Board 8 > SHINE's 2021 Favorite Games of 2021 lists

(+) Yeah! (+)

oh ya it's that time again I played some video games this year and I also didn't play some video games this year, but what if I put them all into some weird ordered list yeah sure let's do that

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
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....plus 5 honorable mentions that failed to make the list!

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
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5.

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
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Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021

#5 - Monster Hunter Rise

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/8/AAB6RfAACwlY.jpg

Technically I did play like an hour of this, but never far enough to actually fight any big monsters. I knew I wasn't going to get to this because I still haven't gotten around to Iceborne either. Monster Hunter is one of those series that I greatly enjoy when I'm in the mood for it, but after sinking so many hundreds of hours into one of them I basically take a decade off until I'm in the mood to play one again. That's why the only ones I've played to completion are Tri and World. Oh well maybe one day!

tag (even though I will likely have nothing to say about any of these)

Are you going to list your Top 5 Games You Are Looking Forward To?

I guess Top 5 Anticipated Games of 2022 is probably a better title.

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021

#4 - The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/9/9/AAB6RfAACwlj.jpg

Much like Monster Hunter, I have a tolerance limit to how many visual novels I can play. Definitely excited to play these eventually, but right before these came out I did the platinum in the Ace Attorney Trilogy and replaying all those games again pretty much hit my limit. Definitely one I aim to check out next year though.

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021

#3 - Lost Judgment

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/1/6/AAB6RfAACwl0.jpg

Even though I'm fully caught up on the Yakuza series, I still haven't gotten around to the first Judge Eyes. I even rebought it on PS5 to make sure I did before Lost Judgment, but then...well other things happened around that time. Now with the future of the series up in the air due to being unable to use the likeness of the main protagonist who knows if we'll even get another game in this series. I could definitely take my time catching up then!

heres the wigs list

1. Hitman 3
2. Metroid Dread
3. Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
4. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
5. Axiom Verge 2
6. Ghosts N Goblins Resurrected
7. Outer Wilds: Echoes of The Eye
8. Mario Party Superstars
9. Knockout City
10. New Pokemon Snap

HM:
FF7 Remake: Intermission
Operation Tango
Wario Ware: Get it Together
Hunter's Arena Legends

hey I played some of those games

and didn't play some other of those games!

speaking of which #2 on the games I wish I played list!

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021

#2 - Hitman 3

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/3/2/AAB6RfAACwmE.jpg

As of this year I've now finished the ORIGINAL Hitman trilogy and am moving on to the PS3 games in the franchise. Over the years though I've watched (and played a little of) the World of Assassination trilogy through Giant Bomb and Nextlander and I love how the series has evolved compared to what I'm experiencing in those older games. It has the right mix of seriousness and goofy moments that something like a Metal Gear had. Also the fact 3 also gives you access to the two previous games is nice if you want to bring things forward to current consoles.

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021

#1. Tales of Arise

https://youtu.be/rka7nbZrE_M

Seems like we finally got a Tales game that really hit mainstream appeal? I'm pretty far behind on this series at this point. Last game I finished was Xillia 1, then those HD remasters of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World came out and I got the plat in Symphonia, but then just never got around to doing it in Dawn of the New World. Either way Arise looks awesome. I only watched a bit of the demo that came out, so while I didn't get to experience the battle system first hand the exploration gave me a real DQ8/DQ11 feel which is always a plus.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
....plus 5 honorable mentions that failed to make the list!

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. Tales of Arise
2. Hitman 3
3. Lost Judgment
4. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
5. Monster Hunter Rise

Top 5 Old Games of 2021

#5. Castlevania Advance Collection

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/5/4/AAB6RfAACwma.jpg

Look Circle of the Moon is still pretty okay and Harmony of Dissonance is still pretty bad

BUT ARIA OF SORROW AND SOMA CRUZ BAYYYYYBEEEEEEEEEEE. Still hoping Konami contract's IGA to finally do that 1999 game with Julius Belmont in his prime.

oh yeah the SNES port of Dracula X is in there too, but don't play that play Rondo of Blood instead.

