BioShock Infinite isn't up for a Best Game BAFTA

Tearaway is, so is Assassin's Creed 4.

News by Robert Purchese Associate Editor

Updated on Feb. 12, 2014

It's that time of year again: The British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA) nominees have been announced. The biggest surprise is that BioShock Infinite - its triumphant arrival being one of the gaming events of the year, if not the generation - is not nominated for Best Game. Fighting it out for that honour are Tearaway, Assassin's Creed 4, Grand Theft Auto 5, The Last of Us, Super Mario 3D World and Papers, Please.

BioShock Infinite is nominated for four awards but not Story, surprisingly. It's up for Artistic Achievement, Music and Audio Achievement, and Courtnee Draper is up for Performer for her role as Elizabeth. Booker actor Troy Baker isn't, although he is nominated for his performance as Joel in The Last of Us.

Media Molecule's charming Vita game Tearaway is actually one of the leaders in nominations, popping up in eight categories. Last year's widely acclaimed big hitters Grand Theft Auto 5 and The Last of Us also feature prominently: GTA 5 with eight nominations and The Last of Us leading with 10 (bumped by a couple of best performer nominations).

Papers, Please is up for three other awards besides Best Game, and was one of our games of 2013; a low budget affair that "refreshes even the most jaded of palettes". Another of our games of 2013, The Stanley Parable, is also up for four awards. It's a game that's more of a thought provoking conversation with a bright mind, explained Cara Ellison. Super Mario 3D World, our Game of the Year 2013, is up for four awards too.

Touching downloadable game Brothers - a game of moments - is up for three awards including Best Story. Gone Home and the delightful Ni No Kuni - yet another of our Games of 2013 - also show their faces in this category.

Simogo's Device 6 - a mobile game that's up for lots of Independent Games Festival awards - is up for three BAFTAs, and Simogo's Year Walk is up for one.

Beyond's Ellen Page (Jodie Marsh) and The Last of Us' Ashley Johnson (Ellie) will go head-to-head competing for the Performer BAFTA, which is nice, given how Ellen Page accused Naughty Dog of ripping off her likeness for The Last of Us.

Congratulations to Tom Francis and team for Gunpoint getting two nods, and to Fireproof Games for getting two nods for The Room Two. The Room 1, remember, won the British Game BAFTA last year.

The British Academy Games Awards take place on Wednesday, 12th March in London, hosted for the sixth consecutive year by bigger-than-he-looks comedian Dara O'Briain. We were there last year and plan to be this year.