The Rllmuk Game of the Year Awards 2021 - Voting Thread!

[Treble]

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Well it would be if the whole thing weren't sliding sideways into chaos. But still, vidyagames eh?! A ray of hope in the darkness; a life preserver to cling to in the choppy waters of pandemic strife.

 

And so let us celebrate the medium's creativity together in the traditional fashion: by voting for our favourites and gently bickering about Hades being eligible for a second year the results! As your host this year, I'll be stealing as much from the previous year's format as possible from @Jolly whilst simultaneously being less erudite. A tough job, but someone has to do it. And so...! To the rules...

 

RULES

 

·         One forumite, one vote. Vote twice and it will invalidate your results.

 

·         Vote for your preferences, not to meet critical consensus.

 

·         Only games with an initial, premier release date within 2021 on ANY platform, and no earlier, are eligible for the 'A' voting category. 

 

·         ...episodic, early access games, and remakes (ie built from the ground-up in a new engine) are all eligible providing they first appeared in 2021 ONLY. 

 

Re-releases, remasters, release debuts on new consoles (eg MS Flight Sim), DLC for a game that existed prior to 2021 and director's cuts are NOT eligible for category 'A'. 

Please vote for these in category 'B'. 

 

I will PM each person once if they have already voted under the old rules, to share these updated rules. If they haven't adjusted their choices by 8th Jan I will amend them myself ie move their pre-2021 choices into category B and move any lower placed entries up a space accordingly. 

 

·         You don’t have to vote for everything and you don’t have to fill up all the spaces. "Just do what you love, man".

 

·         Voting closes Sunday 9th January, 2022, 22:00. Votes or edits after this point will result in your excommunication. 

 

·         Please use the voting template below when submitting your results. Please use the full template even if you don’t vote in each category. "Just make my life easier, FFS".

 

·         "That goes for chopping and changing shit too". I’ll not start collating until deadline has passed, so feel free to make adjustments up until then and just say so in the edit box.

 

·         "Absolute lunacy I have to say this, but here goes - you can only vote for games you have played".

 

 

 

VOTING TEMPLATE

 

Game of the Year 2021

 

A1.

 

A2.

 

A3.

 

A4.

 

A5.

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1.

 

B2.

 

B3.

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1.

 

S2.

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1.

 

V2.

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1.

 

W2.

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1.

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1.

[Qazimod]

Game of the Year 2021

 

A1. Rhythm Doctor

Perhaps the best game that nobody played this year (at least if the thread I made for it is anything to go by.) I had been following this game since it emerged as a simple browser-based demo, and back then it immediately brought to mind the minimalist charm of Rhythm Heaven, but with plenty of its own twists. So I guess it's no surprise that the full game just blows everything else away in terms of creativity, challenge and a sense that this was created with genuine passion. The soundtrack is packed with amazing tunes, the challenge offered by the gameplay is pitched perfectly and the pixel art is sublime. I enjoyed it enough to get S+ ratings on all stages, and when it received free DLCs (in collaboration with Unbeatable and Muse Dash) I was back in again. Nothing else was ever going to be my top game of 2021.

 

A2. Neo: The World Ends With You

Honestly, placing this above Deltarune in my list was a tough decision... but at the same time, nothing else struck me with disbelief quite like Neo: TWEWY. The fact that this game even exists - the sequel to a niche 2007 (2008 for western gamers?) RPG for the Nintendo DS - is incredible; that it manages to overdeliver with satisfying TWEWY gameplay (even as it throws away the gameplay gimmicks that utilised the DS hardware) is nuts. Battles are a joy, the writing is mostly great (I mean, the lingo will become dated in time but I still like the characterisation), and there's so much to do in terms of collecting and unlocking things. It does stumble a bit with certain difficulty spikes later on, but most of the time it's a bold and stylish celebration of everything that makes TWEWY so beloved.

A3. R-Type Final 2

I feel like this is more of an honourable mention than anything, but it would be unfair to take it off my list. If anything, I wish I could have spent more time with R-Type Final 2 because it's clearly a very polished shoot 'em up - and I was even one of the backers of the Kickstarter campaign - but I was cramming so many other things into my free time that I only really dipped in and out of this. Anyway, I did play the first R-Type Final game (albeit after scouring bargain bins for a second-hand copy) and this feels like a worthy successor, with some great presentation and lots of extras that you can work towards. It does feel a bit off that certain unlocks are backer-exclusive or drip-fed with codes after the fact - but remain visible to the player, taunting them - even so, the content available for everyone still provides a lot of fun.

