VGS Favorite Games of 2021

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

All,

With 2022 fully in swing, I figured it would be nice to hear what every one's favorite games from 2021 were. I'm specifically talking about games released in calendar year 2021, but feel free to veer off topic and talk about whatever games you loved playing last year. After the discussion dies down, I'll create an officially unofficial VGS game of the year poll. If there is a ton of discussion about older games, I'll add a second poll for favorite old game. This is a straight-up, no nonsense game of the year; no categories. Here are my rankings for 2021 GOTY.

GOTY Nominees

1. Psychonauts 2 (XSX)

Spoiler

Finished up Psychonauts 2 yesterday, another non-backlog game, and it was fantastic.

It's easily a 9/10 for me and probably my game of the year. It has some of the best writing, character development, level design, and atmosphere of any game I've ever played. It explores some really interesting topics and gives all the characters meaningful backstories. When you enter their minds, you delve into their past traumas in really sensitive and smart ways. It's also just a beautiful game with amazing art direction.

If you liked the original game, you will love the sequel. If you didn't like the original, you will probably still love the sequel. It improves on every aspect of the first game and it just an absolute joy to play. I really wish there was more story and environment to explore and I'm already hoping for a Psychonauts 3. I highly recommend you add this game to your 2022 backlog list.

2. Halo Infinite (XSX)
I'm still working my way through this one and it might be my favorite Halo game yet. The open world gameplay works perfectly with the Halo combat and physics, making it an absolute joy. By the time actual voting rolls around, this may supplant Pyschonauts 2.
 

3. It Takes Two (XSX)

Spoiler

It Takes Two - 8/10

Now here is a truly interesting game. It has beautiful visuals, great controls, and tons of variety. The story is both serious and silly, although sometimes it really struggles to find the right balance of the two. The characters are generally strong and the voice acting for the adults is stellar (not so much for the little one). I enjoyed every single stage except the ice level and the finale is fantastic. I love how the gameplay mechanics change with every world. Highly recommended and probably one of the best purely co-op games ever made. It's one of my favorites of the year, landing just behind Psychonauts 2 and Doom Eternal.

4. Nier Replicant ver. 12312532163452135245762352345234587623945862108746120958612560123856 (XSX)

Spoiler

Finally finished my first and second playthrough of Nier: Replicant. A few thoughts:

Pros

• Combat is a lot of fun. The combination of magic mixed with fast-paced swordplay makes battles quite enjoyable, especially the plethora of bosses. I especially like how you can constantly fire the the Dark Blast magic for chip damage; it makes the game feel like a third person shmup.
• The game is weird in a lot of great ways. The transition from action game to text adventure to Resident Evil homage is quite unique.
• The side characters are generally pretty cool and have interesting back stories.

Cons

• The main characters (Nier and Yonah) are extremely one dimensional and have no personality.
• Story is way too opaque and obtuse. There is some interesting stuff hidden away, but only the most dedicated players will ever see it. The game also relies on too many text-based info dumps which pull you out of the action.
• Kaine's outfit (I understand the rationale based on her backstory, but it's still ridiculous and unnecessary).
• Extremely repetitive with numerous reused areas. Repeat playthroughs are not worth the time. YouTube is your friend.

All in all, I'm glad I played it and interested to see where Automata takes the gameplay and story.

 

Old Games I Liked

Hollow Knight (Switch)

Spoiler

Well, I finally did it. After more than a year, I beat Hollow Knight. I have to admit, @Shmuphad some valid points and the back half of the game is great. I stand by my criticisms of the early game and pacing, but it does eventually become very, very good. A quick review.

+ Content: The amount of quality content in this game is staggering considering how cheap it is. If you're a completionist, you should get a solid 30-50 hours out of this with 75% of it being high quality. Team Cherry has clearly poured their hearts and souls into this project.

+ Sound Design: Fantastic music, sound effects, and every other thing related to sound. Play with headphones or a really good sound system and you'll see what I mean. This stuff absolutely established the atmosphere and sucked me into the world.

+ Boss Fights: Standard combat in the game gets a bit rote, but bosses are generally great. The true final fight went from me dying in seconds on the first try to finally beating it with nary a scratch on my 50th (100th?) try. The fights are tough, but fair and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the respawn points are often 10-30 seconds away from the boss battle which gets old fast if you're struggling.

