Top 5 Games of 2021

    2021 was stacked. Picking my favorite games was much more difficult than choosing my favorite games in 2022. Also unlike 2022, this list features games with much larger budgets and team sizes. Given how weak 2020 was for my new Xbox Series X console, 2021 more than helped me get my money's worth. Again, I must note that I didn't play any PlayStation exclusive games as I do not own a PlayStation console. I also want to point out that all of the games on this list have been featured on Xbox Game Pass. $15 a month well spent.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montreal)

    The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is still one of my favorites in the MCU. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by the mess that was Guardians of the Galaxy 2, so I was skeptical when this game was announced. I was also worried after seeing how lame Marvel's Avengers was when it released in 2020. Thankfully, this game pretty much filled the empty void that the Guardians 2 movie left in my heart. The writing and story in this game were as good as any game I've played and the graphics were truly next gen. I will say that the combat is a bit repetitive. The teamwork aspects of the game do keep the gameplay interesting enough.

4. Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)

    I was late to the Psychonauts party. I'm glad that I was not late to the Psychonauts 2 party. This game is the perfect modern 3D platformer in just about every way. The art style is dynamic and strong, the gameplay is tight and satisfying. The game also features boss battles thanks to Microsoft's purchase of Double Fine. The voice cast is also a major highlight for the game. They do a great job of showing of Tim Shafer's genius writing. Psychonauts 2 also portrays mental illness in unique and respectful ways. It's quite impressive for a video game. The game does come to an abrupt end and I found that a bit frustrating. However, the game does allow players to replay any levels so that they can find all the collectables found throughout.

3. It Takes Two (Hazelight)

    Having just gotten married around the time this game came out, I wanted to give it a try with my non console game playing wife. Thankfully she agreed, and wow what an experience it was. The game is simple enough that someone with no experience can jump in and enjoy, and a hardcore gamer can do the same. What impressed me the most about this game was that on top of its 3D platformer base are a number of different game genres including, fighting, isometric diablo like, shooter, and flying to name a few. The game is also a great exploration of a marriage relationship that we rarely see in a video game. Even rarer is a story about a couple actually trying to work through their problems. It is quite refreshing.

2. The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller)

    I first heard about this game from one of my professors at the University of Utah. She talked about how cool it was and said that it based on a Skyrim mod and feature a kind of time loop mechanic. I was intrigued so when I saw that the game launched into game pass I was eager to give it a try. Unfortunately I quickly grew bored when I thought the game was going to be nothing but a bunch of dialogue. Oh how wrong I was. The next semester I was in another class in which we took time to study Harold Ramis' 1993 masterpiece, Groundhog Day. Upon realizing Phil Conners masters the time loop in that movie, I realized how The Forgotten City was meant to be played. I went back to it and found one of the most unique and enjoyable games I have ever played. When I learned that the game was made by a team of 4, my mind was completely blown. I recommend this game to anyone and everyone, especially any fellow game developers. The Noclip documentary on this game is also exquisite and necessary. 

1. Deathloop (Arkane)

    It is an interesting thought that perhaps I would not have liked Deathloop as much as I did if I had not played The Forgotten City already. Maybe I'm just a sucker for timeloop games. Either way, Deathloop is the best game that Arkane has made to this point and for good reason. The gameplay is tight and allows for plenty of strategy and creativity. The world is interesting and diverse. There is a real feeling of growth with every single loop. It is quite impressive. My biggest gripe with the game is the steep learning curve and poor tutorials given to the player in the beginning. It makes the UI confusing and the main goal kind of unclear. However, once that curve is crossed, the game is unstoppable. It is one of those games in which it was all I could think about when I wasn't playing it.