What games have you enjoyed playing the most this year?

[Baphomet]

FFXIV: It's still going strong this year for me and EW will make it that much better, the only MMO I have ever enjoyed.

Tales of Arise: Great game , one of my favorite Tales now , but still not the best

Castlevania Advance Collection: AoS has replaced SotN as my favorite game in the series ,I've beaten it twice already and going into Julius mode now.

Onimusha Warlords: Got it this month and I love how it plays , the samurai/resident evil vibe works really well.

Metroid Dread: My first Metroid and I really love it , it feels soo smooth to play and it looks great, haven't gone far, just beat the second boss yesterday.

 

[Gevurztraminer]

Monster hunter rise was my jam for months, still love hoping in and just mashing out some hunts.

but this year overall has to be Deathloop for me. I've had so many unique experiences with the multiplayer so far

 

[Oscarzx n]

Metroid Dread and Zero Escape 999

 

[Deleted member 25721]

I just finished up Bowser's Fury and I'm convinced the next 3d mario game needs to be open world.

 

[Ryuelli]

Persona 4 Golden: It's great.

New Pokemon Snap: It's comfy.

WoW: It's cozy.

Persona 5: Strikers: It's fun.

 

[Mary Celeste]

Metroid Dread, Returnal, Persona 5 Strikers

 

[taepoppuri]

Returnal - It has great graphic and engaging story but the gameplay is on another level. Such a fun game.

MH Rise - Love base combat and sling mechanic. Wish it has more contents though.

Slay The Spire - Got it on sale for Switch. Super hard but addictive, I should have get it sooner.

FF14 - Did a new character to experience all MSQ again and get a new nice FC for said character. The game is going strong.

 

[Mechaplum]

Persona 5 Royal at the top, followed by Replicant. Scarlet Nexus is quite decent as well.

FF14 climbing up there too but I'm only like 20 hours in. MSQ pugs are quite nice in the Elemental cluster.

 

[BakedTanooki]

Probably Guilty Gear Strive. So much hype and energy.

 

[psionotic]

As far as new (or new to me) games, 2021 has brought me Returnal, RE: Village, Super Mario 3D World & Bowser's Fury, the Dark Souls 1 & 2 DLCs (I had played the core games previously), and Alan Wake Remastered.

 

[BasilZero]

Fire Emblem Fates - clocked 150+ hours across all versions

 

[Era of not Yakuza]

I had a lot of fun playing Ghost of Tsushima, Hitman 1 and 2, Mass Effect Legendary Edition especially ME 1 and 3, Mega Man X4 (as zero), Mega Man Legends and now Metroid Dread

 

[Deleted member 24021]

Mass Effect LE, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Metroid Dread, and RE Village

 

[Tailesque]

Monhun Rise by far, but I've been a huge fan of the series since Freedom 2 on the PSP, so that was kind of inevitable.

Metroid Dread is another one. It was rather short, but I really enjoyed my time with it.

 

[Stormkyleis]

Great Ace Attorney, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Metroid Dread.

 

[Harmony]

Monster Hunter Rise: I missed the arcade'y vibes from the 3DS titles, so Rise was amazing for me. It's a really easy replay too with how much mobility you get + the amount of moveset customization they fit into each weapon. Looking forward to the PC release & Sunbreak.

Guilty Gear Strive: First fighting game (outside of casual smash bros). It was a lot easier to pick up than I expected. Finding two characters I clicked well with definitely helped a lot too. Looking for an excuse to get back into it.

Heroes of Hammerwatch: Landed on this roguelike by chance and got 2 more of my friends into it. It's an amazing value under $10 for anyone with even a fleeting interest in the genre. Beat the game 5+ times, and there's still more to unlock.

Legends of Idleon: First Idle game. Basically 2D runescape that plays itself (even while the game is closed). I had a lot of fun just managing my characters and all of the resources they obtained from me... not playing (lol)

 

[Perkin_Warbeck]

I think 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for me. It had great style and great characters.

 

[UraMallas]

Psychonauts 2 and Scarlet Nexus have been the games I think I have enjoyed the most this year so far.

 

[Apollo]

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Deltarune Chapter 2, and Lost Judgment. In that order.

 

[Rune Walsh]

I was having a blast playing Monster Hunter Rise with friends. Unfortunately, I'm employed full-time with a kid so they moved on to FFXIV without me and there's no way I have time for that.

My new computer comes in tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to playing No Man's Sky again after a year's hiatus.

Solo, I think Ghost of Tsushima was my favorite. 100% the main game and DLC.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

Probably FFXIV after years of hating on it relentlessly

 

[nbnt]

Nothing. Terrible year.

 

[Nameless]

Microsoft Flight Simulator is my stand out. A mind melting sense of scale & discovery + revolutionary combination of systems & tech + staggering visual beauty + the endless joy the sensation of flying provides. It's a legit all-timer for me.

Also fell in love with Chivalry 2. Outside short but wonderful stints with Splatoon 2 and Titanfall 2, I've pretty exclusively been a "Battlefield Guy," the last 15 years as far as competitive MP goes, and Chiv scratched a lot of those old school BF itches.

