Ghost of Tsushima Wins 'Player's Voice' at The Game Awards

Well deserved. An original IP with innovative gameplay elements and ever-green combat. And great escapism for this sh*ty year. Kudos to Sucker Punch. They have made 2 of my top 50 favorite games of all time.

Too bad it was largely because of 4chan and the hate mob on the TLOU2 reddit that it won. Sad that so many hateful people voted for it not because it was better but because they just didn't want TLOU2 to win.

Shame it only won because it was 4chan spamming votes. Not because it was the better game but because it wasn’t TLOU2. Let the game’s quality be debated, not which group hates the other the most.

Nice, it's my choice too, congrats to SP for this awesome games 😃

In the end, I'm glad the better game won 😌

@PSfan4Life22 That is a shame. But I voted for it because it's my personal GOTY, and it won, so whatever!

Glad to see to doing well. It deserves its success.

It makes me laugh that GoT is up for all those nominations, but not 'Best Score'. It's got to be one of the best I've ever heard.

Deserved! Game of the year by far, original IP, visuals are incredible, sound incredible, gameplay super fun, free multiplayer...too bad my PS5 broke the cd lol

It deserves this, hoping this masterpiece nets more awards at the actual show as it's worth every vote and praise it's ever received

After seeing the most predictable comments about 4chan in this comment section. I can't stop wondering where the hell 4chan was during the Golden joystick awards. I guess they just vanished and reappeared.

@nessisonett @stuzster @PSfan4Life22 I guess most players didn't like it when you make a sequel where the protagonist is tortured to death, and the game make you play as the killer and hoping players would empathize with it 😬

Also ghost has great sales so it's a true player choice.

@TheIdleCritic Yeah it's not to say that no one voted for it b/c they liked it more but it was way behind TLOU2 in the voting until 4chan got involved. Then all of the sudden it caught up and took a huge lead. Way too obvious. In the future they should hide the percentage vote so that things like this don't happen.

@Rubssi Those weren't as widely advertised as TGA obviously. Just like every other outlets reader's choice won't be as heavily advertised and will likely go to TLOU2 like I've already seen happening.

@PSfan4Life22 There was also the website getting hacked and Ghost being at 100% while the site crashed and wouldn’t allow votes.

@nessisonett I guess the 5+ million people who bought GOT are all 4chan lou2 haters

@Rubssi You do realise that you’re playing to type?

@nessisonett funny I could say the same for you

@Rubssi I'm starting to think you're one of those people by how you are responding to this. Ghost was behind by double digits. Then as soon as 4chan and the TLOU2 reddit got involved and started making post after post of saying to vote for Ghost it just magically caught up and took a huge lead? Yeah you go on being ignorant all you like.

@AdamNovice Some TLOU fans on Twitter with probably barely any followers is vastly different then a place like 4chan. Don't even try to compare them.

@PSfan4Life22 "One of those people". I love this. "If you didn't vote for the clear winner tlou2 then you're a 4chan lou2 hater". Can't be that someone genuinely liked GOT over lou2 despite playing both. Again, I wonder where all these 4chan users were during the Golden Joystick awards. Asleep at the wheel ig.

I really loved Ghost of Tsushima and I'm really glad it won this award. Looking forward to watching the rest of the awards on Friday morning!

Didn't play it yet, but no way it's better than TLOU 2.

Ghost was fun, GOTY? not even close, a solid 7 that was fun while it lasted but not one I'll ever look back on. Sadly we all know the real reason why this won and the ridiculous discourse that still follows The Last of Us 2

@carlos82 TLOU2 has already won 9 GOTY awards and will win many, many more. This is the first for Ghost and I doubt it will win many more. Those of us paying attention know exactly why it won this one. It's a good game but it isn't GOTY material.

How is Neil Druckman trying to garner votes from his thousands of twitter followers any different from tens of people on 4chan trying to get there choice to win. You do what you can to get votes.

So fans of GOT = trolls from 4chan & haters? Delusional fanboys...

Brilliant game and my choice also, would have been nice for it to get the award on it's own merits but hey ho that is the internet I suppose!

@Daveuppercut Hmm maybe because people who follow Neil maybe actually played TLOU2 and should vote versus scumbags at 4chan who played neither and are just voting because they are against certain things that are in TLOU's story like gay or trans characters. Pretty obvious difference here.