 

A4.

 

A5.

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Deltarune: Chapter 2

When I thought about how generous the first chapter of Deltarune was, I would never have guessed that we would see a follow-up this soon, but here we are. Packing more imaginative writing and entertaining sequences than plenty of full-price games, this was another chapter that was inexplicably given away for free, but it comes with more of everything. More brilliant characters, more ridiculous events, more nightmarish bullet patterns - and yet it still manages to feel refreshing and interesting. It does ramp up the difficulty with certain enemy attacks, and it doesn't hit you with the thrill of the new quite like the higher placed games in my list manage to; nevertheless, it's still worth your time if you were a fan of the earlier games.

 

B2. Tetris Effect: Connected

This wasn't in my list originally as I didn't know if I would be allowed to include it (it's technically a new game, but it's also an update to a 2018 game, but it's also the first time it's released on certain platforms...) but if I can mention it here I will. I already played and enjoyed the solo experience of the original game, but the multiplayer modes added to Connected offered a decent enough reason to come back. The main co-operative mode is particularly satisfying; there's almost an unspoken intuition between good players as they create setups for each other to capitalise on, but there is also some decent competitive gameplay on offer which is nice if you just want to be humiliated by the hundreds of better players out there (sob)

 

B3.

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1. Activision Blizzard

It's almost like they're trying to outdo themselves here. Not content with churning out annual sequels whilst crunching their staff, or stuffing each game with whatever extra monetisation practices they can get away with, the news that the workplace has a creepy "fratboy" culture was revealed as something that would set alarm bells off at any other company that had a shred of morality and decency... instead, it sounds like it was treated as perfectly "normal" everyday behaviour for anybody who wasn't a victim of the practices. Apparently it wasn't enough for Blizzard to shit the bed with the China stuff a while ago, and no change was made after the world saw the Ubisoft dirt - as long as you can get away with it, you can check your morals in at the door.

 

Z2. Balan Wonderworld

To be honest I wasn't really following the game a whole lot and any interest was more like morbid curiosity. Then again, I still like 3D platformers that are done well and I don't think that they're necessarily "old-fashioned" (just look at Nintendo and Mario.) So in January I took a look at the demo that was released and... oof. It looks nice enough, but the demo was just boring to play. Maybe it was intended to be dumbed down for kids, but kids can handle plenty of more engaging platformers that were available long before Balan. And there are a bunch of platformers out there which manage to be engaging for players of all ages. If mediocre first impressions were the only legacy of Balan that would be bad enough, but then a buggy boss battle sequence had to be quickly patched due to (potentially) seizure-inducing flashing effects. So yeah, it was all a bit of a mess.

 

Z3. Capcom's E3 showcase

You all forgot about this one, didn't you? I mean, thinking about it, this placing could have gone to other E3 presentations; Square Enix front-loading their showcase with a ton of Marvel footage - more than half of the length of the whole presentation - wasn't much better. However, anyone who watched Capcom's offering would be forgiven for wondering if they should have even bothered. Everyone makes the joke of "this could have been an email", but this probably would have been more worthwhile as something that was posted on Capcom Unity as a blog piece with a handful of embedded trailers. I appreciate that a publisher conference is always going to struggle to match content shown at a conference from a platform holder (unless you're Devolver) but this was one of those times where they probably should have saved themselves the effort.

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Rhythm Doctor

Of course the one rhythm game I played this year has my favourite sound design. Rhythm Doctor's soundtrack packs lots of lively and catchy tunes in its selection of levels, ranging from energetic drum 'n' bass to beautiful piano pieces, and even one or two vocal tracks. A lot of it is music you probably won't have heard before unless you've been following those particular soundcloud artists, and the free DLCs have some excellent pieces of music as well. Meanwhile, the menu interactions and note sounds are bright and clear and bring the overall experience to life - whether you're hearing crisp "clap" noises on note hits, or even just moving around in the options or the level editor as little effects play, à la Mario Paint or Wario Ware DIY.

