EG's Game of Gamescom 2011: The Nominees

By Oli Welsh Published 18 August, 2011

A shortlist of 10. Winner announced Monday.

Eurogamer is proud to announce the 10 nominees for its Game of the Show, gamescom 2011!

The winner will be announced on Monday morning, 22 August.

Without further ado and in alphabetical order - the games:

  • Batman: Arkham City

Rocksteady's confident follow-up to the sleeper hit of 2009 - and that rare sequel that's ready to significantly expand the parameters of a hit formula, as the caped cruseder goes open-world. Batman: Arkham City preview

  • Battlefield 3

DICE's über-shooter is EA's weapon of choice against the Modern Warfare 3 juggernaut with an appropriately bombastic single-player campaign. But it also boasts co-op, amazing technology and a spectacular return to the series' roots in multiplayer combat on a massive scale. Battlefield 3 preview

  • BioShock Infinite

It's still some way off, but Irrational's next is already a heady mix of intellect, romance, spectacle, action, fantasy and fear. This is the true BioShock sequel. BioShock Infinite preview

  • Borderlands 2

Freshly announced, but we only need to know that a sequel to Gearbox's unique randomised redneck adventure exists to be excited. If the improvement shown in Borderlands downloadable add-ons is anything to go by, it should be even better. First Borderlands 2 details

  • Diablo 3

Ten years since the last release, three years since it was announced, but Diablo 3 just looks more and more like the action RPG to end them all. Dumbed down? Not on your life, and quite the reverse. You'll see. Diablo 3 beta preview

  • Dishonored

Arkane returns under Bethesda's wing with a thrillingly open-ended steampunk stealth adventure that makes us think of Thief, Half-Life 2 and BioShock: not bad going. Dishonored preview

  • The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

We knew to expect an open-world fantasy RPG of dizzying scope and scale, but we didn't know it would be this pretty and slickly put together. Skyrim preview

  • FIFA 12

EA Sports isn't ready to give up its hard-won leadership in the critical as well as the sales table, and this is certain to remain the most-played game in the EG offices for another 12 months. FIFA 12 preview

  • Mass Effect 3

The story comes to an end in March next year with an explosive finale to Shepard's adventures. It's not just how BioWare's decisions turn out that we're excited to see, but our own. Mass Effect 3 preview

  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Another stunning-looking slice of high adventure from Naughty Dog. In the constant race to make action movies you can play, no-one else even comes close, and their secret is the same as Spielberg's: put ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Uncharted 3 preview

The list was put together, and the winner will be chosen, by staff from the nine Eurogamer Network sites attending gamescom this year: Eurogamer.net in the UK and our friends in the Benelux countries, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The voting process was a lot like the Eurovision Song Contest (it actually was, a bit).

There's only one Game of the Show award, and we make no distinction between platforms and genres in the selection process. Good games are good games.

Look out for more coverage of gamescom 2011 as the week goes on, and the announcement of our winning game on Monday!

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (56) Latest comment 9 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • thesonglessbird #1 9 months ago

    Funny that virtually everyone I've heard from who's played FIFA12 at Gamescon has gone "Meh.", whereas everyone who's played PES2012 has gone "OoOoOoOhhh...this is really, REALLY good".

  • Roland_on_the_Ropes #2 9 months ago

    Wish I had the money to play all of these. Damn you, no job.

  • gospvg #3 9 months ago

    LOL no MW3

  • onezeonx #4 9 months ago

    Why not just say "battlefield 3 wins" and save us waiting?

    :D

  • AMD500 #5 9 months ago

    Arkham City or Uncharted 3 for me. Really can't wait to play Arkham City and the Uncharted trailer at Gamescom was amazing.

  • gospvg #6 9 months ago

    Batman Arkham City for me - Can't wait for it to be released.
    also Borderlands 2 next year :)
    Edited by gospvg at 18/08/11 @ 10:57

  • cyacomini #7 9 months ago

    1) Sequel
    2) Sequel
    3) Sequel
    4) Sequel
    5) Sequel
    6) Oh, something new!
    7) Sequel
    8) Sequel
    9) Sequel
    10) Sequel

    Come on - some originality please Mr Games Industry.

  • rotmm #8 9 months ago

    Czechoslovakia?

  • xXHamdamcwaXx #9 9 months ago

    Only a single original game, otherwise all sequels, or further extensions of a franchise. Whilst this isn't a bad thing necessarily, it does prove the point that devs are going to the mattresses and hiding behind tried and tested.

    And how politically incorrect to include Battlefield 3 and not CoD. Sniggers...

