While 2021 saw the delays of several high-profile games, the year still provided some absolute stunners across the industry, both big and small. From the long-awaited Halo: Infinite to the much-rumored Metroid Dread, we also saw a vast assortment of Indie games like Death’s Door take much of the spotlight as well. But, there was also some absolute trash and several games that came across as vast disappointments. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at the best and worst of 2021.
Halo Infinite Wins Game of the Year, and Best Competitive Multiplayer.
Halo Infinite had a lot to live up to, and depending on what you wanted from the title, 343 either matched those expectations or failed to deliver. For me, 343 brought a modern twist to Halo without removing its core root fundamentals. While the grapple shot changed up traversal and combat in ways I don't think anyone was expecting, the shooting, pacing, and the overall flow of encounters always remained constantly rewarding as you traveled the large open space Zeta Halo allowed. Halo has teased large-scale environments before in previous games, but the sheer scale of its open-world delivered in a way that was extremely satisfying to me. While the Battle Pass featured in its multiplayer is still in need of some fixes, with many implemented as of this writing, as well as the challenges that push you through it, its multiplayer has been a triumph in its gameplay, and 343 seems committed to ensuring it is constantly growing to support its community for the foreseeable future.
Tales of Arise Wins Best RPG/JRPG.
Tales of Arise, despite the very repetitive dialogue sequences found in its late game, was a damn good time. The characters and the story were vastly enjoyable, even if I felt it could have ended far sooner than it did. The core experience of how the game is structured made the journey largely enjoyable as you collected more companions that each had a stake in the game’s narrative. I do wish the game didn’t take the microtransaction route in its real-money store, but I never did find the store to be THAT intrusive or in my face like other games have done before it. Regardless, Tales of Arise is a gorgeous JPRG that certainly sets the bar high for the genre and features a combat system that was always a joy to take part in.
Fortnite Wins Best Live Service Game.
If you had told me a year ago that I would in any shape or form be into Fortnite, let alone sinking a decent chunk of change into it (Seriously, don’t ask me how much I’ve spent..), I’d have told you that you should seek professional help, but… here we are. I didn’t know what to expect jumping into Fortnite, but after giving it a go, I’m incredibly hooked. I get the opinions of the game and how it is perceived, but honestly, the shooting is tight, the gameplay is solid, and the changes each season has brought to the map have been damn good fun. The third-party characters added to the game like Psylocke, Wonder Woman, Batman, Venom, Spider-Man, and Boba Fett, have really cemented that this game is beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Sure, it’s your typical Battle Royal, and it has that appeal for kids, but this game feels like the playable version of a Saturday Morning cartoon and I’m so there with a bowl of cereal, in my PJ’s, and ready to be entertained.
Forza Horizon 5 wins Best Racing Game.
For a deeper view on why Forza Horizon 5 is so damn good, check out my review here. Forza Horizon 5 may lack the weather changes of what I adored about Forza Horizon 4, and some UI elements I preferred there too, but the trip to Mexico has done a world of difference when it comes to the actual environment you have here as you take out several of a few hundred cars to tackle some fantastic races all over this colorful and lively festival. The racing is extremely fun, the cars are painstakingly detailed, and everything this game does is just brilliant all across the board. Forza Horizon is the benchmark for arcade-style racing and honestly, it leaves all other competitors in the dust.
Metroid Dread wins Best Action/Adventure and Best Handheld Game.
Make sure to check out my review for Metroid Dread here to see why this game is something special. This was very close to being my game of the year and for good reason, it’s damn near perfect. Honestly, this might be my favorite game Nintendo has ever published that features a character they own, as Bayonetta 2 will always have a place in my heart as the best Nintendo Published game of all time. Still, Samus’s adventures have always illuded me to the painful controls and platforms that the games have existed on before. But, something about the comfortable feel of Switch and the ability to also use a Pro Controller really made this adventure stick the landing and was the reason for my originally hesitant purchase. It’s creepy, it’s action-packed, and apart from an inconsistent jump spin that I made my peace with, this game expertly nails what it needed to do to return as the best of its genre.
Death’s Door Wins Best Indie Game and Best New IP.
Death’s Door had me from minute one and kept me entertained entirely through 100%’ing it. The action was incredibly tight, and expanding my assortment of weapons and skills made me a force to be reckoned with. Combine that with some fantastic environments, engaging boss encounters, and a wonderful cast of characters, and you have a damn fine adventure to take part in. Death’s Door was made by a very small team of developers and sub-contractors, and you can feel the passion and creativity that was poured into every single frame or action of your little grim reaper crow. It’s gorgeous, and it plays so damn perfect that I can’t wait to see what this team has up their sleeve as a follow-up.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… wins Best Remaster/Remake and Original Soundtrack.