 

S2. Neo: The World Ends With You

Of the 2021 games I played, there were two where I picked up the soundtrack. R-Type Final 2's digital score was claimed as part of my original Kickstarter pledge, but after playing Neo: The World Ends With You I was quick to pre-order the wonderful triple CD soundtrack which is currently on a nearby shelf next to my Persona OSTs. At first I was a bit unsure about the grungey feel of "NEW GAME", the track that played during the intro and one of the reveal trailers, but there's plenty of variety in the whole soundtrack. Certain songs just help boost the general atmosphere of the game ("The Beginning of a Happy Life") whilst others are used once to create truly awesome moments ("Last Call".) You can also buy music CDs in-game and use the tracks for custom menu music, so of course I have the trophy for acquiring all of these.

 

S3.

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Neo: The World Ends With You

The conversion into 3D worked so much better than I could have imagined. Buildings tower above our heroes and slant and fold as the action moves around, bringing each district to life. The main characters are brilliantly animated, whether on the streets or in combat. The comic book cutscenes have transitioned to the big screen perfectly, and performing scans to hear the city's thoughts provides an awesome fullscreen visual effect where captions spill across the world but noteworthy scans can be picked out in dialogue bubbles. Having a genuine 3D environment also makes for more interesting battle sequences, and impressively the camera manages to keep up with the action most of the time. The urban backdrop does result in a lot of grey being onscreen - the roads, the pedestrian areas, the buildings - but there's enough colour provided elsewhere that the grey never dominates the scene.

 

V2. Rhythm Doctor

Sure, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of visual design going on when you look at Rhythm Doctor - you have your patient, there's a green line and a heart to represent the heartbeat of your patient, and there's a representation of your finger pressing a button in time with the beat. Even so, I do like the pixel-art characters and the visual tricks that the game plays to occasionally throw the player off (which are too good to spoil here), and the full game does put more detail into the backdrops than the original demo did. It was never going to compete with something as massive as Neo: TWEWY in terms of sheer visual spectacle, but it does manage to create an identity all of its own, as well as making one of the most vibrant "hospital" settings that I've seen in gaming for a while.

 

V3. R-Type Final 2

How can I put this... R-Type Final 2 is clearly committed to its aesthetic - sleek metal "rooms", creepy tendrils growing out from surfaces, a quick view of outer space now and then as you pass a window or a gap between locations, and some grotesque boss encounters in each level. However, it's an aesthetic that might feel a bit too "grim" for some people. I think that the weapon effects make up for things, as bullets start to fill the screen and enemies pop with satisfying explosions, but I can see this being a bit of a divisive choice. Maybe it's trying to stay true to the aesthetic of R-Type Final 1, but I don't remember a whole lot from my experiences with the first game, so who knows. Not my most confident nomination, but pretty lasers and atmospheric locations won me over.

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Neo: The World Ends With You

It was pretty bold to establish a new TWEWY game that mainly focused on entirely new characters, but Rindo, Fret and co. are pretty likeable from the outset and there's hardly any of the whiny emo vibe that threatened to make the original game's dialogue a bit grating. Even though there are a few cameos in Neo, it says a lot about this game when I feel like I could enjoy another story centred around the Wicked Twisters and their rivals. A lot of the various mannerisms and quirks of the characters made me smile, and the conversations make each mission engaging and enjoyable. I saw one or two people on Twitter saying that some of the "internet speak" was "cringey", but to me that just feels like a self-own, because people on Twitter did (do) use a lot of the corny mannerisms in the game, so you can only really be embarrassed at yourself. Personally, I think it's just another layer of silly fun, and I'm all for it.

 

W2. Rhythm Doctor

I know that certain rhythm action fans like the games to have "personality" - games that are less like Beatmania, Superbeat Xonic or Dance Dance Revolution... and more like Space Channel 5, Parappa the Rapper and Elite Beat Agents. Happily, Rhythm Doctor falls into the latter category. It's a rhythm game with a framing - you're an intern at Middlesea Hospital, and each "stage" is a patient with a name and a concise biography. Furthermore, there are stages designed to tell short stories - sometimes wordlessly, but there are lyrics on occasion. And it's all very effective at establishing a connection with these adorable pixel characters. It kind of had to end up third in my list for this category because my other nominees are massive story-driven experiences, but Rhythm Doctor's writing is still a welcome piece of an incredible whole.

 

W3.