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #10 9 months ago

    is cod even showing anything new at gamescon, this is gamescon awards remember, not games coming out this soon

  • wizlon #11 9 months ago

    Good point, it would be Dishonored for me just because it's a new franchise.... oh and because it looks amazing.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #12 9 months ago

    @rotmm What can I say, I'm old school. Still living in the Cold War. :(

  • BloodSaint #13 9 months ago

    @thesonglessbird Which is why Fifa 12 won Best Console Game rite? PES' Two player control is very messy but could have potential. Still anyone real soccer fan knows that Fifa 12 is way more realistic and is a much better game.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #14 9 months ago

    Modern Warfare 3 is at gamescom, that's just how the votes panned out. It very nearly made the list. However, they don't have much in Germany, just the Spec Ops stuff we saw at E3.

  • BigDannyH #15 9 months ago

    Yeah, I can see how a list of sequels is pretty boring, but I'm much more of a fan of game sequels than film sequels.

    With the amount of time and money they need to invest in creating the world/engine/idea of a game, I don't begrudge developers not wanting to start from scratch and take a risk for every game they make. I'm happy for the people who make the games I love to make some extra dough.

    Plus, the sequels in this list get way more love and attention put into them than tripe like The Hangover 2.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #16 9 months ago

    Post-recession, most big companies tend to do their innovating within the safety of big brands - hence this list.

  • StolenGlory #17 9 months ago

    Battlefield 3.

    Natch.

  • YGNUK-Munsen #18 9 months ago

    Battlefield 3 and Mass Effect 3 can jointly win this for me :)

  • TheEarlOfZinger #19 9 months ago

    Bioshock infinite isn't really a sequel though is it?!

    Different characters, story, timeline, setting etc etc

  • joelstinton #20 9 months ago

    The Battlefield Caspian Border trailer.. is just beautiful... However i'm dubious of what content that trailer shown will actually be represensative of PS3/360 versions. That list though, just shows how many potential good games are coming out and theres loads that havn't been touched on.

  • mvrander #21 9 months ago

    Is Sepp Blatter in charge of the football nominees? Or are you basing your list on animations instead of gameplay?

  • syra #22 9 months ago

    For a year bereft of anything worth playing for me so far, the list for christmas makes me cry bitter tears of needing a new computer and more cash in my wallet.

    D3, Skyrim, AssRevs, BatmanAC, ME3, Uncharted3, SpaceMarine.... WHY DONT THEY JUST PLAN THEIR BIG RELEASES YEAR ROUND >:(
    Edited by syra at 18/08/11 @ 11:25

  • bigjimbeef #23 9 months ago

    Skyrim.. or Diablo 3.. or BF3. Oh god. Were my wallet an organism, I'd be notifying some kind of protection trust about its imminent demise.

  • thesonglessbird #24 9 months ago

    @BloodSaint

    I'm laughing in your face right now, just so you know. FIFA is about as close to real football as Sensible Soccer. PES is far, far closer when you learn how to play properly. More licenses and better animations do not make a game closer to real football.

  • Tyranix #25 9 months ago

    I find your lack of Guild Wars 2 disturbing.

  • carlitoswagon #26 9 months ago

    No mention of Happy Feet 2?!

    orwill that be making the list next year....

  • naffgeek #27 9 months ago

    @thesonglessbird

    Obviously not played Fifa on console for a few years then?

    PES has gone downhill since 5, I am still hoping for a revival and will definitely play the demo but until they get the ball physics and AI sorted it will probably be Fifa 12 this year.

  • thesonglessbird #28 9 months ago

    @naffgeek

    I buy PES and FIFA every year. Even bought the FIFA World Cup game last year. PES2011 was decent, played it loads more than FIFA11. Just took a lot of getting used to because it certainly had its flaws. It's all about the beautiful team goals.

    As for the PES demo, there are going to be two. One next week that is pre-gamescon code where the shooting isn't too great and one next month with the shooting fixed. I don't know why either...

  • mvrander #29 9 months ago

    @nafgeek. No proof of the ball physics but the AI on PES this year looks like it's pounding FIFA to death. This may well be the year PES gets its crown back. FIFA seem to have spent all their efforts on looking nice when the players fall over and not what the players do when they are on their feet.

  • eviroboy #30 9 months ago

    Ah, so you've basically taken the easy and popular route here? No revelations there. Among others, F1 2011 deserves a mention, or do you only cater for the 'other' crowd?

  • Stuart444 #31 9 months ago

    what Tyranix said.

  • MojoDex #32 9 months ago

    Skyrim job done!

