Top 5 games I played in 2021

...wow, is it that time already?! It only feels like yesterday that the year started. It's certainly been another...interesting year, but there's still been some good moments.

This year, I only managed to complete a total of 9 games. Not the lowest ever (2019 had 7), but still low. You'd think all the time off would give me plenty of time to play more, but apparently not. In fact, there was a huge gap between playing RE: Village and LiS: True Colours. I just haven't been in the right mindset for most of the year. That said, I enjoyed what played, so all good.

As has been the case for a number of years now, not all the games in this list were released this year. I don't do typical GOTY lists, apparently. :P I hope you enjoy my list, and fingers-crossed things will go better for everyone in 2022.

List items

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  1. Resident Evil Village

  This entry in the series reminded me a lot of Resident Evil 4. For me, that's very much a good thing. RE4 is one of my favourite games overall, so anything that calls back to it has a pretty good chance of having my interest. Setting aside, it also had a similar pacing, and some of the set-pieces were as crazy as I've come to expect. Some people play RE games to be scared, whereas I play them for the ride. As a result, there wasn't much for me to complain about.

  It came out this year, so consider it my 2021 GOTY, I guess.

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  2. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

  I found the change of setting was a nice breath of fresh air for the series. A lot of what made the series great is still present, too. The characters are still quirky, the cases have unexpected twists, and getting to the feels as satisfying as ever. I will admit that certain aspects were a bit predictable, but it didn't ruin the overall experience for me. If you liked the previous entries, there's a good chance you'll like both of these, too.

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  3. Life is Strange: True Colors

  Probably my favourite LiS game outside of the Max/Chloe narratives. I found the new power interesting, even if it could be seen as the 'weakest' in the series. Been able to feel others' emotions, if a bit of a frightening thought, would certainly help in some ways (as shown in the game). I especially liked something that happened in the third chapter. I won't spoil it.

  That, and Steph has became one of my favourite characters. Such a nerd. The bonus chapter with her was nicely done, too.

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  4. Cyberpunk 2077

  (Note: While I don't approve of the console release debacle, or various other stuff throughout its development, I feel that should be separated from the game itself. Most of the people who actually worked on the game clearly cared a lot about it, as demonstrated by one of the key staff being visibly upset during a stream. I don't think they should be thrown under the bus for the failings of management, nor the pressure from the financial side of things.

  Extra note: I played the PC version. )

  I enjoyed my time with Cyberpunk 2077. It's certainly not much of an RPG, but then you could probably say the same about the Witcher games, given most choices ultimately don't matter. However, I really liked the scenery, and each locale seemed to tell its own story (such as Pacifica clearly coming off as an abandoned resort for rich people). It felt like a believable world...even if it was a bit sparse. Playing stealthily was hard to begin with, but as the game went on, it became a lot more feasible. I thought a lot of the missions were interesting, and it was nice to be able to get to know some of the characters a bit more.

  I also think the Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves) stuff worked well. It was interesting to hear what he thought of certain things. I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, but it was nice to have that contrast.

  I hope there's more content next year, though I have the feeling they'll want to finish the next-gen upgrades first. Fingers-crossed that isn't also rushed out.

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  5. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

  The only game from the list that I also streamed. I thought this was a nice little gem. As you may have guessed, I'm very much into cyberpunk/futuristic fiction, so it was right up my street. Plenty of interesting characters, and I didn't have too much trouble with drink mechanics (having no time pressure helped a lot!). The music was awesome, too. If you want a chill game where you chat to patrons about anything from their favourite drinks, all the way to the meaning of life, this might be worth checking out.