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PC

I can't really think of what to say here - the majority of the games in my shortlist were bought (or in the case of Deltarune's second chapter, downloaded for free) on PC, so it kind of "won" by default. I guess my vote is also influenced by the fact that I didn't have a current-gen console for most of this year (and even though I eventually got a PS5 in November, I don't see myself buying many games for it until '22) - instead, pretty much all of the games I played this year were on last-gen hardware or PC. Even so, the desktop has served me well in 2021... despite instilling fear every time the fan spins up more than I'm used to, making me feel like something's going to explode (or melt, or come apart) at any moment. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS5 becomes the favourite when I complete this category next year, but I imagine the PC will still be useful when I'm checking out less demanding titles.

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. 7th Beat Games

[Vemsie]

Game of the Year 2021

 

A1. Returnal

Returnal is many things. A bleak as hell cosmic horror story. A treatise on grief and guilt. The most fluid third person console shooter ever. A ballet of bullets. A neon fireworks display. The best showcase for the DualSense and 3D audio yet.

The best game of the year.

 

A2. Metroid Dread

While not nearly as atmospheric as my number one, Dread plays like a dream. It's fluid, the boss fights in this series were never better, the Shinespark puzzles - despite being artritus inducing - were a joy to figure out and I actually really liked the E.M.M.I.s as a change of pace.

 

A3. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

As fas as combat goes this doesn't even come close to the first two games in this list, but the writing and performancs are superb and the sheer variety of beautiful locations are a feast for sci-fi games. A game that can be really funny or poignant, sometimes even in the same scene. A genuine surprise and proof that devs can still make excellent linear singeplayer games.

 

A4. It Takes Two

I wasn't a fan of the narrative at all, but the sheer variety in gameplay was dazzling and clever. A ton of fun for two players.

 

A5.

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1.

 

B2.

 

B3.

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. Deathloop

I love Arkane - Prey was my 2017 GotY - but this was not what I wanted. I wanted the agency and tight level design of their former work, but I got a stripped down version of that at best. And while I do like the style, it's a pretty poor action game with dumb AI, no enemy variety and poor feedback.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Returnal

This isn't even close. From Bobby Krlic's unnerving score to the incredible sound effects and best implementation of 3D audio yet and an incredibly creative use of a certain licensed song, this is one of the best sounding games ever made.

 

S2.

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Ratchet & Clank A Rift Apart

Who am I to argue with Digital Foundry? While I think the game itself is good but not great, it is definutely a feast for the eyes with the best implementation of ray-tracing on consoles, superb animation, a ton of effects, jaw-dropping setpieces, a ton of colour and beautiful cinematics.

 

V2.

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Returnal

It's incredibly ambiguous, but I like that. It's the only game that I'm still thinking about, months after completing. It works both as Greek myth infused examination of Selene's psyche and a haunting cosmic horror story, dripping with existential dread. Do you see the White Shadow?

 

W2. Guardians of the Galaxy

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PS5

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Housemarque for making one of my all-time favourite games.

[Mortis]

Game of the Year

 

A1. It Takes Two 

 just the most fun I’ve had all year in a game. Constantly creative and not scared to give you a new concept, play with it for 5 minutes then never show it again. 
 Me and my 9 yr old played this through and both of loved every minute.  If you have someone to co-op with you really need to play it. 

 

A2. guardians of the galaxy

 never expected much of this but picked up on a whim due to a bargain price and a love of the IP. Turns out it’s the funniest, most heartfelt story based game in years. The only reason it’s not no 1 is the combat never moves beyond “serviceable”. 

 

A3. Psychonauts 2 

 I’ll admit to a bit of bias on this one as I backed it years ago on Fig when it first went to crowd funding. I was just happy with the idea of a new psychonauts. Thankfully it turned out to have all the creativity (and some of the flaws) of the original. Fun platforming, psychedelic visuals and a great sense of humour.

 

A4.  Lost Judgment 

 

A5. 

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. 12 Minutes 

 a Hollywood cast, an interesting premise, a complete mess of a game. Maybe they should have spent the money on the design rather than the a list actors. 

 

Z2. 

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1.guardians of the galaxy. 
some of the best voice work in a video game and that soundtrack. Being Rick Rolled while shooting aliens never gets old. 

 

S2.

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Guardians of the galaxy. 
The game smdeaigners take on the team takes what works from the films, adds in what works from the comics and then their own take to bring one of the best looking games I’ve played. Character animations, world design and general spectacle all hit exactly the right notes to elevate this one. 