- Backtracking: The game is horrible about checkpointing and fast travel. You have to recover your soul/geo by fighting back to your spirit and defeating it in combat every time you die so there is a very punitive aspect here. The fight against your spirit isn't tough, but if you're far from a bench, there is a serious possibility you will die on the way back which can be rage-inducing given how difficult it is to accumulate Geo early on. This is partially fixed once you get the teleport ability with the Dream Nail and acquire some rancid eggs, but wasted time remains the biggest negative for me and is probably the reason most people don't make it to the end. This game needs about twice as many checkpoints and fast travel stations and an integrated map. This is not an issue of difficulty, but one of respecting the players' time.

- Pacing/Early Game: The game gives little direction early on which is helpful for establishing atmosphere, but detrimental to fun. Cool movement and combat abilities are hidden too far into the game (partially dependent on how you proceed) and can be difficult to find even if you're in the right area. Slow movement, weak combat, poor direction, and the overly punitive nature of deaths mean many players will drop out before the game gets good.

Overall, 7/10 for me. Very good game with a very bad start. If Silksong makes the intro hours more accessible and traveling the world less grueling, it could be one of my all-time favorites.

 

Psychonauts (XSX)

Spoiler

Psychonauts done!

I loved it. The writing, voice acting, and level design are all amazing. The controls can be a bit wonky and imprecise, but I only found it to be an issue during the acrobatic portion of the final level. This has definitely become one of my all-time favorite 3D action platformers.

Doom Eternal (XSX)

Spoiler

And down goes the absolute beast that is Doom Eternal. What a ride.

I adored Doom 2016 and Eternal just blows it away. It takes every aspect of the reboot and cranks it up to 11 while adding intense, puzzle-like elements to the combat. I think it will easily stand as one of the best first-person shooters of all-time. This is a masterclass in game design.

I played on Ultra Violence and found the difficulty balance perfect. The game is extremely challenging if that's what you're looking for, but I think pretty much everyone can find something to enjoy with the easier difficulty options and the cheats you can find by exploring the levels. Speaking of which, the exploration aspect that the previous game showcased is back and as fun as ever. The slower paced exploration between big battles let you catch your breath and appreciate the insanely good artistic and technical achievements of the designers.

I really can't say enough good things and this is quite possibly my game of the year (It Takes Two is close behind), although Halo Infinite is still on the way. I'm gonna give myself a break from ripping and tearing for a few months before I circle back to The Old Gods DLC.

Edited January 5, 2022 by DoctorEncore

[twiztor | 851]

probably the only 2021-released game i played last year was Metroid: Dread. So, by default, it is my GOTY. But i completely loved it, so it likely would have earned that honor anyway.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

I never really play games upon release so I don't know if I even can...

Looks like the only one I can speak for is Pokemon Snap which my boys bought me for Xmas.

I'll probably start Metroid Dread, Great Ace Attorney and SMTV in the next few months though 

Best newish game I played through in 2021?  Astral Chain, Pikmin 3, Luigi's Mansion 3, or Obra Dinn.

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

Diablo 2 Resurrected, although that's not really a new game. It Takes Two is my favorite game from 2021 I've played so far, which I played through with my wife. The part where you dismember and murder a stuffed elephant, man, 10/10 moments in gaming. Undertale was the best new-to-me game I played, which I played through 3 times back to back and it got better each time.

Edited January 5, 2022 by DefaultGen

[a3quit4s | 4,099]

Halo Infinite for sure, Farcry 6 I thought was good even though people were mad about it, Ratchet and clank Rift Apart was really good and actually showed off the power of PS5 for me

Axiom Verge was fun as hell and new to me in 2021

Edited January 5, 2022 by a3quit4s

[Brickman | 3,986]

I didn’t play any 21 released games last year but I did play/finish Metroid Dread this year so that would be my pick for best game of 21.

As for my favourite modern game I finished last year, that honour goes to Darkest Dungeon.

This game is an amazing dungeon crawler/roguelike that is downright brutal at times but I just couldn’t put it down. I’d always tell myself just one more hour.

If anyone is a fan of dungeon crawlers & roguelikes do yourself a favour and play this game.

[DarkTone | 985]

Only played a few 2021 releases. Pac man 99, warioware, brain vs brain. All good. 