Top 5 Old Games of 2021

#4. The Last of Us Remastered

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/6/8/AAB6RfAACwmo.jpg

The only game on this list that wasn't released in 2021 I finally got to see what the big deal was with PS3's swan song. That Joel sure is a literal psychopath! He shouldn't be trusted with the lives of anyone, but especially a young girl! Wasn't a big fan of the multiplayer at first, but mainly because it was filled with level 999 people who had been playing nonstop for years. Once I stopped trying to out gun them and just played mainly a support role I enjoyed myself a lot more.

nappo done let's do more list

Top 5 Old Games of 2021

#3. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/6/9/AAB6RfAACwpx.jpg

Nocturne is starting to show its age, but the press turn system is still an excellent battle system. The game is now fully voice acted, has improved visuals and allows you to pick what skills transfer over when you fuse demons. Well worth your time if you've never played it before and if you have I'd say its worth checking out again

Top 5 Old Games of 2021

#2. NieR Replicant ver.122474487139...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/8/6/AAB6RfAACwqC.jpg

One of the PS3's unappreciated gems gains new life in this "version up" of the original. On the scale of remaster to remake it's more on the remaster side of things, but still has a ton of new content as well. The most noticeable difference is the improved combat, it's actually fun to engage with now although not quite as good as the type of combat we saw in Automata. Brother NieR makes more sense in this game's story than Father NieR, but I still miss him. He's still in this game though in the dream sequence that i think was DLC in the original game. The game also a new additional ending after ending D that helps link it to Automata and that was rad. Beyond that it's still the original NieR you know and love.

Top 5 Old Games of 2021

#1. Diablo II: Resurrected

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/9/1/AAB6RfAACwqH.jpg

Maybe my actual GotY if it wasn't two decade old game. This is Diablo II basically exactly as you remember it just with a new coat of paint layered on top of it. This game stole 2 years of life back in high school and it's threatening to do it again. I've already played this 100+ hours this year and will continue to play it well into next year (mainly because the platinum requirements are ridiculous). They game is even receiving its first balance patch in 11 which is crazy. Everything we've known about Diablo II the past decade is about to completely change and that's the most exciting part about this game's future to me.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
....plus 5 honorable mentions

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1. Diablo II: Resurrected
2. NieR Replicant ver.122474487139...
3. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
4. The Last of Us Remastered
5. Castlevania Advance Collection

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. Tales of Arise
2. Hitman 3
3. Lost Judgment
4. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
5. Monster Hunter Rise

Honorable Mentions

These games all just missed making the list or were on the list as I was building it and got outclassed in the end.

Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE: INTERmission

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/1/8/AAB6RfAACwqi.jpg

The Yuffie DLC for my 2020 GotY only playable via the upgraded PS5 version. It doesn't last for too long maybe only 2 hours total, but it was nice to see what Yuffie was up to during the events of the main game and how they were able to fit his skillset into the combat system. The hard mode optional superbosses were truly challenging and satisfying to take down and that additional ending scene as everyone is making their way to Kalm after leaving Midgar was a nice bonus.

Cyber Shadow

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/1/9/AAB6RfAACwqj.jpg

The first new game I played this year this is basically a new 2D Ninja Gaiden game. You gain more abilities as you progress although there isn't really a ton of backtracking. Every area maybe has only 1 or 2 items you could only get by coming back later and you just teleport back to the beginning of that area since it's fairly linear. Had a lot of fun with it though because it actually does feel like an NES game and doesn't try to do much more than that console was able to handle.

Mario Party Superstars

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/0/AAB6RfAACwqk.jpg

A collection of the best minigames throughout the series with boards from the first 3 games. After Mario Party 8 I said I would never buy another Mario Party again until one had online multiplayer out of the box and here it is...and it actually works pretty well in comparison to most online Switch games!

WarioWare: Get It Together

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/1/AAB6RfAACwql.jpg

A unique twist on the series where you know control the actual WarioWare Inc characters during the microgames. It's kinda weird and some characters are basically unusable, but if you can figure out the right mix of characters to use it's pretty fun.