V2.psychonauts 2

 all the colours, a cohesive world and some truly stunning levels. 

 

V3. Ratchet and Clank Rift apart

 another lovely looking game by insomniac, performance RT mode on PS5 looks stunning and a step above every other studio. Unfortunately it has the downside of looking like every other ratchet and clank game but with the shiny turned up to 11. 

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Guardians of the Galaxy

 

W2. Psychonauts 2

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Xbox (gamepass)

 

 the best value in gaming - if you can’t find something worth the sub in here then you’re officially dead inside. 

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. 

[Wiper]

On a scale from "Allowed" to "It is essential that you vote for it", how allowed are we to put Binary Domain in our list now that it's been made backwards compatible on Xbox?

[BadgerFarmer]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Returnal

The one real masterpiece of the year. The 2D immediacy of past Housemarque games survives the transformation into 3D completely intact. The visual and sound design are a perfect blend of function and atmosphere, with each biome recalling a different sci-fi aesthetic. The time loop device is used to synergise the Roguelike design with the narrative as well as any game I've played. So often I felt like Selene's mental state was mirroring my own reaction to the experience, and the plot points produce a wonderful mix of horror and acceptance.

 

A2. Deathloop

Takes all the things I liked about Dishonored and gets rid of all the things I didn't like. It's the time loop structure that makes it work, ensuring that you can afford to be more reckless and opportunities to retry sections in different ways arise organically as the task unfolds. The groovy setting and drunken enemies are an invitation to muck around, and the various powers make it worth doing just that. 

 

A3. Road 96

A very smart piece of narrative design, using a series of personal journeys and the unpredictability of classic road trip fiction to tell a story about a country under authoritarian rule. It manages to balance its focus between the fates of the characters you control, who are trying to reach the border and escape, the recurring characters they meet, and the wider picture. It also manages to make fairly limited dialogue choice type scenarios feel meaningful and open.

 

A4. Solar Ash

Skating on clouds across wide vistas. There's beauty in the sense of motion and how easy it is to link together jumps, attacks and grapples without breaking flow. Like Hyper Light Drifter before it, it's a great explorer's game, but this time spreads whole landscapes in front of you to pique your interest in their furthest corners. If anything, the Shadow of the Colossus style boss encounters are the weak point, but they're a grand spectacle nonetheless.

 

A5. Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection

An expert piece of retro rebooting. It reworks the levels of the two original games with a level of deviousness that shows real appreciation for what made them tick. As with the games of old, each section of each stage is a memorable event and a tale to be retold, as you learn and improvise your way through dastardly layouts and traps. I was also glad of the choice of difficulty levels - mercifully, the designers decided it was more important to be playfully tricky than outright evil.

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1.

 

B2.

 

B3.

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. 

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Returnal

 

S2. Mundaun

 

S3. No More Heroes 3

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Returnal

 

V2. Genesis Noir

 

V3. The Ascent

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Returnal

 

W2. Road 96

 

W3. Mundaun

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PC

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Housemarque

[Wiper]

Game of the Year 2021

 

A1. Shin Megami Tensei V

 

A2. Psychonauts 2

 

A3. Hitman 3

 

A4. Life is Strange: True Colors

 

A5. No Longer Home

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Binary Domain

 

B2. Monster Train

 

B3. Dead or Alive 3

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. The games industry. Abuse, NFTs, hire-and-fire practices; they've been, as ever, a shower of shites.

 

Z2. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. This could have been the best local multiplayer game ever released on handheld, but no, they managed to fuck up the physics, make the game look worse than the Gamecube originals, and ruined Monkey Target. What a shambles

 

Z3. Metroid Dread. There's a good game in here, hidden behind an accessibility nightmare of unconfigurable controls. A real shame.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Shin Megami Tensei V

 

S2. Unpacking

 

S3. Sable

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Inscryption

 

V2. Life is Strange: True Colors

 

V3. Sable

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Wildermyth

 

W2. Psychonauts 2

 

W3. Adios

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Xbox

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Sega - Shin Megami Tensei V, Humankind, Lost Judgment, P5: Strikers, Like a Dragon and VF5 (and Binary Domain) make this quite the year for Sega, even if only one of those made it into my top 5. We'll just gloss over Banana Mania, eh!

