2021 was an odd year in gaming, we kicked off the year with a few big names, some of which were delayed out of 2020 and then from April through to September, it was pretty quiet.

But then October hit and from then on, we just got hammered with major release after major release, sometimes scoring a few big ones on the same day. But through out the entire year, the games we got covered amazing to spectacular and just about everything else, there were massive adventures and tiny experiences and honestly, something for everyone.

Voting on what games are the best of the best, is as anything really, subjective to the persons opinions at the time, the rules we use are simple, what game made the most impact on a given platform, it didn’t have to be exclusive to it. So without any further delay, here we go, our best of 2021.

Best Game on PlayStation

Guardians of the Galaxy had a lot of potential to fail, after the less than stellar reception that Square Enix’s other Marvel title received, many were just assuming that this was going to be more of the same. From the outset, the team at Eidos Montreal knew they had a battle to win in just how people saw the game, confirming that it was a single player experience and there would be no DLC, that helped greatly.

Beyond that though, once people started to play the game, word quickly spread about just how good it was, it offered great characters, some funny moments and some touching ones, plus spectacular locations to explore, all paired with a great soundtrack.

Review | Buy it here - Game is also available on PC and Xbox

Runner Up: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Best Game on Xbox

The Horizon spin-off from Forza Motorsport was a risk when it first released, would players who enjoy their realistic simulation racer, want to just let lose in an open world, now the 5th release has happened and the answer is an emphatic yes. Forza Horizon 5 kept a lot of what people enjoyed about Horizon 4, but brought back the fun of the world of Horizon 3. Mexico is a land that offers a number of fun and diverse areas to explore and as the seasons change, it encouraged you to revisit to see how things might be different.

In addition, the online multiplayer - now working properly, kept players connected and let them race around, cause chaos and just have fun and then, if that wasn’t enough, folks could just get a race going instead, all the while showing off any number of the over 500 cars on offer.

Review | Buy it here - Game is also available on PC

Runner Up: Halo Infinite

Best Game on Nintendo

The Monster Hunter series has long been a favourite of many gamers, but it wasn’t until World that the western gaming audience really took notice and while Nintendo fans have had many games to enjoy, they have been the old style and that was were Rise came in. While it may not have been as open world as the aforementioned World was, Rise offered up some impressively large environments to enjoy, along side a bevy of new monsters to hunt and a new village to call home.

Where it shined though is with its new additions, the Palamute and the Wire Bug, between the two of them, getting around and combat, felt fast and frenetic, something the series hadn’t offered before. The Wire Bug could whip you back into action with merely a press of a button, but then while exploring, would let you climb to the peaks of the maps, it was game changing. Of course, you could also hunter bigger and badder monsters with friends, thanks to an online system that just worked from day one.

Review | Buy it here

Runner Up: Metroid Dread

Best Game on PC

Loop Hero may not be the game you think it is, when you first start playing it, it is an RPG, with card mechanics and a town building system, but all of that is just what you can control, the games biggest twist is that the world recreates itself, in new and random ways, each time you venture out into it and when you do, you have no control over the actions within.

While your character is making laps off the map, you can manage their weapons and gear, to ensure the best chance at surviving all the dangers around the world, but you can also place down cards, to create buffs for them and give them the best chance possible. Given that each loop you start, can play out quite a bit differently, based on the layout and the cards you play, there is almost limitless replay value to be had and that doesn’t include trying to beat the boss of the game.

Review | Buy it here - Also available on Switch

Runner Up: Phantom Abyss

Best Game on Mobile

Any new RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy was always going to gain attention, but when you see just how the team went about building their world, literally with models, it was going to raise expectations up even higher. While the game is known as a mobile game, the run time of 60-90 hours would make you think it is a console experience, and the quality of the gameplay backs up that claim.

