The DeanBeat: The Game Awards show gaming’s past and future

The Game Awards always inspires me to think about the possibilities of gaming. The show looks into the past year, which now seems like a century ago, to review all the games that deserve awards. And it looks ahead with world premieres that promise us good things to come. The games that show up in the rear-view mirror or on the road ahead tell us where the game industry is going.

The Last of Us Part II swept many of the honors last night, surprising no one. I love that game, and I love that both critics and fans felt the same way. Naughty Dog’s seven awards showed that the studios that make the biggest bets and the most ambitious games can be rewarded with the highest honors and riches. The game was so polished that I didn’t see any flaws when played through it several times. The story is memorable, and the execution on graphics and the action is so good. The musical performance of Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, singing “Future Song,” which Joel performs with its symbolic guitar, brought home so many emotions for me about how the game connects characters through music.