The Impact Factor’s Top 10 Games of 2021
Another year down, huh?
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. 2021 was certainly something. More pandemic. More of the same.
I’m another year deeper into my career and predictably, unfortunately, it meant yet another reduction in my free time. I found it increasingly hard to devote myself to big games, and even more so to start new ones. Much like last year, I found comfort in lifestyle and daily play games. They were easier to play 15 minutes here, 45 minutes there. If I made a different kind of list, Genshin Impact and Hearthstone would be my one and two. I played each almost every day, if only for a handful of minutes. And I still love both so much.
In fact, this is probably going to be one of my toughest GOTY lists to write. Or easiest? I barely played more than 10 games that actually came out in 2020 (16 total). So ranking them feels a bit.. off? The sample size is so low. But I’m going to keep the format the same as previous years for consistency’s, and personal preference, sake. Just know that if this trend continues, I may have to rethink how I make these lists.
Now let’s get into it.
10. Guilty Gear Strive
What a gorgeous game. Arcsys has truly unlocked something special with their 2D-3D aesthetic, and in a sea of beautiful games, this one stood out. I’ve never been into Guilty Gear as a franchise, but early hype, beautiful graphics, rollback net code, and large timespan since my last fighter convinced me to jump in. And I really liked it! Strive is lacking in game modes, and like all (?) Arcsys has a terrible online lobby, but the actual fighting is sublime. Easy to learn, extremely difficult to master. I had a great time learning my main (Ramlethal) and dropped a quick 20 hours into online versus. But then I just… stopped playing. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted!
9. Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart
Another entry, another spectacular looking game. While Strive is style, Ratchet and Clank is technical prowess. Wow, wow, wow. From the environments, to the particle effects, to the guns, this game is a looker. It was a great way to break in my new 4K TV. Aside from that, Rift Apart is another Ratchet and Clank game. Which is fine! I love Ratchet and Clank! Super-fun action packed gunplay, simple but supremely satisfying platforming, and a cute breezy story. There were some notable improvements to the formula, specifically the rocket boots that let you joyfully zoom through the entire game. But yeah, it didn’t blow me away but I sure had a lot of fun.
8. Deathloop
My first Arcane Studios game! I liked this one quite a bit. Deathloop is a bit of a design marvel - this looping puzzle box of an island, waiting to be solved by the player. I have never played anything quite like it. I’m not the biggest fan of stealth games but honestly? I didn’t play Deathloop stealthily at all. The game worked as a high-octane first person shooter, complete with satisfying gunplay and fun-to-use powers. The immersive sim elements didn’t do much for me, and the game was a bit too hand-holdy when “discovering” what to do next, but I really enjoyed exploring, unraveling, and ultimately executing the perfect day. Oh yeah just as a heads up, the ending isn’t great. Womp womp.
7. Tales of Arise
An interesting entry, to be sure. Tale of Arise is something I was interested in playing since it was first revealed, but like a ton of non Final Fantasy JRPGs, eventually fell off my radar. But boy oh boy did critics like this one! And kept liking it as the weeks went by. So I decided to jump in and it turns out they were right. Who would have thunk it? Tales of Arise has fast-paced and action heavy combat that delights, complete with the totally inane (and insane?) attack call-outs every two seconds (DEMON FANG! DEMON FANG!). There is a ton of depth to the combat too, from attacking weak points to a burst mode to coordinated strikes and on and on. The game is really pretty, too, and the story while not great at least tries to tread new ground. The game took me 40 hours to beat, which with my new limited game time, meant I was playing for nearly two months. I really enjoyed it throughout!
6. League of Legends: Wild Rift
Dang, who am I? LoL is on my game of the year list? Arcane was one of my favorite shows of the year? Yep. Both things are true. Wild Rift was released to iPhones this year, and was a perfect toilet, I mean short free time, companion. I’ve enjoyed MOBAs before, but the long length or complex economy of play has put me off. Wild Rift solves for both of these. Games are usually no more than 20 minutes, and item load outs make it easy to strengthen your character without stress. The touch controls work perfectly. The best games are a tense back-and-forth that can lead to elation only video games can provide. But then, it’s still LoL. Players were toxic at times, and it felt like ~80% of my games were decided before we even started playing (40% auto lose, 40% auto win). I played one match a day about 5 days a week since March, and overall I’ve had a great time. I have started tapering off recently, so I imagine I might drop it completely soon, but it provided a whole lot of fun through 2021.
5. Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2 is a bit of a marvel. It’s a game that fans, myself included, have been anticipating for over a decade and… it met or exceeded all my expectations? Yep. Incredible. Psychonauts 2, yes, is just more Psychonauts but it is also so much more. It had easily the best story of any game I’ve played in 2021. The game isn’t afraid to explore depression, grief, and mental illness and does so with deep respect and grace. It’s remarkable. The gameplay is improved in about every way when compared to the original. I remain baffled (read: impressed) with the level of imagination on display in Psychonauts 2. It’s so creative, and continues to surprise with its creativity. This is a special game, and more people should play it.
