It sure has been a year again, eh? This was an interesting year in games, and there were some fantastic surprises, some important rereleases or remakes, and several games with really strong narratives.1 I feel like this list isn’t truly surprising given that it is ME we’re talking about here, but it was still a lot of fun to play some great and oftentimes impactful games in this dumpster fire of a year. Check out the podcast here and Jared’s write up here.
Anyway, let’s get this party started! There will be spoilers behind the cut!
Best Rerelease: Alan Wake Remastered
Hey, did you know he is a writer? For real though, I was so stoked to replay Alan Wake. I was a bit nervous going back into it that it wouldn’t hold up, but I still had a super great time playing it. The story is fantastic, the atmosphere of the game rules, and if you don’t love Barry, you’re wrong.
Best old game: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Is it old technically? No. But I played it this year, and it was amazing. Honestly, if I had played this last year, it definitely would’ve made my GOTY list. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this game. All of the characters are just phenomenal, the art is beautiful2, and that story went some places that I never could’ve seen coming. I can’t recommend this game enough, honestly.
Best fan translation release mainly because I want to mention it here: Geofront Translation for Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (PC)
I feel like it is sort of unfair to list this in the 7 since it is an unofficial release3, but I loved every moment of playing this game. I really can’t emphasize enough how amazing the Trails series is, and this game gave me so much great content and context for later games. I cannot wait to support this game officially in the future with the release of Zero next year and Azure the year after.
Best “Hey, Jared, thanks for playing through these games so I could experience this fantastic series” series: Yakuza (and Judgment)
Man, if you had told me last year how into the Yakuza series I would get, I never would’ve believed you. Not in a million years. These games actually have amazing stories interlaced with hilarious goofs, and the series really is something that I am glad I got to experience. I am terrible at that gameplay though (except 7!), so mega thanks to Jared for actually playing them so I could come along for the ride. 4 It’s no surprise that “24 Hour Cinderella” is the highest played song on my Spotify this year.
Biggest disappointment: Fantasian (Apple Arcade)
This kills me to write. It really does. Part 1 of Fantasian was incredible. It was so beautiful with the diorama environments, it was fun to play, and I was interested in the story and characters. You had Sakaguchi and Uematsu back together again! I was DYING to play Part 2. Then it came out. I have mentioned many, many times how much I cannot stand games that are hard for the sake of being hard. For some reason, Fantasian took a challenging but engaging battle system and turned it up to 11. It was so punishing that I honestly decided it wasn’t worth it because I wasn’t having fun. I wanted to love this game. Part 1 is worth it if you’ve got Apple Arcade, but Part 2 is just…a big nope.
Best surprise: Evil God Korone (PC)
This game is wild. It came out of nowhere, and it was so goofy…but also scary. Given Korone’s interest in the original series, I think it’s a really fun collaboration. I enjoyed my time with the game, even if I was a huge baby about it.
Best multiplayer (with Jared) game: It Takes Two (PS4)
This game was super fun to play with Jared!! In terms of a co-op experience, the gameplay in this was fantastic. It had neat little mini games, great puzzles, and it functioned perfectly as a fun co-op experience. Too bad about that story though…
Best moment: Girl Who Stands Behind ending
THIS ENDING.5 HOLY CRAP. This is such a wild and powerful ending, and I still can’t believe this exists in a Nintendo game. I never saw this coming, and it is still so impactful this many months on.
And without further ado, AL’s top 7!
7.) Olympia Soiree (Switch)
When I first heard of this game, all I knew about it was that our main character had to find a husband and that there was a caste system. What I got was a game thoroughly rooted in Japanese mythology that tackled themes of racism and segregation (at some level) while also providing some of the steamiest scenes I’ve ever encountered in a more mainstream otome game. A lot of the love interests are extremely interesting6, the routes are engaging, there’s some wild shenanigans with time travel and death, and the art is beautiful. Fair warning, this game has some of the darkest bad endings I have ever seen in an otome game. That being said, I really enjoyed my time with it, and I was happy to hep Olympia find her husbands.
6.) Root Film (PS4)
Man, Root Letter got a spiritual successor! Neat! This game was super fantastic. The dual storylines of Root Film built up to a conclusion that was extremely satisfying and wild. The gameplay mechanics with the argument system worked super well, the dynamics between the characters was really fun, and I loved the art. It was also neat to have a Love Live connection with the inclusion of i☆Ris in the voice cast, which meant that Miyu Kubota was a main character!
5.) Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (Switch)
Nintendo dropping the two Famicom Detective Club games this year was unexpected. While The Missing Heir was a great game, it was blown away by The Girl Who Stands Behind. This adventure game was such a great mystery, and as I mentioned in the supplementary awards, that ending is just completely insane.7 The story kept me guessing, the characters were awesome, and I got to have a real good time by naming my main character “C2 McDoot.”
4.) The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures (Switch)
This is the first game in the Great Ace Attorney series, and it is a fantastic introduction to the world of Ryunosuke Naruhodo. This game serves as a great build up to the sequel, and it genuinely made me care a lot for Ryunosuke and Susato. There are several shocking and important elements of this game, such as the overt racism Ryunosuke experiences and the ethics of having to serve as a defense lawyer for someone we know is super shady. While this game was really, really good, it was a stepping stone for something even better, which will come up later in this very list. Also, lol they made an ace attorney joke.
3.) Lost Judgment (PS4)
Speaking of Ace Attorney jokes, hey, Lost Judgment ruled. Jared played this game while I watched, and it was such a wild and fun ride. The School Stories section of this game was so in depth and interesting, and honestly that was my favorite part of the game. That being said, the main story of Lost Judgment is also very good, and it was nice to hang out with THE BOYS again in a story that tackled some pretty heavy topics while also letting us dance our way to the finals.
2.) The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve (Switch)
And we return to it! I can easily say that this game (with help from the predecessor) is one of the best Ace Attorney games I have ever played. Ever. Every single case here matters to the overall plot, the build up to the finale of this game is incredible, and the storytelling here is top notch. This game has its own version of the DL6 case with the Professor killings, and the conclusion to the story is so incredibly satisfying after a series of events starting from the first game that makes you (and Ryunosuke) question what we’re even doing in the first place. There are twist, turns, betrayals, and some tap-dancing! What’s not to love here??? Seriously. This game ruled.
1.) Psychonauts 2 (Xbox Series X)
This game has been a long time coming, and it was worth the wait. I was a HUGE fan of the original Psychonauts, and I was a backer for this one as soon as it was announced. Psychonauts 2 built on everything that made the original great, and it turned it up to 11. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of playing this game, and once I finished the game (almost) 100%, I was sad because I had nothing else to do, and I wasn’t ready to leave this world. The cast is incredible, the story is so well done, and the different brains have so much character. Double Fine really created a cathartic and charming adventure that really left an impact on me.
And that’s it! 2021 is a wrap. I’m looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings us in terms of gaming, and I hope that the new year is much better for us all.