Although 2021 had a lot of delays and development shake-ups due to COVID’s persistence, it was still another great year for gaming that brought new next-gen experiences. Now as 2021 comes to a close, it’s time to delve into the year’s best and proclaim the true game of the year contenders that rose above the rest.
Before we do that though, there are some honorable mentions that deserve a quick nod. It Takes Two delivered a charming cooperative experience with incredible gameplay variety and a touching story about mending a broken relationship that solidified Hazelight Studios as a rising force. Square Enix found some redemption with Marvel fans through Eidos Montreal’s take on Guardians of the Galaxy that took them on a one-of-a-kind adventure through the Marvel cosmos. Iconic PlayStation mascots Ratchet and Clank returned with Rift Apart where Insomniac Games delivered a reality jumping adventure that delighted PlayStation fans and delivered a true next-gen experience. Now, onto the best games of the year.
5. Back 4 Blood (Available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows)
Unable to make a third Left 4 Dead since Valve still owns the IP and hasn’t shown interest in resurrecting it, original franchise creators Turtle Rock Studios opted to create a spiritual successor in Back 4 Blood that ends being a total blast. As a group of survivors known as Cleaners, players will squad up to take down hordes of Ridden, zombielike creatures that hunt down human survivors. Left 4 Dead’s DNA is all over Back 4 Blood with how mutated Ridden bear strong resemblance to Left 4 Dead’s zombie types and the overall structure is nearly identical.
At its core, Back 4 Blood is a nostalgic experience that stands out through its intriguing card system that allows lots of character customization and challenges within the gameplay. Turtle Rock revolutionizes class-based shooters and team tactics with the advantages and obstacles presented in Back 4 Blood’s card system and ultimately makes it a very fun co-op survival shooter that offers an ever-changing experience to make it a constantly refreshing replay. Back 4 Blood is the modern Left 4 Dead game that fans have been craving and is the perfect kind of game for friends to hop in and mow down swarms together.
4. Deathloop (Available on PlayStation 5)
Bethesda’s Arkane Lyon, the talented studio behind the Dishonored series, absolutely hooked fans on the enticing time loop mystery in Deathloop. As the rugged and talented assassin Colt (voiced by Jason E. Kelley), players are tasked with hunting down eight crazed visionaries on the mysterious Blackreef Island to break the time loop they are stuck in. Deathloop’s fast-paced gameplay showcases what Arkane is best at with the deadly arsenal of weapons and inventive powers players can get their hands on. Arkane’s inventiveness also bleeds into Deathloop’s story with it letting players put their detective hats on as they search for clues to take out each visionary in one run.
Deathloop is unlike anything else with how the player is constantly piecing together clues and creating run strategies like you’re connecting red strings on a cork board. Each new clue not only brings players closer to taking down the visionaries, but also fleshes out Colt’s story and his connection to rival assassin Julianna Blake (voiced by Ozioma Akagha) who is hunting Colt down to keep the loop intact. Kelley and Akagha give amazing performances that mix well with the jazzy ’60s blaxploitation aesthetic of Deathloop and make each new loop a total blast with their constant digs at one another and excellent one-liners. Deathloop makes knowledge and strategy a more powerful tool than the wide array of weapons in your hands and it’s what makes it one of the most unique games in recent history.
3. Returnal (Available on PlayStation 5)
Housemarque delivered an engaging and challenging adventure with their first game outside of their usual arcade comfort zone, Returnal. Stuck in a nightmarish time loop on the ever-changing planet Atropos as an astronaut named Selene (voiced by Jane Perry), players must brave the dangerous landscapes and creatures of Atropos as well as the psychological horrors of Selene’s past to escape this deadly loop. Although Returnal isn’t like Housemarque’s past arcade titles, there are a lot of arcade elements that come from the fast-moving gameplay, the colorful visuals of the Lovecraft-ian enemies’ attacks, and especially the rogue-like elements of Returnal.
Those looking for a challenge akin to FromSoftware games, Returnal’s brutal cost of dying will test players like never before. The pain and impact of losing everything when you die and being warped back to the beginning certainly make Returnal seem impossible, but Housemarque’s gameplay is so damn addicting that you can’t help but want to master and overcome Returnal’s greatest challenges.
Returnal was also the first true next-gen title with its excellent use of the Dualsense’s adaptive trigger for secondary fire and incredibly atmospheric setting that’s both beautiful and unsettling. The diverse designs of the creatures you come across are creepy as hell at times and the psychological horrors that come from Selene’s story are uniquely told. The audio logs from past versions of Selene are truly skin-crawling and every time you head into Selene’s Earth home that’s oddly appeared on Atropos, you’re constantly left on edge with the cryptic appearance of an Apollo astronaut and clues that build up Selene’s past. It’s no wonder why Sony had Housemarque join PlayStation Studios shortly after Returnal’s release because it’s the kind of technically impressive and artistically ambitious experience that’s rarely seen.
2. Knockout City (PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One)
Velan Studios delivered a gaming experience that no one knew they wanted but are so glad it exists with their team-based multiplayer dodgeball game Knockout City. The game pits teams against each other for some dodgeball mayhem as players look to earn the most knockouts to lead their team to victory. Knockout City’s simplistic, easy to learn gameplay makes it a game that anyone can pick up and play, but it still contains a surprising depth to it that makes it an absolute blast to master. The ball speeding up every time it’s caught or passed makes you have to have fast reflexes and that fake throw mechanic is an absolute game-changer. Knockout City’s gameplay has the fun, depth, and pacing of a big industry multiplayer game like Halo or Call of Duty, which is a big compliment considering Velan is a small indie studio.
It’s even better that Velan spared no expense in letting players squad up with ease and throwing in a lot of character customization options for players to have their own identity. Knockout City is a game where communities and connections can really build to create top-tier squads and Velan has done an excellent job supporting that with how they handled making squads. There are plenty of aesthetic options to make your team stand out, contracts make joining and playing with teammates rewarding with the XP boosts and items you can earn, and new updates offer more reasons to join up with other players. Honestly, Knockout City has so much Esports potential and Velan’s post-launch efforts have made Knockout City the big breakout indie game of the year.
1. Psychonauts 2 (Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux)
At a time when Xbox was in dire need of a big win for Xbox Studios, Double Fine delivered with the long-awaited release of Psychonauts 2. After being seemingly stuck in development hell for what felt like forever, Double Fine made fans’ dreams come true with the return of Raz (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz) and the Psychonauts being as epic and touching as it should. While Raz still isn’t an official Psychonaut, he finds himself in another case as the resurgence of an old enemy forces Raz to delve into the troubled history of the Psychonauts.
Within Psychonauts 2’s nostalgic adventure platformer design, Double Fine adds some great modern updates with some of the new powers that Raz obtains and the visually stunning designs of each level. From the body-horror nightmares of a crazed dentist to the island-scattered ocean of a lost soul, each level is uniquely designed with immense creativity and contains a different message on mental health that’s incredibly touching.
With each journey into someone’s mind, Raz helps someone fight their inner demons and there are a lot of great takeaways and themes on mental health that are impactful because of how personal the story feels. The writing in Psychonauts 2 is really top-notch with how it balances charming humor and effective themes and it’s easily some of prolific game director Tim Schaeffer’s strongest work. Psychonauts 2 is the return of a cult classic in the best way possible as it showcases the best of what gaming can offer in all facets and positions Double Fine as a top talent in Xbox’s growing lineup of studios.