Being able to send previously encountered enemies, into separate dimensions, in order to remove the roadblock of constant battles - should you want to, also changes the game in a massive way. Plus with Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of many Final Fantasy games, creating all the new music for this one, it again feels like an evolution of what a Final Fantasy, or more specifically what a JRPG can be.

Buy it here - Also available on iPad, Apple TV and Mac

Runner Up: Zookeeper World

Best Indie

Games where you have to place things in the right space are nothing new, Tetris is the king of that, but taking that simple concept and applying it to the simple processing of moving house. While unpacking is the core of the game, funny that, it is the discovery of the life you glimpse as you do that makes the game a true joy to experience.

What truly makes this a game unlikely any other, is that there are no scores, timers or objectives to get in your way, you just need to unpack, taking as long as you would like, which if you have ever moved countless boxes, can take a few weeks anyway.

Buy it here - Also available on Switch and Xbox One

Runner Up: Knockout City

Best Hardware

There were a number of hardware items released in 2021, most of them being controllers, but there were technically two consoles, both from Nintendo and while the Game and Watch was nice, it is the Switch OLED Model that takes the prize this time. Of course, the biggest addition to this new model is the screen, I mean it is in the name after all, but the hardware team at Nintendo didn’t stop there, using this update as a chance to fix a number of elements.

Redesigning the kickstand to not be useless is a massive win for everyone, but an updated dock also ranks up there as a big improvement for those who game online. The screen though is the star, even comparing it to the base model Switch, shows just how large of an improvement it is and of course, seeing all the games pop off the screen, all over again is a real delight.

Review | Buy it here

Runner Up: PlayStation 5

Game that surprised Us

Guardians of the Galaxy surprised many, not because it was good, but because Square Enix had no proven path of success with the Marvel characters, let’s face it, Avengers is a mediocre game at best and GotG had a lot of ground to make up, before players even started to play it. But those who gave it a go all started saying the same thing, this is game is amazing, it had characters that interacted with everything, including calling you out for random bouts of exploration.

In addition, it told a wonderful story that while not wholly original, was still a fun ride and while the soundtrack was great, it was the inclusion of heaps of 80’s music that really took things to another level. The game was fun, chaotic and far better than anyone thought it could be, which is why it surprised so many.

Review | Buy it here - Game is also available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox

Runner Up: It Takes Two

Game we kept going back to

Monster Hunter Rise was always going to draw people back in, taking on new quests in order to attempt to get better gear, but that Wire Bug and removing the tank feeling of combat, helped make revisiting the game fun, no matter how many hours you put into it.

Capcom kept incentivising people to return as well, with constant updates that added new monsters to hunt, gear to obtain and more, plus there was the Capcom Collab events, where they brought in skins from games like Okami, Street Fighter, Mega Man and even Sonic, all to keep things fresh, the crazy part, it worked.

Review | Buy it here

Runner Up: Apex Legends

Game of the Year

There really isn’t much more that we can say about Monster Hunter Rise, not only is it our Switch Game of the Year and the Winner of the Game we kept returning to, taking out Game of the Year seems like a foregone conclusion. From its amazingly satisfying gameplay loop, to its in-depth and often mind-blowing amount of customisation options, the game gave players plenty of reasons to revisit.

Beyond that, you could enjoy the game entirely on your own, from the story that would take dozens and dozens of hours to complete; or join up with friends and take on monsters of varying size and danger, it was quite approachable. Couple that with the constant stream of updates and the upcoming expansion, there is lot going on in this game, plus its new additions like the Wire Bug mean that future games in the series can only improve upon it, but basically, there is a reason this was the only game that got a perfect score in 2021.

Review | Buy it here

Runner Up: Metroid Dread

2021 may be over for videogames, but some of the titles released this year will be in our minds for years to come and that doesn’t even account for the ones we listed above. Titles like Deathloop, Resident Evil 4 VR, Lost Judgment and more all scored well across the year and even made it into our final ballots for these awards.

2022 is going to be another banner year for gaming, with many amazing series aiming to return, so thanks to 2021 for a great year.