2021 has been a truly memorable year if we talk about video game premieres. Almost every month, we had a major release that gave a lot to talk about. Now that we are closing the cycle, discussions about which title or titles were the best are the order of the day. In order to be much more precise in this whole matter, we have decided to dive into Metacritic, a site that, as you surely well know, compiles the ratings given by the main media around the world and thus presents an average score for each game. Here is the list of games released this year with the highest numbers. Tell us which of them surprised you?
Deathloop (88)
The newest and latest gem from Arkane Studios. Despite all the popularity of the French studio thanks to the spectacular work that was done with the Dishonored, there were those who dared to doubt what their next big project will be, one that would be released exclusively on consoles on the PlayStation 5. Deathloop se launched in mid-September and it turned out that it was indeed a new way of looking at the so-called immersive sims, presenting a world and a narrative that was being built like nothing else that we had seen in the past. Somehow, the also parents of the most recent Prey, they found a way to stretch their own formula towards new things that at every moment blew our minds. All this was soon recognized by critics and good ratings began to arrive on all fronts.
Death’s Door (88)
What would such a list be without some independent representation? From the hand of the small British studio, Acid Nerve, the month of July was decked out by Death’s Door, a dungeon crawler with many elements from The Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls that at first glance might seem like one more of the lot, but in As soon as you started playing it, you could appreciate the great work that was done in terms of controls, game mechanics, puzzle and level design, as well as visual and sound presentation. All these elements generated that little by little, the publication of Devolver Digital began to sound on all fronts and thus, the press gave it the recognition it deserved with truly outstanding ratings. Needless to say, we are facing one of those must-sees this year that you should be playing as soon as you get the chance, this no matter how much so-called indie games attract you.
It Takes Two (89)
Very likely, the most special game that we have had to enjoy this year. After having delivered a quite decaffeinated experience with what was A Way Out, the mediatic Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios returned with a proposal totally focused on the idea of two players cooperating in order to progress. It Takes Two caught the eye during the month of March and of course, basically the rest of 2021 because of the special way in which it made the coordination of two players in a linear game focused on narrative, was everything. In addition to its impressive visuals and charming nuanced story, this title shone brightly thanks to the fact that in practically each of its levels, it changed the game completely by presenting totally different mechanics from those of the previous scene, causing us to have an adventure full of surprises and great moments in the company of someone else.
Psychonauts 2 (91)
Most likely, if we were to review which games this year almost did not exist, Psychonauts 2 would top the list by far. After the first installment became a cult classic, Tim Schafer and Double Fine decided to embark on the dangerous adventure of making a sequel, this through collective funding and other strategies to finance the huge project. Just when things were getting more complicated, Microsoft came up with an offer to buy the studio and of course, inject the rest of the capital so that Raz’s new adventure could come true. In the end, this path was chosen and in August we were enjoying what is undoubtedly one of the best 3D platformers of all time, because in addition to being tremendously fun thanks to its excellent controls and amazing level design, it presented us with a an endearing story full of characters that have remained for posterity.
Forza Horizon 5 (92)
Playground Games is one of the Microsoft studios that has always known how to maintain the line so that each of its works is of enormous quality. For that reason, we all knew perfectly well that Forza Horizon 5 simply couldn’t fail. Nobody was wrong because when the time came to enjoy it at the beginning of November, we were shocked by the way in which several of the most recognized spaces in all of Mexico were recreated and of course, how is it that again, the British studio presented a brutally featured open world racing game in every part. It is true that the same formula that has been perfected since Forza Horizon 3 is followed to the letter, but we would be wrong by not recognizing that each of the parts of this installment simply works and fulfills its mission in a sensational way. All of this, of course, was recognized by critics with very high marks from all fronts.