While 2021 may not have been the best, the looming threat of COVID-19 did little to stop quality video games from arriving in both digital and physical marketplaces. From award-winning AAA titles to innovative indie gems, here are the best video games that 2021 brought us.
10. It takes 2
Welcome to couple therapy. In this aptly named co-op platform adventure, a warring couple suddenly find themselves trapped inside two of their daughter’s dolls and must work together to traverse their home and return to their own bodies. Colorful challenges await at every corner, and precise cooperation is the only way forward! If you like puzzles, metaphors, and a pixar-esque narrative filled with great character writing, this is the game for you. Get ready to test how well you and your friends/partner work as a team!
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
9. Deathloop
This first-person-shooter AAA title by Arkane Studios will test your limits. As an amnesiac assassin embedded within a mysterious island community, you are forced to live the same day over and over until you can find and kill the cult leaders behind this scheme. It takes careful observation and information gathering skills to break the loop once and for all. One misstep, and you’re back at the beginning.
Platforms: PS5, PC
8. Halo Infinite
The master chief is back in the next chapter of the legendary franchise. This latest installment is reinvigorating and refreshing, complete with new characters, secret locations, and satisfying combat. It also manages to preserve the crafted feel and solid FPS experience that made the series so popular in the first place. The semi-open world format works like a charm, and the newly added grappling hook feels like the best friend you never knew you missed.
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
7. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a direct sequel to 2013’s Into the Nexus. In the story, our title characters — heroic space mechanic Ratchet and his robot pal Clark– tumble through time and space into an alternative universe while trying to stop their long-time nemesis, the evil Dr. Nefarious. This delightful cartoon sci-fi adventure has everything you were hoping for, from a colorful cast to fast-paced dimension-hopping to hordes of alien critters and a plethora of wacky weapons, not to mention mind-bending visuals and lightning-fast load times that makes it feel truly next-gen. To put it in a nutshell, this is the game that will show you exactly what your Playstation 5 can do.
Platforms: PS5
6. Forza Horizon 5
Set in the vast deserts of Mexico, Forta Horizon 5 is a celebration of videogame driving. You can compete in races, enter stunt-based challenges, search for collectibles, or just drive around listening to music and enjoy the stunning open-world landscape. There’s even a surprisingly decent battle royale mode that promises to keep you riveted for hours on end.
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
5. Unpacking
At first sight, Unpacking is just another easy-to-play pixel art puzzle game. But as the story develops, you start to realize that it’s actually a journey through the different phases of life. While you never really get to see the characters, you learn more about them as you unpack moving boxes in a series of new spaces ranging from apartments to dorm rooms to family homes. Every item tells a story, and the process feels poignant and meditative at the same time.
Platforms: Xbox One, Switch, PC
4. Death’s Door
Stunning soundtrack. Creative storytelling. Snappy combat. Rewarding exploration. These are all reasons why Death’s Door won the 2021 Golden Joystick Award for Best Indie Game and was nominated for the Best Independent Game Award. Your crow avatar is a reaper of souls on a quest save Death himself, and you must navigate cleverly designed dungeons and utilize melee weapons, arrows and magic to overcome a fantastic array of beasts and demigods.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
3. Inscryption
This surreal, roguelike deck-building game is at once haunting and riveting. Set in an ominous, secluded cabin, you find yourself held captive by the mysterious mask-wearing gamemaster. In order to escape, you need to survive his card game while also searching for clues inside the spooky cabin. Every card has multiple properties. Every detail is imbued with hidden meaning. And then, when you feel like you’re on top of the game, a layer of the story peels back to reveal something completely new, something entirely unexpected.
Platforms: PC
2. Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise follows Alphen and Shionne, inhabitants of rival planets Dahna and Rena. The Dahnans have been oppressed by Renan rule for 300 years. A former slave himself, Alphen wants to liberate his people. Meanwhile, Shionne wants to take down the Lords who rule each of Dahna’s five realms. This action RPG also features fun real-time combat, strong characters, and a beautiful, colorful world full of diverse biomes that promises to delight new players as well as longtime fans.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC
1. Returnal
This third-person shooter is an enormously punishing 3D action game that leaves very little room for error. And yet, thanks to a wild sci-fi storyline and stunning visuals, Returnal introduces the genre to a much wider audience. Running, jumping and shooting your way around its desolately beautiful planet feels so good that you don’t even mind restarting from the beginning every time you’re killed by one of its ominous alien life-forms.
Platforms: PlayStation 5