Welp, 2021 was….a year….that kind of felt a lot like 2020 which _also_ kind of felt a lot like 2019. While the years have blended together at least we got new video games (and consoles)! As per usual, here’s a list of some of my favorite games for 2021.
Persona 5 Strikers
Available on: PS4, Switch, PC
I put a lot of time in Persona 5 Royal and I have the trailer for Persona 5 Strikers to thank for that. I remember being mesmerized by the style and peppy nature of Strikers’ trailer and I knew I had to play it. I clocked in around 150 hours in Royal the day before Strikers came out and then dove right into the sequel which literally picks up where it’s big brother lets off. Here’s an excerpt from my review:
What hasn’t changed is the colorful pop of the art style, the killer soundtrack, and the characters themselves. I’ve grown to love Joker and the gang and the addition of newcomers Sophie and Zenkichi feel natural and now I don’t want to have a Persona 5 game without them. As for the combat it feels good. It’s fast, responsive, satisfying, and manages to feel very Persona 5 despite being something completely different. You still can’t button mash your way through. It’s an alternative way to play that feels more Persona 5 than it does Dynasty Warriors. Everything comes together in what is not only one of the most solid sequels I’ve ever played, but what is also one of my favorite games of 2021 ever. Hell, it may be up there with top ten of all time for me.
Tales of Arise
Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC
Ah the Tales series. I have to be completely transparent and admit that I haven’t played a lot of titles in the Tales series. Out of the many titles I’ve played Vesperia, Berseria, Zestiria, and beat the first Xillia. The first thing I immediately noticed when booting Arise is the massive visual upgrade the new engine provides. Worlds are larger and more full of life and the title runs wonderfully on a Series X in 4K HDR. The action-RPG combat feels as good as ever with the added ability to switch characters on the fly when both exploring as well as during combat. I loved switching between party members to pull off massive combos—especially during boss battles. As per usual, in my experience, the cast is lovable, have great chemistry, and the story had me wanting to see the game to its end. I liked this game so much I’ve been thinking of picking it up on Steam to play on my Aya Neo on the go. If you’ve never played a Tales game this is one of the, if not the, best entry to start with.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Available on: Switch
Age of Calamity is the second Dynasty Warriors-esque spinoff title that made in this list. The dev team over at Omega Force deserves credit for a job well done on both titles. Both Persona 5 Strikers and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity are spinoffs of series that you wouldn’t think would mash well with the enemy wave style of gameplay the Dynasty Warriors series is known for, and yet, both impress in big ways. Just like with Strikers, Age of Calamity feels like a natural entry in the series and doesn’t feel like the gameplay is shoehorned to work thanks to a well told story throughout. It’s clear to me that Omega Force handled both titles with the utmost care and respect for each series. Age of Calamity feels like it could be a title developed by Nintendo, although admittedly the frame rate can have issues here and there on Switch. It really shows why Nintendo needs to make a proper pro model. I highly recommend playing Breath of the Wild and I highly recommend playing this title as well and I don’t think the order would matter. As someone who cleared BoTW, I enjoyed seeing where each character originated, but it could definitely work to play Age of Calamity and then Breath of the Wild. Grab the demo on the eShop if you’re curious.
Halo Infinite
Available on: Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC, Cloud
I did not expect this game to make my list. It’s not that I don’t like Halo, it’s just that I’m not hardcore into it and the only game I’ve completed in the series is Halo 3. That’s something I’m hoping to correct some time down the road, but Infinite really hooked me with the—err—grappling hook. It’s really good! I love zipping towards enemies, into the Mongoose, across the map, up cliffs, onto the roofs of buildings, and more. Using my grappling hook to pull various canisters towards me to throw at enemies never got old either. Some people may not like the Ubisoft-ification Infinite’s open world provides, but tearing it up at outposts run by the Banished was some of the most fun I’ve had in a game in quite a while. The entire game is’t as open as all the pre-release talk would have you think with the last third of the game primarily taking place indoors. This felt like the Halo of old and is something diehards may miss and wish the entire game was, but I feel like 343 struck a great balance between open world and corridor environments. This is a game I will probably play again and I just love popping in to wreck Banished. It reminds me of my favorite part of the original Destiny because I love PvE. If you have Game Pass and haven’t tried it yet, you should absolutely give it a spin.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC
Speaking of industry-beloved sci-fi juggernauts, the Mass Effect series is one I’m also late to for reasons I can’t explain. I think I own the series on 360, PS3, Xbox Series X, and now Steam. I finally cleared ME 1 this past week and am a few hours into ME 2 and I totally get what all the hype and love is about. I also like Andromeda, which is not a popular opinion. I’ve primarily been playing the Legendary Edition on my Aya Neo which has been paramount in me clearing the first game. It’s a series that I think begs to be on Switch but with the rise in Switch-like handheld PCs, I see this being a very popular game for the upcoming Steam Deck. There’s not much for me to say that hasn’t been said about the series over the decade since its release that hasn’t already been said. The visual and performance upgrades are welcome—especially the addition of using ME 2’s fem Shep model in the original ME which removes the laughable giraffe-like neck she had. I absolutely recommend picking this up up this collection if you’re a newcomer like me and I’m sure those who love the series will grab this to relive their favorite moments.
