2021: a year of massive change and transitions for me on a personal level, plus continued upheaval and suffering across the world. I’m grateful to have been kept busy with work, self-improvement activities, and getting my new cat Mister! It was also of course a year where I played a lot of games, which provided some much-needed relaxation and escape from the realities surrounding me. So much so that I felt inspired to write a bunch more than I usually do, and have decided to pretend that I am an actual video game journalist and split my writeup into two posts.
Here are some categories I picked because I felt like it (winners listed first in italic):
Best deal in gaming: Game Pass for PC and Xbox, Guardians of the Galaxy at half off already, Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer
I swear this isn’t a paid advertisement! Seems not enough people are aware of Game Pass, that it’s available not just on Xbox but also PC. Game Pass is essentially the closest we have to a proper Netflix for gaming. It even has a streaming option at the more expensive tier, though I don’t find it performs particularly well and would recommend just downloading the games. For ~$10 a month you get access to all new Microsoft releases and a ton of other day one releases, as well as a great curated list of older games. Most of these games support cross-play with people playing on Xbox as well. The more friends sign up, the more have access to a collection of the same multiplayer games I do, so that’s my main ulterior motive for writing this :D. And you can get 3 months for $1!
Games I wish I had time to check out this year: Death’s Door, Chicory: A Colourful Tale, Tales of Arise, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Forza Horizon 5.
Why the hell did I buy this?!: Mario Party Superstars, Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Mario Party Superstars features a collection of the best games from Mario Parties 1-3, and plays exactly how you would expect: fun minigames with a bunch of random board game bullshit thrown in to exasperate and excite. This is best enjoyed in the company of friends, but unfortunately there were exactly zero instances this year where we could coordinate a safe get-together at my place. Even playing online with voice chat, it loses a huge component of what makes the game fun - facial expressions and body language indicating someone wants to IRL murder you and toss the game out the window.
Please get this game out of my life, I have a problem: Pokemon Unite
I have stayed away from this “Multiplayer Online Battle Arena” genre for as long as I could, knowing it had the potential to suck me in. My curiosity was piqued when a Pokemon version was released, and I finally understand why League and DOTA are some of the biggest games worldwide. Pokemon Unite brings the fun and addictiveness of MOBAs to a bunch of monsters I’m super nostalgic for, but without the toxic community that the genre is known for (as there is no voice chat and barely even a text chat). I have lost more hours to this game than I care to admit. My interest is finally waning and I hope to be rid of it for good, but I’m sure there’s a new update (with a new favourite Pocket monster to play) as just around the corner. HELP!
Had I enjoyed the campaign more, Halo Infinite would have definitely made my top 5. Though it plays great, the story is blah and the encounters got a bit samey. That said, the multiplayer is sublime. Something about the shooty feel (or gun feel), the finely tuned time to kill, the variety of options going into each encounter (grenades, weapons, melee, vehicles, environment), and the emphasis on teamwork, just draws me in like no other shooter. Anyone who has gamed with me, knows I am very averse to most multiplayer shooters and have overlooked this series until now - the fact I’ve written this much about Halo is a surprise even to me.
Best old games I played in 2021: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil 7
I don’t watch anime anymore, haven’t in over 10 years - something about the storytelling style and dialogue just doesn’t jive with me. When I heard this visual novel/tactical RPG from 2020 had a bonkers complicated story involving time travel, androids, rogue AIs, nanomachines, and top-down tactical giant robot fights, I had to check it out. The story is told in a non-linear way, keeps jumping all over the timeline, and there are SO MANY Japanese names to keep track of, but it all somehow comes together and very satisfyingly makes sense in the end. Plus the art is gorgeous. This is the most anime videogame I've ever played and it is one of my favourite experiences of the year.
Games I liked but didn’t quite make my top 5: Inscryption, Griftlands, New Pokemon Snap
If I had a top 10 list these would definitely be on it. Best thing to say about Inscryption is to not say anything about it. Expect a card game mixed with an escape room and a spooky theme. That’s all you get. Also, please reach out to me once you get to THAT part, I want to hear what you think.
My top 5 will be posted sometime later this week. Can you guess what they are?