Hunter's Arena: Legends

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/2/AAB6RfAACwqm.jpg

August's free PS+ Battle Royale game. There's a melee focus here that really appealed to me although at it's core it's about avoiding attacks and using your cooldowns at the right time to pull off a big combo. Looting actually served the purpose of boosting your character's stats with different rarity gear and the map is filled with random monsters to fight which give exp to boost your level just in that match to further improve your stats. So it was a combination of looting, leveling up and taking on other teams at the right time to quickly overpower them and steal all their loot and then repeat the process. Probably the battle royale I've had the most success with in terms of winning games. Also you can make the ladies twerk :D

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Honorable Mentions
Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE - INTERmission
Cyber Shadow
Mario Party Superstars
WarioWare Get It Together
Hunter's Arena Legends

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1. Diablo II: Resurrected
2. NieR Replicant ver.122474487139...
3. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
4. The Last of Us Remastered
5. Castlevania Advance Collection

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. Tales of Arise
2. Hitman 3
3. Lost Judgment
4. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
5. Monster Hunter Rise

Top 2 Favorite Games of 2021
1. Scarlet Nexus
2. Pokemon Unite

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2
4. Persona 4 Golden
5. Horizon Zero Dawn

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki (I'm up to CS3!)
2. Lost Judgment
3. Shin Megami Tensei V
4. Metroid Dread
5. Tales of Arise

very japanese

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#10. No More Heroes III

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/5/6/AAB6RfAACwrI.jpg

Finally Suda51 was truly unleashed! All of his wildest 4th wall breaking ideas make it into this game and it finally has the combat to match. It's such an improvement over the first two games in that regard. However it's clear the Switch cannot handle this game as the world map is even more barren than it was in the original and the framerate while not as bad as Deadly Premonition 2, it's in that same ballpark. Still one of my favorite moments in the game near the end when Damon is revealed to be the actual final boss and you fight him in a Super Smash Bros fight to end the game. Suda was clearly miffed that Travis didn't make it into Ultimate as an actual character so this was his pitch to show what he would play like. Also for some reason the mech from Daemon X Machina also makes an appearance. It was a wild Travis and thank you Suda for making it possible.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#9. Returnal

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/6/7/AAB6RfAACwrT.jpg

Roguelite's are typically a genre I don't really enjoy, but this one has really managed to grab me. I also haven't finished this game completely yet I'm maybe halfway through so it could potentially rank higher, but I've still put in a good 30 hours or so. This is basically what if Metroid was a 3rd person roguelite but also a bullet hell game? It nails the look and atmosphere and especially the DIFFICULTY. The real winner here is the movement though it feels so good to control Selene and zip her through the environment, especially after you get upgrades like the grappling hook. I look forward to future runs and eventually finished this game.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#8. Shin Megami Tensei V

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/7/5/AAB6RfAACwrb.jpg

The other game on this list I'm only halfway through. Atlus's goal here seemed to be taking Nocturne and modernizing it and they pretty much succeeded here. Make no mistake the game still hates you, but there's a ton of changes to make it far more playable. They've dropped dungeon crawling completely for DQ8/DQ11 style maps with a lot to explore and discover. I only just got to the 3rd map, but I have nearly 40 hours into the game. Random encounters are also completely gone with enemies now on the map for you to engage whenever you feel like it. Don't want to grind and just explore the map well you can do that. The game also bends over backwards to make demon fusion as easy as possible with the only thing limiting you being your level and amount of macca you have, but you can pretty much see every demon available to you even if those the fusion components aren't in your party and you can purchase them from your compendium accordingly. And as the norm now you can transfer any skills you want. The Nahobino is certainly the most stylish looking SMT main and you do find yourself going back and forth between the post-apocalypse and essentially a matrix type recreation of the world before the world ended where you attend school and work for the demon fighting government on the site. It's all very interesting and I look forward to seeing any future plot twists to come (which I just had one quite recently). Much like NMH3 though the Switch is clearly being pushed to its limit here. It runs infinitely better than NMH, but sometimes the area is heavily saturated in a single color to hide details and the framerate can take a hit loading into areas.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#7. A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV Online

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/8/3/AAB6RfAACwrj.jpg

This is still a work in progress because despite putting 100+ hours into the game I only have finished the base game and still need to do the post-game patch quests before I even get to the CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED expansions. Still the base game here is solid and as someone who's never really played a real MMO before this is a nice introduction as it slowly eases you into all the mechanics and lets you engage with them by yourself 99% of the time so you can get used to them. Of course I have to play as a tank which is the most stressful role when doing dungeons as a party so I had to learn fast, but I've also branched out into Samurai and Black Mage and enjoy those classes as well. I'll probably pick this up again in a month or two once the servers calm down a bit from the Endwalker launch.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#6. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/0/9/AAB6RfAACwr9.jpg

