Going into 2021, there was a lot that seemed positive. Vaccines for Covid-19 were being developed, people were generally adapting to working from home, and there were some exciting video games to look forward to. Even if the year overall ended up being less than stellar for a multitude of reasons, there are some experiences that I would not trade for the world.
I actually ended up streaming a bit less over the course of 2021 than the year previous, though my streams generally were longer. I played 34 games across 132 streams, less than the 52 games across 175 streams in 2020, but despite having significantly fewer streams there was only a difference of about 30 hours.
Similar to last year’s list, none of these games actually came out in 2021. This may come as a surprise, as there were a number of games released last year that I immensely enjoyed or spoke highly of, but the titles on this list have all stayed with me for longer than anything else I had played.
In no particular order, here are the best games that I played in 2021.
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds was recommended to me by a community member, and while I had been aware of it (as a title published by Annapurna Interactive, who have in very short order established a legacy of wonderful experiences), I should have looked into it sooner. The game casts you as an alien adventurer exploring the galaxy around your home world, with complete freedom of choice of where you go and what you do. As you traverse several planets, each with their own gimmicks, you gain the knowledge to solve the mysteries of the universe.
On a technical level, Outer Wilds is incredibly impressive, with an entire universe built on a timed physics simulation. Each planet is gorgeous, filled with distinct, vibrant colours. The music and sound design are incredible, one of the best parts of an already amazing game. This is all without mentioning how much of a triumph of non-linear game design it is, how it encourages exploration to these distant worlds with a sense of joy and excitement that very few titles manage.
Outer Wilds is a special game. I’ve been a bit deliberate in writing about it here because I don’t want to spoil any of it for anyone who has yet to experience it, but I have nothing but the most effusive praise for it. If there is one game on this list that you play, make it this one.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
It should come as no surprise that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is on this list, given that it is the game I streamed the most in 2021. My Xbox One says that I have played this game for over 110 hours, and in truth, I did play it very slowly and deliberately, even eschewing use of the game’s fast-travel system to spend more time walking through and exploring its vibrant and lifelike recreation of Isezakichou, Yokohama. As someone who both has not had much opportunity to travel and is interested in Japan, it was extremely cool to be able to navigate through a virtual though legally-distinct version.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a departure from previous games in the series, featuring both a new protagonist in the emotional and impulsive Ichiban Kasuga, and a new combat system, dispensing with the action-focused combat of previous games in favour of becoming a turn-based RPG. These two major shifts make it an excellent jumping-off point for anyone interested in the series - while previous events are referenced, Ichiban and his story are the focal point, so you don’t necessarily need to have played any of the prior seven games to enjoy it.
Of course, all of the hallmarks of the franchise are still here: there is a tense, cinematic story. There are strong, relatable characters, with believable motivations. Outside of the scope of the narrative, there are a gargantuan amount of things to do, sidequests and minigames and challenges. Things can go from dramatic to absurd to heartwarming in about five minutes. I spent over 10 hours completing the business management minigame, where a chicken is your mascot (said chicken also occasionally earned me five million yen), so I could use an orbital laser in combat.
Ultimately, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is both a worthy successor to the games that came before it, and a bold, exciting direction for a venerated franchise. If you give it a chance, you will find there’s a lot to love about it.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Resident Evil 2 Remake fills the role that Control served on last year’s list - a game that I had played before (admittedly not very extensively, having only previously beaten the Leon A campaign), but fell in love with again when I revisited it for the channel’s annual Valentine’s Day tradition. And I did fall hard for Resident Evil 2 Remake. In the span of about two weeks, I cleared it twice on stream (Leon A/Claire B) and then beat it four times on top of that. After finishing it on stream for the second time, I ended the stream, sat back down, and beat it again. That’s how good this game is.
Remaking a game is often thankless, because the bar that needs to be passed is the one set by the original title. The original Resident Evil 2 is an all-time classic, filled with beloved characters and iconic locations, and Capcom deserves nothing but the highest praise for how they were able to modernize everything while still maintaining so much of the original. Graphically, the game is stunning, and the top-notch sound design, especially the heavy footfalls of Mr. X as he stalks you around the Raccoon City Police Station, adds to the creepy and oppressive atmosphere.
Resident Evil 2 Remake is also a fascinating game for speedrunning, given that combat and item efficiency and good routing are already part of the survival horror genre. If you’ve already gone through the game and want to experience it in a different and exciting context, try to get through it as quickly as possible. You might be surprised by how much fun you’ll have.
Kentucky Route Zero
There is no game I’ve thought about more this year than Kentucky Route Zero.
What starts as a story of a man and his dog tasked with making one last delivery for a closing antique shop becomes an indictment of the oppressive nature of capitalism and how it is only through coming together that we can have a chance at creating something better.
Life is beautiful and fragile and random and cruel and forever beyond our control. People get sick. People lose their jobs. Once you’re in debt, interest and taxes and fees make it significantly harder to get back out. The longer the process goes on, the more benefit there is for the collectors; profit for nothing.
But we endure, because the human spirit is resilient.
We endure, because the hard times can’t last forever.
We endure, because it doesn’t have to be this way.
We endure, because there is always hope.
What were your favourite games of the year? Let me know! You can always find me on Twitch.
Good list! I really want to check out Outer Wilds at some point so it's good to know that is the one you would recommend playing the most out of here!