 

[Superplex]

Death's Door

In fact, that's the game I've probably enjoyed the most in a number of years

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

Metroid Dread is my current GOTY, but then I expected it to be great and it delivered. No big surprise for me.

However, I went into both Hitman III (the whole World of Assassination trilogy first playthrough for me with Hitman III's launch) and Psychonauts 2 with tempered expectations and both games really surprised me and stand right behind Metroid Dread.

 

[CHC]

Psychonauts 2. Just reminded that video games can be so much more than just flimsy imitations the real world, vaguely tinged with sci-fi or fantasy elements. So much raw imagination and creativity in that game, constantly trying new things and leveraging the fact that games aren't restrained by the rules of reality.

 

[ethanradd]

Replaying Skyrim with mods, I had ignored mods for years, finally gave it a try and I just love it, makes it a much better game. The process of tuning the game yourself to get it just right is also fun.

 

[GlitchyDegree]

Apex Legends was a major one. I usually drop MP games pretty quickly nor do I like battle royal games that much, but Apex has had me hooked since March. Recent issues have made the game less enjoyable, but hopefully Respawn can fix them so I can go back to loving it.

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. Very late to the party with this one but I agree with the praise. Truly a Amazing game.

Sunset Overdrive. A open world game with character creation, amazing gameplay and a punk rock soundtrack? This game was made for me.

Watch Dogs Legion. I'm just going to say it, this is one of my favorite open world games. I know people hate it, but I can't get enough.

Rock Band 4. I have been playing this weekly since getting it last year and I still can't get enough.

Honorable mentions:
Super Mario Odyessy
Wrestling Empire
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Fuser
Halo: the Master Chief Collection
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

 

[____]

I've never been hooked by a game as much as Returnal.

 

[GamerJM]

Super Smash Bros. Melee, again. I actually didn't play it as much this year as when Slippi launched last year, but what I have played is still amazing.

Other than that, probably Yakuza 6. I played it in the literal first four days of this year and it was a complete masterpiece. Easily my fave in the series.

 

[dasu]

I ended up liking Dragon Age 2 way more than I thought I would. It's certainly flawed, but I think that it generally works.
Castlevania Symphony of the Nights was a bit disappointing, but it is still super playable.

 

[hydruxo]

Returnal - I loved almost everything about it (give it a solid save system and it's basically perfect). The gameplay feels incredible and it has some of my favorite boss fights ever (namely the 4th biome's boss and the build-up to it). Great atmosphere/environments, haunting music, and an interesting story too. It's my GOTY so far this year. I'm hoping for some DLC because I'd love to revisit the game.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - I'm a huge R&C fan and Rift Apart lived up to my expectations and then some. It was a blast to play and it's without a doubt the game that has impressed me the most so far from a technical standpoint. Visually it's just mindboggling how good it looks. Also, Rivet was an excellent addition to the series.

Deathloop - I was excited for this ever since the reveal because it's Arkane and it looked great but honestly, for the first few hours I wasn't sure how to feel about the game. It takes some time to get used to the way the game wants you to play before it really clicks. When it does click though, it's really good. Slowly uncovering clues and figuring out how to tie things together to find a way to take out the visionaries was a lot of fun. Also I just love the whole 60's spy vibe that the environments have going on in the game. It has such a cool aesthetic to it. The banter between Colt and Julianna before every mission was also a highlight for me.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition - I've played through the trilogy many times over the years but it had always been on the 360, so this was a great way to immerse myself in this universe again with better visuals and performance. I hadn't done a replay since before Andromeda came out and even though that game sort of dampened my love for ME for a while, but playing the Legendary Edition reignited it for sure. ME3 of course has its significant flaws, but ME1 and 2 are as amazing as always.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut - I played it on PS5 when it came out on there and it became one of my all-time favorite games not long after. Just such a unique experience from start to finish. Being able to customize your skills and have all these unique dialogue options based off of that really makes your playthrough feel like one of a kind, and that's a big reason why I loved it so much.

 

[Tailesque]

Every glowing Returnal post drives me closer to the brink. I don't have a PS5 but I know I would love this game. It hurts.

 

[Elfgore]

Fallout: New Vegas - It's like a childhood blanket at this point. It's gross to look at, isn't the most functional thing in the world, but damn if I don't love it with ever fiber of my being. I pretty much have played the entire thing twice this year.

Total War: Warhammer II - This last few DLCs did some of the most needed stuff for this game. The DLC that came out late last year and July this year wrapped the whole game into a nice bow. Minus one faction, almost every single one is fun to play now and it's just amazing. I really hope I can afford a better PC without too much hassle when the 3rd game finally drops now.

Genshin Impact - It took a year of watching my friends play this all the time, but they broke me. I started playing when I had nothing else to play and I can't stop. Not only is the game quality, but finding the synergies between characters is a blast. I'd be lying as well if pulling for stuff with my friends and laughing or being bummed together isn't good fun either.

