June 28 (UPI) -- The Game Critics Awards, which are decided by critics from 51 publications, have released their nominees for the Best of E3 2018.
Games eligible for nomination must have been playable for publications to demo for at least five minutes during the E3 2018 convention which took place in Los Angeles earlier in June. Winners will be announced on July 2.
Battling it out for the top honor of Best of Show is online multiplayer shooter Anthem, Marvel's PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man title, survival horror remake Resident Evil 2, action adventure title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nintendo's crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Nominees for Best Original Game, referring to titles not connected to a established series, include PlayStation 4 exclusives Days Gone and Dreams, the pirate-based Skull & Bones, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Anthem.
Nominated for Best Console Game are Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Dreams, Spider-Man, Resident Evil 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Other categories include Best VR/AR Game, Best PC Game, Best Hardware/Peripheral, Best Action Game, Best Action/Adventure, Best RPG, Best Fighting Game, Best Racing Game, Best Sports Game, Best Strategy Game, Best Family/ Social Game, Best Online Multiplayer, Best Independent Game and Best Ongoing Game.
Special commendations for graphics, sound and innovation will also be announced on July 2.
Spider-Man, set for release on Sept. 7, was a big part of Sony's 2018 E3 press conference, as the game's developer Insomniac released a new trailer for the title that featured the iconic wall-crawler taking on a number of villains including Electro, Rhino, Scorpion and Vulture.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, meanwhile, was the main focus of Nintendo's E3 presentation, announcing that the game will arrive on Dec. 7 and feature an impressive 60 playable characters from throughout Nintendo's history and beyond.
