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[bentanchorbolt]

Game Informer's Top 10 Games Of 2021

Here are the must-play titles we couldn't get enough of this year.

www.gameinformer.com

It looks like the list hasn't been posted yet or at least I was not able to find a thread about this. I won't spoil the list order in case anyone wants to read it themselves.

It's a good list but honestly kind of surprised at the order ranking for some titles.

 

[AV]

Minus Life is Strange, this is probably my list in a different order.

Inscryption is hot. People should play Inscryption. It's just such a hard sell because the less you know the better.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

Minus Life is Strange, this is probably my list in a different order.

Inscryption is hot. People should play Inscryption. It's just such a hard sell because the less you know the better.

Life is Strange, I was able to get the last version via the LGBTQ+ month when it was given away for free and I loved it, really want to play the new one.

 

[roosnam1980]

good list i think although the lack of ratchet is disappointing , never even heard of inscryption

 

[Belthazar]

Very surprised with the first place... Wouldn't include it in my top 10 tbh

 

[Sweden85]

Nr 1 and 2, two games with lots of bugs and poor choices...it must have been a bad year

 

[Gameplaylover]

Not bad, would change LIS with Hitman 3 and rate FH and It Takes Two higher.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

Very surprised with the first place... Wouldn't include it in my top 10 tbh

For me the only thing I care about is how much fun I have when I play games and tbh I haven't had this much fun in like 2-3 years with any new games, but I'm still surprised a major pub like this would agree with me.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Halo Infinite totally deserves that top spot. Incredible experience so far.

 

[R6Rider]

10) Psychonauts 2
9) Inscryption
8) It Takes Two
7) Forza Horizon 5
6) Life is Strange: True Colors
5) Metroid Dread
4) Returnal
3) Resident Evil Village
2) Deathloop
1) Halo Infinite

 

[Lognor]

Good list. Happy to see Halo Infinite get its recognition. With its release date it'll likely be left out of a lot of these lists

 

[bentanchorbolt]

10) Psychonauts 2
9) Inscryption
8) It Takes Two
7) Forza Horizon 5
6) Life is Strange: True Colors
5) Metroid Dread
4) Returnal
3) Resident Evil Village
2) Deathloop
1) Halo Infinite

10, 7, 2, and 1, all Microsoft 1st party studios. If someone told me this 2-3 years ago I'd have told them they were full of it.

 

[Punished Miku]

10) Psychonauts 2
9) Inscryption
8) It Takes Two
7) Forza Horizon 5
6) Life is Strange: True Colors
5) Metroid Dread
4) Returnal
3) Resident Evil Village
2) Deathloop
1) Halo Infinite

#NotMyList

 

[SF Kosmo]

The order makes very little sense to me, but other than that not much different than my own top 10. I would have had Shin Megami Tensei V on there though.

 

[R6Rider]

I've only played one of those games so far lol

 

[Topher]

Ratchet and Clank should be there imo but other than that a pretty standard list.

 

[Decontamination Silo]

Outside a few exceptions, this really highlights for me was a mild year for gaming this has been. Maybe the most barren so far this century.

 

[Jaysen]

MS really is publisher of the year and it isn't even close. Never thought I'd say that.

Congrats to 343. Halo deserves all the praise.

 

[MonarchJT]

10) Psychonauts 2
9) Inscryption
8) It Takes Two
7) Forza Horizon 5
6) Life is Strange: True Colors
5) Metroid Dread
4) Returnal
3) Resident Evil Village
2) Deathloop
1) Halo Infinite

wow seeing 4 games on 10 from Ms studios in that list give me such a x360 feeling

 

[bentanchorbolt]

wow seeing 4 games on 10 from Ms studios in that list give me such a x360 feeling

Lets just hope they can keep it up and this isn't them blowing their load right out the gates.

 

[elliot5]

Outside a few exceptions, this really highlights for me was a mild year for gaming this has been. Maybe the most barren so far this century.

well...it's been 2 years this century...

I also think it's been a really good year. Tons of great games, especially smaller titles.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Crazy how much MS has been killing it

 

[TintoConCasera]

10) Psychonauts 2
9) Inscryption
8) It Takes Two
7) Forza Horizon 5
6) Life is Strange: True Colors
5) Metroid Dread
4) Returnal
3) Resident Evil Village
2) Deathloop
1) Halo Infinite

Kinda shit taste if you ask me.

 

[Chukhopops]

No Shin Megami Tensei V and/or Tales of Arise is kinda sad, been a while since we had two amazing (and completely different from each other) JRPGs in one year.

I would remove the roguelites and put those instead but overall that's a good list.

 

[Kagey K]

well...it's been 2 years this century...

I also think it's been a really good year. Tons of great games, especially smaller titles.

I don't think thats how it works.

 

[Decontamination Silo]

I don't think thats how it works.

Man I was really hoping I hadn't gone senile.

Either way, there's been no bigger critic of 343 then me, but what they managed to pull of with Infinite deserves accolades. I'm too old and slow for arena based MP, but the campaign is fantastic. Hell, if they break out some Big Team Battle on huge maps I'll probably jump in.

The other games on that list that will end up in my Top 10 are FH5(2), RE8(top 5ish) and Psychonauts (bottom 5ish)

 

[Abriael_GN]

90% western games plus the usual Resident Evil.

Usual mainstream western outlet in a year with plenty of great Japanese games.

The fact that Tales of Arise isn't there says it all.

 

[iHaunter]

DL and Infinite at the top. Looks like a list of who paid the most, in order.

