The Best Games Of 2021

At times, Age of Empires IV feels more like a remake of the second entry in the series, rather than a follow up to the third. Developers Relic Entertainment have returned to a largely medieval setting, as in AoE2, and the broad strokes of its combat – a rock-paper-scissors trifecta of spearmen-cavalry-archers – feels ripped from the second game. Then again, when AoE2 is one of the most highly regarded in the series, it makes sense to build on greatness – which is exactly what AoE4 does. With improved mechanics for city building, and less meaningless busy-work – farmers will automatically reseed fields, for instance – Relic lets players get on with what really matters: conquering the world.

Capcom's Monster Hunter series is one that thrives on familiarity – its core gameplay loop (killing monsters to craft weapons and armour from their carcasses, then using those to kill even tougher monsters) going almost unchanged since its inception. What elevates Rise is how much it adds to and evolves that formula, without feeling like a departure from it. The elevation is literal, with a focus on verticality in environments that requires the new Wirebug to navigate, a tool that also enhances combat with powerful new moves for each weapon type. Rise also delivers new monsters to conquer, a challenging 'Rampage' survival mode, and even giant dogs called Palamutes who can carry you around the world at no stamina cost, or join you in battle – some very good boys and girls, there. With both local and online multiplayer to help tackle the toughest of prey, Monster Hunter Rise sets a new standard for the series.

18. After Square Enix's last Marvel game – the lamentable Avengers – hopes were low for Guardians of the Galaxy. Thankfully, this space-bound superhero outing could scarcely be further removed from its predecessor, offering a single-player, story-driven, action-RPG with the whole team of cosmic misfits to control. Guardians is also a joyous romp through Marvel's comic book archives, with niche but fan-favourite characters and locations popping up throughout the adventure. Throw in a killer soundtrack with both 80s classics and an entire hair-metal band formed just for this game, and this is enough to make players forget that other superhero game.

Square Enix's Life is Strange series has excelled in making players cry with its potent combo of teen drama and super-powered angst, but reaches its pinnacle in True Colors. When Alex Chen moves to the picturesque town of Haven Springs to reunite with her brother Gabe, it's meant to be a fresh start. Instead, it turns into a tragedy when Gabe is killed, leaving Alex to uncover the truth using her empathic powers – although she sees them as more of a curse, experiencing others' emotions as her own. A brilliantly written and performed slice of interactive storytelling, True Colors is packed with fascinating characters, tough decisions, and heartbreaking moments that earn it a spot on this list.

The cinematic adventure series The Dark Pictures Anthology has become an annual treat, with a Twilight Zone­-style dive into macabre and horrific worlds arriving each Halloween. This year's instalment felt like a refining of the formula though, combining one of the series' best stories to date – centred on a cast of American and Iraqi soldiers at the height of the Iraq War, trapped underground where something ancient hunts them – with a unique setting and slightly more active gameplay moments that make the proceedings less of an interactive movie. With the claustrophobia of The Descent and the uncertainty and paranoia of Alien, House of Ashes is not to be missed – and with numerous branching paths and endings based on choices made, each playthrough will be totally different.

One of the most-requested gaming upgrades of all time, Legendary Edition takes the original Xbox 360 generation Mass Effect games and gives them a 4K makeover. The result is a stunning sci-fi saga that looks and feels as impressive as it did a decade ago, whether you're a returning or new player. Content-wise, players get everything from the originals including all DLC, while quality of life improvements – better loading times, glossier UI, improved vehicle controls, tighter combat, and more – mean the hours you spend saving the galaxy won't feel quite as frustrating. At the heart of it all, though, is the series' pivotal system of choice-and-consequence, ensuring no two playthroughs are the same. A modern masterpiece, all in one place at last.

Rounding out the 'World of Assassination' trilogy begun with 2016's first instalment of the rebooted Hitman series, the finale sees genetically-crafted uber-assassin Agent 47 visiting some of the franchise's most beautiful and elaborately designed locations yet – and creatively slaughtering targets in each of them. While the global murder-tour doesn't offer a heap of innovations over the first two chapters (beyond a Watch Dogs-style camera to hack networks remotely, and a virtual reality mode for PS4/PSVR), the sadistic satisfaction of pulling off a flawless hit and walking away undetected remains unrivalled.

