That said, the games industry was in a weird sort of limbo this past year. Production delays and development delays led to a constant waiting game for gamers. Scores of big new releases set for 2021 were pushed back to 2022 and beyond, and the Playstation 5 console was still nearly impossible to get ahold of. For me, I took the PS5's scarcity as a sign to just concentrate, for now, on my growing pile of un-played or unfinished PS4 and Switch games - even if I did feel major FOMO around a couple of key 2021 releases, like the new PS5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank game (Ratchet & Clank, as is well documented, being one of my all-time favorite series). At the same time, it was interesting to see so many thought-to-be PS5 exclusives end up getting released, also, on the ol' PS4 - most of them handling just fine on the old reliable last-gen console. Well, sort of reliable. Around Halloween, my PS4 - which I'd owned for several years! - randomly broke, where the disc drive just stopped working. And man, even just replacing my PS4 proved a challenge, with game-starved gamers making even older consoles scarce this Fall and Winter.
So will 2022 finally be the year that next-gen consoles become readily-available to all? Let's hope so - as it's not great for the games industry to be stuck in this mid-generation limbo. And personally, I'm going to really want that PS5 as long-awaited games that truly take advantage of the system - like Horizon 2, God of War, and more finally release. But I also hope that the industry learns some lessons from some of this year's most successful and acclaimed games, and realizes that there is a path towards a more sustainable future. What I mean is: over the last decade plus, games have become too long, too overstuffed, and too determined to create persistent and evergreen experiences that serve as long-term revenue streams for publishers. But consumers are backlashing - rightfully so - and not buying hyped-up games, like last year's Avengers, because they've had enough. So publishers - look to games like this year's Metroid Dread and Guardians of the Galaxy - long-enough games that don't try to be everything to everyone, but just deliver solid, straightforward experiences that are exactly as advertised. Plus, more focused and less bloated game experiences are great for aging gamers like me, who no longer have endless time for massive games.
With all that said, I'm excited by the ever-increasing mainstreaming of games. Game influences are everywhere in movies and TV, game-related content on Twitch and elsewhere is watched by a huge audience, and game fans continue to push for more diversity and representation in games - as well as for fairness and zero-tolerance for harassment and abuse at their favorite game publishers and studios. Games, it seems, are growing up.
With all that said, I'm excited by the ever-increasing mainstreaming of games. Game influences are everywhere in movies and TV, game-related content on Twitch and elsewhere is watched by a huge audience, and game fans continue to push for more diversity and representation in games - as well as for fairness and zero-tolerance for harassment and abuse at their favorite game publishers and studios. Games, it seems, are growing up.
DANNY'S BEST GAMES OF THE YEAR:
1.) Metroid Dread
- Believe it or not, Metroid Dread is the first Metroid game I've ever owned. So while I was never a diehard fan of the Metroid series growing up, I did become a huge fan of the "Metroidvania" games genre that was inspired by the series (as well as the similar Castlevania series) - that encouraged adventuring through a huge map in which new powers and areas are gradually unlocked as you progress. And so, in an era of an overabundance of great games *inspired* by Metroid (Hollow Knight, anyone?), how would the OG series hold up with its long-time-coming latest entry? Turns out, it holds up pretty well! Metroid Dread is pure, old-school 2D Metroid - with some new polish, new wrinkles, and a new horror-inspired vibe in which the player must evade all-powerful creatures known as "E.M.M.I.", lest they want to face the cruel hand of insta-death. Dread took me a bit of time to get used to, and some of the gameplay can feel a bit wonky at first. But once I mastered the game's unique weapons control scheme, the game really opened up for me and became fun as heck. There's a driving urgency to this game that many Metroidvanias lack - propelling you forward with a constant sense of kinetic motion. This is a triumphant return for Samus Aron and for one of Nintendo's flagship franchises.