Best game I played was ACNH. Therapeutic as fuck. 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

@twiztor @Reed Rothchild @Brickman
I figured Metroid Dread would make the short list. People seem to really enjoy it. I'm bummed I didn't get to it last year. I'm on a work trip right now, so maybe I'll start it this week.

@a3quit4s 

I've been absolutely blown away by Infinite. I didn't really like 4 and I thought 5 was terrible. The big downturn in quality of the last few games combined with stories of internal strife at 343, a year long delay, and co-op missing launch, had me very worried. I was convinced this game would be a disaster. It's so nice to finally be enjoying Halo again and I'm excited for the addition of co-op later this year. Low expectations probably helped it quite a bit, but it's easily a top 3 Halo game and top 3 of 2021 game for me.

[MegaMan52 | 2,445]

Favorite game released in 2021: Pac-Man 99

Favorite games played in 2021: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Kirby Clash, Mega Man 11, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered, Splinter Cell: Conviction (PC), Adventures of Lolo, Super Donkey Kong GB (Japanese DK Land), Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Japanese Super Mario 64, Japanese Luigi's Mansion, and Animal Crossing (GameCube)

Edited January 5, 2022 by MegaMan52

[Californication | 1,477]

I only play physical, so for me, the best game of 2021 was Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2.

Edit: wonder if Cotton Rock N' Roll will make anyones list.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Californication

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

56 minutes ago, Californication said:

I only play physical, so for me, the best game of 2021 was Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2.

Oh man, I totally forgot I bought that game! I loved the first one and I really need to play the sequel.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

My favorite game I played this year was Bower's Fury. I'm really looking forward to the future of Mario titles based on that 5-10 entry. 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

1 hour ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

My favorite game I played this year was Bower's Fury. I'm really looking forward to the future of Mario titles based on that 5-10 hour entry. 

 

[Tanooki | 4,934]

I wish I had a fair answer but I don't.  Metroid Dread I wish I could throw another log into the game of the year fire, but given how janky the button combos are and how they'll muddle some excessively already unbalanced hard boss fights vs the rest of the other bosses and game itself I can't, it would be a lie.

SMT5 I own, but, it's now 2022 and barely started it so I can't, same can be said for stuff like Tony Hawk 1+2 remaster and Cruis'n Blast too.  SMW+Bowser's Fury isn't really fair, it's a port but then the other is a new game, moreso a mini game as it can't stand up either by itself.  So like New Pokemon Snap?  That's kind of a stretch even if it is fairly unique fun.

While new to it, or remakes into new I don't think stuff like Doom64 should count, but I'd feel better voting on that as I"m more knowledgeable of it.

 

So no vote, probably would be SMT5 if I had to, but too too early to be sure, and New Pokemon Snap as a follow up.

[phart010 | 1,707]

Metroid Dread

Axiom Verge 2

[fox | 1,667]

Best game of 2021: Resident Evil VIIIage.  Great mix of action and spookiness, they threw every classic monster in the book at you in fun ways.

Honorable Mention: Disco Elysium Director's Cut.  I didn't get around to playing this till now, but voice work is outstanding, can't imagine playing the game without it.

[AstralSoul | 502]

2021 was the first year since 2009 where I didn't love a single game that came out. I can barely even remember any aside from Resident Evil Village and Metroid Dread. RE Village was decent but it wasn't one of my favorites in the franchise. Metroid was good but I wasn't blown away by it like most people seemed to be.

Outside of those two it seems like there were a lot of remasters - Zelda Skyward Sword, Diablo II Resurrected, Mario Party Superstars, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. All those games are okay but the remasters felt particularly barebones imo as in not adding anything noteworthy. Pokemon in particular did a poor job of making me feel rebuying the games was necessary. Of course I bought one anyway but I didn't play it past the first two gyms out of sheer boredom. Same goes for Skyward Sword which was already one of my least favorite Zelda's, I played the first three areas and dungeons and just stopped because as I recall that first 1/3 of the game was my favorite part anyway. 

So 2021 was a particularly unenthusiastic year for gaming imo. Of course this is just me, I'm sure there were some great games I didn't play or know about. So I guess Metroid Dread wins by default. But the best game I played on 2021 that wasn't released last year was Little Nightmares 2. Absolutely loved the first game but somehow the second one was even more of a treat and cannot recommend it enough to fans of puzzle adventure games with a horror aesthetic.

