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GOTY 2021

Started by Chedney Honks, October 23, 2021, 12:48:53 PM

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Chedney Honks

A funny old year for games due to Covid and supply issues, with plenty of big releases delayed to next year. A funny year for games for me, too. After playing a lot of different stuff last year, though not finding 2020 a particularly good one for gaming, I almost completely dropped the hobby this year.

Partly it was the lack of real top tier releases, partly how little affinity I feel with 'gamers' and partly just the realisation that most games don't do anything for me. I'm no longer interested in the fodder which makes up the vast majority of well-regarded releases. I picked a fair few games up but dropped almost everything. As I've said before, it's a medium with an extremely high level of competence and very little excellence. I can speculate why - uniformity of tools and engines, risk-averse iterative development, gamers are slavish and undiscerning - but I could well be wrong. Whatever the reason, my conclusion is the same - very few games appeal to me, new or old.

It's common for gaming commentors to dismiss criticism with the idea that 'there's never been a better time in the history of mankind to play games, there's never been such a wide variety of new and old games available' but I don't believe that's the case, nor do I believe that better backwards compatibility means that contemporary gaming is in a good place. I'll go further that improved backwards compatibility and accessibility of old games has highlighted two things. First, AAA and indie games have never felt so safe, derivative or iterative - many older games on BC just feel like earlier steps along the same roads. Second, and some may disagree, the majority of old games highlight how important technological innovation is to our enjoyment, excitement and appreciation.

There's delight in novelty and surprise and the sense that a bar has been raised. Many older games are well remembered for the ground they broke, not because they stand up today. Of course there are exceptions, especially with arcade games which tend towards evergreen, but for console games I think that's a fair albeit sweeping assessment. Ocarina of Time, one of my all-time favourites, a life-changing experience, impressed mostly because of its scale. Without that jaw-dropping sense of wonder, seeing new possibilities for the first time, there's much less to revisit. You might appreciate how much was achieved with so little, but that technical critique doesn't mean that the game stands up today. As an aside and a crude comparison, I think FF7 stands up much better because it's inherently microcosmic, it gives an impressionistic snapshot presentation of its world.

Back to the point, with the diminishing returns of polygons and sheer scale, it seems like the bar is raised much more incrementally and to less and less effect, ie. everything looks great, what else you got? In fact, there have been lots of comments that the new Horizon Forbidden West looks too realistic, that the foliage and textures give you too much visual information to parse the gamey stuff. Similar criticisms were made about my GOTY, in that there are simply too many particle effects and swaying foliage to get a read on the environments and enemies. While I disagree on the latter example, I do think there's something to this point and, overall, in terms of diminishing returns, I'm really not sure how this can be addressed. Classic games are classics partly because of their technical leaps forward, so what happens when you run out of road?

As an aside, I would enjoy reading a defence or optimistic take on the state of contemporary gaming.

Anyway, despite my broad disappointment with the industry, I do still love gaming and a few highlights have really stood out for me this year with one above all else:

Returnal

While the story and lore and so on are much more mysterious than rewarding, the gameplay, depth and audiovisual presentation are as exciting and satisfying as almost anything I've ever played. The nuances of movement and combat become second nature and you have the thrilling sense that muscle memory takes over in the moment. As you sling and dash around the environments, slicing and gunning down gigantic Lovecraftian deep sea space bastards, you're not thinking about your movements at all, just dodging, targeting, firing, swinging across the arenas and occasionally letting rip with your destructive alt fire.

The visuals are exceptional in motion, honestly fucking indescribably dazzling, and the sound design is perhaps even better. Everything from the guns, and it's every single gun, to the swirling, swishing, splashing environments and the blood curdling enemy squeals, growls and indescribable despair roars. Everything sounds incredibly rich, full of personality and life and impact. I also have to mention the music, especially in the lead up to the fourth boss and the fight itself. There's nothing in any of the Souls games which comes close to that. I just beat it this morning on a new save and I actually had a tear in my eye climbing up as the organ arpeggios swell. An amazing moment which basically prompted this post.