SuckerPunch!!!

@PSfan4Life22 You can soothe yourself with this. Fans made their choice.

@PSfan4Life22 and now the personal attacks. Literally couldn't be more predictable. I wonder who's acting more like a 4chan user.

@133lkey TLOU2 haters made their choice. Fixed that for you because as I said the evidence is out there and ignoring it means you're part of the problem most likely.

Has Neil druckman been on twitter yet moaning like a spoilt child?

@PSfan4Life22 facepalm

Two things The Last Of Us Part 2 will still win the VGAs Game of the year category and they should rename this the "whiners game of the year" . But that reminds i should really get back to GoT after my third play through of TLOU Part 2

I loved both TLOU2 and GoT. I voted for TLOU2, but I'm not sore that it didn't win.

The most important thing is that I thoroughly enjoyed both games. Sure, TLOU2 wasn't what I was expecting story-wise, but it was a great game to play... and the uncomfortable feeling of being forced to play as Abby after early events was certainly a different approach; sometimes it's nice to be taken out of your comfort zone. It's nice to be thrown a curveball once in a while.

There's always going to be people who are unhappy with the results of these types of events.

At the end of the day, if you as an individual enjoyed a game and felt/experienced something unique that others did not, then you won through that great experience. Regardless of what others think.

All these games had an impact on players and all of them probably meant a lot to some of them. They're all GOTY worthy. It's just a matter of who's playing them and what they get out of them.

I can't believe we're fighting over two fantastic PlayStation exclusive games. They're on the same team! We're all on the same team!

@Kidfried
[url.external]https://ibb.co/ThMty73[/url]

@carlos82 There's a way to defend tlou and Neil without taking a dump on ghost and Sucker Punch, you're a few sentences away from saying Sony should sell Sucker Punch to Microsoft 😐

These two games are part of the PlayStation family and no matter which one wins the awards will be shown on the same display case.

Ghost is a great game. TLOU2 is a great game. One of them has to win. Therefore one is always going to miss out on an award. I celebrate both as a win for single player games.

@ShogunRok Eh, not so much fighting over two games. GoT is a fine game and a rad exclusive. It's more fighting over the kind of ***** heads who would band together to review-bomb or spite-vote against (or harass the creators of) a game every chance they get. I'm certainly not on the same team as those types.

@Kidfried This. Very much this. As you said, sometimes, things don't happen the way people want, and people should accept that. If they can't, that is fine too, they are welcome to voice disagreement, but they need not throw dirt at each other.

On a side note, I have not played either of these. I probably won't play TLOU 2, but that is not due to the controversy, but more due to the fact that I didn't particularly like the ending of the first game anyway. It felt like it should have a been a one-shot and done deal. Might play Ghost when I get a hold of it for cheap and backlog isn't quite as sizable as it is now..

Haven't played GoT yet but absolutely loved LOU2.
The arguments between the two feel very odd. Some people didn't like LOU2 but have made it their mission to pour so much hate onto it they would probably cut off their finger to make people dislike it. I don't understand why but it feels like it means more than just a game they didn't enjoy.
Defenders are extreme the other way to defend what doesn't need defending. If people don't like this game - they lose. They missed out on enjoying a great game.
I'm in that boat with Witcher 3, Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption. Games discussed as the best of all time. I didn't like them too much and could spend my free time spouting hate onto websites to try and make other people dislike them, but in truth I'm the one who loses.
I really wish I loved them a much as everyone else and feel gutted, not angry, that I don't.

BUT think of poor MS fans who don't own a PS4 having to watch Sony fans go at each other over which game is GOTY. They're probably thinking how they wish they could argue over 2 amazing games and which one is possibly fractionally better than the other....

@PSfan4Life22 Oh well. Neil Druckmann is an you-know-what with what might be one of the worst fanbases behind him. You can’t say anything negative about the game without them calling you a racist, homophobe, bigot, etc.

_{Post edited. Please don't use offensive remarks - get2sammyb}

@ShogunRok It’s because Neil Druckmann thinks the people who don’t like his game are haters.

