Top 10 Games of 2021

This year I played just enough new games to compile a single top 10 list. To clarify, these are not the "best and worst" games of the year. They are titles I enjoyed or was letdown by based on my own preferences and expectations. Most of the titles I disliked are not even what I would consider bad games, they just weren't for me or were not what I was expecting.

I have ordered the list based on my own overall enjoyment (one being the best) of games I played in 2021. Most of the games listed here will not be brand new 2021 releases. They are games I played in 2021 that were new to me.

#10: The Man with the Ivory Cane

This was one of six games included as part of a Hidden Objects Collection. These were low tier games, some notably better than others, but I wouldn't recommend the set. Farm Mystery had a bug in the tutorial that prevented a lock from being opened, halting all further progress. Black Rainbow was pure nonsense. The Where Angels Cry series was passable and Myths Of Orion was just alright. The Man with the Ivory Cane almost felt worth the $6 price tag. It looked good, the puzzles made sense, and it had a somewhat intriguing narrative.

#9: Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk is a visual novel and drink-mixing simulation hybrid, similar to VA-11 Hall-A. Over the course of two weeks elves, orcs, mermaids and a host of other fantasy characters visit a coffee shop looking to discuss their troubles with the Barista over a cup of coffee. Dialogue options are replaced by drinks; what the player chooses to serve and whether or not it is was what the customer ordered has an effect on the characters and how the story unfolds. However, unlike in VA-11 Hall-A where it paid to use your better judgment, most of the patrons in Coffee Talk know exactly what they want and will ask for something specific - no guesswork required.

#8: The First Tree

The First Tree is essentially an audio book with light gameplay elements. It follows a fox trying to find its missing kits while a narrator recounts his childhood in Alaska. The visuals and music are nice, but the fox's story doesn't really align with the narrators and the gameplay is pretty basic - a lot of running around an open area. Very short at just around three hours long.

#7: To the Moon

To the Moon is an emotionally driven adventure game about a dying man who wants to go to the Moon, but is unable to say why. A company that uses technology to create artificial memories as a sort of "wish fulfillment" service to dying people is called in, but runs into trouble when they encounter a gap in the man's earliest childhood memories.

I played the updated version which has entirely new graphics. Apparently there is (was?) an animated film adaptation in production by an unnamed Japanese animation studio with funding from an unnamed Chinese distributor. Since 2018 there has been no more news on this.

#6: Days Gone

Zombies aren't my thing; they're overused and not terribly exciting IMO. Films and games have tried to keep them fresh by adding in odd quirks: Screamers scream, Runners are fast, Brutes are big and strong, etc. What made me want to pick up Days Gone though, was the motorcycle aspects. It was fun to zip past enemies in an open post-apocalyptic world - easily the best part of the game. Everything else, from the resource gathering to the missions, were mundane. The actual story suffered from the "Arthur, I have a plan" type of narrative structure. More often than not it felt like Deacon (the protagonist) was part of some weird safari adventure. I couldn't help but chuckle a little when some helicopter guys used an animal catch pole to wrangle a zombie running around on all fours, barking and biting like a dog.

#5: Metro Exodus

I tried to get into the Metro series last year with little success. I like the idea behind them, of people surviving a post-apocalyptic event by hiding in the Metro tunnels, but the gameplay was too dated and colorless for my tastes. Exodus was a bit of a step forward and a step back. It made a lot changes and took a lot of risks, and not all of them paid off. I enjoyed the increased focus on character interactions and relationship building, however, many of them felt just as abrupt as Artyom's relationship with Anna in Last Light. They also could have done more with the open world than they did. The best level in Exodus was, ironically, the final chapter, when the group returned to the linear tunnels underground.

#4: Yes, Your Grace

I knew very little about this one aside from it being a kingdom management game. The king juggles his time with his family against the needs of his kingdom - money, resources, and allies. Each day a line of petitioners forms in the hall to offer services or seek aid from the king. Who you help or don't will have a lasting impact and I was not prepared for the emotional weight of its story; some really heart breaking stuff.

#3: Slime Rancher

I had trouble getting Slime Rancher to run back when it initially released, but decided to give it a second chance this year. I was able to get it to play this time but not without some major issues still present. Powering through bugs and frame-rate-drops, I wasn't able to do as much as I would've liked, but I still had a relatively good time collecting wild slimes to farm and breed for profit.

#2: Subnautica

I tried playing Subnautica years ago but it was too buggy and unstable for me to make any progress. Most of the issues have since been hammered out, although it is still far from perfect, but at least I can enjoy the alien planet 4546b now without having to worry about my 30+ hour save getting wiped. I love the idea of being stranded on an alien world comprised almost entirely of water; the bizarre ocean life, the eeriness of the deep unknown waters, the excitement of discovering something new. One thing Subnautica does better than most games in the genre is how well it balances resource gathering, unlockable engrams, and exploration.

#1: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

I cannot express enough how much I loved this game! The player steals monster eggs to hatch and ride into battle, and as the name suggests there is a story. The Monster Hunter franchise isn't exactly known for its plot, but even so, you would think a game with "Stories" in the title would have a better narrative. My nit-picking thoughts below:

The narrative pushes a "the power of friendship is the key to solving everything" type of message. However, I benched Razewing Ratha - the game's namesake, for the entirety of my playthrough because I had no reason to use him over the plethora of other monsters to choose from. I also couldn't form a bond with a fictional creature that was either an egg or missing half the time. Ratha could have easily been replaced with any other creature and it wouldn't have effected the narrative. Ratha is only special because a legend says he is. The big bad specifically wants Rathalos and turns everything else evil for... reasons. The big bad isn't even defeated by Ratha or the protagonist; its done in by a hunter (Kyle) armed with a necklace. Leo / Leia (the main character) basically just acts as an emotionless set piece the entire journey, completing tasks for a series of village chiefs in order to unlock flashbacks highlighting how great their granddad was. I'm convinced Leo / Leia is really just a bodyguard for Ena, the true protagonist. Her necklace is what defeats the final boss and she is always way more emotionally invested in Ratha (Razewing and Guardian) than anyone else.

I think a better approach would have been to have Ratha and the main character bond over how they are defined by the expectations of family and legends. And Ena's necklace should have been a kinship stone that allowed her to bond with Oltura (final boss) in order to keep with the established themes of coexistence and not killing monsters out of fear. Bonding with Oltura would have also given Ena's mission closure, as she eliminates the threat in a way that Red (grandad) himself would approve of. A sequel could then build off of the controversy surrounding the first non-lethal resolution to an elder dragon threat and the potential future misuse of that power by Riders.

Despite my complaints with the story, it didn't at all detract from my experience. The gameplay was leagues better than any pokemon game I have played - not overly complex but deeper than you'd expect with elemental/attack type strengths and weaknesses, head-to-head battles, double attacks, showdowns, and special kinship power moves for each beast. The gear crafting and gene bingo customization offers a whole lot of min-maxing fun for those that want to engage with it.