Scott’s Personal Favorite Games of 2021
Last year was a reminder of just how important video games are for my personal mental health. 2021 might have been the most difficult year for me emotionally. I’m thankful for this hobby that distracts me from the oftentimes bummer that is being an adult. Despite the rough twelve months in reality, there was still a ton of fantastic game content. Over much deliberation, I’m compiled my top ten best experiences from the year. Although there were many more quality titles in 2021, these are the ones that I believe deserve your attention the most.
#10 – The Gunk
I was a huge fan of both mainline SteamWorld Dig games, so when developer Image & Form announced a new 3D game, I became instantly interested. It was a complete departure from the other games from their library, and I mean that in a good way. I love it when a game doesn’t have to be challenging to be fun and exciting, which is exactly what’s present here.
Rani is an interesting character, and cleaning up this world with a sci-fi vacuum is just as satisfying as it sounds. I also appreciated the short length of this one. Maybe I’m getting old, but I find myself craving these 6-8 hour, self-contained stories. I don’t necessarily need a massive open world, an in-depth skill tree, or intense combat gameplay. Sometimes I want to sit and enjoy a game instead of fight against it. Almost every minute of The Gunk was just plain fun. I never felt overwhelmed or frustrated. I just sat and enjoyed the experience. We need more games like this one.
#9 – Resident Evil Village
I was somewhat surprised to find this one on my list, especially since it released so early in the year. I know this wasn’t high on too many people’s lists, but I had to be honest with myself. In going back through the year, not many stood out as memorable to me as Resident Evil Village. I only played through the game once, but as I write this I can’t shake the two specific scenes in my head. They were simply brilliant, and I want more.
Sure, the story gets ridiculous as times, and the ending makes little sense. It is Resident Evil, after all. But I’m legitimately loving the new direction the series has taken in terms of gameplay. It’s very much keeping what made the original games special while offering a new perspective. Couple that with some pretty impressive voice acting, and you’ve got a game that more than deserved to make my list.
#8 – Lemnis Gate
I almost feel guilty putting this one on my list. I absolutely adore Lemnis Gate, but haven’t played it nearly as much as I had expected. After learning about the game several years ago, I was incredibly excited to play first-person-shooter chess matches. It’s an idea that shouldn’t work, but it completely does. A truly original one that deserves way more recognition than it got this year.
Do yourself a favor and give this game a shot. It might take you a couple rounds to truly understand what makes this game special. But when it does, matches against your friends feel just as much a battle of wits as it is one of outgunning each other. I sincerely hope this one has legs, as some additional features for online play with multiple friends could really open it up.
#7 – Far Cry 6
I’ll be direct. I did not finish Far Cry 6. Life simply got in the way at release, and I haven’t been able to make the time to go back and complete it. So should it make my list, even though I failed to roll credits? Perhaps not. But I’m doing so, because what I did play was a magical experience for me.
Ubisoft’s latest entry is incredible to look at, the gameplay updates are welcome ones, and the acting is superb. It made me long for more free time than any other title this year.
#6 – Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
My PS5 got very little love from me in 2021, but was I glad I decided to give the latest Ratchet game a shot. In my written review, I mentioned that Rift Apart was the first real reason to own Sony’s latest console. I still stand by that statement. It might not have been hyper realistic, something that is weirdly the standard for “good graphics”, but it was the prettiest game I saw all year. The sheer amount of things on-screen at one time with zero slowdown is a testament to just how well-built this game is and how powerfully the PS5 can deliver seamless gameplay.
This was only the second Ratchet game I’ve ever played, and I didn’t once feel lost. It also never stopped being insanely fun and satisfying. You know how an incredible-looking game loses its luster after a few hours? By the end of Rift Apart, I was still astounded by how beautifully vibrant it was. What a stellar game.
#5 – Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
If you had told me at the beginning of 2021 that a Square Enix developed game based on Guardians of the Galaxy would be making my top ten list, I would have laughed. After the poor reviews for Avengers the year before, I had very little hope for this title. It was marketed in such a strange way, that I was certain even Square Enix didn’t have faith in whatever they created. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with almost everything about it.