[Treble]

18 minutes ago, Wiper said:

On a scale from "Allowed" to "It is essential that you vote for it", how allowed are we to put Binary Domain in our list now that it's been made backwards compatible on Xbox?

 

I'll be taking submissions for special categories, just as Jolls did last year (I am capable of original thought, but you'll see very little of it from me in this process ) so maybe do a special piece on it? It's definitely deserving. 

[the_debaser]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Metroid Dread

 

A2. Bowser’s Fury

 

A3. Lost Judgement

 

A4. Warioware : Get it together!

 

A5. Super Arcade Football

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Cruis’n Blast

 

B2. Walkabout Mini Golf (on Facebook Oculus Meta Quest)

 

B3. Resident Evil 4 VR
 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. Game delays everywhere

 

Z2. Forza Horizon's soundtrack 

 

Z3. Everything about Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Metroid Dread

 

S2. Lost Judgement

 

S3. Mario Party Superstars 

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Metroid Dread

 

V2. Warioware : Get it together!

 

V3. Resident Evil : Village

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Lost Judgement

 

W2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

 

W3. Resident Evil : Village

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Switch

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Nintendo

[Gambit]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Lost Judgment

 

A2. Persona 5: Strikers

 

A3. Guardians of the Galaxy

 

A4. Metroid Dread

 

A5. Guilty Gear Strive

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

 

B2. Hades (PS5)

 

B3.

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. Nintendos online offering

 

Z2. Playstation Plus

 

Z3. Geoff Keighley continuing to be a fucking beige shill. Fuck him.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Persona 5: Strikers

 

S2. Guilty Gear Strive

 

S3. Lost Judgment

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Guilty Gear Strive

 

V2. Ratchet & Clank

 

V3. Chorus

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Lost Judgment

 

W2. Guardians of the Galaxy

 

W3. Persona 5: Strikers

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PS5

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Sega

[spatular]

VOTING TEMPLATE

 

Game of the Year

 

A1. Forza Horizon 5

 

A2. Halo Infinite

 

A3. Deathloop

 

A4. Metroid Dread

 

A5. Returnal

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Deathsmiles 1-2

 

B2. Espgaluda 2

 

B3. art of rally

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Persona 5 Strikers

 

S2. Halo Infinite

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Deathloop

 

V2. Forza Horizon 5

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. The Forgotten City

 

W2.

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Switch

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Microsoft

 

loads of great stuff just missed out - hitman 3, bowsers fury, the forgotten city, persona 5 strikers, circuit superstars. some stuff i didn't get round to last year was really good too - project cars 3 and zelda - age of calamity. great year for shmups too, including progear getting a console release, need to get round to playing blue wish desire more.

[Sabreman]

Does Disco Elysium: The Final Cut qualify?

[Wiper]

3 hours ago, Qazimod said:

Game of the Year

 

A1. Rhythm Doctor

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Rhythm Doctor

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V2. Rhythm Doctor

 

Writing of the Year

 

W3. Rhythm Doctor

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. 7th Beat Games

 

Well, when you put it like that I suppose I, the Ouendan/Gitaroo/Tengoku/Parappa-liker, should probably give this a go!

[Treble]

5 minutes ago, Sabreman said:

Does Disco Elysium: The Final Cut qualify?

 

Yep, definitely. Recent releases on new ecosystems count. I'll broadly limit it to 2 years, plus it has to be on a different systemic model, eg. Disco Elysium counts (first appearance on a Nintendo platform); Ghost of Tsushima wouldn't (second appearance on the PlayStation ecosystem). 

[Stanley]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Returnal

 

A2. Metroid Dread

 

A3. Halo Infinite

 

A4. Bowser’s Fury

 

A5. Forza Horizon 5

 

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

 

B2. Microsoft Flight Simulator

 

B3. Super Mario 3D World

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. Games industry scumbags

 

Z2. Nintendo Online Expansion Pack

 

Z3. I would like a Series X in white (first world problems)

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Halo Infinite

 

S2. Returnal

 

S3. Metroid Dread

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Microsoft Flight Simulator

 

V2. Metroid Dread

 

V3. Returnal

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Returnal

 

W2. Metroid Dread

 

W3. Halo Infinite

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Xbox Series X|S

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Nintendo

[Stanley]

6 minutes ago, Treble said:

 

Yep, definitely. Recent releases on new ecosystems count. I'll broadly limit it to 2 years, plus it has to be on a different systemic model, eg. Disco Elysium counts (first appearance on a Nintendo platform); Ghost of Tsushima wouldn't (second appearance on the PlayStation ecosystem). 