I know that a PS5 isn't easily available to everyone for a number of reasons but if and when you get the opportunity, I would recommend it as one of the best games I've played since Bloodborne, perhaps the best. Will it stand up in the future? I really don't know, but for now it represents the best of contemporary gaming for me. It raises the bar technically, the gameplay is absolutely outstanding and there's nothing else quite like it. My GOTY 2021 by a mile.

What about you?

bgmnts

Haven't played Little Nightmares 2, Hitman 3 or RE: Village yet so nothing so far. Everything has been a re release on the current gen of consoles or a remake/reboot/port etc.


Kelvin

Feels a bit early to be reaching a definitive decision, but I'm fairly sure it's going to come down to one of three games: Bowser's Fury, Metroid: Dread or Monster Hunter: Rise.

None of them did anything revolutionary. but all three excelled at what you'd expect and are arguably among the best in their series. As for which I enjoyed most, I honestly can't decide. Dread had the highest highs, Bowser's Fury was pure gameplay bliss, and MH:Rise kept me playing for weeks and weeks. My gut tells me that Bowser's Fury was one I enjoyed most, but all three were an absolute pleasure.

Quote from: Kelvin on October 23, 2021, 03:24:27 PMFeels a bit early to be reaching a definitive decision

Yes, the years not over yet, hopefully many more delights to come, but my top three feel pretty concrete at this stage, though there's still everything to play for.

1. Blue Wish Desire
2. Natsuki Chronicles
3. Star Hunter DX

Chedney Honks

Quote from: Kelvin on October 23, 2021, 03:24:27 PM
Feels a bit early to be reaching a definitive decision

I couldn't think of anything else that was coming that looks any good, to be honest.

Timothy

Quote from: Chedney Honks on October 23, 2021, 03:40:42 PM
I couldn't think of anything else that was coming that looks any good, to be honest.

Shin Megami Tensei, Forza Horizon and maybe the new Halo and that's about it I think.

My top 5

1. Returnal
Without a doubt the best game I've played this year. Amazing sound effects and music, great use of the Dualsense controller and fantastic gameplay. If there's one game from 2021 you should play it's this one.

2. Hitman III
Best Hitman game ever made. That mansion level was amazing.

3. Microsoft Flight Simulator
There's not much better then start up this game and relax for a few hours. Didn't expect to play this more then a few times but start it up every week.

4. Deathloop
Unique and addictive gameplay. Great use of the Dualsense. Fantastic game.

5. Mass Effect Trilogy
I never played any of these games and I absolutely loved them.

Honorable mentions:

Disco Elysium
Loved it. Technically it didn't really release this year so it didn't make the top five.

Resident Evil Village
Great game but a bit too repetitive and too short.

Bowser's Fury
What I thought was going to be a short demo like add on turned out to be one of the best platform games I played this year.

Last Stop
Storydriven game on Gamepass. Really enjoyed this.

Oddworld Soulstorm
Way too buggy but I really enjoyed it. Free with PSPLUS which was an added bonus.

It Takes Two
Great multiplayer game.


Lemming

2020 was a great year for all kinds of niche genres. 2021 feels like a huge flop though, the only games I was really interested in were Far Cry 6 and Hitman 3. Haven't played Hitman 3 yet, while Far Cry 6 feels very dull, and not just from the usual "hey this is the same fucking game I bought a couple years ago" angle.

Trying to think of any other games I even played... The Lost City was based on a Skyrim mod and was alright.

Life is Strange: True Colours was more of the typical Life is Strange stuff, bollocks main plot that works if you like the characters enough. There's a little arcade cabinet in the corner of your room where you can play a mock-early-80s game where you're in a mineshaft or something and I clocked more playtime on that than the actual game itself.

Other than that, about 10 minutes of BioMutant at my friend's house is as far as I got with gaming this year. I don't think I can actually pick a GOTY.

Quote from: Timothy on October 23, 2021, 04:21:44 PM
Last Stop
Storydriven game on Gamepass. Really enjoyed this.

Oh, I played that and completely forgot about it! It was a lot of fun while it lasted, especially
Spoiler alert
the final chapter where everything just goes off in a completely batshit direction
[close]
. Felt terrible for Donna though, no way to really win there no matter what choice you make.

