It's another GOTY list in mid-January! Committing in December is usually a little tough, between holiday sales and finding new games (through GOTY discussions).
My honorable mentions for 2021 are Griftlands and Blue Fire.
I enjoyed a lot of games from other years in 2021, and some of my favorites included The Division 2, Ys VIII, Monster Sanctuary and Valheim (in early access).
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Monster Hunter World was one of my favorite games when it came out, and Monster Hunter Rise succeeded in many of the same ways without feeling iterative. Rise's monster encounters and weapons have been rebalanced around highly mobile "silkbind" mechanics. It adds fun new features like palamute riding and "rampage" quests and carryies forward World and Iceborne's polish. Rise's Kamura Village also reflected a cool new Japanese-themed setting, while retaining Monster Hunter's vibrant and energetic style.
What can I say? I really like the Monster Hunter aesthetic. It was a little tough to rank the three JRPGs on this list. I played the late-game or post-game in all three, enjoying each for different reasons. Monster Hunter Stories 2 probably has the weakest story, but it has fun and unique combat with challenging post-game battles. Features like the movement mechanics and layered armor are also nice touches.
Wildermyth's procedural storytelling is really cool and created a lot of neat character stories and anecdotes. (I actually wrote about a handful of these.) The procedural content and tactics gameplay didn't hold up as long as I thought they might, but that was still enough for three fun campaigns.
I really dove into Atelier Ryza 2's complex crafting system. Its "going on an adventure" story is a bit straightforward at times, but some of the characters and story beats are charming. I wouldn't call the combat an afterthought, although it didn't always fit with the other mechanics (like gathering) or feel particularly balanced with the crafting.
Despite its ambitious plot, Scarlet Nexus often managed clear storytelling and solid character development. It also has excellent presentation, a unique combat feel and gameplay mechanics which feature your squadmates.
Bravely Default 2 features a really polished, well-executed version of classic JRPG mechanics, and I spent quite a bit of time mastering jobs and mixing abilities. Its story also had some strong character moments, although elements of it felt a bit bland and straightforward.
Loop Hero has a distinct style and unique mix of gameplay elements. It's fun to play, reminding me of a single-player strategy game with a lot of little optimizations and decisions to make.
Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth may be a bit short and straightforward for a Metroidvania, but I enjoyed its gameplay and style.
Playing Ys VIII earlier this year probably made Ys IX feel a little same-y, but I still enjoyed its fast combat, music and cast of characters.
Dark Deity is a little unpolished and straightforward, but it follows the classic Fire Emblem formula with a few neat tweaks. It also has good worldbuilding, which works well for this type of tactical role-playing game.