Wow, what a journey this year! I spent 2/3rds of 2021 unemployed and had time to volunteer as well as clock in some serious gaming time. I remember feeling volunteering to be the default lame thing to do, as a younger person. But, it's all about finding something you care about. Mine is sustainability, which folds in nicely to my frugal approach to gaming; buying physical copies of games, often used, reselling when done and deep cleaning and fixing to preserve game hardware. But enough about my boring life; you're here for the reflection on entertainment's best part!
I plan to reflect on highlights of games I played in 2021.
Let's get it out of the way that my 2021 most-clocked hours on a game was Overwatch. The game is still legitimately fun, and although the constant small tweaks in the name of appeasing professional players is silly, I...still totally hate when characters are fundamentally changed. Damn you, Blizzard! They claim 5 of my most-played games (Overwatch, Diablo 1&2, Heroes of the Storm and Warcraft 3). Un-freaking-fortunately, 2021 revealed that there's been a disgusting cost to their brilliance. You've probably already read about it and I'll say that the decision to skip Diablo 2 Remastered was easily-made. Overwatch 2 is going to be a tougher decision. One of the main reasons I still play Overwatch is because it's the only game my group of friends can agree on playing. OW2 may prove to be another title like that, where seeing my friends comes at the cost of supporting this company that sold its soul to make great games.
An easier decision to make was my 2021 most-disappointing title: Deathloop. Good god, all the hype behind this game, with its oversaturated marketing campaign, only to deliver a 'PS5' game with almost no haptics, laaaaaaame and ugly graphics, and dumb enemy behavior. To be fair, I had a hard time getting into Dishonored, and now I know that Arkane Systems doesn't have anything to offer for my tastes. Thankfully it was only $35 and hopefully I can recoup most of that selling it.
Every time a publisher/developer insists on making the single-player game need an online connection, I burn a hatred candle in their name. When I get spotty internet coverage, the DISC VERSION of the game locks me out. The people making terrible decisions like this should...not make decisions like this anymore. I actively don't recommend this game for its muddy browns (as usual fare for this dev), the always-online requirement, the lackluster graphics, dumb AI and poor spending of money on marketing instead of a better gaming experience.
On the flip side is a AAA game with a huge budget, known for being extra. One of the biggest surprises I had in 2021 was actually liking Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While the overall game suffers from extremely bland combat and half of the mission types are garbage, it still left me with fond memories. The voice acting was really good, and the woman who voiced female Eivor deserves special recognition for bringing the character to life. AC games always stick out because despite the repetitive gameplay and often-clumsy insistence on examining death, Ubisoft researches languages and culture to present some of the most authentic settings you can explore with a controller. My absolute favorite part of this game was the all-too-immersive moment when Eivor finds herself in a Mohawk village, and we get treated to an entire story told around a campfire in Mohawk, with no translation whatsoever (even subtitles are in Kanyen'kehà:ka). I'd like to mention the work done by Access the Animus, an AC fansite, who approached the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center to get the scenes translated. It's a great opportunity for exchange and all three parties have my respect for handling this the way they did.
Other shoutouts are for two easter-egg quests/trophies: to find Excalibur and Mjolnir. Lastly, I really liked Orlog, a mini-game that's like a dice version of Magic: The Gathering.
I actually started the year off playing another sandbox AAA title with a compelling narrative and a lot less fluff. Ghost of Tsushima turned out to provide the most emotional scene of the year, and the buildup is absolutely incredible. It's one of the best games I've ever played and I'm days away from buying the PS5 version to dive into the newly-added content with better graphics, haptics and proper lip-synching. The only knock I had against this game was the final raid chapters of the multiplayer Legends mode. You have to research what to do outside of the game, as nothing is explained to you in-game, and the maps aren't anything like the basic 10 chapters you play in the rest of Legends. Between that and the trophy-chasing requirement of leveling 4 characters to 20, this free portion of the game overstays its welcome if you're going for the platinum. With all that said, Ghost of Tsushima remains one of the most impressive console exclusives that you'll ever play.
I'll be back with PART 2, my next entry that'll take a look at smaller developer titles (indies) and games that just didn't hold my interest this year! Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Merry Christmas!
Yorumlar