_{Post edited. Please don't use offensive remarks - get2sammyb}

@Juanalf I'm not defending anybody and since when was 7 a bad score? It is still a good game but its not that great, the combat was fun and thats what kept me going to the end. This year though even without The Last of Us 2 I still wouldn't have it as GOTY, with the likes of Doom Eternal around

@Akurusu obvious troll is obvious

@Kidfried Don't have the data to back that up? I mean it's pretty obvious. TLOU2 had a double digit lead. Neil then made a tweet saying something like for every vote TLOU2 gets a hater loses their caps lock. That tweet was then posted on TLOU2 reddit and 4chan telling people to vote for Ghost so that TLOU2 wouldn't win. Then all of the sudden Ghost closes the gap and takes a huge lead itself in a short amount of time. You think that is all a coincidence? No it isn't.

@Akurusu Oh boy here we go with one of these people. Push square should just ban you and get it over with.

I definitely agree, Ghost was the best this year

@Akurusu
So youre apart of the same fanbase idiot

A lot of people are saying that Ghost only won because of TLOU2 hate mob but lets not forget it was already edging out The Last of Us before they got going and it is the highest user rated game on Metacritic of the year (and almost of all time). I voted for TLOU2 but very happy Ghost won, a terrific game with incredible dev support.

@get2sammyb Whenever I see comments like that I have to read back through the messages just to see why you post it. Damn curiosity...
I personally thought LOU2 was as good a game I've ever played while still finding the 'middle' section difficult to accept at first, but I won't be lying if I say I can't wait for 2021 and people to stop talking about this game! Until they bring out a PS5 remaster that then goes and wins all the 2021 awards!!

Well deserved. I never heard of 4chan or whatever but I still choose Tshushima over LoU2.
For me it was a 10/10. Just great game with superb gameplay and music.

@Gaming365247 Nuh-uh. Have you seen Neil’s Twitter?

@get2sammyb Can we just start removing posts that do the whole ‘Cuckmann’ thing? It was never clever or funny and is clearly just done to antagonise.

@PSfan4Life22 They should ban me because you don’t like what I say, lol. You’re throwing a fit because TLOU didn’t get the players voice. Did you consider that some people don’t know there’s such thing as a Player’s Voice now & got the word out?

Well deserved. Even if I wanted to vote for DooM Eternal (didn't wanted to register somewhere, so don't woted).

@nessisonett Why?

@Akurusu Because it adds nothing to the discussion. It’s a horrid choice of words as it implies that Neil Druckmann is in some way subservient to women.

@Gaming365247 I don’t use Twitter just for talking about video games. Friends are there too.

@Zeke68 I just beat it the other day and it was great. It has shortcomings and things that can be improved, but I was never bored.

@nessisonett I’m fully entitled to my opinion so long as I’m not using offensive language or deliberately offending anyone here.

@ShogunRok Hi there friend.
Yes, exactely. We are, or should be, on the same team.
The team of great games. In this case, PS exclusive games.
Both are two of the most amazing gaming experiences I´ve ever played.
Whatever people might think, Both deserve the award. Even Hades deserved as well. Fantastic game IMO.
But I´m glad my personal GOTY won. Congrats to Sucker Punch. Job very well done and to all the other game producers and teams that keep on delivering gems for the players.
Cheers, stay safe out there people and happy gaming to us all

Well deserved. The best looking game I’ve played this year and it was fun for the multiple hours I spent with it. Enjoyed it so much I platinumed it. I loved exploring Tsushima.

Anyone blaming its win over TLOU2 on 4chan needs to get real lol.

I voted for the last of us part 2 but Im glad if it had to lose out to any game it would be my 2nd favourite game of the year Ghost of Tsushima.

@PSfan4Life22 So you're actually saying that GoT won because of a Tweet fron Neil D.? That's your argument.... So if Neil does not tweet, TLOU2 wins? What a world we live in.

@stuzster keep in mind that even the Oscars wanted to implemented such a ridiculous vote. It's one way to get attention, I guess. Quality be damned.

@Oscarjpc
If thats the case trump would have won

@wiiware sure, once again, let's forget about facts (i.e. that it was losing by a significant margin and suddenly won) and focus on our personal feelings over a game we didn't like.

That makes sense.

