My 2021 Games of the Year
My Game of the Year list, featuring 10 games!
I can’t believe it’s almost going to be 2022. There were so many games I wanted to play, some that released this year and could have made this list, but I just didn’t get around to it (*looks guiltily to Nier Replicant*). I guess I just have to do it next year. Well, anyway, I wanted to do my Game of the Year list. I usually just do a Top 5 and an Honorary 5… but that would technically just be the Top 10… so my GOTY Top 10! I just can’t choose just one guys.
New Pokemon Snap
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It’s surprising now, but I actually wasn’t originally going to pick New Pokemon Snap up. I didn’t play the original Pokemon Snap, I was a baby at that time and even then my first Nintendo console was the DS, so I couldn’t lean to nostalgia. Neither could I lean to it so I can know that I would like a game like this. But as I watched a Let’s Play and reading comments on posts, I kind of hyped myself into it. Obviously, I ended up picking it up and I loved it. I just couldn’t put it down and I went through completing every request. I haven’t gotten around to playing the DLC yet, but I do hope we’ll be getting some more content (or just be able to see some more of my favorite Pokemon like Mimikyu). I still have to go through my hundreds of pics too.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
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This is another I wasn’t originally going to get, but for a different reason. I’m trying to not buy that many games due to my backlog and I was originally planning to only get this after completing Danganronpa 2. Well obviously that didn’t happen and I’m weak okay. I’m glad I did this though. While my only exposure to Ace Attorney was that one game I borrowed from a friend, I knew I would love TGAAC and I did. If being completely obsessed with a game is an indication that I absolutely love it, another is not wanting it to end. I didn’t want this to end, I loved the characters so much and I wanted to have more scenarios to read and more cases to do. While I learned that the “this was originally supposed to be a trilogy” was actually a rumor, I do still think this would have benefited a lot more with having three games as the only bad aspect is that Resolve had too much going on to be packed into 5 cases.
Anyway, expect me to be playing the other Ace Attorney games.
Deathloop
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I was looking forward to Deathloop ever since it was showcased years ago, which for better or for worse, specifically because of how the trailers were put together and the unique artwork they made (though sadly, we didn’t get many cutscenes with this artstyle in the game). Not only was I interested in the story between Colt and Julianna, but I did play Arkane’s previous game Dishonored and I liked how it played and the story (despite not getting that much into it). Anyway, this was a game I was going to get Day 1 if I was lucky enough to get a PS5. While the ending was bleh and the Julianna online aspect was, as expected, a mixed bad, I loved the game. I loved Colt and Julianna’s dynamic (and I just loved Colt), the interactions you see and have with the other Visionaries, and really liked how different this was from Dishonored (while still having the same gameplay feel to it). Not to mention the voice actors nailed their characters (especially Colt’s voice actor). This was a wild ride for sure and it’s another game that I couldn’t put down.
Blue Reflection: Second Light
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Short answer: It’s fun as hell, improved so much from the first Blue Reflection, and magical girls.
Cupid Parasite
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I love otome visual novels and when I see a new one coming out, it immediately goes on my radar. Though, I don’t usually pick them up immediately since I have a lot of VNs in my backlog and the pricing. Cupid Parasite was one that I was initially not sure whether I would like it or not, but I’m glad I ended up picking it up. This is a really fun read (major plus) and it does a really good job in how it introduces you to the love interests and warming you up to them throughout their routes as you get to know them more and see them grow and become better people. This probably isn’t much of a contest, but Cupid Parasite is my favorite otome VN I’ve read so far.
Resident Evil Village
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While Village could have been a lot better if the stuff cut out was included or some aspects were just expanded upon and Ethan had some dumb moments, I can’t deny how great of a game it is. I had a lot of fun playing through it, I loved each Lord’s sections and their boss fights (especially since the last boss fight was, gasp, an actual final boss fight worthy), and how many enemies we got here. I can’t wait to see what DLC we’ll be getting.
Metroid Dread
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Unlike last year, I only have one game that I haven’t finished yet and that’s Metroid Dread. I wanted to finish it, but it looks like I couldn’t. Though I can’t bear keeping it out of my list. This is my first Metroid game, but I really like Metroid Dread despite that. I really like how this plays, despite the control scheme messing with me here and there, and it feels so good destroying enemies and parrying attacks. Even more so when it’s an EMMI (you don’t know how powerful I felt when I parried the fast EMMI twice in a row and managing to shatter its face plate when it was two steps away from grabbing me for the third time). I can’t wait to see what bosses I have ahead of me and to see what happens at the end.
The Caligula Effect 2
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I’m someone that when a sequel comes out, I usually want to play the games that come before them. Sometimes, I look up whether it’s needed or not, for most of the time I postpone getting it until I play the previous games. Well, I tried to do that for The Caligula Effect and I couldn’t get that far due to the combat. Considering I was already getting its sequel, I was a bit concerned, but I actually didn’t have to worry about it. The Caligula Effect 2 is a step up from the first game, making the combat a lot more understandable, more fun to work with, and more approachable while still having depth; I enjoyed the story and the characters, and the side quests do take a step in the right direction (though they still do lean more towards being boring). I really hope we get another Caligula Effect game (permitting that the team wants to) as I can imagine how much more they can improve.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
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This one is a particularly late addition to my list. I thought I wouldn’t have the time to play Chicory before the year ended, but then we got the surprise Switch release and I was generously given a review code (which I wasn’t really expecting to be honest). I’m glad I was able to play it before the year ended as I ended up loving it (which not surprising since I loved Wandesong).
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
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This was actually the game I bought when I got a PS5. I loved Ratchet and Clank as a kid so of course I’m going to get the new game. While I did wish we had more Ratchet here and the worlds are weirdly empty when you return after doing the story missions (and you can tell how many moments were made to be purely cinematic), I had a lot of fun playing (I spent a whole day just playing this without realizing it), and I loved the new addition of Rivet and Kit. Let’s just hope a sequel comes soon.
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