 

[Hilarious_Bearious]

Death Stranding Director's Cut. Such a great game, and it's fun trying it knowing more about the mechanics.

 

[CanUKlehead]

Hitman 3, replaying all those missions and ways to kill the targets.

Flight Simulator; currently making my way around the world in a tiny two seater. Barely made it to Geneva going over those mountains north of it, in that tiny thing, lol

Also played Yakuza 5, 6, Judgment and YLAD this year. 5 was exhausting but still ok, 6 was the perfect salve for the bloated 5, Judgment I blitzed through that free weekend on Game Pass/XBLG but it was good to have Kamurocho back, and YLAD was just the change in Yakuza I didn't know I wanted.

Also played quite a lot of FIFA, Madden, NBA 2K, and WWE 2K19, in between those.

 

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

Pathfinder Wrath of righteous. Ran into few few bugs here and there but gameplay was amazing.

Metroid dread and psychonauts 2 were really good too.

 

[The Crystal Exarch]

Doom 2016: I never thought I'd enjoy this. And it quickly became one of my favorite games ever. It's so fast-paced, so meaty, so heavy. I loved everything about this game, the gameplay loop is addictive and the soundtrack slaps.

Doom Eternal: everything I liked about 2016, but on steroids. Also Doomslayer's arms




FFXIV: FFXIV is my forever game and I have a blast with it always, content lull or no. Also we had the Fan Fest <3

Metroid Prime Trilogy: all the hype I've ever heard and read about these games was real. I bought a WiiU just to play them, and oh boy, did it pay off. The sense of exploration and discovery, and how they translated the 2D gameplay to 3D were my favorite parts.

 

[Danby]

Metroid Dread and Zero Escape 999

Click to shrink...

Both great games. Thumbs up.

 

[Sirhc]

Metroid Dread baby, what a game!

Monster Hunter Rise was also great.

Switch has been bumping again this year.

 

[StrappingYoungLance]

Destiny 2 - it's been a really good year for Destiny with better storytelling than ever and a good amount of content and things to pursue each season.

Metroid Dread - this is the best game I've played this year. When I'm not playing it I'm often thinking about it, or talking about it, or reading about it or watching someone playing it. I never really thought we'd get a 2D Metroid of this level of quality again, it's excellent.

Hades - most I have ever enjoyed a Roguelike, typically excellent SuperGiant moment-to-moment gameplay and presentation and a wealth of different things to drive a sense of progress with every single run.

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart - loved it, loved the new characters, incredible visuals and extremely polished gameplay.

Kena Bridge of Spirits - the sort of classic 3D action puzzle/platformer that is right up my alley. It was exactly what I was expecting albeit of a higher quality than I was expecting.

Disco Elysium - just an incredible RPG, an intriguing world, awesome characters and excellent writing.

Mass Effect LE - it was an absolute joy to return to these games and Mass Effect 3 held up far better than I expected (mostly thanks to its gameplay). It was great to finally play the Omega and Citadel DLCs.

 

[mrmickfran]

Neo: The World Ends With You
Hades
Celeste
Judgment

 

[Deleted member 4212]

Death Stranding DC. Great to return to with a fresh save.

 

[Dogi]

Umineko
Higurashi
Ciconia
Chicory
Metroid Dread
FFXIV

 

[Sande]

It's been a pretty underwhelming year for me. A lot of good games, but nothing that blew me away. It Takes Two is probably my GOTY at this point. Kena was also a pleasant surprise.

 

[Baphomet]

I forgot a very important mention:

DDR: got back into it after not playing for years , have lost 40 pounds so far :)

 

[archreaper93]

Metroid fucking Dread.

GOTY

 

[mcruz79]

Psychonauts 2, god of war 60fps patch on PS5 and ratchet and clank rift apart were the 3 games I most enjoyed to play this year.

 

[Deleted member 34949]

Monster Hunter Rise was pretty great. I think it's the most fun I've had with the series even if it's easier than past entries and has a pretty bare postgame loop.

NEO TWEWY was fantastic. Fourteen years after the original game and it didn't miss a beat at all. I honestly didn't know modern Square-Enix still had a godlike game like that in them.

The Great Ace Attorney was... well, great. GAA1 was a pretty fun return to form for the series, but GAA2... that's the good shit. Up there with AA3 and AAI2 as best games in the series for sure.

Tales of Arise was good for what it was. Have some gripes with it, but if it becomes the baseline for Tales games going forward, I think the series could truly blossom.

Cruis'n Blast is what I pop in whenever I want a mindless, colorful arcade game to play as of late. Hard Mode and beyond get delightfully challenging.

I had high hopes for Metroid Dread, but it blew way the fuck past even my loftiest expectations. GOTY for me for sure.

 

[jedimindtricks76]

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5)
Doom Eternal (Series S)
TLOU2 (PS5)
Streets of Rage 4 (PC)
Half Life: Alyx (PCVR)

I was late to some of them, but those were really amazing.