#JUSTICEFORRATCHET

 One week ago, on December 9th, 2021, The Game Awards went live to give out their best-of awards to the world of gaming and to show recognition to the accomplishments of the industry at large. While the show was 75% commercials and announcements, dampening the experience that was meant to highlight the best of gaming in 2021 and instead make it E3 2.0, it was still a decent show overall. However, Ya Boy Ed has a major gripe with the awards show overall. One of the top 3 games of 2021 got no love whatsoever from the fans or critics on the selection committee and that was Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

Ratchet is upset looking for his awards and found none.

Game of the Year - It Takes Two Won

Best Game Direction - Deathloop Won

Best Art Direction - Deathloop Won

Best Audio Design - Forza Horizon 5 Won

Innovation in Accessibility - Forza Horizon 5 Won

Best Action/Adventure - Metroid Dread Won

So, you mean to tell me that out of these 6 awards, Ratchet and Clank was not the best game in one of them? Well, let's summarize each category and make the case for Ratchet and Clank winning.

There is an argument that Rift Apart should not win Best Action/Adventure because it was just another Ratchet and Clank game. Well, Metroid Dread, while a great game, technically is another Metroid game if you want to get specific about it. 

It is hard to argue one side or the other on Innovation so I will give Forza and the other nominees credit for bringing gaming to the larger masses. However, crediting Forza for their car sound effects does not seem worthy to be the best in Audio Design overall for the year. Ratchet and Clank's 3D audio, especially when using the new Pulse Headset, gave the unique sounds throughout the game an even more immersive feel as well. 

I am very appreciative of a game using a retro-style art like Deathloop did, which gave it the win, but when did we go back to a world where shooters relying on shades of brown are back in style. This is not Gears of War again, right? Ratchet and Clank used nearly all of the 256-color palette and then some to make each planet you visit in the game and each character pop out, especially when visiting the first neo-futuristic planet. Also, switching between each art palette in an instant using the power of the console is a plus.

Well, who would have thought people screaming with guns could be great art and creativity?

This will be the hardest, as Best Game Direction is defined as "Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design" and I believe Ratchet and Clank meets the winning criteria. An amazing story told through the eyes of two dimensional-counterpart Lombaxes looking to fix the dimensional vortex while also learning about their place in the universe through self-doubt and life-altering, even life-questioning, events. That's not even covering the amazing design of the rift hopping, which uses the power of the hardware to its limit with seamless terrain changes throughout the game at lightning speed without any stutter in the gameplay. Based on what you see here, does this sound more appealing than a game about shooting enemies in an infinite time loop?

With all of these pieces in place, it can only be fitting that Ratchet and Clank should have been 2021's Game of the Year at The Game Awards. While there are still multiple awards up for grabs, like individual press outlets and large panels like DICE and SXSW still undecided, the biggest injustice happened here and until the ball drops to ring in 2022, #justiceforratchet will be on my mind throughout this month.

Wait, IGN just gave their Game of the Year award to Forza Horizon 5?? Well, that's a whole different injustice altogether.