The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has won multiple awards at the 35th Golden Joystick Awards, and has become the first game to win both the Critics’ Choice Award and the public-voted Ultimate Game of the Year award.
Link’s open-air adventure also collected awards in the Nintendo Game of the Year and Best Audio categories, with Nintendo EPD being awarded Studio of the Year.
Nintendo 3DS exclusives Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon were the only other Nintendo releases to receive an award, scooping up a win in the Handheld / Mobile Game of the Year category.
“We’re honoured that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has won this prestigious award. I’m a little relieved that Super Mario Odyssey had only been out for a week when voting ended!” admitted The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma. “I’d like to deliver a big ‘thank you’ on behalf of the 300+ staff who gave their all to create the game.
“Sadly our director, Mr Fujibayashi, couldn’t join as he’s busy working on DLC Pack 2, but he also really appreciates all the support from fans in the UK.”
Art director Satoru Takizawa added: “The look of the Zelda series has often changed over the years and spurred on by this award, our design team will keep challenging itself to come up with new ideas.”
“We wanted to create an open-air world that encourages players to experiment with their surroundings in the way they choose. I’m glad this new approach has been appreciated,” shared technical director Takuhiro Dohta.
Then, sound director Hajime Wakai closed: “We crafted the audio to fit a range of unique moments, whether calm, majestic, or mysterious. I’m truly touched that so many UK players voted for Breath of the Wild as their ‘game of the year.'”
The full list of winners at the 35th Golden Joystick Awards, are:
- Best Storytelling – Horizon Zero Dawn
- Best Visual Design – Cuphead
- Best Audio – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Best Gaming Performance sponsored by The Sun – Ashly Burch (Horizon Zero Dawn)
- Best Indie Game in collaboration with Square Enix Collective – Friday the 13th: The Game
- Best Multiplayer Game sponsored by GT Omega – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Studio of the Year – Nintendo EPD
- Best VR Game – Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- eSports Play of the Year sponsored by Intel – Agilities
- eSports Team of the Year – Seoul Dynasty (formerly Lunatic-Hai)
- eSports Game of the Year sponsored by OMEN by HP – Overwatch
- Best Streamer / Broadcaster – Markiplier
- Handheld / Mobile Game of the Year sponsored by Bespoke Arcades – Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Nintendo Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- PlayStation Game of the Year – Horizon Zero Dawn
- Xbox Game of the Year – Cuphead
- PC Game of the Year – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Critics’ Choice Award – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Breakthrough Award sponsored by Badfly – Ashly Burch
- Hall of Fame – Final Fantasy
- Most Wanted Award – The Last of Us Part II
- Still Playing Award – World of Tanks
- Outstanding Contribution to the UK Games Industry sponsored by The Telegraph – Debbie Bestwick MBE
- Lifetime Achievement – Sid Meier
- Ultimate Game of the Year – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Pokémon Sun and Moon??? That was last year