Horizon Forbidden West got snubbed this year for GOTY awards: When the year 2022 rolled along, PlayStation had already launched two critically acclaimed original games.
Earlier this year, both Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok was launched to much fanfare. Although both games were well regarded, Horizon: Forbidden West has been mostly overlooked.
Elden Ring has received more than five times as many Game of the Year accolades as Sony’s newest first-party title, God of War Ragnarok, which has won a total of twenty-six.
On the other hand, the same research reveals that Horizon: Forbidden West did not succeed in securing any Game of the Year awards.
With several improvements over its predecessor, Horizon: Forbidden West has been widely praised since its debut. The game retains all of the elements that made the original so beloved by its players, while also introducing new features including expanded environments, new types of enemies, and new ways to move across the map, such as via gliding.
Despite being a cross-gen release, the game’s graphic quality has won over critics and fans. It looks stunning even on entry-level PS4 systems, and the PS5’s increased processing capability allows it to show off its gorgeous open world without slowing down.
Although it’s a great game, Horizon: Forbidden West hasn’t been recognized with a Game of the Year award. This game was nominated for the prize at TGA 2022, but it ultimately lost to the other games in its category.
Both Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West saw their initial releases in 2022. Despite Guerilla Games’ best efforts, Elden Ring stole the show, and Horizon was mostly forgotten.
It’s possible that this is one of the factors that has led to a dearth of Game of the Year honors. When Horizon Zero Dawn was out in 2017 less than a week before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a similar situation unfolded.
To be fair, though, Horizon: Forbidden West does have several notable achievements. Digital Foundry has named it the year’s best-looking video game, besting other titles with excellent visual production values such as The Callisto Protocol and God of War Ragnarok on PlayStation.
On April 19, 2023, a new add-on called Burning Shores will be released for Horizon: Forbidden West. The unveiling trailer features the iconic “Hollywood” sign, suggesting that the expansion would take place in California.
Horizon Forbidden West got snubbed this year for GOTY awards
It hasn’t won a single GOTY award from over 170 global media outlets and readers choice awards 😔 #PS5
See more: https://t.co/Cr5FjElpNH pic.twitter.com/O1tCM622AF
— Hunter 🎮 (@NextGenPlayer) December 27, 2022
The future add-on will be available on PlayStation 5 for fans to enjoy. Fans of the PlayStation 4 will have to wait, as Guerilla Games is putting all of its efforts into making its vast vision work on the PS5.