Returnal brings home the bacon at BAFTA Games Awards
London, UK - PlayStation exclusive Returnal, a shooter game about an astronaut trapped in a time loop on an alien planet, has been named best game at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Games Awards.
It was the biggest winner of the night on Thursday, picking up four awards in total, as it also scooped the audio achievement, music and performer in a leading role prizes.
Puzzle game Unpacking, where players must unpack boxes and neatly fit them in the space around a new virtual home, was the other major winner at the event as it won the EE game of the year award - the only prize voted for by the public. It also took home the award for best narrative.
Elsewhere, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the latest game in the long-running popular series, picked up the animated and technical achievement awards.
Online platform game It Takes Two also scored two wins, in the multiplayer and original property categories.
The newest installment in the Forza racing series, Forza Horizon 5, was named best British game, while space exploration game No Man's Sky - first released in 2016 - was named the best evolving game.
There were also wins for The Artful Escape in the artistic achievement category, Chicory: A Colorful Tale in the family category, and Before Your Eyes, which won the game beyond entertainment award.
"For the second year running we have been able to hear directly from the public through their votes for the EE game of the year award, and so a massive congratulations to Unpacking for getting their seal of approval," said Dr Jo Twist, chair of the BAFTA Games Committee which decided on the category nominees, reacting to Unpacking's win in the public vote for EE game of the year.
"In a hugely growing industry, we are delighted to honor and recognize the best of the games industry's talent and we're pleased to livestream these prestigious awards so fans around the world can tune in from wherever they are."
Check out TAG24's April Games Release Radar for the hottest new titles to look forward to this month.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Twitter/Housemarque & Returnal Press