2.) Psychonauts 2
- Psychonauts was one of my favorite games of the PS2 era - an incredibly imaginative 3D platformer that brought the legendary humor of Tim Schaefer (one of the minds behind point-and-click classics like Day of the Tentacle) and the team at Doublefine to a big, fun, 3D action game. Now, decades later, we finally get a sequel - and it's awesome! This game reminded me how much I love 3D platformers - the feeling of freedom, immersion, and jumping around beatin' on badguys. But of course, the gameplay is only half the story here - there's also the amazing writing and storytelling to boot. This is the gaming equivalent of a Pixar movie, and it's one of the year's best.
3.) Guardians of the Galaxy
- After last year's critically-panned Avengers game, many were weary of this one - especially given that it was also from publisher Eidos. But whereas Avengers aimed to be a persistent-world, loot-based game, Guardians is just a straight-up action/adventure. Single player, story-driven, and linear - just like they used to make 'em. The result is a damn good game - a little bit Uncharted, a little bit Devil May Cry, and a lot James Gunn's Guardian of the Galaxy. The game's constant witty banter and space-faring story captures the spirit of the hit films.
4.) Eastward
- Indie games continue to be where a lot of the action was in 2021. And Eastward - an homage to classic 16-bit era RPG's - was one of my favorites. Clearly inspired, specifically, by Nintendo classic Earthbound, Eastward does a lot of interesting world-building, has a lot of interesting quirks, and has some truly gorgeous pixel art to boot. If you're looking for a nostalgia rush, this one's a can't-miss on Switch.
5.) F.I.S.T.
- I haven't seen a ton of people talking about this one, but I had a blast with it. F.I.S.T. is another 2D Metroidvania that feels great to play, with tons of fun weapons and upgrades and a really cool steampunk world to explore. The story and writing is a bit janky, I'll concede - but the addictive gameplay more than makes up for it.
6.) Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
- How to rank a next-gen remake of one of the all-time great gaming trilogies? For me, I'd been looking for an excuse to finally play the Mass Effect series all the way through, and it was great to be able to play this version with some much-needed graphical and control overhauls. In particular, I immediately noticed the smoother action controls in Mass Effect 1 - updated to be more like the more refined sequels. But man, there's no denying that this is one of the high water marks for videogame world-building and storytelling.
7.) Unpacking
- In 2021, we all needed some calming and soothing influences in our lives. Enter Unpacking, a surprisingly therapeutic game in which you literally help to unpack an unseen protagonist's possessions following a move to a new home. Each "level" in the game brings you to that protagonist's latest living situation, and while the game relaxes you as you place various objects in rooms just so, it's also got a wistful quality as you get all sorts of hints about where this person is in their life and what's changed and what's stayed the same. A unique and low-impact indie that's highly recommended.
8.) Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- This one's another re-release of a Nintendo game that had the unfortunate luck of being released on the little-played Wii U system. But I'm glad Nintendo is doing these re-releases, as there were clearly at least a couple of real Wii U gems. This one is a very good Mario game - more 2D and linear in nature than more recent series entries like Odyssey, but still a lot of fun. But the real kicker here is Bowser's Fury - a sort of proof of concept for what a true next-gen Mario could be like. It's an add-on that provides an awesome open-world 3D, free-roaming Mario experience - and I can't wait to see more of this sort of gameplay in future iterations.
9.) Scarlet Nexus
- Want an anime-styled action RPG that just gives you straight-up, 100 mph craziness? Then look no further. Scarlet Nexus delivers some incredibly vivid visuals paired with super-fun gameplay that makes you feel like an all-powerful badass straight out of Akira. Good times.
10.) Guilty Gear Strive
- The Guilty Gear series of fighting games is a reliable franchise for fun one-on-one combat action, and the latest iteration, Strive, is no exception. The series is known for its hyper-fluid anime graphics, its rocking metal soundtracks, and its fast-paced and over the top gameplay ... and all of that is ramped up to eleven here. Whether you're a series expert of a casual fan / button-masher (raised hand!), this is one of the year's best fighters.
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