Mobius

Yeah it does feel like it was a shite year. I think all of the games I've played and enjoyed this year were just remakes/remasters or GOTY versions of existing stuff. Disco Elysium, Mass Effect, Hitman...

I'll go with Persona 5 Strikers or NEO:The World Ends With You.

The Culture Bunker

Feels like this year I've mainly been playing very cheap, short games going for a pound or two in various offers on PS store - quite a lot of point-and-click adventure affairs.

Disco Elysium was a lot of fun, though, but I think that and the re-issued Mass Effect trilogy are the only 2021 releases I've picked up so far - and neither of them are obviously 'new'. I'll get Hitman 3 eventually, I'm sure, but I only just had enough of the previous one back in January, so I need a little more time before going back to the well on that series.

Zetetic

Going back to the Outer Wilds (2019), in the last couple of weeks, I still find that it's a really neat coming together of ideas and technology at a particular time. You can see how various mechanics have been picked from elsewhere and been made more legible and put to more suitable ends, and you can see how the relative ease of doing bits of physics and visual effects in the late-2010s made it possible for quite a small team to pull it all together.

I still find the
Spoiler alert
black hole
[close]
and
Spoiler alert
supernova
[close]
awe-inspiring, even after they've become familiar and even though they're fairly obvious not technically massively clever or novel. What they are is special within the game, and they're presented in a way that reinforces that it, and how you interact with them and what they mean.

Or to pick a more grounded example that's a bit more interested in "fidelity" - SnowRunner (2019). You can see the journey from Spintires (2014) and how that's been informed by other games and made possible by a general lowering of the bar for visual niceties. But, again, those niceties are used to create a sense of place and to serve actual play.

Zetetic

And I guess my point is - we're still seeing it become easy for very small, small and medium-sized teams to make stuff that's a bit more special or at least special to them. That's where the most interesting technical progress has been for the last decade.

peanutbutter

I'll just pick the games I'm likely to play from this year:

Before Your Eyes
Blinking game, sounds neat, probably be pretty short?


It Takes Two
Fucking loved A Way Out so I'm sure I'll like this a bunch


New Forza Horizon
Never played any of them but excited to, may as well start with the latest one

Timothy

Quote from: Timothy on October 23, 2021, 04:21:44 PM
My top 5

1. Returnal
Without a doubt the best game I've played this year. Amazing sound effects and music, great use of the Dualsense controller and fantastic gameplay. If there's one game from 2021 you should play it's this one.

2. Hitman III
Best Hitman game ever made. That mansion level was amazing.

3. Microsoft Flight Simulator
There's not much better then start up this game and relax for a few hours. Didn't expect to play this more then a few times but start it up every week.

4. Deathloop
Unique and addictive gameplay. Great use of the Dualsense. Fantastic game.

5. Mass Effect Trilogy
I never played any of these games and I absolutely loved them.


I want to replace Mass Effect with Shin Megami Tensei V. Incredible game. Deathloop goes to place 5, Shin Megami to place 4 and Mass Effect Trilogy goes to honorable mentions. :)

evilcommiedictator

GTA Remastered gave me more enjoyment than anything else this year.

Obel

Inscryption is my GOTY without a doubt.

Chollis


Thursday

Lost Judgment and Inscryption are the gold tier for me. Destiny 2 also hit some real highs this year, they've really found a good formula for their seasonal content.

Hitman 3 and Psychonauts 2 also putting in some very strong showing. Mentions also go out to, Bowsers Fury, Flight Simulator, Dorfromantik, Resi 8

Forgotten City I was in the middle of, don't know where it should place. Don't know if I'll finish, not because there's anything wrong with it, just that it requires more brain engagement than I can put in at the moment.

Had also planned to play Metroid Dread and Chicory but doubt I'll get to them soon enough.

One of the better years there's been in a while I think. Might try to write a bit more about my top games at some point.


Chedney Honks

It's a real shame for Housemarque that relatively few people have been able to get a PS5 because Returnal would be the best game of most years. I can see it getting a Titanfall 2 kind of mainstream reappraisal in a year or so when more people have access to the system, but it's sad they're not going to be showered with praise and sales this year.

bgmnts

Hitman 3 is really fun but is it me or is it really easy?