Disco Elysium was already an impressive, if unusual, RPG when it first arrived in 2019. A delectably strange slice of detective noir set in the tired, eroded world of Revachol, it tasks players with the simple act of solving a murder – but cracking said case involves a deep exploration of warring philosophies and personal introspection. The Final Cut keeps all the weirdness of the original and adds full voice acting, bringing the world and its inhabitants into sharper focus, while introducing four 'Political Vision' quests that take players on a journey through various models of political ideology. The result is a definitive edition of a peculiar but undeniably intoxicating game.

Live, die, repeat. Not just the tagline for Edge of Tomorrow, but the maxim by which Returnal hero Selene is forced to exist. Crashing on the strange alien planet of Atropos, she finds herself caught in a fatal time-loop, doomed to be reborn every time she falls victim to the lethal creatures lurking in the ever-shifting wilds. While that essentially makes the game a roguelike, a genre more typically favoured by indies, the added level of polish that developer Housemarque has applied to all areas of Returnal – from its precision shooting, to spectacular use of 3D audio, to its environmental design that constantly evokes untold stories of fallen Atropos – elevate it to an essential entry in the PS5's growing library. Just accept that you're going to die. A lot.

Bandai Namco's premiere RPG franchise has been absent for five years, but makes a triumphant return with Tales of Arise. The game sees players attempting to liberate the people of Dahna from their oppressors, the Renans, who subjugate the world from their artificial moon. This is no simple story of rebellion though, as main characters Alphen and Shionne come from either side of the conflict. As the game explores themes of colonialism and slavery, Arise also treats players to one of the best combat systems the series has delivered, allowing speedy switching between the entire party and powerful team-up moves, and plenty of heartfelt moments over the course of its stunning journey through gorgeous worlds. A fantastic evolution of anime-style RPGs.

Sneaking in at the end of the year, this space shooter flew under the radar ahead of its release but is an easy contender for one of 2021's best gaming experiences. A blend of weird sci-fi influences – think a mix of Dune, Lexx, and Star Wars, plus a dash of Lovecraftian cosmic horror – Chorus follows Nara, a scavenger in a distant corner of the galaxy. Unfortunately, Nara's former life as an enforcer for the sinister Great Prophet proves inescapable when the Faceless, twisted beings from beyond space, start tearing into conventional reality. Luckily, she's bonded to her sentient ship Forsa, and their connection allows them to fight back against both the Prophet's forces and the Faceless. A mix of Star Fox-style space combat with a side of psychic powers a lá Control, Chorus is a thrilling adventure through the galactic expanse, with an unexpectedly probing story that questions religion, faith, and guilt even as you're gunning down enemy fighters in vast 360° environments. If that's not enough, it's also one of the most visually astounding games of the year.

Insomniac's fuzzy Lombax hero and his mechanical mate are as close as Sony has to mascot heroes these days – at least in the classic mould of Mario and Sonic – but Ratchet and Clank's latest adventure isn't just a cookie-cutter instalment for the new console generation. Instead, it's custom-made to showcase the PS5 hardware, with heaps of ambient audio and discrete rumble features making use of the DualSense controller's unique features. Its central gimmick of hopping through dimensional rifts takes advantage of that processing power and rendering speed to seamlessly teleport our hero from place to place. Best of all, Rift Apart adds massively to the Ratchet & Clank universe, taking a Loki-style multiversal swerve to introduce new female heroes Rivet and Kit, all while weaving a heartfelt story about loss and forgiveness that's still age-appropriate for the game's younger audience.

Mario's feline-fancying entry was a highlight of the Wii U era – but, since it was on the Wii U, plenty of people missed out on its charms. Charm is something this platformer has in spades, from its 3D approach to old-school Super Mario World-style levels, to frequent twists on gameplay – such as music-themed levels or riding waterslides on a dinosaur – that always leave players excited for the next surprise. The cat-suit power-up is the real delight though, allowing Mario and pals – Luigi, Peach, and Toad – to scamper up vertical surfaces, opening up new avenues for exploration. Best of all, Nintendo crams in a whole new game for this Switch glow-up, with Bowser's Fury seeing Mario taking on a Gamera-sized Bowser. A simple port of 3D World to the Switch would have pleased many fans, but the new game makes this a must-have.