Back when the original Nier launched on the Xbox 360, I wasn’t too into it. It wasn’t until I played Nier: Automata that I had remembered even playing the original at all. While I tried to go back to it before the remake was even announced, the protagonist and stilted combat did nothing to keep me engaged. So, when it was announced that they were remaking it with revamped controls to mimic Automata, and not to mention giving us the original’s Japanese protagonist, among other upgrades, I was keen to check it out. With all the changes they made to the game, I not only beat it but went through and completed all endings, making for one of the best experiences I’ve had all year. Nier Replicant is absolutely amazing and easily one of the best remakes in recent memory.
Psychonauts 2 Wins Best Art Direction and Most Improved Sequel.
As someone who only played a few hours of the original, in fact, it could have even been a Demo as it was so long ago, I was still eager to check out what the long awaited sequel would be like, given it was aiming to still remain faithful to the way the original played. Double Fine has had a history in making some truly fantastic games and Psychonauts 2 is no different. This takes what came before and modernized it in a way where you still feel that aged quality in its controls, but refined enough where it doesn’t feel dated in the wrong ways. The Art Direction is also something of note as the game pushes you through the mindscapes of several bizarre individuals, each plagued by themes that reflect the levels themselves. This element of environmental storytelling is damn impressive and makes these areas freshly unique and enjoyable to traverse around in. Psychonauts 2 is a truly special game and honestly, it being available on Game Pass just makes it a no-brainer to play.
Persona 5 Strikers Wins Best Spin-off Title.
While I played a good portion of Persona 5, it’s a game I never finished and I plan on rectifying that at some point in the future with Persona 5 Royal. That said, while Persona 5 Strikers is based in the canon of 5 and not Royal, I felt I had enough information around the group dynamic to push through it. While I was expecting more of a typical Musou experience, typical of Hyrule and Fire Emblem Warriors, I was surprised to see this was treated more like an action JRPG than simply taking out hundreds of enemies on screen and moving back and forth from objective to objective. Persona 5 Strikers is a damn fine addition to the lore of Persona 5 and stands out as one of the best spin-offs I have ever played.
Life is Strange: True Colors Wins Best Voice Performance and Best Narrative.
I didn’t know what to expect with Life is Strange: True Colors. With Deck Nine taking over from Dontnod, I don’t know if I had the faith in them being the lead on the franchise going forward. While I thought Before the Storm was good for what it did, it was nowhere near the original in terms of character and heart. That said, True Colors succeeds in ways I wasn’t expecting, and a large part of that is due to the acting chops of Erika Mori as Alex Chen, an actress that brought such vulnerability and an openness to the role that sold me on her from the very first few moments. The story that followed was also incredibly well written with characters that I actually ended up caring about, and a narrative I wanted to see through. Honestly, I still think about this game to this very day, and while it has multiple endings, my blissfully and tear-filled conclusion is something I wouldn’t change for the world.
It Takes Two Wins Best Co-op Multiplayer.
While I was late to the party with playing this, largely because everyone I knew was already playing it with someone, I eventually got around to pushing through this latest from Hazelight. As was the case with A Way Out, It Takes Two is a game about a pure co-op experience. There is no AI running alongside you, but rather that of a friend who will help pull switches, slide things around to boost you up, and assist you in taking on a few larger-than-life bosses. The creativity here is a real testament to the team behind the game and everything has been built with co-op in mind. While the story is not its greatest asset, I still found It Takes Two to be a very endearing experience despite one absolutely annoying character that almost made me hate the story entirely. The Co-op nature of the game is also boosted by the fact that only one person has to buy it, though, to be honest, not allowing that free pass player to earn Achievements is a bit underhanded.
Guardians of the Galaxy Wins Best Licensed/Adapted Game.
When Square Enix showed off Marvel’s Avengers, and I mean, really showed it off, not just that single-player story mission at the start, but actually showed off what it was, I think the collective world sighed. And, when the game actually launched, those sighs were justified and also caused any future Marvel games by the publisher to be scrutinized to an insane degree. And then in walked the surprise trailer of Guardians of the Galaxy and that hesitation came in thick. However, when people actually got their hands on it, word of mouth spread fast and it became a lot of people’s favorite game of 2021. While it didn’t make my GOTY list, due to some technical issues that plagued my time with it, I still have to say that this game’s take on the Guardians is second to none and rivals both the comics and the films in regards to the depiction of the team. And with a top-notch soundtrack and some facial animation that was better than it had any right to be, this is one of the best Marvel games ever made.
And that concludes the Game Awards for the Best of 2021. Sadly, I didn't play any fighting games or horror games that felt worthy of any such award. What Games were your favorites this year? Do you agree with any of my Awards, or what would you have seen win in some of these Categories? Comment Below.
The 2021 Uninstalled Awards
So, now comes a brief discussion regarding the worst or at the very least, the most disappointing titles of 2021, or games that at least saw releases in 2021 on other platforms for the first time.
Enjoy!
10. Werewolf Apocalypse: Earthblood.
This was a game I waited for it to be on sale and even then I feel I paid too much. While some aspects of this game can be fun, such as the werewolf combat that sort of reminded me of prototype in some ways; the acting, visuals, and overall gameplay were just not there. The story also felt very cookie-cutter with characters you simply won't care about when they die, or even sympathize with the main character and his personaly invested journey. It's just not a great game and I don't care to really go back and complete it unless I am really really bored.