Maybe the most surprising game of the year. After the debacle that was The Avengers, I don't think anyone had confidence that this game was going to be any good. Especially after the 30 minute gameplay showcase at E3 where that looked like it was having frame rate problems and they were just fighting the same jelly blob monsters over and over again. What we actually got though was a lighter take on the Mass Effect formula where you're building up your relationships with each of your other guardians while you go through a varying amount of spectacular looking alien worlds and being treated to the best story in any video game released this year. The combat does get better as you unlock more in each guardians skill tree, but it doesn't evolve a ton so that's maybe the one weak point. However there a ton of accessibility options and you can change the settings to make combat basically be a non-factor if you're not into it. Also another nominee for favorite moment of the year when it plays The Final Countdown during the final boss fight which is a song that holds a special place in my heart as a Detroit Pistons fan. If anything just play this game for Drax because he's just fantastic from beginning to end.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
7. A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV Online
8. Shin Megami Tensei V
9. Returnal
10. No More Heroes III

Honorable Mentions
Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE - INTERmission
Cyber Shadow
Mario Party Superstars
WarioWare Get It Together
Hunter's Arena Legends

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1. Diablo II: Resurrected
2. NieR Replicant ver.122474487139...
3. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
4. The Last of Us Remastered
5. Castlevania Advance Collection

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. Tales of Arise
2. Hitman 3
3. Lost Judgment
4. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
5. Monster Hunter Rise

SHINE I didn't know you were secretly the YouTube sensation Misshapen Chair this while time.

I wear many hats

Also I forgot to mention my true reason for playing FF14 just an excuse to collect triple triad cards and play people online

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#5. Ys IX: Monstrum NOX

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/2/8/AAB6RfAACwsQ.jpg

An honor to once again play a new game in one of my favorite franchises. Ys IX really does feel like the end of Act 1 of Adol's journeys encompassing all the games in the series so far while setting up what Act 2 might end up being about. I wouldn't be surprised if a remake of Ys V is next using this quasi-open world style that's present in this game, but I'm betting by the time we get to Ys X that they're going to change up the gameplay again and also finally make the series fully open world.

The story and characters are the best the series has ever seen and the mystery that presented itself late in chapter 2 kept me guessing until the reveal of what was really going on. The new Monstrum abilities added a ton of verticality to the exploration and allowed for more complex maps than the series has had in the past. There were also a ton of collectables hidden around the city that gave it a bit of an Assassin's Creed feel to it. You're locked to the city for most of the early game, but eventually you're able to adventure beyond its walls and it has all the types of locales you would expect from an Ys game.

The combat mostly felt unchanged from Ys VIII although the Monstrum abilities let you zip around the battlefield a little faster than before. It still had the tower defense sections although they were less complex and I think a bit easier than they were in VIII.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#4. Bowser's Fury

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/3/7/AAB6RfAACwsZ.jpg

Not even counting Super Mario World 3D World here, just Bowser's Fury on its own. Really just a sneak preview of the potential future of the Super Mario franchise, but it's oh so glorious. 100 Cat SHINEs are hidden in a completely open world and it's up to Mario to find them all! Occasionally Bowser turns into a demonic Kaiju and Mario must avoid him until he can go Super Saiyan himself to fight him and turn him back for awhile. It certainly could still use some refining to make it a tighter experience before they make a full on Mario game in this game in this style, but I'm already on board for it.

I definitely find healing more stressful than tanking

LordoftheMorons posted...

I definitely find healing more stressful than tanking

I think this shifts the higher level you get.

Around Shadowbringers is when healing gets a lot scarier.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#3. Knockout City

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/5/6/AAB6RfAACwss.jpg

Another shocker to me that it ended up so high on my list! November's free PS+ game ended up being one of my biggest surprises of the year. What a thought was going to be a simple 3 on 3 dodgeball game ended up having a lot of "Windjammers in 3D" fighting game mechanics to it that had me coming back for more and playing on a daily basis weeks on end. There's a battle pass and all that and you can customize a ton of aspects of your character. I'd recommend checking it out if you can! Definitely my favorite multiplayer game of the year.

