Game of the Year 2021 - Returnal wins - The Bear and Badger

hylian_elf

Ok my final list.

1. Returnal (PS5)
GotY by a country mile and then some. The pew pew was always going to be good, given Housemarque’s form. But we also get amazing atmosphere, intriguing plot, and some amazing set pieces - in particular some of the best bosses in any game. The rhythm of the gameplay is spot on. Oh, and no other game has had me full of so much anxiety and trepidation going into a new area, or even repeating an area. GotY by a country mother fucking mile.

2. Chicory (PS5)
Not finished this yet, but this is so good. A lovely, relaxing, chill, and charming Zelda-like. A real surprise as I didn’t know what to expect from this. The kind of game you that makes you so glad that there are indie devs around who can create such games and get them published. Deserves success.

3. Halo Infinite (Series X)
343 redeem themselves with a much better game than their last two efforts. The plot and characters are as rubbish and nonsensical as before, but that’s not what you play Halo for. The gunplay is spot on, there are some great new weapons, and the open world area, while a bit hit and miss, provides ample opportunities for different play and side missions and all sorts. Some missions are great, some are so-so, and a couple of the bosses (specially the final boss) are a misstep; but overall, this was throughly enjoyable and I will definitely return. Something I never did with Halos 4 and 5.

4. Bowser’s Fury (Switch)
While not quite so good in co-op, this provided a real fun playground for Mario with some great platforming and set pieces - fun being the key word there. There is very little challenge and it’s rather short (which is fine as it’s meant to be ‘DLC’/an add-on), but a great time was had by my boy and me during our time with it. A full-blown Mario based on this would be an easy Odyssey-beater.

5. Metroid Dread (Switch)
Yes, the controls are super smooth and it does play well, but there is plenty to criticise - the map, while large enough, doesn’t quite feel intricate or complex, there is way too much funnelling to the point where the game feels linear (and kinda is), and those EMMI sections added nothing but a slice of boredom and even frustration. But it’s still a Metroid. And my love for Metroid just bumps other games out of the way to get this in my top 5. I’d love to see an in-house Nintendo of Japan effort next please.

Honorary mentions:
It Takes Two
Unpacking
Toem
Bonfire Peaks
Guilty Gear Strive (not played enough)
Dungeon Encounters (still playing)

Bob

Nice list

b0r1s

Top result is legit.

bad_hair_day

Typically a late in but FWIW here goes…

Mostly enjoyed older games (hallo the perennial Sea of Thieves) but VR continued to dominate my headspace, particularly Asgard’s Wrath, mod levels for Half Life: Alyx and Beat Saber. Of the few 2021 titles I could only muster this short but very sweet selection.

1. Demeo (Quest)
Rock hard Dungeon crawler but oh so charming and deeply immersive, a truly magical experience solo or multiplayer.

2. Warplanes WW1 Fighters (Quest)
The physics and draw distance push the mobile chip to it’s limits but the game delivers a truly exhilarating flying experience for up to for up to 12 players. Surprise of the year.

3. Halo Infinite - Multiplayer
Polished and above all, fun (especially with badgers) it dishes adrenaline rushes and giggles in equal measure.

2022, let’s see what you got.

Diluted Dante

1. Unpacking

hylian_elf

Has Moot done this yet? Slacker.

nick_md

1. Resi 8
2. Cybershadow
3. Hades
4. SoR4: Mr. X
5. VF5: Ultimate Showdown

Moot_Geeza

My data ran out for the month so I couldn't do it on the way to work, and I'm not paying £3.13 to top up for one day. Always resets on the 2nd of the month for some reason.

Soon.

AndCallMeCharlie

Diluted Dante wrote:

1. Unpacking

Nicely done

Moot_Geeza

Tallying up now. Got non-committal lists from Yoss and Grem, will tally up in order of mentions but can adjust if late votes come in.

Yossarian

I couldn’t find my non-committal list. What was it again?

digi

Yossarian wrote:

I couldn’t find my non-committal list. What was it again?

I'd have a guess at Halo at 1.
It was reading your posts that made me buy hades so that will be there too.

Yossarian

I remember those two, although it was non-committal because it was before the release of the Halo campaign. I can’t remember the rest, aside from Death’s Door.

Moot_Geeza

Yossarian wrote:

Hades, FH5, Death’s Door, The Ascent (I know, but still), Halo almost certainly, just waiting to get my hands on the campaign.

Yossarian wrote:

Damn, It Takes Two was this year as well. Is that enough to knock the Ascent off my list?

Hmm.

Yossarian

Ooh, ta.

I’ll have a think.

