2021 GOTY & Giant Bomb Community Callbacks
Okay, I think everyone has been told "Man... 2021 sure was a helluva year, but at least there were some good videos game" more than enough. So, with my 2021 GOTY list I'd like to approach things slightly differently. First, there's no denying that real world events made this a tough year for the video game industry and hobby. Second, Giant Bomb has seen a massive shift during 2021 and there's no pretending that did not happen as well.
With that last point in consideration, I decided to pay tribute to users and friends of the site both new and old. If you manage to "get" every reference or tribute, then I tip my hat to you. If you don't feel free to drop a comment and I'd be more than happy to let you in on some Giant Bomb "lore."
Honorable Mentions:
Hitman 3 - HitmanAgent47's 2021 Game To Play On Ultra Settings - Look, I loved playing Hitman 3... for about two weeks. It provides all of the imaginative and riveting spy/murder hijinks the previous two games accomplished but with even more graphical fidelity. Likewise, Agent 47's "reboot" story arc concludes on a high note with plenty of exciting twists to boot. Nonetheless, I fell off this game harder than the last two and stopped completing Elusive Targets after the second scenario. My hunch is that both I and IO have moved on and are excited to jump head-first into something "different." Also, 2016 feels like it was twenty years ago.
Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind - The Giant Bomb Nintendo Defense Squad circa 2009 Contrarian Pick - When this was first announced during a Nintendo Direct, I could not help but whoop. FINALLY, one of Nintendo's more experimental endeavors was getting an official English localization. The gameplay is still crummy and frustrating, and Nintendo's pricing of both games is utterly ridiculous, but it's the thought that counts. Nonetheless, for those of you seeking a well-told visual novel experience, look no further.
Sable - 2021 Game I Can Imagine Putting As Much Time Into As Sweep Put into DOTA 2 - Sable almost made my 2021 GOTY list, and if it were not for its initial technical issues and its day-night cycle, it probably would have made the cut. The latter of those two issues is what rubbed me the wrong way the most. While I love playing the game while the sun is up, I abhorred how it looked and played during its nighttime cycle. The way the game graphically depicts shadows results in some environmental traversal sequences that feel like chores, and the ramped-up enemy encounters aren't any fun either.
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