Author: Shea Layton
How do you sum up gaming in 2021? It was absolutely wild, filled with delays, developers and publishers being ousted for being terrible organizations filled with trash culture and management, and ongoing difficulties of being able to find a next-gen console for purchase. Despite all of these issues, there was A LOT to be pleased about this year when it comes to gaming. Even though we saw a healthy number of AAA games being delayed, that paved the way for smaller and indie games to get more spotlight shone on them.
As someone who loves games of all shapes and sizes, I was able to try a more diverse smattering of games this year. While not all of them were successes, I reveled in the opportunity to be able to have a different experience every week and month. I played more games this year than the 5+ years of Sword Chomp. It truly was an excellent year for games.
Now, we are at the end of the year, which somehow feels like it came way too quickly and too slowly simultaneously. There are clear-cut standouts for this year, so I want to highlight them. Here are my top ten games of 2021.
10. Dodgeball Academia- Coming in at the number ten slot for me was Dodgeball Academia. I’ve already talked about this game a lot in our spoiler show, Chomping After Dark, as well as on social media, so I’m going to keep it brief.
The game has a quirky sense of humor that I usually love. I found myself chuckling at jokes such as the satirical jabs at conspiracy theorists and digging magical chicken wings out of the trash.
The gameplay loop is equal parts refreshing and nostalgic, as you take control of Otto, a dodgeball enthusiast looking to make his mark at Dodgeball Academia. You collect party members and train; it’s akin to a Pokemon game. Playing in a 3-on-3 dodgeball match was something that I never grew tired of. As the game opens up, more players – friend and foe alike – have different abilities making each match feel unique. The major matches have enough fanfare around them that you feel the weight of each outcome.
The music and the story are enjoyable, but they don’t stand out as much as some of the other selections on my list.
One knock on the game that kept it low on my list were some of the middle chapters in the game, which can feel like a slog to get through. The pacing feels off and the story in those chapters feels bloated, as if Pocket Trap was attempting to make the game beefier and thus justifying the price tag. I feel that if they had trimmed some of the fat on those middle chapters, the pacing would have been much better, elevating the experience as a whole.
One other notable aspect of this game is the art direction. It is full of vibrant colors, making each character you come across stand out. The style helps out during some of the dodgeball matches, which can become busy. This being Pocket Trap’s second game they’ve made, I think it’s a strong showing. If they can expand upon what they’ve done here with Dodgeball Academia, they will be on my radar for a while.
9. Cyber Shadow - feels like it came out forever ago, but on January 26, the world was blessed with Mechanical Head Studios’ first entry into the video game world. It’s a side-scrolling platform game that pays homage to the games of previous generations in aesthetic and difficulty.
The 8-bit art direction harkens to the influences that came before it; notably Ninja Gaiden. The dark aesthetic is laced with flames, destruction, and death-dealing mechs looking to stop Shadow, the main character. There are a few places where the game has info dumps, and the art style changes to contain more detail for the cinematic cutscenes. Those cutscenes will feel familiar to anyone who gamed on the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis.
The combat is tight, yet brutal. You will die, again and again, challenging you to learn the abilities and capabilities of Shadow quickly and completely. What sets it apart from the games of generations past is that there is a relatively kinder checkpoint system – save for one particularly elevator sequence towards the end of the game that was by far the most difficult part of any game I played this year. The bosses make full use of the enjoyable combat, testing your skills in the best way possible.
And last, I can’t talk about this game without mentioning the phenomenal music. If you’re a fan of older game music and synthwave, you will integrate this soundtrack into your rotation for a few weeks at the very least.
8. Biomutant - A game that I initially heard about from Facebook ads of all places (yes, I know, why am I on that ancient app still), Biomutant caught my attention the moment that I was aware of it. Touted as a post-post-apocalyptic adventure, Experiment 101 set out to make a game that rewarded players for making unique choices and trying new things.
You take control of a mutated animal that you design yourself through a decent character creation screen. I felt like I was able to make a character that relatively looked like what I wanted. Another aspect of the character creation is selecting one of 6 factions to join in the game. In the grand scheme of things, this didn’t really matter as you can quickly overtake all of the factions and become the supreme leader.
