This year we decided not to complicate things: each author chose “his” game.
Martin Zavrzel: The Return
Anyone who does not understand my choice would like to sit in a darkened room in front of a real 4K UHD TV, put on headphones that support high-quality 3D sound, stick a DualSense controller with tactile grips in his hand and let him take at least the first few steps among the raindrops on the planet Atropos, where monsters of all stripes are intertwined with the ruins of a biomechanical alien civilization. I haven’t experienced such a strong alien planet exploration vibe since the first Unreal or the first Metroid Prime, in this case heavily armed inspiration from the Prometheus movie. The game excels on all fronts, from audio-visual processing to diamond-cut gameplay and an almost impenetrable multi-layered story with elements of random composition of the game world, enemies and objects, which makes each new expedition to this deadly planet an unpredictable and exciting adventure. . I gave it a 9 out of 10 in my review, and only because this roguelite lacked a reasonable procedure when it was released. But the creators have already fixed this, so if I rate it again today, it will be a dozen as in the textbook. I wish we could hope for more of these bold, mature yet narrative gaming experiences.
You can start my walkthrough of the game in the recordings of three streams: first impressions, advanced gameplay and the most beautiful locations in the game. The technical quality of the streams is not perfect, but the power of the game and my sincere admiration for it can be felt.
Ondrej Partl: Lettering
In the end, this year was not as bad for video games as it might seem at first glance. Yes, its first half was not very convincing, but with the advent of September, various cool projects began to appear on our screens, among which several considerable surprises were born.
When we were subsequently given homework to choose one of the best games of the year, I found myself in a precarious situation. I had a clear list of ten titles that I didn’t rank from best to worst, so I had to think about which title really surprised and amused me the most.
Thoughts quite naturally wandered, for example, to the excellent, gigantic and for all fans of D&D and RPG as such and mandatory Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, which I bite through very gradually and slowly, but with obvious taste. Also, as a comic book enthusiast, I came up with an amazing mainstream game in the form of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, in which the developers at Eidos-Montreal disarmed me with fantastic storytelling and amazing characters. And perhaps also appeared the surreal rock-space opera The Artful Escape, the metroidvania Ender Lilies, or the equally successful action-adventure Death’s Door.
But in the end, my choice fell on the very multi-layered roguelike card horror Inscryption. He’s responsible for Daniel Mullins, the author of games like Pony Island and The Hex, when I don’t want to tell you too much about him because you’ll enjoy him the most at a time when you ideally don’t know anything about him. I can only reveal that this is perhaps the most original, aesthetically fascinating and diverse mechanics, which, having finalized in my head, gets stuck in my head for a few more days, or even weeks.
So do not hesitate, take it and enjoy.
Jan Urbanczyk: Resident Evil Village
While many players will disagree with me, 2021 has been a very strong year in my opinion. We saw a number of interesting, although often a little non-standard titles, and it was not easy to choose the best one. Nevertheless, in the end, the “tradition” in the form of Resident Evil Village won out for me.
So far, the latest installment in this action-packed survival horror series combines the best of its predecessor (RE7 in the form of gritty horror with an oppressive atmosphere) and the popular fourth installment, which in turn is more action-oriented. The protagonist Ethan Winters is much better processed here than in the seventh, and you quickly get used to it. The excellent dubbing also contributes to this and, of course, the script itself and the overall story, which is clearly the best in the series, just because of how emotional it can be.
The environment we move in is really colorful and every part of it is unique. There are also scarier passages, but it is clear that in the eight Capcom focused more on making the game more attractive to a wide audience, and still bet more on action. However, it’s also well done and the enemy variety is high. This also applies to the main disadvantages, which are incredibly interesting, as well as the boss fights themselves. In addition, the battles are complemented by traditionally great sound design and the entire graphic side is also at a very high level.
To sum it up, Resident Evil Village just works as a whole. It doesn’t stand out in either aspect, but it offers a great package of what you’d expect from this series, as well as high replay value. Personally, I’ve beaten the game four times since its release and quickly won the platinum trophy. Now it remains to wait for the promised DLC.
