It's a ceremony that all video game enthusiasts look forward to: The Game Awards, which crown each year the most inspiring and successful games of the season. After Deathloop, the Lyon-based Arkane Studios’ action/adventure game that won Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2021, other French creations could be honored this year at the Microsoft Theater.
Two French works are in the running for the prestigious Game of the Year award: A Plague Tale: Requiem, the Bordeaux-based Asobo Studio’s second opus after Innocence, and Stray, the first creation of Montpellier-based Blue Twelve Studio.
Released in October 2022, A Plague Tale: Requiem follows the adventures of young Amicia and her brother Hugo during the Black Death in France. Considered to be summer 2022 “revelation’’, Stray takes the player on a journey in the skin of an enigmatic cat.
A Plague Tale: Requiem and Stray each compete in several other categories, namely: for the former, Best Screenplay, Best Action/Adventure, Best Score and Music – composed by Olivier Derivière – and Best Performance – actress Charlotte McBurney, voice-over of Amicia in the international version; for the latter, Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Indie, Best Action/Adventure and Best Debut Indie.
A competitive industry
Other selected French games include Sifu, developed and published by Sloclap. Released in February 2022, this plunge into the world of a Kung-Fu student seeking to avenge the death of his master, who was murdered before his eyes, is nominated in three categories, those of Best Indie, Best Action Game and Best Fighting.
Ubisoft's latest creation, Mario + The Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, jointly developed by the group's Parisian and Milanese studios, was selected in the Best Family and Best Sim/Strategy categories. It competes in the latter alongside Dune: Spice Wars, a game inspired by the universe of Frank Herbert’s book series and developed by Bordeaux-based studio Shiro Games.
For its part, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, published by French studio Dotemu, is selected for the titles of Best Multiplayer and Best Action Game.
Finally, in addition to the video games, it is worth noting the animated series Arcane, produced by Paris-based studio Fortiche and adapted from League of Legends, is competing for the title of Best Adaptation.
In total, there are six games developed or jointly developed by French studios, as well as an animated series produced by a French studio, in competition at this worldwide unmissable event of the video game industry. A good haul that attests to the French industry’s vitality and know-how.
The public is invited to vote for their favorite on the Game Awards website before the awards ceremony on December 8, in Los Angeles.
French nominations
Game of the Year: A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo); Stray (Blue Twelve Studio)
Best Game Direction: Stray (Blue Twelve Studio)
Best Narrative: A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo)
Best Art Direction: Stray (Blue Twelve Studio)
Best Score and Music: Olivier Derivière for A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo)
Best Performance: Charlotte McBurney for A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo)
Best Indie: Stray (Blue Twelve Studio); Sifu (Sloclap)
Best Debut Indie: Stray (Blue Twelve Studio)
Best Action Game: Sifu (Sloclap); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Dotemu) Best Action/Adventure: A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo); Stray (Blue Twelve Studio)
Best Fighting: Sifu (Sloclap)
Best Multiplayer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Dotemu)
Best Family: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (Ubisoft)
Best Sim/Strategy: Dune: Spice Wars (Shiro Games); Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (Ubisoft)
Best Adaptation: Arcane (Fortiche)
A Plague Tale: Requiem, Sifu, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, and Dune: Spice Wars received support from the CNC (the French Film Institute). Arcane benefited from the Tax rebate for international production (TRIP).