The graphics are awesome, showing details of the various mutants that you come across beautifully. You are also able to see far off into the distance and traverse there if you so choose. The picture mode makes exploration that much more rewarding. Even though the game is beautiful and technically impressive for the small team, it left me wanting more of the world. I can imagine this world teeming with life now that humans have been eradicated.
If you haven’t noticed a theme here, I’ll lay it out now: this game has a ton of unrealized potential. The characters reach the cusp of being endearing, some of the missions are engrossing, the music almost reaches the peak of being catchy, the combat has awesome systems despite not meshing perfectly together, etc., but those elements never found their stride.
I had a lot of fun with the game, and I could see the grand vision. Experiment 101 wanted to blow your socks off, and it almost achieved that. Instead, I got a fun single A-level experience.
7. Ender Lilies Quietus of the Knights- I saw previews and trailers for Ender Lilies, and I was not impressed with what I saw. It looked rigid, which is the opposite of how you want a Metroidvania game to feel. I took a chance anyways, and I was greeted with one of the better experiences of this year.
Besides the typical trappings of a Metroidvania, what really stands out about this game is the combat. As you progress through the story, you unlock different guardian spirits that offer their powers to Lily. There are so many, and they all have their place in the game. It is entertaining to play around with different combinations and see what makes Lily the most potent.
The story is also fascinating, as it weaves a cautionary tale of what happens when human greed is allowed to run unchecked. Woven in so masterfully with the multiple bosses throughout the game, there are subplots that keep you exploring the various areas.
I loved seeing the gothic-inspired art direction. It looked unlike anything else I’ve played this year.
Not enough eyes have been on this game this year, and it’s a damn shame. This game was a blast to play and I couldn’t put it down until the end.
6. SaGa Frontier Remastered- I feel a bit weird putting a remaster on the list, but allow me to clarify why SaGa Frontier Remastered deserves a place on my list.
When I played the game as a child, out of the seven characters and countless attempted play-throughs, I only finished the game one time. Even though the game was a blast when it was released, there were also some issues with the playability of the game.
The remaster has made many quality of life choices to make the game much more playable and enjoyable. The menus are easier to navigate, and they offer more information. Not only does this make combat more understandable, but it fixes some missing plot information from the original. The additions of speeding up combat and the “flee” option made the game feel like grindy than in the past.
With those improvements, it allowed the best qualities of this game to shine: that it was a daring RPG that bucked a lot of trends from the onslaught of run-of-the-mill JRPGs that littered the PS1 landscape. Being able to enjoy this game more in my 30s than I did in my teen years cemented its place on this list.
5. Genesis Noir- This is one of the most unique video gaming experiences I have ever had. For being Feral Cat Den’s first-ever video game, it is insanely impressive.
You play as a character navigating the Big Bang through space and time to save the love of your life. A wild premise, I know. As the main character, you sift through disjointed memories, historical events, and future events that haven’t transpired to discover what has happened to the love of your life, and also your place in existence. There are times when the story gets abstract, which may turn some people off. I don’t think that takes away from the story but encourages the player to play through the game multiple times.
The game has a synergistic feel with the visuals and the audio. They work in tandem to further the narrative. Not only that, but they provide some inventive gameplay. You must solve multiple puzzles in order to continue learning more about the story. Some of the puzzles are simple, and some will leave you scratching your head for a while. But what works so well about the puzzles is how interwoven the visuals and audio are. Different colors and shapes represent different aspects of the puzzles and of space and time themselves. The audio crescendos and decrescendos with what is happening visually and how you interact with the world, creating a full sensory experience.
It may have not been my favorite experience this year, but I definitely think that it is an experience that everyone who enjoys gaming should have.
4. Eastward- I played Eastward slowly towards the end of the year, digesting the immersive gameplay and the intriguing story. It is at this spot because I wanted to prevent any recency bias.
It has a gorgeous pixel art style that has a ton of variety. Navigating each area felt fresh and enticing. The top-down view, combat, and exploration are clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda, yet it sets itself far enough apart that it feels like its own iteration of the formula. The narrative is engrossing as hell, as it is both well-paced and well-written. The character development that takes place only enhances the story that much more.
