I’m a huge fan of Zelda. Ocarina of Time is probably my favorite game, followed by Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword. So it pains me to say I don’t really like the new direction the series has gone since after Breath of the Wild.
Breath of the Wild was a “breath” of fresh air (…ugh, yes, I really just typed that) but I grew tired of it when Tears of the Kingdom finally released. And while the remake of Link’s Awakening was cute, it suffered performance issues. Echoes of Wisdom was likewise a fine game, but its gameplay hook never drew me in as much as a regular Zelda game where you play as the hero Link. Just gotta be honest.
Apparently, though, nobody asked me.
The 2025 BAFTA Game Awards are approaching, and Echoes of Wisdom has made the longlist for “Best Game.” It’s competing against games like Metaphor: Refantazio, Black Myth: Wukong, Call of Duty 600,000, and Astro Bot. Frankly, from what I’m hearing, I’d give the reward to Refantazio.
Here’s the full list of initial nominees for “Best Game”:
- ANIMAL WELL
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Helldivers 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Zelda is also nominated for “Family” and “Game Design” awards, and Super Mario Party Jamboree rightfully is nominated in the “Multiplayer” category.
Official nominees will be decided in March, and the award ceremony will be held on April 8th, 2025 where the winners shall be announced.
What game would you vote for out of this list?