  • jaguarwong #33 9 months ago

    Why it's disappointing that so few new IPs are made today those complaining should check their own collections.

    Don't like it? Don't buy it.

    The industry makes games that sell - that's why it's an industry.
    These days new IP's only sell well at the start of a generation.

    It's like the dude frrom Bugbear said recently - people tend to want the same thing with only small changes, that's what they buy.

    With games development being so expensive no publisher is going to take a punt on a game no-one has heard of heard with ideas they've never seen before if they can make 10 x the revenue on Generic FPS #45678



    Edited by jaguarwong at 18/08/11 @ 14:35

  • CygnusReactor #34 9 months ago

    No love for Dark Souls?

  • Sonic_D #35 9 months ago

    Seconded, where is Dark Souls?

  • Showmeyomoves #36 9 months ago

    Thirded. Why isn't Dark Souls in there? Was it not playable? What are the criteria for these nominations?

  • Cherub007 #37 9 months ago

    What's up with the 'where is this game, where is that game' malarkey?

    It's a top 10 list. Some games aren't in it. It leaves EG in quite an interesting position if they go on to give some of the unmentioned games higher review scores than their chosen 10 above, but nobody's going to mention that, right? Right?

  • The_Bloody_Kettle #38 9 months ago

    Student budget- loads of games coming out - oh dear.

    Maybe if i quit smoking?

  • Stratix #39 9 months ago

    Well obviously the winner is going to be..... err... well it might be... umm...

    Us as gamers probably. Look at all those amazing games, oh, and Fifa.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #40 9 months ago

    @Cherub007

    While it's true that often happens, I should reiterate that this list was compiled by ALL Eurogamer's European network sites, not just our own. It doesn't only reflect the feelings of Eurogamer.net so if there's a wider than usual discrepancy between our nominations and how games end up getting scored on .net, that will be part of it.

    Besides, a Game of the Show award isn't about what review scores we think games will get, but what seems most impressive and exciting at the show.

  • A1J2P3 #41 9 months ago

    mass effect 3 ftw xD

  • Plewt #42 9 months ago

    Pfft, Dark Souls will be the best game ever made, it doesn't need the plebian Bethesda and Bioware-asslicking Eurogamer vote.

  • P1GEONPOO #43 9 months ago

    @oli
    Why dont you do a seperate top 10 list for EG UK? And yes please put Dark Souls on their for me too haha.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #44 9 months ago

    Dark Souls was in this site's top 10 for E3, by the way. Of course we love it and are looking forward to it. There's not much new from it at Gamescom, though.

  • el_pollo_diablo #45 9 months ago

    BioShock Infinite will win, I bet my own face on it.

  • king26 #46 9 months ago

    Skyrim, Uncharyed 3 and Battlefield 3 for me. Unfortunately to many sequals though

  • superdelphinus #47 9 months ago

    F1 2011

  • Zomoniac #48 9 months ago

    The list lost any credibility as soon as you gave the unseen Borderlands 2 a game of the show nomination on the grounds that "we only need to know that a sequel to Gearbox's unique randomised redneck adventure exists". Giving a game you haven't seen a GotS nomination is laughable.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #49 9 months ago

    Sorry, that's misleading. I guess I was writing from my own perspective (I'm stuck in the UK). Plenty of the staff voting, from across the European sites, have seen Borderlands 2 at the show.

  • Gunship #50 9 months ago

    Diablo 3? With 'always online' DRM and 'real money' auctions? It better have some pretty awesome gameplay to make up for that...

  • DavidBoring #51 9 months ago

    no journey ?

  • curtlikesmeat #52 9 months ago

    PLEASE attempt a half decent critical review of Fifa 12 this time, not just what Rutter spoon feeds you. Don't get all defensive, this isn't a criticism, I'd just love to see a mainstream game site really address in depth features of football games. Particularly in EG's case, you lot seem to base your review off your lunchtime gaming sessions, which I'm sure are fun, but most of us play alone and don't have 10+ mates crowded round a TV.

    Play a good few seasons for manager mode and I'm sure if Fifa has the usual features it'll all become very samey.

  • Buran #53 9 months ago

    Kick FIFA or Diablo III and put Dota 2 instead, Blizzard barely show nothing in the convention.

  • icelt #54 9 months ago

    With all due respect, Dark Souls not being in there is daft.

  • gumblecosby #55 9 months ago

    Today I learnt about Dishonoured because of this list. Thanks.

  • psychokitten #56 9 months ago

    Dishonored wasn't on my watch list till now either, good shout.