The Game Awards 2016: Who Deserves To Win Each Category

13. Best Performance - Mafia III

Nominations:

Alex Hernandez - Lincoln Clay, Mafia III

Cissy Jones - Delilah, Firewatch

Emily Rose - Elena, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Nolan North - Nathan Drake, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Rich Summer - Henry, Firewatch

Troy Baker - Sam Drake, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Another category where it's hard not to nominate Uncharted 4 simply for the likability and lovability of its characters, but for Nate and Elena, they're characters we've met and fell in love with before, and for Troy Baker's Sam, he didn't steal the show anywhere near as much as he'd need to, to stand out here.

Instead, Mafia III's narrative is an absolute powerhouse, jumping between multiple timelines as it opens with one of the strongest narrative presentations gaming has ever seen, all centred around Lincoln Clay.

Alex Hernandez' performance manages to portray the beginnings of Clay's revenge arc without slipping too much into the gruff line deliveries and forced one-liners that dog so many other 'edgy' protagonists (looking at you, Adam Jensen). It's a a really tricky thing to do, and as the events of the story unfold and Lincoln somewhat loses himself to this growing darkness inside him, it's easily one of the finest and most natural performances we've seen in years.