Returnal, a sci-fi horror game, won four awards at this year’s Bafta Games Awards. The Playstation 5 shooter took home the top prize, best game. “It’s great, of course, and we’re so pleased of the team that made it,” Housemarque studio chief Ilari Kuittinen said in a BBC News interview. Returnal’s Selene, an astronaut who crashes on an extraterrestrial planet and gets stuck in a time loop, was played by Jane Perry, who won the award for an outstanding main performer.
The actress hailed Bafta for “recognising the artistry and the great talent in the games industry” during her acceptance speech at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Aside from that, she expressed gratitude to the game’s developers for “bringing the person who became Selene to life – and several deaths”. Perry went on to say: “We all aspire to play a part like that one day. Even though she’s a middle-aged single mother, she exudes boldness and strength. And despite her many losses and traumas, she never abandons her dreams.
“I think we can all find inspiration from Selene, considering the current status of the globe,” says the author. This year’s Bafta winners were It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Unpacking, which all won two awards apiece. When Wren Brier and Tim Dawson moved in together, the idea for Unpacking, a puzzle game in which a woman’s life unfolds as the player unboxes her items, was born.
As he accepted the story award, Brier commented, “It’s fantastic to have our tiny strange game recognised.” Although the story of Unpacking is straightforward, “it’s good to see that the way we express it is different, and that’s appreciated and resonates with people.” An even bigger shock came for the couple from Brisbane when it was declared the winner of the sole category in which the general public could vote: EE game of the year.
“Wow. We had no idea what to anticipate from this. In other words, there was absolutely no likelihood of it happening “Brier made the comment.
The Bafta Awards have recognised the best in gaming for the past 18 years. During the outbreak of the pandemic, gaming’s popularity skyrocketed. Last week, it was revealed that British gamers will spend a record £7.16 billion on games, gear, and accessories in 2021 – an increase of 32% over 2019. The Bafta Games Awards were held in person for the first time in 2019 on Thursday. Covid was largely responsible for the last two ceremonies. And many of this year’s winners were able to work on their projects while the government was on lockdown.
Forza Horizon 5, a racing game which is set in Mexico but developed in Leamington Spa by Playground Games, won the award for the best British game. Trevor Williams, the studio’s head, stated: “It’s an honour and a privilege, and it makes me happy. It wasn’t an easy game to complete, to be honest with you. “A truly amazing experience was having the opportunity to work with a team that not only worked hard to get the game out the door but at every turn worked hard to make it the best it could be. You’ve mastered your trade, without a doubt.”
Hazelight Studios’ Swedish founder Josef Fares accepted the medal for best original IP on behalf of It Takes Two and said: “An unexpected development. We’re overjoyed and immensely proud.” Fares quipped about the multiplayer reward when he returned to the stage to get it: “This one was actually expected.”