Your 2021 game of the year!

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So 2021 is coming to an end, what is everyone's game of the year for 2021?

I would say Resident Evil 8 for me, surprised how much I enjoyed a more action oriented first person RE game.

I wish I could pick A Plague Tale: Innocence as I first experienced it this year as part of ps plus free games, its by far the best game I've played this year but technically came out in 2020 so RE8 it is :)
 
Well, I don’t think I played any game that came out this year…. And I have a ps5! Oh wait, I bought Diablo 2 resurrection. And GTA trilogy remaster. So between the two:

GTA Trilogy Remaster……

It is a fun trilogy though and do enjoy it, but to name it game of the year goes way to far.

Hopefully Elden Ring and GT7 don’t disappoint or get a delay…
 
Microsoft Flight Simulator. A revelation (although it came out late last year)
shocked philip j fry GIF
 
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

I'm also towards the beginning of Deathloop, but I would give the edge to Ratchet so far.
 
Don't say that on the official forum!😂

For me it's also FH5. They made it run on last gen mostly without issues. So props to them for maintaining the XBone still relevant.
Why? :D I love it. It plays great on PC with T300RS. I know it had some bugs, but i still play it.

BTW. My "biggest surprise award" would be Returnal, i really did thought it was going to be bad and medicore, and ended up with really really incredible game.
 
FH5 is just about the only 2021 game I've played (excluding the first five minutes of Lacuna) so that wins by default, but it is pretty good so that's OK!

The only problem is I caught up on a few excellent games this year, including Hitman 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Disco Elysium and Yakuza 0, and FH5 is nowhere near as good as any of those. Maybe if it was objectively better than FH4 I'd feel differently but, well, it isn't.
 
Returnal. Game completely blew me away, was an incredibly intense experience from start to finish.
 
FH5 is pretty much the only 2021 game I've played so its basically my default winner.
 
CovidPass Georgia. A kind of augmented reality game that grants you access to things like museums and restaurants all over Georgia. The boss level can be tricky though, basically it’s a security guard who hasn’t been informed that he is supposed to scan the QR code and expects to see an actual passport instead.
 
Farming Simulator 22 for games that strictly came out this year, or Mass Effect Legendary Edition for a game that came out this year but really isn't a game that came out this year.

My biggest disappointment by far is Forza Horizon 5. I keep trying and trying to get into it, but it's just so stale and even the Car Pass is lame. I wish I would've saved my money, but oh well, lesson learned.
 
I have played a bunch of games on my PS5 but most of them were not 2021 games so my game of the year is NHL 22 as it is the only 2021 game I have played or will play
 
Returnal. Game completely blew me away, was an incredibly intense experience from start to finish.
I keep debating whether to give this a go or not, heard its very hard which puts me off.

I gave into bloodborne after being told it was really good and not actually that hard and I got my ass kicked and barely made it an hour into the game so that experience is putting me off returnal.
 
My game of the year of 2021 is the game that didn't come out. 🤣
 
Didn't play many new games this year. Mario Golf: Super Rush would probably have to be mine. Now, I don't think it's brilliant by any means (especially with how little content there was it when it was first released). But it's easily one of the games I played the most this year, it's just a pretty good thing to play while catching up on podcasts.
 
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I'm not the only one who didn't have much of a year buying games? That's some comfort to know.

Metroid Dread - Best official Metroid game in decades and very well crafted. I don't love it like my favorite Metroid games, but I'm very grateful for how it's turned out. A stronger soundtrack would have helped a lot. I would also ask for less blatant forced map guidance, but apparently lots of people found navigation to be a challenge, so...sigh.
Friday Night Funkin' - Wicked cool rhythm game prototype. Technically not a 2021 game by debut or completed launch, but definitely one of my top fascinations this year.

FH5 could easily have been the one if it wasn't trying so hard to turn me off from enjoying its quality handling and roads. Even if it was error-free, what on Earth is the idea behind its game design? It cries desperately to be given to a lead designer/director who knows what they're doing to get straightened out. Very weird game. Credit where it's due, but it still leaves me hurting for an alternative.
 
Metroid Dread - Best official Metroid game in decades and very well crafted. I don't love it like my favorite Metroid games, but I'm very grateful for how it's turned out. A stronger soundtrack would have helped a lot. I would also ask for less blatant forced map guidance, but apparently lots of people found navigation to be a challenge, so...sigh.
Yes, it was my biggest issue with it, constantly blocking you off and forcing you to continue. It didn't feel natural or easy to backtrack and hunt for items until I had screw attack. Before that you'd always have something nudging you to go the progression route. Other issue was the EMMI and how they didn't evolve, gameplay wise. I'm fine with them one hit KO at the start of the game and needing some one-use weapon to kill them but the whole point of a Metroid is Samus gets stronger until the end when she's a one woman army. Yet the last (proper) EMMI is the same as the first, instant death unless you have lightning reactions and needing the magic one off gun to kill it.

The only one that was actually a bit enjoyable to kill was the last purple one because the game gave you a little maze to get through before you could kill it.

Other than though, I really enjoyed it. Great flowing movement and control, some fun puzzles to work out for optional items and the new powers were mostly good. I also liked how you had to work out and telegraph the bosses.
 
I don't think I have a standout game of the year this year. I've had fun with a lot of new games but nothing came anywhere near grabbing me the way that stuff like Hades and Art of Rally did last year. I guess an honorable mention can go to Loop Hero and The Ascent. FH5, Halo Infinite, AoE4, WRC10, and some others have all been very good but none of them are breaking any new ground.
 
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Other issue was the EMMI and how they didn't evolve, gameplay wise. I'm fine with them one hit KO at the start of the game and needing some one-use weapon to kill them but the whole point of a Metroid is Samus gets stronger until the end when she's a one woman army. Yet the last (proper) EMMI is the same as the first, instant death unless you have lightning reactions and needing the magic one off gun to kill it.

The only one that was actually a bit enjoyable to kill was the last purple one because the game gave you a little maze to get through before you could kill it.
To be fair, I think the EMMIs represented a skill-based evolution, in tandem with the moderate advantages in escaping you acquire through the game. Rather than Samus becoming strong enough to blast them away, it's the player becoming skilled enough to escape or even parry with ease. The boss fights took a similar turn, like you said -- being more punishing compared to the battles of attrition you could get away with in previous games.

That's not to say I didn't think the EMMI became repetitive or were underdeveloped. I was underwhelmed in the end...but there's no competing with Rain World when the EMMI zones are so carefully structured and cordoned off by design. Rain World set a very high benchmark for being pursued by indomitable predatory forces, so I'm spoiled.
 
Only 2021 games I bought are Circuit Superstars(XB1) and Art of Rally(PS4). I’ll give the nod to Circuit Superstars, as it’s just too cute, nostalgic and pretty darn replayable, with all the in-game options.
 
I have a lot of issues with it but Rider's Republic has kind of blown me away with its ambition and scale. I've never played anything quite like it. If it was a genuinely good game (it's not, sadly) it would easily be one of my tall time favorites.
 
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As a game that actually came out this year, Skyrim Anniversary Edition.
Skyrim could have been nominated GOTY for 7 years out of the past decade. :lol:

(I own 4 out of those 7 releases, including the latest :P)
 
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