Although E3 2014 wasn't as chocked full of surprises as some gamers hoped, the show still had plenty to offer for a wide variety of tastes. Granted, many of the more intriguing titles on display at this year's event are being saved for 2015 (or even later) but we'd still call the show an overall success.
Now that the dust has settled and the previews have been written, it was time for the official capper to E3. We, of course, are talking about the Game Critics Awards.
For those who might not be familiar, the Game Critics Awards are, in essence, the Oscars of E3 2014. Every year a group of judges from a wide variety of gaming publications (print, online, TV) get together and vote on what games most impressed them from that year's event. They highlight games in a number of categories and on a number of platforms, before eventually picking a Best of Show.
For this year's event the consensus Best Game of E3 2014 was Evolve, Turtle Rock Studios' 4v1 cooper-petitive multiplayer experience. In total Evolve came away 4 awards, including Best Multiplayer, Best Console Game, and Best Action Game.
No Man's Sky also came up big at this year's awards, winning Best Original Game, Best Independent Game, and a special commendation for innovation. Hello Games' space exploration title made a splash when it was first unveiled late last year, but clearly what the developer had to show at this year's event made a lasting impression on the judges.
It's important to mention as well that in order to be considered for any award a game needed to be playable. That doesn't mean playable on the show floor, or even behind closed doors, but the judges needed to be able to go hands-on with some portion of the game. So games like Uncharted 4 or Crackdown 3, while cool in trailer form, would not make the cut.
That being said, here's the full list of winners:
Best of Show
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Original Game
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)
Best Console Game
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
(Sora/Namco-Bandai/Nintendo for 3DS)
Best PC Game
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
(Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Hardware/Peripheral
Oculus Rift
(Oculus VR)
Best Action Game
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Action/Adventure Game
Batman: Arkham Knight
(Rocksteady/WBIE for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Role Playing Game
Dragon Age: Inquisition
(BioWare/EA for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Best Fighting Game
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
(Sora/Namco-Bandai/Nintendo for Wii U)
Best Racing Game
The Crew
(Ivory Tower/Reflections/Ubisoft for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Sports Game
NHL 15
(EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Best Strategy Game
Civilization: Beyond Earth
(Firaxis/2K Games for Linux, OSX, OC)
Best Social/Casual/Family Game
Mario Maker
(Nintendo EAD/Nintendo for Wii U)
Best Online Multiplayer
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Best Independent Game
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)
Special Commendation for Innovation
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)
Other award winners of note include NHL 15 for Best Sports Game — a fitting honor considering this is the first current-gen version of the game; The Crew for Best Racing Game; Batman: Arkham Knight for Best Action/Adventure; and Super Smash Bros. for Best Fighting Game.
It appears the Game Critics found a lot to like about E3 2014's selection. Evolve was certainly a highlight of the event for us, but not necessarily on the level of past year's Best of Show winners, or even contenders. Still, it was a great showing overall and these awards represent that.
What was your favorite game from this year's E3? What do you think of Evolve?
-
Source: Games Critics
Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina for all your gaming news needs.