The story alone would have placed Guardians on my list. I actually prefer this version of the Guardians to how they are portrayed in the films. Perhaps it’s because we have a lot more time to spend with Peter, Gamora, Rocket, Drax, and Groot, but there’s much more emotion present with each character. There’s one moment, in particular, that hit me emotionally a lot harder than I expected from a superhero action game. On top of that, I genuinely laughed out loud on multiple occasions.
I still stand firm with my feelings about the game being a tad too long. I was definitely ready for it to be over before it was, especially as the combat started to feel very repetitive. But the story kept pushing me forward too much to ever be really bothered by it. I walked away feeling very satisfied with how things wrapped up and was pleasantly surprised to hear my co-hosts and I had very different happenings in our story based on our dialogue choices. All this wrapped together in a nice little bow that is a stellar soundtrack, and you’ve got just a fantastic game.
#4 – Metroid Dread
Super Metroid still remains one of my favorite games of all time. Metroid Dread was the first 2D game in the series in something like seventeen years, and was one of my biggest surprises of the year. Exploring the environment was just as satisfying as past titles, and the new mechanics like countering and stealth made it feel new and unique. It was also the first Metroid game I’ve ever played that required fast reflexes for boss fights instead of relying simply on item acquisitions.
One of my favorite moments from the game takes place near the end, but I can’t share it for fear of spoilers. But believe me when I say, it was awesome in the most ridiculous way possible. I could see myself going back to 100% this one, which is saying a lot for me (there’s no achievements for Switch games). You know a game is good when I want to revisit it after I’ve beaten it.
#3 – Halo: Infinite
I’ve never been a massive Halo fan like most. It’s kind of how I feel about The Beatles. I appreciate what they’ve done for the industry, but I don’t necessarily look forward to their respective experiences. Halo: Infinite changed all that for me. I simply couldn’t stop playing it. The open world nature was exactly what I needed to scratch that Far Cry itch I neglected in October. Few games made me feel as powerful as the Chief’s latest adventure. Plus, his and The Weapon’s story is shockingly touching for a game centered around an intergalactic and violent space war.
I may have barely touched the multiplayer, but Infinite‘s campaign was so good I just might play it again later once online co-op becomes available. It’s that good, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the universe. Let’s just hope the villains get a little more interesting next time around.
#2 – It Takes Two
As much as we podcast together, Zack and I rarely meet up online to play games together. It Takes Two was the rare exception for both of us this year, as we made a point to sit down and play through it together. Not that we had much choice, as you literally cannot play it alone. It also spawned one of the most interesting review writing sessions, as even that was done cooperatively with my cohost.
The gameplay is nothing short of brilliant. Everything you do has to be done in tandem with your partner. But the real beauty lies in the myriad of activities you’ll experience with your buddy. Those experiences which might last a handful of minutes only to never be revisited again. That might sound like a bad thing, but since you’re jumping from one mechanic to the next so frequently, you don’t have a moment to ever get bored. There were so many, “Oh, this is what’s happening now?” moments that I can’t even remember them all.
Such a gem of a title that everyone really needs to play.
#1 – Astalon: Tears of the Earth
I’ve apparently found my niche when it comes to gaming. No, it’s not AAA titles with intense graphics. It’s instead low-budget, 2D indie games that remind me of my childhood but have modern sensibilities. Astalon: Tears of the Earth absolutely astounded me from start to finish. It may look like something you would have played on your NES back in the 80s, but the depth of this game far surpasses anything I played as a kid. The castle map is huge, and can truly be tackled in almost any order. I missed an entire section of the map the first time I actually beat the final boss. It provided a level of freedom I’ve never experienced in a game of this type, and I absolutely adored it.
If I make an attempt to get back into Bloodborne this year, I will owe it to Astalon. Although it might not be as hardcore when it comes to gameplay, I understand the appeal of connecting the dots in a world. I want more of that satisfying discovery with upgrades that genuinely make you feel more powerful. And there’s even a very interesting story that not only justifies the roguelike gameplay mechanic, but also gave an emotional impact by the finale.
I loved this game so much, I purchased it on another platform. I did this partly because I want to support this developer and encourage them to make more games like this and partly because I wanted to play it again (this time earning achievements). If you know anything about me, you know that rarely happens in my world. To me, it’s the most underrated game in years that I wish more people would play. It’s utterly fantastic, and I can’t wait for my third go with it.
To hear me talk in more detail about my favorite games of 2021, be sure to listen to Episode 379 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.
