My Top Ten Games of 2021

My Top Ten Games of 2021

By: Evan1Sonic. This is the list of my top ten games that released in 2021. Any game released in 2021 is eligible for this list except downloadable content for games (DLC) and Remasters of previous games. This list is my personal top ten games, and your list will be different (maybe even very different) from mine. Without further ado, my top ten games of 2021!

#10 Unpacking 

This Zen puzzle game has one of the most unique approaches to telling a story in recent years. You learn about a person's life by unpacking, decorating, and organizing their belongings. Each level is a new location as the main character gets a bigger or smaller place to live. The gameplay is simple but very satisfying. You empty moving boxes and then sort the contents into your newly acquired home. The game also has beautiful pixel art that fits the game wonderfully. Unpack and learn about a character's life from their first move to their forever home in this puzzle game from Witch Beam. Unpacking launched on November 2nd, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. 

#9 Chicory: A Colorful Tale

You play as a dog named after your favorite food in this cute little indie game. When you start the game, you find the current wielder of the magic paintbrush Chicory in a bit of depression. This magic brush is usually passed on from generation to generation of wielders. You decide to take on the brush and go out to find out why the color of the world is gone. The visuals look like a brand new coloring book that you can make beautiful with the ability to paint almost anything. The brush has many different colors, sizes, and even shapes to choose from. You can also erase anything if you don't like something you painted. The puzzles are unique and perfectly challenging, and the simple gameplay is enjoyable. Paint and bring color to the world in this adventure RPG Zelda-like game from Greg Lobanov. Chicory: A Colorful Tale launched on June 10th, 2021, for PS4, PS5, Switch (December 15th, 2021), and PC. 

#8 Forza Horizon 5

I'm not the biggest fan of racing games, but I love this game. Forza Horizon 5 is the best racing game in recent years, and I would even argue it's one of the best racing games of all time. The world looks stunning, with each environment in this depiction of Mexico looking significantly different from the last. I enjoyed the Horizon Adventure missions, but most of the other races in the game felt too short and repetitive to me. There's a ton to do with excellent side content such as Speed traps, ramps, and drift zones when you get sick of races. With the smooth driving controls in the game, it feels great to drive around and race in this open-world racing game from Playground Games. Forza Horizon 5 launched on November 4th, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

#7 Death's Door 

Death's Door is a truly magical indie game. You play as a Crow who is tasked with the quest to explore three dungeons, find the three giant souls lying inside each, and take them out. The simple gameplay loop consists of rolling away from attacks, slashing at your enemy with your weapon, and using ranged spells and/or your bow and arrow to attack your enemy from a safe distance. This gameplay loop feels excellent with all of the five weapons you can use except the Umbrella, which does the least damage of the five. Recharging your ranged abilities after a few uses by hitting an enemy with your weapon makes you rely equally on your weapons and ranged abilities. I love all of the characters and liked the story, things I can only say about a few indie games. Figure out why crows have been going missing lately in this Action-adventure RPG game from Acid Nerve. On November 4th, 2021, Death's Door launched for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and on PS4, PS5, and Switch on November 23rd, 2021. For more about this game, check out my review here.

#6 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

I love story-focused games, and this is a great one of these. You play as Peter Quill on a journey with his fellow Guardians to save the galaxy. The writing in the game is excellent, and the Guardians never stop talking, something that never gets old or repetitive. The story goes places and has some really emotional scenes. The combat is good, but it's also nowhere near perfect. You can only control Star-Lord, and you can give commands to your fellow guardians. I liked this system, but I feel like you couldn't do enough damage yourself. The best part of the combat is the team huddles, in which you call your teammates into a huddle and give them an encouraging speech. After the huddle, you play some music on your Walkman as you and your team annihilate your enemies. While the base combat got repetitive near the end, I still enjoyed trying out new combos. Save the galaxy from a threat you created in this flarking good Action-adventure game from Eidos-Montréal. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy launched on October 26th, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch (Cloud), and PC.

2021 was an excellent year for video games with great indie titles and big triple-A single-player experiences. 2021 was also the first full year with the ninth generation of video game consoles, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S. This year will always hold a special place in my heart as it's the year I started Elevate Games and played many games that I wouldn't usually have played. Hopefully, this year was full of great gaming for you as much as it was for me.

#5 Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread is the newest 2D entry in the Metroid series, with the last one being released nineteen years ago. You play as Samus Aran as she explores planet ZDR intending to return to her ship. Throughout the game, you wander into E.M.M.I zones. You have to keep an eye out for E.M.M.Is in these zones. There's no way you can damage an E.M.M.I unless you get a limited power that's near the E.M.M.I zone. I loved these zones as they give you a constant feeling of dread, something that's hard to pull off in a game. This is one of the best feeling 2D games I've played in years. The mobility you have with all of your abilities is excellent. You'll go from running at incredible speeds to sliding under an enemy, and in just a second, pick up the momentum you had before the slide. The bosses' difficulty was a pleasant surprise, with each one requiring you to memorize their patterns so you can dodge out of the way and counter their attacks. Defeat the E.M.M.Is and get back to your ship in this Action-adventure Metroidvania game from Mercury Steam. Metroid Dread launched on October 8th, 2021, for Switch. For more about this game, check out my review here.

