass Effect 3, this next chapter also teases that Liara T'Soni could be a playable character. Presumably continuing the story beyond the Reaper War, the next Mass Effect hopes to prove BioWare still has what it takes to top the charts. The first tease confirmed this one is only in the early stages of development, so you've probably got a bit of a wait on your hands.
Evil Dead isn't dead
Rumours that Bruce Campbell would reprise his legendary role as Ash Williams have turned out to be true. Despite Campbell saying he's done playing the lead of the Evil Dead franchise, he'll definitely be revving his chainsaw on consoles for an Evil Dead game. It's not quite our hopes of Ash crossing over into the Mortal Kombat games, but still, it's about time we reopened the Necronomicon. Saber Interactive's third-person shooter will be hacking its way into our lives next year, and if it's anything like the developer's World War Z game, we're in for treat.
So there we have it, get your diaries and start pencilling in all of the above. 2021 is already well-stocked with the console release of Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon: Forbidden West, Gotham Knights, and Far Cry 6. Now that the Game Awards has added a whole crop of new titles to the foreseeable future, you'd better start saving.
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Images via BioWare | Turtle Rock Studios | The Initiative
