2017 brought us new experiences, new adventures and fantasies, and new possibilities than we could ever imagine. There were tons of games that changed the industry, making these games mainstream, huge and even more cinematic than ever before. Video-games is bringing the heights of a whole new level of entertainment that immerses us into its virtual world where we can make new friends, be involved, and be someone.
The reason why awards exist is to recognize all the hard work and efforts people put into crafting the art and adventures for us to take. And this year in the Sirus Game Awards, we let the fans decide the deserving winners for each category. We at Sirus Gaming think that the voice of the community is far more important than the publication.
We would like to give our gratitude to the publications and influencers who helped us with the nominee selection. Special thanks to GameGeek, Reimaru Files, and Miles Semblante. The Sirus Game Awards wouldn’t even be possible without our official sponsors, MSI Philippines. Big thanks to them for the awesome giveaways!
“It’s been a great year for gaming, and I have never been happier to recognize the developers and studios who have put their blood and sweat for their jobs and the magnificent games they develop,” said Lexuzze Tablante, Sirus Gaming’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief. “Even if this is not the Golden Joystick Awards or The Game Awards, the mere passion that we have as gamers pushed me into making this possible for the Philippine gaming community. And Sirus Game Awards 2017 would not be possible if it weren’t for the people who voted. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Next year will inevitably be bigger and better.”
Sirus Game Awards 2018 is definitely going to happen, and the publication is partnering with Safe Heaven, an independent TV show in Cebu. “We are very much happy that big things are already heading our way, and not only that, we also found new partners that we can call family” said Jack Daniel Soler, Safe Heaven Director.
The competition was tough. We have exceptional nominees in the Game of the Year category which includes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, and even Super Mario Odyssey. Call of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2 are fighting over the Best Shooter category, and even Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 are at it for the Best Fighting Game category.
This year is full of great games, but one shall stand supreme in each section and this is determined by the community’s decision. Here are your winners of the Sirus Game Awards 2017:
GAME OF THE YEAR
Arata Naito, Head of Product Management from Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES), has this to say:
“On behalf of Guerrilla Games and the SIE team, we are very grateful for the awards for Horizon Zero Dawn.
We believe in Guerrilla’s vision in creating a new IP of a uniquely compelling and immersive open world adventure game, which showcases the power of PlayStation 4 consoles.
We are also humbled by the positive feedback that Horizon Zero Dawn has received from gamers in the Philippines. Gamers can look forward to more blockbusters from PlayStation in 2018.“
SIES also handles the business for PlayStation in the Southeast Asia region, which includes the Philippines.
From our Horizon: Zero Dawn review:
Horizon: Zero Dawn is the game that perfected the open-world RPG genre, there are still a lot of secrets that I have yet to uncover in the ruins beyond the land of the tribes. The minor faults didn’t affect my final score for Horizon since the great parts of the game outweighs them. Horizon entices me to come back for more, there was never a time that I got bored with its side-missions which I usually care less in most RPG titles. Horizon: Zero Dawn is by far the best cinematic and most immersive game I’ve played this year. – 10 / 10
BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE
Ubisoft has this to say:
“We thank all our fans who love Assassin’s Creed Origins and Ubisoft, and hope for your continued support!“
From our Assassin’s Creed Origins review:
Overall, Assassin’s Creed Origins is a beautiful game and it lives up to the success of Syndicate. It’s just that the present-day story needs a little more attention. Where Bayek’s story is the strongest part of the game, our modern-day protagonist’s story is very lackluster and just feels like it was added there as a requirement. One thing is for sure, this game is definitely worth playing. It revitalized the series into new heights and I cannot wait where the next adventure will take us. 8.9 / 10
BEST FIGHTING GAME
Michael Murray, Game Designer for Tekken 7 from Bandai Namco, has this to say:
“There have always been so many passionate Tekken fans in the Philippines, and it is why we wanted to include Josie Rizal as the first Filipino character in the franchise for Tekken 7, as an expression of our gratitude. The Tekken World Tour tournament in Manila was also one of the most exciting events of the whole tour!
