Five gongs for The Lands Between
Last night saw the arguable start of awards season, with the return of the annual Golden Joystick Awards, an institution that has now run for some four decades. Presented by GamesRadar, the 2022 edition of the veteran UK ceremony saw almost three million votes cast by the gaming public, hoping to shine a spotlight on the many titles that have entertained them over the past 12 months.
And, in what may prove to be something of a portent for things to come, Bandai Namco’s challenging fantasy adventure Elden Ring was the big winner on the night, walking away with five awards in total including Ultimate Game of the Year and the Critic’s Choice award, (as well as, curiously, Best Multiplayer). Devolver Digital’s Cult of the Lamb took home the Best Indie Game gong, while actor Mahon Mage won Best Performer for her memorable turn in FMV mystery Immortality.
Steam hit Vampire Survivors won Best Breakthrough, while Goat Simulator 3 bagged Best Game Trailer for its amusing Dead Island 2 pastiche. Finally, as voted for by the public, the Most Wanted Game for 2023 was won by Nintendo’s highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Here are the winners for the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards:
Best Storytelling: Horizon Forbidden West
Still Playing Award: Genshin Impact
Best Visual Design: Elden Ring
Studio of the Year: FromSoftware Inc.
Best Game Expansion: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
Best Early Access Launch: Slime Rancher 2
Best Indie Game: Cult of the Lamb
Best Multiplayer Game: Elden Ring
Best Audio: Metal: Hellsinger
Best Game Trailer: Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer
Best Game Community: Final Fantasy XIV
Best Gaming Hardware: Steam Deck
Breakthrough Award: Vampire Survivors (critically chosen)
Critics’ Choice Award: Elden Ring (critically chosen)
Best Performer: Manon Gage – IMMORTALITY (critically chosen)
Nintendo Game of the Year: Pokemon Legends: Arceus
PC Game of the Year: Return to Monkey Island
PlayStation Game of the Year: Stray
Xbox Game of the Year: Grounded
Most Wanted Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Ultimate Game of the Year: Elden Ring
