INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightSonyDeath Stranding and Control lead the nominations at the Bafta Games Awards, with 11 each.It's the most nominations any
game has received in the awards' history, although Death Stranding missed out on the best game category.Disco Elysium, a role-playing
detective game that blends the old with the new, received seven nominations - including best game and debut game.The awards will take place
on Thursday 2 April.Bafta also announced that Hideo Kojima - the creator of Death Stranding - will receive the Fellowship, the highest
accolade it can give.The games nominated this year are a showcase of worlds we've never seen before - rather than returning fan favourite
Those nominated in multiple categories range from 2019's most surprising critical success to a game about a goose
Control was an unheralded release that passed many people by
But it impressed critics so much it was named game of the year by sites like IGN
Its supernatural game play is unique and engrossing - and has earned it a record-breaking 11 nominations despite many gamers on the street
not being able to tell you much about it
On the other end of the spectrum is Hideo Kojima's latest, Death Stranding
It's a technical marvel with grand ambitions and impressive performances from its cast
Media playback is unsupported on your deviceMedia captionKojima's aim with Death Stranding was for players to "re-use their in-game
experiences in the real worldIt was Kojima's first release since leaving his former employers Konami to set up his own studio
Last year Radio 1 Newsbeat spent three days behind-the-scenes to see the final hours of the game's creation - where Kojima told us Death
Stranding's central theme was connectivity
"The era of today is about individualism," he said."We may be connected through the internet more than ever, but what's happening is that
people are attacking each other because we're so connected."But it divided opinion when released which is probably why it missed out on
being shortlisted for the biggest prize of the awards - best game
What has been nominated in that category, and three others, is Untitled Goose Game
The fact a title that sees you rampaging around gardens as a wild bird has been nominated alongside science fiction and fantasy releases is
a real testament to the variety and creativity of the gaming industry
You can add Disco Elysium to that list too - the independent release which sees you control a detective suffering from alcohol and
It's a perfect blend of old game play and new ideas.Some will argue that games like Control and Death Stranding have broken records this
year because there were fewer returning franchises and major releases hitting the shelves in 2019
Others will say their many nominations prove that gaming is the perfect medium to tackle complex ideas and concepts and make it entertaining
The Bafta Games always throw up a surprise or two - so don't be too shocked if despite bossing the nominations both Control and Death
See the full list of nominees here.Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45
weekdays - or listen back here.