Shouldn't FFXIV be in the old games section...?

Otherwise some great games here. BF, SMT5, and Ys are the ones I've played so far, and they're all good stuff. Hoping to get to Guardians and Returnal in the next few months.

Live Service games I just typically count the first year that I play them since they're constantly evolving

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#2. Metroid Dread

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/7/5/AAB6RfAACws_.jpg

When determining which games I liked the most in a year one of the biggest contributing factors is how much I immediately replay a game after finishing it and how much I enjoy those replays and if it forces me to change up my play style on those replays. Metroid Dread checked all those boxes as I had to adopt speed run tactics across my 3 total playthroughs to unlock everything it had to offer. Not much needs to be said how good this game was, definitely 2D entry in the series since Super Metroid and Samus has never controlled as well as she does here. The THRILLING CONCLUSION to the Metroid saga had a ton of great boss fights and a nice inversion of the typical formula by having you start at the deepest area of the planet and having to work your way out. The only real complaint is the first half of the game too many areas look too similar until you escape the lab areas and get out into the actual environments of the planet. Coolest escape sequence in the series to boot.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021

#1. Resident Evil Village

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/9/5/AAB6RfAACwtT.jpg

In the same vein as my #2, Village [Eightage] similarly I replayed a ton of times and sometimes for speed runs. As a direct follow up to RE7, we get to see the conclusion to Ethan Winters' plotline in the RE universe as he does his best RE4 impression while going up against a murderer's row of memorable characters all sequestered into their own area spun off from the village hub where each acts its own take on horror video game genres. You got everything from classic RE puzzles in one area to more psychological horror like Silent Hill until it eventually gets very action heavy (and even shortly becomes a military shooter at one point). That giant baby monster is still one of the most memorable moments of that entire game. Among the main villains Lady D may have gotten top billing, but everyone here was great. Ethan is the best RE protagonist because no matter what crazy things he's seen he continues to be shocked and flabbergasted by everything that happens around him and they tie the events RE7 to this game to eventually explain his ability to survive everything that happens to him when any other protagonist in the game would have easily died early into RE7. It also sets up an interesting potential plot for RE9 at the very end so looking forward to seeing where that is going.

Also Chris was there. He's kind of a doofus who makes bad decisions constantly throughout the entire game, but at least they poke fun at him too.

Bonus points for me playing this game entirely while I was on a week long vacation back at my mom's place in Michigan so I was also filled with nostalgic feelings of being a kid and playing games without a care in the world.

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2021
1. Resident Evil Village
2. Metroid Dread
3. Knockout City
4. Bowser's Fury
5. Ys IX: Monstrum NOX
6. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
7. A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV Online
8. Shin Megami Tensei V
9. Returnal
10. No More Heroes III

Honorable Mentions
Final Fantasy VII Remake INTERGRADE - INTERmission
Cyber Shadow
Mario Party Superstars
WarioWare Get It Together
Hunter's Arena Legends

Top 5 Old Games of 2021
1. Diablo II: Resurrected
2. NieR Replicant ver.122474487139...
3. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
4. The Last of Us Remastered
5. Castlevania Advance Collection

Top 5 Games I wish I played of 2021
1. Tales of Arise
2. Hitman 3
3. Lost Judgment
4. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
5. Monster Hunter Rise

also I'm interested to know how much @MegamanX 's end of year results would change if I had submitted this list before his deadline

why didn't you just PM him the list

I haven't played Village yet either, but it's on the catch up list

because I didn't make it until today!

Party Golf - 41/58 Trophies Obtained

Won a match after there being 3 or more players on match-point above you

https://twitter.com/shineget64/status/1477154629423091713

@Dragonair

Resident Evil wears many faces but they're all hot

pjbasis posted...

Resident Evil wears many faces but they're all hot

Uh... I think the RE franchise has a couple less than hot entries myself!

70 hours into SMTV now as I work towards getting the true ending.

Now things are really popping off

https://twitter.com/shineget64/status/1480042243188617217

and true ending achieved! Really loved the implications throughout the game that SMTV is a parallel world to SMT3's True Demon Ending where the Conception happened, but Lucifer defeated the Creator

I don't know if I would change much from my final list at most I'd move SMTV above FF14 and that's about it.

now to try to finish Returnal!