Saying that as someone who has played neither and will get GoT in the near future because it looks superb and right up my alley. I doubt I'd enjoy TLOU2 because I don't like the genre. But your arguments remain ridiculous when it comes to TLOU2.

@Gaming365247 Read his argument. I just literally repeated his argument. So according to him, it all started with Neil's tweet.

@ShogunRok "I can't believe we're fighting over two fantastic PlayStation exclusive games. They're on the same team! We're all on the same team!"

The fight isn't over the games, but over the tactics used. I'd be happy with either one winning as long as it was fair and square.

@naruball The people has spoken and they have choose ghost as the best game this year, democracy is great 😃

@wiiware
More like the haters of TLOU Part 2 have spoken.

Loved the game.

@Gaming365247 Or lover of ghost of tsushima 😃

@PSfan4Life22
Judging by the amount of posts and language your using,I can tell your far too emotionally engaged in this, so whatever I say will be shot down or viewed as phobic, all ill say is this, partisan people on the Internet exist in regards to pretty much everything these days, both sides think they are right and there's no changing minds or compromise. All I was saying is people fight their cause, its a new sport for the modern age, but ultimately Internet debate is pointless pursuit.

I'm surprised a console exclusive managed to get the player's voice in the era of constant review bombing whenever something isn't on PC

I'm glad it won something because you just know LOU2 is gonna clear up at the awards. GOT was without a doubt the better game (oops, does that comment make me a homophobe or transphobe?).

I voted for TLOU2, because I do think it’s the best game that came out this year.

Not even played GoT yet, but I’m glad it won. SuckerPunch deserves the shine.

I’m confused about the division. Both games are first party. Not every game is for everyone & that’s fine.

@Brutal yes! Now go make some bigot sandwich’s 🤣

Well deserved! Fantastic game in a fantastic year for games.

Congrats to the 👻 ghost.word up son

I love GoT, but, in my opinion, it really should have gone to TLoU:2. People are just mad about Joel and Abby... but wasn't that the point? It took risks in storytelling that I loved that I have need seen in a game. It made me hurt and mad and depressed, basically, it made me feel like Ellie. This game made you questions heroes and understand enemies. It taught me to have empathy for those that made choices that one once thought could be unforgiveable. For me, this is, without a doubt, my GotY. It's a masterpiece and I'm interested on what people will think of this game in the future when the dust settles.

Without having played TLOU2, it seems to me that a game whose very mention invites toxic discourse is not at all deserving of a "Player's Voice" award.

Death stranding was better than last of us 2. Truth

@B_Lindz star wars squadrons was better than last of us 2

Geoff Keighley only nominates white men

@jess3a3 He doesn't nominate anyone.

The game could not be more deserving. It is an amazing game. I am equally happy however, TLOU 2 and the miserable, egotistical, Neil Druckmann lost. Unlike all the other game companies that thanked their fans for the support and the nominations. Druckmann, who is the co-president of Naughty Dog mind you, thought it would be best to go after anyone who didn't like his divisive game a hater. Instead of being grateful for the support it did get, his sensitive little ego couldn't handle any criticism, and still can't let it go. He views anyone with criticism as toxic (textbook prohection.) This shows what a petty and infintile person he is. To all the reviewers who fell all over themselves to praise this game, this shows his true colors and that there is nothing profound or deep about the man. We already had a good idea of what type of crappy person he was when he unceremoniously schemed to get rid of Amy Hennig. As well as how monumentally massive his ego is. This is also the same guy who decided to issue false copyright claims against youtubers who discussed the divisive content of the game after it leaked. He also, for the second time, lied to customers by using false advertising. Going so far as to put a fake scene in the adverstising for the game. Also it's such a crappy place to work over 70% of the staff have left since Uncharted 4. He truly is a wretched human being. But he doesn't have to worry, the woke game awards will of course give him all the awards he was nominated for on Thursday.

Oh wow. People salty for something like this. Pathetic. I voted GoT but Demon's Souls was my first choice
Amazing game anyway.

I only enjoyed 1 hour of last of us 2. wouldn't play again

The Last of Us 2 is a great game, but I enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima much more...and I think that goes to how great TLoU2 was. I was committed to the end, no matter how gut wrenching and stressful it was to see it through. A game that makes you uncomfortable, but keeps you engaged, is rare. The last I can remember was Spec Ops: The Line.