Moot_Geeza

The results as they stand (easy enough to add points from anyone whose votes I haven't counted):

1. Returnal - 108
2. Halo Infinite - 76
3. Metroid Dread - 74
4. Hades - 52
5. Unpacking - 32

6. Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare - 28
7. Death Loop - 26
8. Monster Hunter Rise - 24
9. Forza Horizon 5 - 22
9. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - 22
11. Resident Evil Village - 20
11. A Monster's Expedition - 20
13. Bowser's Fury - 18
13. Death's Door - 18
13. It Takes Two - 18
16. Guilty Gear - 16
17. Psychonauts 2 - 14
18. Ratchet & Clank - 12
19. A Plague Tale - 10
19. Fights in Tight Spaces - 10
19. Tetris Effect Connected - 10
19. Demeo - 10
19. The Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye - 10
23. Chicory - 8
23. Banners of Ruin - 8
23. Toem - 8
23. Mundaun - 8
23. Vallheim - 8
23. Hitman 3 - 8
23. FFXIV - 8
23. WWI Warplanes - 8
23. Cyber Shadow - 8
32. Ender Lilies - 6
32. Death Stranding - 6
32. Road 96 - 6
32. Mass Effect Remastered - 6
32. Pokemon Snap - 6
37. Disco Elysium - 4
37. Solar Ash - 4
37. FM22 - 4
37. Flynn: Son of Crimson - 4
37. New World - 4
37. Dicey Dungeons - 4
37. The Great Ace Attorney - 4
44. Ring of Pain (rain?) - 2
44. OMNO - 2
44. Kena - 2
44. Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection - 2
44. Emily Is Away 3 - 2
44. Far Cry 6 - 2
44. Virtua Fighter 5 - 2
44. Outriders - 2
44. Backbone - 2
44. No More Heroes - 2
45. Forza Horizon 2 - 2
45. The Ascent 2

Scoring system:

1. 10 points
2. 8 points
3. 6 points
4. 4 points
5. 2 points

Probably not 100% correct and almost definitely not the best way to do it, but I tried. Don't blame me for non-2021 votes.

Moot_Geeza

Feels like Nobody Saves the World should have made some sort of dent.

hylian_elf

2022, isn't it?!

Yossarian

Honestly, I can only really do a tier list. Maybe 9 points each for first place 7 for third and 2 for fifth? Your call.

1. Halo/Hades - two great games that I’ll be returning to for years to come.

3. FH5/Death’s Door - one great game that I’ll return to for years to come that I don’t quite enjoy as much as it’s predecessor, one one and done game that was pretty much perfectly formed.

5. The Ascent - Flawed and derivative for sure, but what a stunningly-realised world, what an atmosphere. I loved the time I spent in that game.

Yossarian

hylian_elf wrote:

2022, isn't it?!

Yep. Released January 18th.

hylian_elf

Yossarian wrote:

Honestly, I can only really do a tier list. Maybe 9 points each for first place 7 for third and 2 for fifth?

That's an interesting way of doing it. The guys over at shmups.com do a complicated weighted average calc for top 25 shmups ever every year.

https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=69541&sid=d4ede1fb022f7b1db6292dd35f30d14f

davyK

Heh. yeah - I've never bothered to try and figure that shmups system out.

mistercrayon

Returnal deserves it both for being new and doing that magical thing of making a thing that looks impossible eventually feel doable even by a noob.

Metroid does that too.

Yossarian

hylian_elf wrote:

Yossarian wrote:

Honestly, I can only really do a tier list. Maybe 9 points each for first place 7 for third and 2 for fifth?

That's an interesting way of doing it. The guys over at shmups.com do a complicated weighted average calc for top 25 shmups ever every year.

https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=69541&sid=d4ede1fb022f7b1db6292dd35f30d14f

Wow, that is something.

But yeah, I’ve come to the conclusion that tier lists are where it’s at for me more often than not. Trying to put most things into an ordered list just seems to make my thought processes collapse in on themselves whenever I try.

stonechalice

Nice to see Returnal take it.

Moot_Geeza

hylian_elf wrote:

2022, isn't it?!

Of course it is, silly me.

Tempted to do a tier list if I do this again next year. Love tier lists.

regmcfly

Whoa, I'm actually mostly all in on that top 5. A good list.

acemuzzy

More people need to play the games what I voted for, cos the list is wrong atm

tin_robot

stonechalice wrote:

Nice to see Returnal take it.

My thoughts exactly. I didn't get round to voting but Returnal was my top choice by some margin, I just kept trying to decide where to place the others. I should have just said Returnal and left it at that.

Moot_Geeza

I'll give it an extra ten points in a bit, need to add late votes anyway.

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