In a nutshell: The 25th annual Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain (DICE) awards are coming next month, and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) announced the nominees this week. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart leads with nine.
Right behind Ratchet & Clank and its nine nominations is Deathloop with eight (Deathloop led nominations at last year’s Game Awards). Ratchet & Clank was also revealed this week to be one of the PlayStation 5’s most downloaded games in North America in 2021.
Inscryption and It Takes Two tied for third with six nominations each (It Takes Two won game of the year at the Game Awards). Returnal got five nominations, while Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Resident Evil Village tied for fifth with four each.
Hades took away game of the year at last year’s DICE awards along with five other categories. Other games that won multiple categories last year include The Last of Us II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Half-Life: Alyx.
Here is the full list of nominees:
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Deathloop – Colt Vahn
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivet
- Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Before Your Eyes
- Inscryption
- MARVEL's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- The Forgotten City
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Battlefield™ 2042
- Forza Horizon 5
- Moncage
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Action Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Halo Infinite
- Metroid Dread
- Returnal
- The Ascent
Adventure Game of the Year
- Death's Door
- It Takes Two
- MARVEL's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- Resident Evil Village
Family Game of the Year
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise
- Cozy Grove
- Mario Party Superstars
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Warioware: Get it Together
Fighting Game of the Year
- GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 2021
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Tales of Arise
- Wildermyth
Sports Game of the Year
- EA SPORTS FIFA 22
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- NBA 2k22
- Riders Republic
- The Climb 2
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Age of Empires IV
- Gloomhaven
- Griftlands
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Lone Echo II
- Puzzling Places
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
- YUKI
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demeo
- I Expect You To Die 2
- Lone Echo II
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Death's Door
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
- Sable
- Unpacking
Mobile Game of the Year
- Behind the Frame
- Fantasian
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Moncage
- Pokémon UNITE
Online Game of the Year
- Back 4 Blood
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Halo Infinite
- Knockout City
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Loop Hero
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Artful Escape
Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
As always, AIAS media partner IGN will stream the awards at the 25th annual DICE summit on February 24.
https://www.techspot.com/news/92987-ratchet-clank-rift-apart-leads-25th-dice-awards.html