4. Returnal
A roguelike makes this list! (Spoiler alert - no Soulslike on this list this year!). This one was a late comer. I bought Returnal back in the summer but it sat on my console unplayed because there was no way to suspend a run. And from everything I read, runs could take upwards of 2-3 hours. Per my game time discussion at the top, there was no way I could fit Returnal in like that. But then the game changer happened — a patch dropped in the fall that allowed for runs to be suspended! So finally this December, I jumped in. And very quickly I fell in love with this gem. Returnal is a game almost tailer made to my tastes. It’s a sci-fi, 3rd person shooter, bullet-hell roguelike. Yeah, sign me up. Housemarque are peerless in their arcade style gameplay, and that both remained and evolved beautifully with Returnal. The moment-to-moment gameplay is so deeply satisfying that the feeling is hard to convey in words. I instantaneously fell into its rhythm, and quickly developed mastery of the systems. I beat the game (Act 1) on my third life, and nearly cleared a second time (Act 2) on my 6th. I had beaten most everything in 10 hours. The plot stuff is only ok and I haven’t processed the game long enough to know if the roguelike formula is the game’s best-fit, but just playing Returnal is so dang fun that it left me wanting more and more.
3. Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon
I debated whether or not to include this one on the list since it technically came last year, but it wasn’t playable on PlayStation until 2021 so I’m counting it! Like a Dragon is so freakin’ good! It was a huge departure for the franchise: Kiryu was no longer the protagonist, combat went from 3rd person brawler to turn-based JRPG-style, and the majority of the game was set in Yokohama and not Kamurocho. But yet. But yet? Everything works! And is my second favorite Yakuza title ever! Ichiban is impossible not to love - his story is so sad, and he is so pure hearted. The cast of characters is as diverse and wild as ever. The new setting, the political drama, the high steaks melodramatic story. All great. And the JRPG bits work well, too! The brawler combat of past entries has always been my least favorite part of playing. It was tedious and button mashy. The combat in Like a Dragon is still my least favorite part, but I vastly prefer the turn-based combat to brawling. And there is the foundation of something really solid for future entries. And! Summoning a prawn or a man in a diaper to attack your foes never gets old. Loved this game so much. I remain super excited for the future of this franchise.
2. It Takes Two
Let’s get this out of the way at the top - the story and characters in It Takes Two are just… bleh. I know it’s about two divorcing parents but did they have to be so annoying? And spoiler alert — the decision to stay together because of the kid? Yikes. Ok, now that that’s done. I absolutely loved playing through It Takes Two.Why? I played couch co-op with my wife. This is a puzzle-platformer like no other. It Takes Two delivers a true co-operative experience, in which you constantly have to work together with your partner, often performing discrete functions, to solve a puzzle or beat a platforming challenge. The game is bursting at the seams with ideas. It is unafraid to introduce something new, something fun, to the player for one segment only for it never to be seen again. Behind every corner, every new level, is a gameplay surprise for the players that delights. I had forgotten how much fun it is to play games together with my wife, and It Takes Two did a fabulous job reminding me just how important working and playing together can be.
1. Resident Evil: Village
Resident Evil: Village is the best Resident Evil game. From me, this is saying a lot. I’m a big fan of 1, 2, 4, and 7. But Village is something special. It is a love letter to not only Resident Evil as a franchise, but also to horror at large. The first-person survival horror works as well as it needs to, but the real stars are the world and narrative. Village smartly brings back the PS2-era hub world design and utilizes brilliantly. Bouncing from hub spoke to spoke, each new area transports you into a new style of horror. From gothic victorian horror in a vampire filled castle, to a creepy ghost / puppet mansion, to a back woods mutated swamp. Village embraces its B horror movie roots — it knows just how dumb its protagonist, and its world, is. It delights on pushing things just far enough you could believe they were serious, but way too far to not know that everyone involved was having a blast & being as goofy as possible. Ethan Winters is a perfect dumb dumb, and it’s a delight that his true nature is explored. I couldn’t put this one down. I played through three (?) times consecutively, spent extra time in the Mercenaries score chasing mode, and even longer just thinking about how much fun I had. Village’s rogue’s gallery is filled with all-time superstars like Lady Dimitrescu. The game knew you wanted to have fun, while being just a touch scared, and it struck that balance perfectly. I know by the time Resident Evil 9 rolls around, I’ll be ecstatic to play through this one again. So congrats Resident Evil: Village, you are The Impact Factor’s Game of the Year 2021!