Again, great game, but GoT is my GOTY.

@jess3a3 Okay, I am genuinely interested. Why is Star Wars Squadron better than TLoU:2? I'd love to gear your response. I'm not trying to be a rude; I'm just interested in you response.

@B_Lindz
There is nothing petty about disliking it.
Your comment is the only one I'll reply to here because the discussion is simply impossible with attitudes like that on both sides.
Anyway 🤷‍♂️
Happy gaming

@Brutal
No but it made me laugh thanks.

@jess3a3
Funny i have played two hours of GoT and i havent been back since but played TLOU Part 2 3 times now

Well it's a good thing that the actual game of the year isn't determined by public vote

@B_Lindz last of us 2 was disappointing story and combat the same as first game. Unenjoyable and painful slog

Squadrons is best vr game ever. Example of the future of gaming. Takes you into star wars universe.

Last of us 2 doesn't even have Multiplayer

Good, this was the best thing Sony did this year, so, it's deserved.

Guess it was all for nothing then

If peeps are interested in hooking up for some PS5 multiplayer from time to time then add me - HotstuffFred 👍

@JJ2 You are right. I was being too harsh for calling people petty and I'm sorry about that. I edited my comment to reflect a more empathetic approach. I invite you to check out my edited post. I'd love to know your thoughts.

@jess3a3 I felt that the combat was vastly improved from the first game. I'm sorry that you felt it hadn't improved.
What made the story unenjoyable? I mean, the story wasn't exactly joyful, it was painful, but for me it really helped me see things from different people's, even my enemy's perspective. It was a slow burn, but I enjoyed it so much. I am glad, however, that you had such a wonderful time with SW:S.

@B_Lindz it was too dark and ugly for me. Hated almost all the characters. Survival horror is not my fav genre. I love uncharted much more than last of us series. I liked some moments in lou2 but tried to rush to the end. Bottom line didn't want to play it twice.

@jess3a3 My favorite addition to the gameplay is the ability to go prone. That combined with tall and short grass made me feel like I was actively hunting my enemies, which is not something I could say in the first game. If the first TLOU had an achilles heal then it was definitely the stealth gameplay. So I'm glad that was greatly improved upon in the sequel. The gameplay overall feels much more dynamic now and a lot less 2 dimensional

@B_Lindz
Nice. Good on you for editing.
I will just say people are different. They like different things. They look for different things in a video game.
When the game is a sequel that has a very different point of view from the part 1. Well you are bound to find very different opinions about the game. Love it, dislike it, whatever. It's no big deal to think different.
I personally like feeling good about a story and characters and sensitive to depressing games. I.e. even if I think Bloodborne is a fantastic game I struggled whereas DS is so beautiful and colourful. I love that game. It strangely doesnt feel depressing at all.

@JJ2 It's so true. Everyone is different and we all enjoy things differently for different reasons. I have a friend that only likes happy shows and games and it's taken me years to understand why. Personally, I'm drawn toward stories with characters that feel real and grey (like most people that I know) and I think that's why I got so immersed in TLoU:1 and 2. It felt so real to me. I found myself seeing these character that I loved make choices that pained me and every time I would think, "I would never do that... but I understand why someone would." Even some of the most egregious actions that characters make in the game made me ask, "If I had gone through everything they had, would I have done the same thing?" The game was filled with very uncomfortable empathy. I can, however, understand why people wouldn't enjoy TLoU:2, but it makes me sad that people rule it out and give a 0/10 on Metacritic because they didn't like what happened to Joel or because they make you play as Abby and make you literally walk in an enemy's shoes. TLoU:2 is not an easy game to play; it is by far the heaviest game I have ever played. I can understand why people wouldn't call it their personal GotY, but it can be hard to see people hate something that I love for the reason I love it.

@Tchunga And the weapons. When I played as Ellie, I went full blown stealth mode. I was setting traps, tricking dogs to walk into them, and sneaking up behind their owners. I brought out a side of me that I didn't know was their... a lot like Ellie.