 

 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

2 hours ago, AstralSoul said:

2021 was the first year since 2009 where I didn't love a single game that came out. I can barely even remember any aside from Resident Evil Village and Metroid Dread. RE Village was decent but it wasn't one of my favorites in the franchise. Metroid was good but I wasn't blown away by it like most people seemed to be.

Outside of those two it seems like there were a lot of remasters - Zelda Skyward Sword, Diablo II Resurrected, Mario Party Superstars, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. All those games are okay but the remasters felt particularly barebones imo as in not adding anything noteworthy. Pokemon in particular did a poor job of making me feel rebuying the games was necessary. Of course I bought one anyway but I didn't play it past the first two gyms out of sheer boredom. Same goes for Skyward Sword which was already one of my least favorite Zelda's, I played the first three areas and dungeons and just stopped because as I recall that first 1/3 of the game was my favorite part anyway. 

So 2021 was a particularly unenthusiastic year for gaming imo. Of course this is just me, I'm sure there were some great games I didn't play or know about. So I guess Metroid Dread wins by default. But the best game I played on 2021 that wasn't released last year was Little Nightmares 2. Absolutely loved the first game but somehow the second one was even more of a treat and cannot recommend it enough to fans of puzzle adventure games with a horror aesthetic.

 

 

I've been genuinely surprised by RE8's placement in so many lists. I didn't pay it, but my perception of modern day RE is that of a boring AAA series like Assassin's Creed or CoD. I'd like to check it out, but I'm so far behind on those games that I'm not sure I'll ever catch up.

I also agree that there were an excessive amount of lazy remasters in 2021. I guess that's what happens when a pandemic sidelines all your creative stuff and you need to make a quick buck. Those projects are probably a lot easier to limp across the finish line.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

One more bump and I'll try to get the poll together some time this week. Candidates so far (excluding remakes/remasters/re-releases):

• Halo
• RE8
• Metroid Dread
• It Takes Two
• Ratchet and Clank
• Axiom Verge 2
• Pac-Man 99
• New Pokemon Snap
• Shin Megami Tensei V
• Warioware: Get it Together!
• Big Brain Academy: Brain vs brain
• Farcry 6

[Gloves | 11,779]

Games I enjoyed which released in 2021 in no particular order:

• Deathloop
• Hitman 3
• Darq
• Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (expansion)
• Forza Horizon 5
• Happy Game
• Halo Infinite

 

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

The only one I've played that was released this year is Big Brain Academy, but it is a super fun and addictive kid friendly party game. I wish there were more of a range of difficulty settings though. In my opinion, the gap between intermediate and advanced is too wide and unbalanced for example.

[Nintegageo | 582]

Metroid Dread.

I was stoked that I beat Sekiro as that just leaves Demon's Souls though no PS5

[Red | 437]

It looks like the only 2021 games I've played are Pac Man 99, Razion EX, and Slow Mole.  I couldn't really get into Pac Man 99.  Razion EX was okay, but not great.  That leaves Slow Mole as my 2021 favorite.

[a3quit4s | 4,099]

17 hours ago, Nintegageo said:

Metroid Dread.

I was stoked that I beat Sekiro as that just leaves Demon's Souls though no PS5

Dread should have been on my list as well

[Sumez | 2,952]

For some reason the only '21 games I've actually played so far are:

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection
Steel Assault
Metroid Dread
Cyber Shadow

Disco Elysium Final Cut is technically a 2021 release, but an update of an older game, so I won't count it.
But out of these I won't hesitate to state that GNGR is easily the best game released all of 2021. I feel like if another game had been released to rival it, I would at least have heard about it.
Steel Assault takes second place out of the ones I've played, it's another fantastic game that more people should play.

I can't in good faith nominate more than those two games though. Although I haven't played them, it's hard to imagine that there weren't plenty of other games in 2021 better than Metroid Dread which honestly was a super forgettable experience. Cyber Shadow was fun too, but it was very far from what I'd hoped it would be.

GOTY 2021

Winner: Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection 

It's no secret I'm a fan of this style of games, and the Makaimura series is already at the top. Ghouls 'n Ghosts is one of the best action platformers ever made, and quite surprisingly this late sequel somehow manages to follow it up and do the series justice, while also being easily the hardest one yet - by a long shot, too.
It really feels like it ignores both the SNES and PSP sequels, and instead continues straight where the original two arcade games left off, but going in its own direction as well.