The two biggest standouts for me were the game inside of the game, Earth Born, and the soundtrack.
I couldn’t believe that Pixpil managed to fit another entire game within this game that is fully fleshed out and fun to play. Earth Born plays as a roguelite, and it is easy to get lost in. In Eastward, you can collect an item that is the equivalent of the Gatcha balls to procure items for your characters in Earth Born. It is also heavily referenced by Sam, one of the two protagonists.
The soundtrack of Eastward was composed by Joel Corelitz, and he did a masterful job. I was constantly impressed with all of the tracks that I heard throughout the game, wanting to hear more and more. There is a mellifluous cooking sound that primarily uses percussion to create a catchy melody. The amount of care and detail Corelitz put into it is unparalleled.
3. Metroid Dread- This was my first Metroid experience from front to back. As a person who has come to adore Metroidvania games in recent years, it was only fitting that sooner or later I get lost in a Metroid game.
Metroid Dread is a great-looking game on the Switch, using the hardware to its fullest potential. In one area, you are in a lush underground environment teeming with wildlife that scurries away to avoid Samus and combat. In another area, Samus is pressured with molten lava being pushed through machinery, threatening to burn her.
The sound design is a major standout in the game as well. When you are navigating some of the lower and emptier areas, sound bounces off of the walls, creating a larger echo. When you come across an EMMI, the sound of them searching for you is initially unnerving. When an EMMI spots you, the sound takes over, overwhelming your senses with alarms, the tense soundtrack, and an increasing frequency of sounds coming from the mechanical robot.
The combat and the exploration are largely the same as in previous entries, with a few new abilities added. The boss fights are incredibly fun, and one boss fight even rewards you for sequence breaking. All in all, I am really happy that this was my first full Metroid experience.
2. Psychonauts 2- Since I am talking about firsts, Psychonauts 2 was my first experience with Double Fine’s universe. Josh and Rich have talked highly about the first game for so long that I was really excited to play the sequel.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
It harkens back to that PS1/PS2 era of action-adventure platformers while also having some major quality of life improvements to make the genre more playable and accessible in 2021. I found myself exploring the world often, whether it was solving side quests for various characters, looking for all of the collectibles, or just being intrigued by the world as a whole.
The story is strong in the game, and I found myself wishing that I had played the first Psychonauts so I could have had an appreciation for it for longer. The characters and the story feel like an instant classic, which made me confused how the first game did so poorly. I must admit that there are times where the story feels unnecessarily complex due to massive info dumps, but the highs of the story vastly outweigh any criticism I have of it.
I especially love the characters in this game. Raz is a lovable character that tries to help everyone, yet constantly gets bullied by his peers and superiors. He is a classic underdog. But it’s the way that he goes about helping people that highlights his earnest and compassionate attitude. The Psychic Six are explored in Psychonauts 2, and they are fascinating characters. The cadets are hilarious and add to the story. Raz’s family adds another dynamic that is cleverly explored. To put it simply, don’t miss this game.
1. Resident Evil Village- I did not expect to like Resident Evil Village as much as I did. When I finished Resident Evil 7, I was satisfied but not necessarily excited for any other Resident Evil games. The remake of Resident Evil 2 had me more open, but Village exceeded my expectations.
It is a game that toes the line of past and present expertly. There are certain sections of the game that are clear love letters to gamers who wish for another Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil 4. For some people, the way the game is sectioned up left them feeling disjointed. For me, I felt like I was along for the ride in the best way possible.
The narrative is insane, but it doesn’t feel like it is trying too hard. It is self-aware and it stays in line with wrapping up the second half of the story that Resident Evil 7 started.
The combat was engaging, never feeling unfair or too simple. There is enough variety in the enemies that I was wondering what the game would throw at me next. I loved the setting, which was unlike anything that any of the other Resident Evil games had quite done before. It worked well.
Besides Resident Evil 2 Remake, I think this is the strongest offering in the Resident Evil universe for quite some time. It has me hopeful and excited for whatever Resident Evil 9 will look like.