Ah, does that mean I can’t have Mario 3D World or Skyward Sword? 

[Qazimod]

Any thoughts on Tetris Effect: Connected? A deluxe version of a 2018 game that only got released for certain platforms this year?

 

2 hours ago, Wiper said:

Well, when you put it like that I suppose I, the Ouendan/Gitaroo/Tengoku/Parappa-liker, should probably give this a go!

 

In fairness I only played about four new games this year so there wasn't a lot of competition.  

[Sarlaccfood]

Can I include Death Stranding Director’s cut?

[strawdonkey]

2 hours ago, Wiper said:

On a scale from "Allowed" to "It is essential that you vote for it", how allowed are we to put Binary Domain in our list now that it's been made backwards compatible on Xbox?

Ridge Racer 6 for 2021 GotY!

[bradigor]

15 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

Any thoughts on Tetris Effect: Connected? A deluxe version of a 2018 game that only got released for certain platforms this year?

 

It was in my GotY list for the MHG podcast. Newly released on Switch so it counts

 

[Treble]

19 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Ah, does that mean I can’t have Mario 3D World or Skyward Sword? 

 

I can maybe let 3D in due to Bowser's Fury being entirely new content (I think?) but not Skyward Sword sorry. I don't think it even classes as a remake, just a port. Sorry 😕

 

16 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

Any thoughts on Tetris Effect: Connected? A deluxe version of a 2018 game that only got released for certain platforms this year?

 

Yes, the 'Connected' part is relatively new, and its appearance on Switch is brand new. 

 

11 minutes ago, Sarlaccfood said:

Can I include Death Stranding Director’s cut?

 

I'm sorry, no, as it's a tweaked version of the original but not substantially, and not on a new platform. 

[Sabreman]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Loop Hero

I cooled off on it faster than I thought, but for a good 20 hours I couldn't leave this alone. I will go back and chip away at it (edit - since putting this in the list I have gone back to it). Love the aesthetics and the intricacy of its systems.

 

A2.

 

A3.

 

A4. 

 

A5. 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

Like, all-time great good. Even in other RPGs through the years where I've been hugely invested in the story and characters, I've never considered anything as well-written as this, or felt like I was actively shaping a character's personality. It's not an epic, world-saving quest, but the density of interactions and depth of ideas presented in this tiny chunk of a city outstrips pretty much anything I've ever played. I'd read a novelisation of this game. 

 

B2. Sunless Sea

In a COVID recovery, lockdown, time doesn't mean anything any more stretch early in the year I finally checked this out, and proceeded to absolutely rinse it over many an all-nighter. Again, it's the writing and the atmosphere, with an incredibly rich and compelling world conjured up from text boxes and simple 2D art. Every time I embarked I felt like Columbus, and the welcoming lights of Fallen London after a 2-hour round trip held a genuinely magical quality. I've hardly ever been so utterly engrossed in a game world.

 

B3. Hades

Yeah yeah. I started playing this last week. My main problem with Roguelites, as opposed to true Roguelikes, is the grind against successive gear/skill/stats checks. The genius of Hades is surrounding that with a hub world you kind of want to get bounced back to, and an intricate, naturally evolving story which makes it feel like you're always moving forward. I'm reminded very much of returning to the Normandy after a mission, and checking in on everyone.

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year [n.b. putting 'Treble' will result in a ban]

 

Z1. The continued hucksterism of major publishers. Please, just make a game and sell it, and stop nickel-and-diming every conceivable aspect.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1.

 

S2.

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1.

 

V2.

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1.

 

W2.

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PC

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1.

[Benny]

I do think it sort of misses the point of game of the year lists if people fall over themselves just to vote for rereleases and remasters of old games. For that reason I won't be voting for Disco Elysium, even though I could, as it placed in a previous list and new stuff should be featured. Everyone else should vote for it though obviously.

[GamesGamesGames]

Haven't played a great deal this year, but want to vote for GotY at the very least.

 

VOTING TEMPLATE

 

Game of the Year

 

A1. Returnal

 

A2.

 

A3.

 

A4.

 

A5.

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Returnal

 

S2.

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Returnal

 

V2.

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1.

 

W2.

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1.