 

[elliot5]

I don't think thats how it works.

lmao oops i totally thought of decade

 

[Fare thee well]

I can dig this list. But man do I live in a different gaming world haha. Nothing I play, except the recent Forza, is on there. Games have become very divergent, but I'm happy with that. There is finally more room opening up for midteir dev studios and that's just where my taste lies. Something about a game put together by a smaller team; it's more focused with a refreshing vision. I can live without 'AAA' graphics too.

 

[MonarchJT]

90% western games plus the usual Resident Evil.

Usual mainstream western outlet in a year with plenty of great Japanese games.

The fact that Tales of Arise isn't there says it all.

well in all honestly that list is full of high rated (metacritic) games ... and loved by videogamers .... there is also the game of the year (although I hate that prize with all my heart) Japanese games are losing that appeal to the general public they had in the 90s probably this is due to the fact that most AAA productions this days are western games

 

[jaysius]

Life is Strange is trash, and Pyschonauts 2 is far too low on that list. Halo Infinite while fun, isn't a #1 GOTY.

 

[Abriael_GN]

the game of the year

The game of the year? What game of the year?

Japanese games are losing that appeal to the general public they had in the 90s probably this is due to the fact that most AAA productions this days are western games

Japanese games are losing appeal to the general public because western press keeps pushing western games and generally ignoring what isn't western.

 

[jshackles]

Life is Strange: True Colors certainly came out of nowhere for me, but it absolutely belongs on this list (might even be in my personal top three for 2021).

Tales of Arise and Ratchet and Clank got robbed. My personal list would also include Ys 9 and Scarlet Nexus.

 

[Batiman]

The king returned?

 

[FlyyGOD]

Nr 1 and 2, two games with lots of bugs and poor choices...it must have been a bad year

Halo infinite has alot of bugs since when?

 

[MonarchJT]

The game of the year? What game of the year?

In my opinion : A loved stupid prize invented by a biased fake journalist

Japanese games are losing appeal to the general public because western press keeps pushing western games and generally ignoring what isn't western.

Surely this is also true but with the advent of multiplayer the Japanese games were starting to lose hits ... the final blow is being given by the megaproductions with realistic graphics.
I know even if what you say is objectively true it is also true that their games have never tried to break through the western market.

 

[Batiman]

Outside a few exceptions, this really highlights for me was a mild year for gaming this has been. Maybe the most barren so far this century.

Nah. Halo, FH, Metroid, it takes two, says otherwise

 

[Nikana]

Swap LiS out with GotG and I think it fits.

 

[MonarchJT]

Outside a few exceptions, this really highlights for me was a mild year for gaming this has been. Maybe the most barren so far this century.

naa there are very good games in that list

 

[TintoConCasera]

Outside a few exceptions, this really highlights for me was a mild year for gaming this has been. Maybe the most barren so far this century.

A lot of great games have been released this year. SMT V, the Nier remake, Monster Hunter, Metroid... and many more that I haven't played but people seem to have liked a lot, like Tales of Arise or Returnal.

Don't you like any of those? What kinda games do you play?

 

[Captain Toad]

Returnal got robbed.

 

[Abriael_GN]

In my opinion : A loved stupid prize invented by a biased fake journalist

I'm just curious why you said "the." Is there some sort of official game of the year award I have missed?

Surely this is also true but with the advent of multiplayer the Japanese games were starting to lose hits ... the final blow is being given by the megaproductions with realistic graphics.
I know even if what you say is objectively true it is also true that their games have never tried to break through the western market.

They have tried and they still try. I know a lot of Japanese developers who make great efforts to break into western markets, and also to be covered by mainstream western outlets. And I know for a fact that some respond "we'll cover your game if you give us the exclusive" so the developers find themselves having to decide between pissing off the smaller outlets that cover them faithfully every time there's news without asking anything in exchange or giving up the chance of being covered by a bigger one.

 

[Decontamination Silo]

Nah. Halo, FH, Metroid, it takes two, says otherwise

The latter two would be considered sweet XBLA games, but not enough to crack a legit top ten for the year.

 

[SEGA_2012]

Halo Infinite is truly the GOTY 2021. Masterpiece.

 

[Decontamination Silo]

A lot of great games have been released this year. SMT V, the Nier remake, Monster Hunter, Metroid... and many more that I haven't played but people seem to have liked a lot, like Tales of Arise or Returnal.

Don't you like any of those? What kinda games do you play?

You make a good point here. Plug the games you mentioned into that list and it makes it look better. I'm not crazy about small indie stuff, or (Allah forgive me typing this) card games.

 

[ButchCat]

Minus Life is Strange, this is probably my list in a different order.

Inscryption is hot. People should play Inscryption. It's just such a hard sell because the less you know the better.

I never heard of Inscryption until now. Is it actually a card game or something else?

 

[SportsFan581]

I've got to give Psychonauts 2 a go. Everyone says it's great and I do like platformers. So much to play with GP, it's just hard to fit everything in.

 

[MonarchJT]

I'm just curious why you said "the" is that some sort of official game of the year award I have missed?

aah no sorry. a simple mistake of my bad english

They have tried and they still try. I know a lot of Japanese developers who make great efforts to break into western markets, and also to be covered by mainstream western outlets. And I know for a fact that some respond "we'll cover your game if you give us the exclusive" so the developers find themselves having to decide between pissing off the smaller outlets that cover them faithfully every time there's news without asking anything in exchange or giving up the chance of being covered by a bigger one.

Surely the industry of videogames (especially the most famous outlets) yes it behaves in a partisan manner, always and only safeguarding its own interests. And on this I could think like you, but then, I look at small indie productions like Hades from Supergiant games ... which despite not being initially pushed by any famous outlet .. managed with word of mouth thanks to the quality of the game to force the outlets to talked about it. so I guess it's a bit of both sides' fault

 

[Pejo]

I guess I really should try It Takes Two. It gets a lot of good word of mouth.