#4 Inscryption 

It's hard to talk about this game without spoiling anything, and it's most enjoyed if you go in blind. Still, I will describe the game to the best of my ability without talking about anything past the first thirty minutes. You are locked in a cabin with an evil creature named Leshy, who forces you to play a card game with him. Leshy takes on the role of a Dungeon master, putting on masks and bringing out props to better visualize this card game. The cabin is dark and eerie, with many secrets hidden within. While the game doesn't have any jump scares, it's got a horror atmosphere that makes you always feel uneased. The more I played this game, the more I enjoyed it. There's a lot more I could say about this game past the first hour or so of it, but I'll keep these words to myself as this really is a game that should be played with as little information known about it as possible. Attempt to escape this cabin and see where else this game will take you in this tabletop card game from Daniel Mullins Games. Inscryption launched on October 19th, 2021, for PC.

#3 Psychonauts 2

Double Fine is one of the most creative video game developers, and Psychonauts 2 is one of their best games. After sixteen years of waiting, the sequel to the cult classic Psychonauts is here. Psychonauts 2 is a 3D third-person adventure platformer game where you explore people's brains. The combat system is one of the biggest things that has been expanded on compared to the first game. Using Raz's PSI abilities, you can slow enemies down, light them on fire, grab things around you and throw them at your opponents, and more. These abilities can be upgraded to make them more powerful and useful. Each of the enemies is inspired by a mental health condition. For example, Panic Attacks move in unpredictable ways, and Bad Ideas will toss explosive light bulbs at you. The game tackles mental health in an uplifting way that is close to perfect. You'll come out of the character's brains with them feeling more optimistic than before you entered. Each brain is colorful and feels and looks different than the last. The game never feels repetitive or boring, with each brain feeling different, looking different, and using different mechanics. Thanks to Tim Schafer's work as the writer, the story and writing are both excellent. Explore brains and become a true Psychonaut in this adventure platformer game from Double Fine. Psychonauts 2 launched on August 25th, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC.

#2 Before Your Eyes 

Before Your Eyes is a truly unique experience. You start the game on the boat of a ferryman whose job is to bring souls to the afterlife. He must learn the story of your life before he can help you pass on, so he sends you back to relive your life. It's a game about death, grief, and pain, but it's also a game about finding joy in the little things in your life. The game is very emotional and will most likely make you cry, but it will also fill you with joy. Before Your Eyes uses your webcam to monitor when you blink as the primary control method of the game. Every time you blink, you skip forward in time. There are times where you're trying your hardest to keep your eyes open to see what happens next. As with life, no matter how hard you try, you will forget moments, people, and more that are treasured to you. You can play the game without a webcam, but I highly recommend you play it with a webcam as it makes it so much more immersive. This game is around two to four hours long, perfect for finishing in one sitting. Blink through a person's life in this indie narrative adventure game from GoodBye World Games. I'd recommend this game to anyone and everyone. Before Your Eyes launched on April 8th, 2021, for PC.

#1 Halo Infinite

If I could have had a tie anywhere on this list, it would have been between this game and Before Your eyes. Both games are great, and I love them almost equally, but there can only be one #1 game of the year. Halo Infinite is the best a Halo game has felt ever. You play as Master Chief as he tries to figure out what happened to his old AI companion Cortana. While I'm mostly going to be talking about the campaign, the multiplayer is excellent, and I especially enjoy the ranked playlist. The gameplay feels like past Halo games but more snappy and new. The game features many weapons, from a rocket launcher called the SPNKr to a shotgun called the CQS48 Bulldog. The grapple shot is the best new feature, and I can't imagine playing a Halo game without it now. You can use it to help with mobility, grab a new weapon when you run out of ammo, and more. You unlock more abilities that you can use instead of your grapple shot, such as the Threat Sensor and Drop Wall, but I never found myself using them for long due to how useful and fun the grapple shot is. You can upgrade each of these abilities by using Spartan cores you find hidden in the world to make them more powerful.

The game's main missions are linear and similar to other Halo games, but between the missions, you are encouraged to explore and interact with a big open world. You can do many different types of side content in this world, from taking over FOBs to defeating High-value targets. The story is excellent and was more emotional than I had expected going in. The ending was terrific, and it makes me excited to see where Halo will go next. While this game was released without prominent features such as campaign Co-op and the Forge mode, it is still a great game that will only get better when these features are added down the line. Finish the fight against the Banished in this first-person shooter game from 343 Industries. Halo Infinite launched on December 8th, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

That's a wrap. Did you agree with my picks and order? What games did you enjoy most this year? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed and Game On!!