As it is not an arcade game, GNGR opts instead to give the player infinite lives, and present them with massively difficult stages where you feel that you are practically using up that entire infinity in order to get through the first time. Surprisingly though, the game is incredibly enjoyable in replays as well, and even casual speedrun attempts can be quite entertaiting, despite each individual stage probably taking a full day each initially. Ghouls is still my favourite game in the series, but this one is a very close second, which is impressive by itself.

Runner-up: Steel Assault

An old school style run'n'gun, a genre that sadly hasn't been done well since Contra Shattered Soldier... if it weren't for Blazing Chrome, and now this game as well.

Steel Assault absolutely nails it though. It's a short arcade-style game, but every stage adds plenty of new setpieces and exciting moments. It looks fantastic, and the music is perfect. Its biggest issue is probably that playing on anything other than the hardest difficulty, the game will feel like an unsatisfying pushover, while the "correct" Expert Mode might be a little too tough for a lot of players. Like GNGR, this game does away with having lives, and as a result each death will instead take you all the way back to the beginning of the stage, which can feel incredibly punishing.

However, I really recommend pushing through. And once you've managed to no-death Expert Mode, give Arcade Mode a try, which is where the game really shines. It is very close to the former, but removes most healing items, and refuses to heal up the player even between stages, while dying anywhere will give you no option to continue at all.

Here is a recording of my Arcade Mode run - if this game is something for you, this video should be able to sell you on it:

 

Old games I liked

This is more interesting to me because I played a ton of games in 2021, including some that have been in my backlog for quite a while. And several of the games I played were nothing short of brilliant. These five are probably my top contenders, but there was plenty other stuff:

Subnautica

It feels like I'm the last one in the world to try this game, but if anyone else still haven't, please take this recommendation. What feels at first like a typical minecraft-inspired indie game based around gathering resources and building a base quickly turns out to have a whole lot more to offer.
I really don't want to talk too much about it for the sake of spoilers, but let's at least say that the game has an actual story that can be completed, and it heavily utilizes the creepy atmosphere of finding yourself deep at the bottom of the ocean surrounded by the unknown. It's a fantastic experience that easily overshadows all of the technical issues the game has.

 

Xeno Crisis

I backed the original Kickstarter for this game and got the MegaDrive version, but I didn't fully sit down to try and beat it until last year. Eventually I managed to complete it on my friend's Neo Geo version which did come out last year. The Neo Geo version has a few nice improvements over the original due to being able to play it as an actual arcade game,  but overall it's exactly the same game (unlike the PC and modern console versions which actually play slightly differently).
It took a long time for me to get used to the game's controls and not having an actual twin stick style setup, but eventually it finally clicked and at this point I think I'd actually prefer the arcade style controls. A challenging game with some kinda bad RNG, but once you get into the zone, it feels incredibly good to play.

Bare Knuckle III

The Japanese version of Streets of Rage 3 is a lot better than the one we got in the west. In 2021 I played through both 2, 3, and the much more recent Streets of Rage 4, and while all of these games are really good, I think 3 might be my favourite.
I can't really say much about this series that hasn't already been said. I wasn't much into beat'em ups going into this, but coming out I think it's safe to say these games are still among the best entries in the genre.

The Witness

An incredibly creative puzzle game that seems very basic at first, but really satisfies in the way it forces you to think outside the box in much the same way Braid also did. It doesn't look very appealing at a glance, but trust me - this game is 100% worth playing.

Return of the Obra Dinn

Maybe not the 5th best old game I played last year, but unique enough that I think it warrants a great amount of praise.

I decided to go into the game completely blind, because I really wanted to be surprised by what it had to offer, but I think you can still safely describe it as effectively "sudoku with humans".
Essentially you are given a list of crew and passengers aboard a ship, and you investigate small glimpses into out-of-order events from the past aboard said ship in order to identify who everybody is. This involves paying attention to easy-to-miss hints as well as logical deductions based on combining other pieces of information.

Some of the hints are a little too abstract, and overall I think the game rewards blind trial and error too much (though I'm not sure how to avoid that), but at the end of the day, this game is the absolutely only one of its kind, and I wish it wasn't. Play it.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Sumez