@B_Lindz
Hey that's one of the reasons I really think scores are irrelevant. I honestly think part 1 story was great because...it was so ambiguous and left the player fill the blanks with their own imagination (and passionate discussions could go on forever) That's a good way to mask any plot hole the story could have. In part 2, umm it's like taking risks indeed but in a way that shows off huge plot holes IMO.
Now I dont want to talk more about it because. Well I dont even care anymore tbh after all the fighting about it from people who like vs people who dislike to put it mildly.

This whole thing got as stupid as American politics with Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II being the two main parties and the other great games like Miles Morales, Hades and DOOM Eternal becoming 'third party protest' votes. Happy to say I voted for Spider-Man: Miles Morales, genuinely my favorite game of the year, and avoiding the nonsense that went on with the other games. I was disappointed with TLoU 2 but the hate directed at many of the people involved in it, especially the hate directed at the voice cast, was asinine. And now people will say that Tsushima, a legit great game in its own right, didn't get a real win because it was just a 'hate vote' against Neil Druckmann's game.

I've seen a lot of dumb back and forth between fan communities in this industry but nothing like what happened this summer and that has been reignited now with the end of the year awards. Everybody involved with these arguments needs to reevaluate why they actually play video games.

@phil_j yeah I was really surprised not to see it on that list when I was voting. I thought it was easily one of the best scores whether it's the main score, or if you're just wandering around or really in the thick of it the music shines. Shame really

Nioh 2 was better than both of them.

(I've not actually played The Last of Us 2 yet, I just thought this comments section could use a dose of controversy)

I voted for Ghost as well. I enjoyed it way more than TLoU2. Both great games in their own right. Oh yeah and I told all my friends to vote for GoT. Whats the problem?

I am really glad I played The Last of Us part 2. It was a great game. Beautiful, haunting graphics and a story that I still think about. I also think the Joel/Ellie scenes are some of the best writing in games.

However, I believe Druckman made some huge narrative mistakes and got intoxicated by game of thrones trend of “shocking deaths” over deaths that make thematic sense. You don’t kill iron man in the middle of iron man 2 in the spirit of being shocking and surprising. You kill him when it creates the most thematic value, when the death means something.

Joel’s death rang hollow for fans and many of them want Neil to hear them. Fans will often fight for characters that they feel connected to even if they didn’t create them. See “Misery”

However, it’s unfortunate that those people who are angry about Neil’s narrative decisions got roped together with transphobes and people who think girls can’t have muscles. Those people are scum and I hate that they have access to great art like Last of Us.

I haven’t played GoT so I can’t weigh in. I enjoyed Last of Us 2 but I agree it was flawed. Neil gets to make the game he wants. Fans get it have an opinion on it positive or negative

@nessisonett while I agree some people would of voted against the last of us part 2 because of the undeserved hate I disagree ghost of Tsushima won because of it, it also like the last of us part 2 is an amazing game worthy of winning this award and even the game of the year if it does. To be clear I voted for the last of us part 2 I’m pretty much everything except art and music but for me either ghost of Tsushima, doom eternal or the last of us part 2 are my favourites among the nominees and I doubt ghosts of Tsushima won just to hate on it there all great games in fairness.

@AFCC What happened? Your PS5 destroyed your cd? That's not normal?!

@PSfan4Life22 You do know that GOT has LBGTQ representation ?

Glad it won, Ghost of Tsushima filled in the terrible memories I had with TLOU2.

@StonyKL well said, man

@Turbodream the day before playing on PS5 I played Ghost on my PS4 just like I was doing for the past month. After getting my PS5 I tried to install it there but it gets stuck at 36% and it never installs. I thought it was weird so I deleted the game on PS4 too and tried installing it...doesn't work on PS4 too lol
So now I say that PS5 must've busted my cd.

Technically TLOU2 is amazing but GoT just wanted me to continue playing and I had way more fun with it. Both are good games but I just enjoyed GoT a lot more.

@Oscarjpc thanks to 4Chan

@crimsontadpoles it dosent

Persona 5 Royal is probably my personal game of the year but GOT is a close in 2nd. A great game that feels like a PS5 game with the 60fps PS5 upgrade.

This article seems to have triggered a lot of people - yikes.

It is a shame that the 4chan involvement had something to do with it winning.

IMO, GoT is the better game, so happy it got this accolade, as it's pretty obvious TLoU2 will win GOTY. Just ticks all the boxes, even if it repetitive and not as good as story as the first game.