Gamescom 2018 is nearly here, ladies and gentlemen. Trailers for the latest Battlefield or Tropico games have surfaced, along with other more obscure games such as 9 Monkeys of Shaolin. But so have the nominations for best game at the conference.

Sure, this list will be outdated in a week, but we here at Culture of Gaming can’t wait to see what games take the conference. Below are my top picks at which games will take each category. These picks are merely conjecture on my part. Which ones do you think will take the gold? Tell us below!

Best Action Game

Marvel’s Spider-Man vs. Metro Exodus vs. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

While Metro has a dedicated fan-base all its own, in my opinion there will be no taking down the juggernauts that are Spider-Man or the team behind Dark Souls. Sekiro wowed audiences at its E3 reveal. But with Spider-Man just around the corner, there may be more to show. The upgrades, collectibles, and villains all look amazing. It’s for this reason I give Spider-Man Best Action Game of Gamescom.

Best Add-On/DLC

Destiny 2: Forsaken vs. State of Decay 2 Daybreak

I must admit, as an outside observer of these two franchises, I must purely go on what I’ve heard. And I have not heard much but complaints from the State of Decay crowd. Seeing as Destiny 2’s DLC will reach both Microsoft and Sony’s audiences, I would bet on Destiny taking it. But I am ready to be wrong.

Best Casual Game

Life is Strange 2 vs. Team Sonic Racing

Because I played the original Life is Strange, it seems strange to me that it would be under the casual category due to its heavy subject matters. Also, watching your favorite RPG protagonists dance the night away is always fun. It may be bias on my end, due to being personally let down by the concept of Sonic Racing as opposed to it becoming Sega Racing, but I feel I want to give it to Life is Strange 2. I personally can’t wait to see where the story goes.

Best Family Game

Lego DC Super-Villains vs. Life is Strange 2 vs. Super Mario Party

Once again, Life is Strange is a rather heavy game, so in this case I wouldn’t pick it as a winner for best family game. The Lego games have ALWAYS been good for that. And as a Nintendo fanboy, I personally can’t wait to see what they do with the “reboot” of Mario Party. While I would personally love more time at the Mario Party, I give Lego DC Super-Villains the pick for best game to play with the whole family.

Best Puzzle/Skill Game

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission vs. Ori and the Will of the Wisps vs. Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight

I’m not going to lie. Astro Bot looks as cute and fun as any Mario game. It also has the advantage of being in VR. Persona 5 also looks like quite the good time. But I must give it to Ori. We’ve been waiting for a new Ori game since the last one came out. And with the revelation of what the new game will look like, it’s a sight to behold. It’s also my pick for this Gamescom category.

Best Racing Game

F1 2018 vs. Forza Horizon 4 vs. Team Sonic Racing

Much like the DLC category, this is a category that I am not all too familiar. Going just by the buzz, I pick Forza Horizon 4. I must admit, a lot of this decision came down to the things we still want to see more of, like the seasons system and the 450+ cars to choose from.

Best Role Playing Game

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey vs. Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition vs. Kingdom Hearts 3

Assassin’s Creed made a “comeback” of sorts with Origins. Original Sin 2 wowed audiences with its depth and variety of ways to accomplish objectives. But, you just can’t beat a game that had fans chomping at the bit for nearly ten years or longer. Kingdom Hearts 3 is almost out. It’s not out yet. We can’t wait. Where is it? Must… stop… speaking…in sentence fragments…

Best Simulation Game

Anno 1800 vs. F1 2018 vs. Farming Simulator 19

This is yet another genre I am not too familiar with so I may not be the one to ask for this specific category. Anno 1800 is a trade warfare strategy game that looks like it will give sim fans exactly what they like: planning, maps, and lots of menus. Farming Simulator seems to get better every year. But I think I must give it to F1 2018. It looks like a love letter to the history of the sport of F1 racing. Once again, I could be completely wrong about this.

Best Social/Online Game

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 vs. Dying Light Bad Blood vs. Rend

While I don’t always find myself being able to justify CoD’s decisions for some of the newer games, Activision Blizzard has known what it’s doing for a long time. But with the advent of the battle royale style of online game, is CoD going out of fashion? As a battle royale game itself, Dying Light is there to answer the call. But if I had to choose, it’s Rend, with its team of former Blizzard employees and concept of a survival game that has an end goal in mind that has me most interested in this category for Gamescom.

Best Sports Game

F1 2018 vs. FIFA 19 vs. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

I may not like sim games. I may be unfamiliar with the DLC Gamescom has on display. And as an American, I know NOTHING about soccer. But I do know that both EA and Konami have messed up both their franchises at one point or another. Licensing issues and questionable game mode decisions have me, once again, pick F1 2018 instead of picking which of the two companies will mess up less.

Best Strategy Game

Anno 1800 vs. Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition vs. Total War: Three Kingdoms

As I stated before, strategy sim games are not my genre of choice, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 has me looking at its wide variety of characters and different directions that the story can go. And I want to play it. I really do.

Best Console Game PlayStation 4

Marvel’s Spider-Man vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey vs. Project Mephisto (working title)

This one could be difficult to choose as we do not yet know what exactly is Project Mephisto. It may have something to do with the Diablo series, but nothing is for sure, at this point. Other than that, it is no contest for me that Spider-Man takes the cake for best PS4 titles. The fans have waited long enough.

Best Console Game Xbox One

Ori and the Will of the Wisps vs. Shadow of the Tomb Raider vs. Forza Horizon 4

This one is tough. Do we go with what has the broadest appeal? If so, it’s Forza Horizon 4. But I just ignore how beautiful the new Ori game looks. I mix these feelings with how it seems that people have kind of moved on from the Tomb Raider reboot. I know a lot of people who played the first and didn’t finish the second. Or didn’t even play the first. I must give it to Will of the Wisps for Best Xbox One game at Gamescom.

Best Console Game Nintendo Switch

Lego DC Super-Villains vs. Starlink: Battle for Atlas vs. Super Smash Bros Ultimate

It’s Smash Bros. Are you nuts? A fighting game that is a love letter to Nintendo’s history? This one is a no brainer.

Best PC Game

Anno 1800 vs. Life is Strange 2 vs. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

I will give this the best guess I can, but as a guy who doesn’t consider himself a PC gamer, this will be tough. Many things make this a tough call. Anno is in a genre I know hardly anything about. Life is Strange 2, too, has a niche market. I know I gave Tomb Raider a hard time earlier, but honestly it looks spectacularly fun. The stealth mechanics along with the set pieces alone are enough to make this my pick for Best PC Game at Gamescom.

Best Mobile Game

Hyperdrome vs. Shadowgun War Games

Out of the two games listed above, Hyperdrome looks like a fun time waster. Shadowgun looks more like a PC or console shooter. Looking at it reminds me of the old days playing games like Halo 2. I got to give this one to Shadowgun for Best Mobile Game at Gamescom.

What are your picks for the winners of Gamecom? Let us know in the comments below!

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