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Housemarque

[Stanley]

32 minutes ago, Treble said:

 

I can maybe let 3D in due to Bowser's Fury being entirely new content (I think?) but not Skyward Sword sorry. I don't think it even classes as a remake, just a port. Sorry 😕

Ok I’ve left in 3D World for now and you’re right Bowser’s Fury is entirely new, but I’ve replaced Skyward Sword. 

[Grobbelboy]

Game of the Year

 

A1. KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION

 

A2. Chicory

 

A3. Deathloop

 

A4. Bonfire Peaks

 

A5. Returnal

 

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Death Stranding Director’s Cut

 

B2. Splitgate

 

B3. Quake 

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1.

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION

S2. Returnal

 

S3. Chicory

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Deathloop

 

V2. Returnal

 

V3. Bonfire Peaks

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Psychonauts 2

 

W2. Deltarune
 

W3. Deathloop

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. PS5

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1.

[Hylian]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Returnal. So pleased that Housemarque knocked it out the park with this, after the commercial failure of Nex Machina. Saved the rather dull first year of PS5. Can't wait to see how they expand it and see how they develop as a studio. 

 

A2. Game Builder Garage. I liked the idea of this, and for what they've attempted it's extremely well done. I just got to the stage where the ideas I had were way too complex and I just thought "if I really want do this, then I might as well try and code something". So, good, but not well suited to me. 

 

A3. Death's Door. 

 

A4.

 

A5.

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1. Metroid Dread. I lost interest with this. Good combat and animation. But where is the metroid exploration? The whole thing was so signposted and I almost never felt like I was playing a proper metroid game. And don't get me started on the EMMI. Some of the worst moments I've had in a game in recent years. 

 

Z2.

 

Z3.

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Returnal

 

S2. 

 

S3.

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1. Returnal

 

V2. Death's Door

 

V3.

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Returnal 

 

W2.

 

W3.

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Switch. Still the best console. 

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Housemarque

[Ry]

Game of the Year

 

A1. Forza Horizon 5

 

A2. Resident Evil : Village

 

A3. Halo Infinite

 

A4. Deaths Door

 

A5. Unpacking

 

Game of the Year (premiered anywhere pre-2021) 

 

B1. Hades

 

B2. Microsoft Flight Simulator

 

 

 

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

 

Z1. Battlefield 2042

 

Z2. Returnal

 

 

 

Sound Design of the Year

 

S1. Hades

 

S2. Halo Infinite

 

S3. Resident Evil Village

 

 

 

Visual Design of the Year

 

V1.  Hades

 

V2. Forza Horizon 5

 

V3. Resident Evil Village

 

 

 

Writing of the Year

 

W1. Hades

 

W2. Unpacking

 

 

 

 

 

Format of the Year

 

F1. Xbox 

 

 

 

Publisher or Developer of the Year

 

P1. Microsoft Game Studios

 

 

Hades is one of the best games ever made. That's all I can say. And I hate rougelikes.

[Sarlaccfood]

2 hours ago, Treble said:

 

I can maybe let 3D in due to Bowser's Fury being entirely new content (I think?) but not Skyward Sword sorry. I don't think it even classes as a remake, just a port. Sorry 😕

 

 

Yes, the 'Connected' part is relatively new, and its appearance on Switch is brand new. 

 

 

I'm sorry, no, as it's a tweaked version of the original but not substantially, and not on a new platform. 

I mean it had a bunch of new content but okay cool.

 

Streets of Rage DLC?

[Capwn]

Game of the year : It Takes Two

 

It's got ropey characters and story BUT the story IS interesting for a videogame, never quite experienced a platformer about divorce before. Dr Hakim is one of the greatest characters too, was always excited to see him pop up. So yeah, despite the issues with characters and storylines I feel like it's unfair to just dismiss that part of this game. I was always curious where they were going with it and that's pretty special for a platformer. I don't believe for a second that JUST the mechanics of the game would have been enough, this game was full of fun writing.

 

Then there is the game, pretty much what everyone says about the sheer amount of ideas that it's constantly throwing at you. Not just that but it's well controlled too. The game itself was also much longer than I was expecting, in a good way. This coupled with the fact that I was able to play comfortably with my partner who rarely gets into games made this super special for me personally, that's one of those games where I wish we could wipe our memories and play again. For me, it's a clear and easy winner this year.

 

That's all!