Daniel Jarotsky: Forza Horizon 5
I have several representatives in my personal rating that I could call the best game of 2021. But since I can only mention one, I will assign this title to Forze Horizon 5. As a big fan of the racing genre, I was understandably curious about how the developers of Playground Games would join the fifth part.
First of all, I have to praise the Mexican setting, which, with its variety and general openness of the landscape, allowed me to know more than England in the fourth part. I was also pleasantly surprised by the significantly revised driving model, which you will especially feel when you turn off the assistants and turn on the steering wheel. From a technical point of view, I have to highlight sounds that are at an incomparably better level compared to previous works. Aside from the problematic servers, I also praised the in-game optimizations that add to the overall excellent graphical page.
It is undeniably true that in terms of game content, the fifth part follows in the footsteps of its predecessors. However, this beaten path has a structure so fun and accessible to a wide range of players that I’m not at all surprised by the developers’ efforts to preserve it. Forza Horizon 5 is simply the ultimate racing game that clearly outperforms previous installments and all competitors, and with its accessibility and fun gameplay, it also appeals to players who wouldn’t otherwise compromise on the racing game genre. And for this he takes away the title of the game of the year from me.
Mikulas Stoklasa: Psychonauts 2
Until the release of Psychonauts 2, I had a hard time imagining that this game would make it to my list of the best games of 2020. I played the first part this year, relatively recently, and I cannot say that it will captivate me. essential. The tooth of time was not very good for the first Psychonauts in 2005, so I treated the second part with a certain caution and a little skepticism. Fortunately, the developers at Double Fine were able to dispel all my insecurities and doubts and gave me a funny jumper that I have been looking forward to for some time.
Yes, I must admit that the chosen style does not have to please every player. Characters resembling specific puppets may seem like outdated graphics to some, but I think this is a reflection of the original processing. However, the psychedelic interpretation of the world itself is more entertaining. I’ve never tried hallucinogenic drugs in my life, but I can imagine seeing scenes similar to Psychonauts 2. The game’s world is colorful, interesting, and a pleasure to look at. Whether it’s the exchange of master agents, the surrounding forests, or masterfully crafted brain consciousness, you’re sure to enjoy the game. And you’ll also enjoy Razputin’s story, which he can entertain, but at the same time, he can make you play with his premise. Finally, I have to praise the overall length of the game. While not a complete canapé for the evening, in the dominating world of 60-hour open-world events, Psychonauts 2 is a welcome change. Perhaps only the combat system could offer more of a challenge, especially in boss battles.
Ivan Jeziorek: Brave Default II
This year was not very rich for me in terms of gaming experience. I don’t have many finished games, but most of them impressed me. Whether it’s positive, like the great VR distractor Laid-Back Camp -Virtual- Lake Motosu, or the successful sequel to Mary Skelter or The Caligula Effect, or the negative Marchen Forest. But Bravely Default II clearly stands out among them all.
Bravely Default II offers a well proven functional concept. In addition, there are not so many games in the series, in fact, only two and one spin-offs, so it was not difficult for Claytechworks to win the heart of a fan. Especially when the beautiful fairy tale drawing has expanded from the tiny 3DS display on the Switch, hence the giant TV screen, and it’s still wonderfully detailed.
That being said, I’m already looking forward to the fact that the highlights in the industry are gone and will be a little looser, and I will cut both parts pretty behind my back. I’m just a little afraid of character leveling.
Pavel Lenko: Life is Strange – True Colors
Choosing the game of the year was not easy for me. I had three favorites – Resi: Village, Life is Strange: True Colors and Monster Hunter Stories 2. All three games are certainly good, but I must admit that although I spent the most time in MHS2, the third Life – with a medal . in my eyes Strange. After the dirty second part, we again have interesting and likable characters (I was very happy for the central couple / trio), great atmosphere, interesting plot and the soundtrack was even better than in the first LiS. I will remember for a long time game covers of famous songs Creep and Blisters in the Sun performed by youtuber mxmtoon. The game clearly had the biggest impact on me of the trio above, and while it doesn’t look like 2021 visually, it’s not hard to forgive the authors.
In the following days, we will also traditionally launch a reader poll so that you can choose your favorite game of the year.
Source :Indian TV