We are truly honored that you chose Tekken 7 as the winner of Best Fighting Game of 2017 [in the Sirus Game Awards] and hope that everyone is looking forward to the new content still to come!“
From our Tekken 7 review:
Tekken 7 at its core, is a pure fighting game. It’s a game that has been around for decades and has proven that you can teach old dogs new tricks. With its multitude of features and game modes, Tekken 7 is here to stay. It’s a long-standing game that old and new gamers alike will be able to enjoy. A game that will forever stand the test of time. 9.5 / 10
BEST HORROR
The development team of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is currently busy according to Capcom’s PR, however, they would like to thank all of the fans who supported and voted Resident Evil 7: Biohazard as Best Horror and Best VR in the Sirus Game Awards 2017.
From our Resident Evil 7: Biohazard review:
So if you’re a scaredy cat like me or you just want to prove how fearless you are, I totally recommend that you play this game. I can say that it will definitely change the way you perceive horror games. – 9 / 10
BEST SPORT
2K Games Asia has this to say:
“Thank you very much for selecting NBA 2K18 as the Best Sports game for the Sirus Game Awards! We are indeed extremely grateful for this, and are thankful for you, and the fans, support for NBA 2K18.“
From our NBA 2K18 review:
Basketball is more than just a sport, it is a way of life to many people, myself included. And though NBA 2k18 is riddled with signs asking us to give the developers more money than what we originally paid for; it is still an amazing basketball simulator that even the biggest and smallest of NBA stars would play and worry over their ratings for. For better or for worse, this is not just a game, it is an experience. – 7.8 / 10
BEST MULTIPLAYER
BEST GRAPHICS
BEST RACING GAME
From our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review:
Overall this is a pretty good game, and one of the best Mario Karts so far. There’s not much on the Switch at the moment so this is a great purchase for people to tide them over until Fire Emblem comes out. – 8.7 / 10
BEST NARRATIVE
From our Persona 5 review:
Overall, Persona 5 has really captured my heart. With 70+ hours of gaming, I haven’t had this much fun since the last Persona game. At its price point the game is totally worth it and even more. I am even willing to spend for this game’s DLC. It’s just that good. Now let me get back to the game and see if I can pass this school exam. – 10 / 10
BEST VR
BEST PLATFORMER
From our Cuphead review:
Get Cuphead.
It is a good game. It can be frustrating at times when you lose, but it’s really a game for those who were in the 80’s or 90’s and quite a blast from the past. Some of the character designs were even inspired by old cartoons such as Popeye. – 9 / 10
BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE
From our The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review:
Overall, Breath of the Wild is the game to have on your Switch or Wii U. Not only that, but it’s one of the rare phenomenon type of games that come around once in a blue moon. Pokémon was one, Skyrim was one, and — without a shadow of a doubt — Breath of the Wild is one too. Not many games are able to emulate the sense of adventure and wonder that Breath of the Wild has; it’s a game you’ll be playing for a long time and one you’ll definitely keep coming back to. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game of legends and one you don’t want to skip out on. – 10 / 10
BEST RPG
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BEST INDIE
BEST SHOOTER
From our Call of Duty: WWII review:
To wrap this up, I didn’t expect Call of Duty: WWII to be this spectacular. It’s been a while since we got an emotionally driven narrative World War II game in this caliber based from actual events. Despite the inclusion of loot boxes (or crates/Supply Drops), Sledgehammer Games did an amazing job with Call of Duty: WWII bringing one of the best cinematic experiences in a first-person shooter this year. – 9.5 / 10
BEST STRATEGY
From our StarCraft: Remastered review:
I gotta hand it to Blizzard though, they made a great remaster and definitely met my expectations. I loved the newly improved multiplayer system and especially the strong community. Despite the lack of improvement with its CGI, StarCraft: Remastered is a remaster done right and it will live another 12 to 13 years before we get a new StarCraft installment. – 9.5 / 10
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Raffle Draw Winners:
- MSI Interceptor DS B1 Gaming Mouse / MSI Dragon Doll / Game of the Year Choice
Winner: PAULINA NICOLE SUAREZ - MSI Interceptor DS B1 Gaming Mouse
Winner: JAY DAHINO - MSI Dragon Doll
Winner: ADAMSON CHEYENNE
Congratulations to the winners! An e-mail is sent for more details in receiving your prizes.
It’s an outstanding year for the industry and for the gamers. We don’t let controversies that fuels hate overcome our love for games and the franchises we support. As we get nearer to closing the 2017 curtains, let’s give our big appreciation to the developers who did their best this year and also the community for making this possible for everyone.
Sirus Game Awards 2018 will be bigger and a lot better. So stay tuned for updates!
