BBC Newsbeat
Ninja IdeaSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II has picked up essentially the most nominations at this yr’s Bafta Video games Awards.
The action-adventure recreation, developed by Cambridge-based studio Ninja Idea, is up for awards in 11 out of 14 classes on the annual ceremony.
It is within the working for greatest recreation alongside 3D platformer Astro Bot – up for eight awards – which clinched top prize at the US-based Game Awards in December.
The occasion, thought of one of the prestigious within the video games trade calendar, can be held in London on 8 April.
The opposite contenders in the most effective recreation class are:
- Balatro – a poker-inspired card recreation
- Black Delusion: Wukong – an action-adventure made in China and impressed by a preferred fantasy
- Helldivers II – a multiplayer co-operative shooter
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge – the primary recreation in Nintendo’s in style collection to star the princess it is named after
- Thank Goodness You are Right here! – a wacky cartoon journey recreation developed by two associates from Barnsley
Bafta fingers out prizes annually in a variety of classes, together with performing, music and recreation design.
Three of the six most-nominated video games this yr have been made within the UK.
Nonetheless Wakes the Deep, a horror recreation from Brighton-based studio The Chinese language Room set on a Scottish oil rig, is up for eight awards, whereas Thank Goodness You are Right here! is up for seven.
Lego Horizon Adventures, based mostly on the PlayStation collection and largely developed by London-based Studio Gobo, is nominated in 4 classes.
Indie hits Animal Properly and Balatro, every have 4 nominations, as does Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6.
Coal SupperSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a sequel to Senua’s Sacrifice – which picked up 5 awards at 2018’s gaming Baftas.
Its 11 nominations would possibly shock some – the sport was a powerful technical showcase and acquired constructive if not excellent opinions.
Nonetheless, like the primary recreation, it was praised for its sensitive depiction of the main character’s psychosis.
Bafta Video games committee chair Tara Saunders tells BBC Newsbeat it represents “a powerful yr for British-made video games”.
She says the voting panel is made up of members the world over who take the awards “very severely” and vote based mostly on a variety of options.
“It is all about excellence,” she says.
“Excellence within the crafts and possibly a few of these video games have nailed all of these craft areas.”
Bafta CEO Jane Millichip agrees, and desires to embrace the actual fact they’ve a British recreation class.
“Our members are worldwide they usually’re the individuals who select,” she says.
Most-nominated video games
Organized by variety of classes:
- Senua’s Saga: 11
- Astro Bot and Nonetheless Wakes the Deep – eight
- Thank Goodness You are Right here! – seven
- Black Delusion: Wukong – 5
Learn extra concerning the nominees:
The Bafta Video games Awards aren’t any stranger to the odd upset.
In 2023, Vampire Survivors – made by a tiny British studio – beat Sony’s God of War: Ragnarök to the top prize.
This yr’s greatest recreation area has an identical mixture of big-budget blockbusters and indie hits.
“I like that Bafta can shock, I like that it isn’t a given and we are able to get to that evening and we do not know what is going on to come back out on high,” Tara says.
“It is placing a highlight on some actually tiny video games which may have slipped by.”
Metaphor: Refantazio featured prominently in different awards lists however solely picked up two nominations, with one for its narrative.
And Closing Fantasy VII: Rebirth was nominated within the narrative and music classes however ineligible for greatest recreation on account of Bafta guidelines on remakes.
The Chinese language RoomOccasions stay powerful for individuals working within the video games trade worldwide, with mass layoffs, studio closures and cancelled tasks persevering with to make headlines.
Tara says awards just like the Baftas are “a beacon of sunshine at midnight occasions”.
“It is actually vital to pause and have fun the groups and people which have crafted these standout video games experiences,” she says.
And Jane, who additionally oversees Bafta’s occasions throughout movie, TV and different artistic industries, says the gaming awards are a spot for individuals to assist one another.
“I’ve by no means seen a group cheer a lot after they lose, it is a good factor to behold,” she says.
“It is so fantastic to see the entire video games group being so supportive of one another and there to have fun the sector, not themselves.
“It is sort of devoid of ego and that is nice.”
Yow will discover a full checklist of Bafta Video games Awards nominations for 2025 here.