Mobius

Quote from: bgmnts on November 18, 2021, 07:47:19 PMHitman 3 is really fun but is it me or is it really easy?

You can turn the difficulty up and all of the marker/help bits off, although maybe you've already done that?

I play on casual mode because I'm pathetic and still have to reload my save about 10 times an hour so I can't really sympathise. :(

bgmnts

Quote from: Mobius on November 18, 2021, 08:34:22 PMYou can turn the difficulty up and all of the marker/help bits off, although maybe you've already done that?

I play on casual mode because I'm pathetic and still have to reload my save about 10 times an hour so I can't really sympathise. :(

I played on Professional and it just seemed like the story mission routes were made very easy for me, in four of the five story missions I got in and out and unsuspiciously killed the targets to without any fuss.

Definitely going to put it on the hard one next and get my arse handed to me.

Rev+

It's a very tough year, pretty much a coin-flip between Skyrim and GTA5.

seepage

Not released this year but what I've been playing:
1. The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos. The attempt at humour is a bit off and the constant swearing grates but the animation and art direction are amazing. Solid combat mechanics but I've not bothered using any of the buff potions [beer & wine] as it seems more cost effective to use the precious action point to just twat something instead.

2. Fort Triumph. Very enjoyable but on a par with the above.
3. Slay the Spire. Got addicted to this like everyone else.

H-O-W-L

Probably Life Is Strange: True Colors for me. Genuinely beautiful-looking game that excels at being what Life is Strange should've always been; anthological teen/young adult drama shite like you'd read on a Sims 2 story board back in oh-five.  Art style was fantastic and the visuals were, at times, downright breathtaking (I can post pictures if anyone gives a fuck) and such a relief from a year of hyper-realistic shit. It's not Proust but it's a pretty nice story that works logically (unlike the prior two games really) and has a good ending, IMO. Loveable protagonist with a lot of realistic, believable trauma and behavior. The fact her journal had actual cognitive behavioral therapy thought-flower stuff in it made me realize the devs were showing their research billy-bollocks flat out like true regents. Well deserving of high praise IMO. Overpriced for sure, but every cunting ballsy bollocks game is now.

For what it's worth though I hate the first LIS and I'm just kind of meh on Before the Storm. Genuinely forgot LIS2 came out, too. That one was not even worth me playing it-- and I didn't.

Hitman 3 doesn't rate for me. I'm a huge fan of Hitman but 3 was a genuine fucking waste. Not only was it a full-priced game, an Epic exclusive after the prior two were on Steam (most people here play on console so I imagine nobody gives a fuck but it was a genuine slap in the face), but it also felt like it had the size and depth of the mission DLCs for the first instalment of the new trilogy-- so it honestly should never have been its own game. It's still 2016 Hitman, so it's still good, but as a sequel it is dire and really Ubisoft-level churn and numbers-painting.

Deep Rock Galactic is probably a close second to LiS but I'm barely into it, to be honest. Good game though.

oggyraiding

Resi Village is probably my favourite, didn't outstay its welcome, enough variety to keep me engaged. Certainly has its flaws, but a whole lot of fun.

Lost Judgment a close second, only being let down by some not so great pacing and combat becoming quite tedious towards the end game. Loved the writing, and all the mini games made it feel like a very generous game in terms of content.

bgmnts

Quote from: oggyraiding on November 19, 2021, 10:13:52 AMResi Village is probably my favourite, didn't outstay its welcome, enough variety to keep me engaged. Certainly has its flaws, but a whole lot of fun.

Yeah it wasn't that bad in hindsight. Just hard to look past the cynicism of it.

TrenterPercenter

Returnal by a country mile. 

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: Chedney Honks on October 23, 2021, 12:48:53 PMI would recommend it as one of the best games I've played since Bloodborne, perhaps the best.

Now he gets it

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on May 08, 2021, 12:42:12 PMBest game I've played since Bloodborne.

madhair60

Didn't enjoy anything that came out this year.