It finally happened – a spin-off from the Dynasty Warriors series actually turned out to be good! More than that, this hybrid of Atlus' Persona series and Koei Tecmo's aforementioned hack-and-slash outings – also known as 'musou' games, after their Japanese titles – amazed by being one of the best games of the year. While there are dozens of Warriors crossovers that simply drop the likes of One Piece, Gundam, or even The Legend of Zelda into repetitive situations where players merely wade through seas of enemies, Strikers offers a far deeper experience. A direct narrative sequel to the original Persona 5 (although not to the expanded P5 Royal upgrade), Strikers embeds itself in the same universe with returning characters, fiendish dungeons to explore, and a captivating story once again centred on the complexities of human psychology. Even the combat avoids the 'hack down the hordes' approach of most Warriors games in favour of a more involved and complex system that turns the battle system into an action RPG. A spectacular addition to the Persona series, offering a fitting sequel instead of a cheap brand cash-in.

It's the game that launched a thousand memes – and that's probably a gross under-estimate. Yet Capcom's latest entry in the horror saga isn't just a meme-machine centred on a peculiarly large vampire lady – it's a solid refresh of the series. Village builds on the success of 2017's Resident Evil VII, keeping the first-person perspective and protagonist Ethan Winters, but transplanting the action to a deeply unsettling isolated Eastern European village and its even creepier surroundings. It also feels a bit closer to the classic Resident Evil entries, with campy dialogue and elaborate (and often ridiculous) puzzles to overcome. Tonally more Hammer Horror than RE7's The Hills Have Eyes take, Resident Evil Village provides the best of both worlds for Resi fans old and new.

It might seem unfair to rank a 4K upgrade of an already impressive game so highly, but Square Enix's enhanced version of its epic Final Fantasy VII project can't help but impress. It takes an already gorgeous game and makes it even more visually astounding, but what really seals the deal is the entirely new chapter, Intermission, which introduces fan-favourite Yuffie Kisaragi as a playable character. Although you'll be wandering many of the same locations from the core game, Yuffie's play style is distinct from Cloud's, and the pseudo-expansion even crams in a few original features, including the Fort Condor mini-game. It may not be the full next chapter in the Remake saga, but as a whole, Intergrade/Intermission is the definitive version of the first instalment, and shows Square-Enix still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

Inadvertently one of the most relaxing games of the year, the latest Forza Horizon takes players on a tour of Mexico, allowing them to race around white sand beaches, caldera volcanoes, lush jungle, and picturesque streets. Sure, there are all the familiar races and stunt challenges fans love to take part in to become the champion of the series' globetrotting racing festival – and a few new ones, including Rocket League-style "Forza Arcade" minigames – but this is really more about hopping into a car you'll never afford and roaring around a mind-blowingly beautiful open world. Forza Horizon 5 is more than a racing game – it's a much-needed vacation.

Coming nearly 20 years after Metroid Fusion – narratively the previous game in the Metroid series – there was a huge weight of expectation on the metaphorical shoulders of Metroid Dread. Not only was it having to move the core storyline along, it needed to justify a return to 2D side-scrolling mechanics (the crime of not being the much awaited Metroid Prime 4), and do it all while coming from new developer MercurySteam, which had previously only remade earlier Metroid games. Thankfully, Dread delights, packing in all the precise platforming, thrilling boss battles, and exciting exploration of classic entries in the series, while introducing tense new stealth sections as protagonist Samus Aran must evade unstoppable E.M.M.I. droids. A brilliant return for the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter.

Third time's the charm – while Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians were both fine games, the long-awaited Halo Infinite is where things have finally, truly clicked for developer 343 Industries. Infinite at once feels intimately familiar for returning Halo players, reintroducing the iconic Master Chief as a green-armoured super-soldier and humanity's last hope, and fresh, with new weapons and mechanics that refresh and enrich this 20-year old franchise. Chiefmost (heh) amongst these is the new grappleshot tool, allowing players to pull themselves around, reach new heights, disarm enemies, and more, while the shift to a more open-world structure feels like an evolution. With an engaging story campaign and free-to-play multiplayer, this is a mighty return to form for Master Chief. It may have taken six years to arrive, but Halo Infinite has been that rarest of things in video games – worth the wait.

Trapped on an isolated island, hunted by superpowered assassins, and caught in a fatal time loop, it's fair to say Colt is not having a good day. Sadly for him, players will have a series of absolutely fantastic days in Arkane Studios' Deathloop, a spectacularly well-crafted game that combines brilliantly tactile shooting mechanics, fun powers to track down and steal from your enemies, and a grand meta-puzzle in figuring out how to successfully escape the twisted Groundhog Day. Throw in bitingly sharp dialogue, top-tier voice acting, and a striking '60s aesthetic, and this stands well ahead of the pack. Both achingly cool and painfully good, Deathloop is easily the sharpest, cleverest, and simply best game of 2021.