9. Biomutant.
Biomutant should have been a truly remarkable and great game given the extra delays and passion behind its team. I played an early build that showed promise years before the game came out, but frankly, that promise was never fulfilled. The game simply lacked in every aspect and was a largely forgettable experience. The jibberish voice acting was as annoying as that kind of dialect always is, and the morality being tied to powers just didn't feel as satisfying as it could have been. While you had allies or factions to fight or join, eventually the game was like nah, and had the rest of them surrender, making that whole system feel absolutely pointless. Granted, the weapon crafting was fun, but the game built around it simply wasn’t. It’s a shame since Biomutant had a lot going for it that could be addressed in a future sequel.
8. Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance.
Dark Alliance is the perfect example of a game that should have been a slam dunk and then just failed to even score an open basket. Constant glitches, an awful story, and more technical and gameplay issues present than I care to revisit here, so please, check out my review for a more detail thrashing on why this game is just not great. This was such a disappointment and another game that has tarnished some of the high-profile offerings that continue to come to Game Pass on Day One and then turn out to be unsatisfying disasters.
7. Destruction Allstars.
This was set to be a car combat spectacular but had all the personality of a happy face drawn on a wet paper bag. The game was immediately forgettable and frankly, even wasting my breath on talking about it feels like I just wanna re-download it just to uninstall it to simply feel something again. Thankfully, this game was free on PS Plus at launch so I didn’t have to waste any money on it, but my time, well, I’m never getting that back.
6. Nick All Stars Brawl.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl had a lengthy buildup up of excitement only to release as a bland and souless brawler that features a wealth of Nickelodeon's most beloved characters but with none of their charm. With generic stages, awful music, and not a single one liner from any of its cast, this game was dead on arrival. While the online play was fairly functional, I could rarely find matches, and with WB’s own brawler on the horizon, WITH voices, this game is set to be buried before too long.
5. Greedfall: The Devespe Conspiracy.
While technically a DLC add-on for Greedfall, this weirdly distanced additional spot of content feels like something that was originally cut from the game as it doesn't feel like some major bit of story or anything that feels suitable for its own seperate release. It feels like a side quest, and not a particularly good one. Personally, I loved Greedfall and was super excited to hear that new content had been released, but this just wasn’t what it could have been.
4. No More Heroes III
When going over my list, after publishing it, I seemingly forgot about this game, and honestly, I kind of wish I still did. No More Heroes III on its own is not anything to write home about, hell, I didn’t even want to revisit it in a review. This game had a lot of fanfare going into it with some people really taking to it and some just not feeling it. I beat it, or rather, I forced myself to at least see it through, and honestly, I hit credits and immediately traded it in. This is without question one of the worst looking games on the Switch as it barely ran, and the city you drove around in looked beyond horrible and felt like a large space to spread out your objectives, making the amount of time you played feel bloated. While the game had a few interesting boss battles, the rap battle one is the only one that I can honestly say was enjoyable. This game is bad and stands out as one of the worst of 2021.
3. Omen of Sorrow.
Omen of Sorrow sounds great on paper. A fighting game that uses a collective of well-known monsters and pits them against each other. Oddly enough, the story mode present in the original PlayStation release isn't present in the Xbox version for no apparent reason, making this the worst and most incomplete version of the game. With generic moves, and some questionable fighting systems, Omen of Sorrow is just painfully bad in every conceivable way.
2. Serious Sam 4.
Serious Sam 4 is a game I was so looking forward to. I recall playing Serious Sam 1 & 2 with my sister years ago on Xbox 360, and vastly enjoying how absurd it was. While the game was initially released in 2020 on PC and Stadia, the game finally launched on Xbox, and thankfully, on Game Pass. My wallet was blissfully happy that I didn't have to spend any additional money on buying this trainwreck. With awful visuals, and an odd realistic take on Sam and his crazy world, everything here just doesn't work. The controls are bad, the shooting doesn't feel good in any capacity, and the game just isn't any fun even for a second. It feels like a mod of Serious Sam in a generic shooter than an actual release that honors the tone and feel of the series. Thankfully we have Shadow Warrior to carry that tone going forward and uninstalling this game felt so damn good.
1. Space Jam: A New Legacy
While this may be a free-to-play marketing stunt, it is an awful one at that. Easily beaten in about a half-hour, this travesty features bad gameplay, horrendous visuals, and Looney Tunes artwork that if anyone told me that it was produced at a Kindergarten, I would totally believe them. If this game took anymore than a day to make, I would be surprised given what I've seen come out of 24 hour Game Jams. This is easily the worst thing I have played this year and it's not even close. For as average as the movie was, this was vastly inferior and a total waste of anyone’s time.
What were some of the worst games you’ve played in 2021? Did you enjoy any of the games I did not? Comment Below!
Cya guys next year with a whole new list!