As 2021 comes to a close, gamers around the world look back on the past year and reflect on the very best the industry had to offer. Specifically, the time has come for the Game of the Year season, a celebration of the cream of the crop from the past year. The nominees for Game of the Year were recently revealed, a list narrowed down to: Deathloop, It Takes Two, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2 and Resident Evil Village. Each game was a standout title for its respective genre and received universal acclaim from critics.
Naturally this shortlist doesn't consist of every single quality game that came out in 2021, with many other solid titles sadly not making the cut. This is not to dismiss any of the final Game of the Year nominations, as each of the afrormentioned games more than deserves to have made the list. However, it is worth pointing out some of the other games that fell just a bit short, providing them with an honorable mention before the year closes out.
Returnal
In what was the PS5's first major exclusive since the console's launch, Returnal wowed audiences way back in April of this year. Similar to Deathloop's repeating day cycle and roguelike elements, Returnal traps players in a never ending loop of living the same sequence over and over. This is a tricky concept to pull off and can run the risk of feeling extremely repetitive, however developer Housemarque proved that it was more than up to the task.
Returnal makes great use of its concept to create an intriguing premise and addictive gameplay loops, pushing players to learn the rules of its world and improve on every attempt. It doesn't hurt that Returnal also boasts some snazzy next-gen flair, making great use of the horsepower within the PS5 to deliver a visual feast for the eyes. Sony was wise to make the move of acquiring Housemarque as a studio, as the team clearly has plenty of talent to show off in the forseeable future.
Nier Replicant
Another April release, Nier Replicant is a remaster of the 2010 original, bringing with it a much needed visual and gameplay overhaul. While the original Nier game isn't bad by any means, it has shown its age in some respects, something which publishier Square Enix thankfully took notice of. Heavily borrowing from the critically acclaimed Nier Automata in 2017, Nier Replicant has a greater sense of style and more satisfying combat when compared to its predecessor.
Unfortunately, similar to Returnal above, this title being released way back in April may have hurt its chance of being nominated. Many other great games have hit shelves since then, and despite being well received, Nier Replicant may have been slightly forgotten come the time to pick some Game of the Year nominees. So even though the game has received some recognition at this year's show, earning a nomination for Best Music, the overall prize was a Nier miss for this dazzling action title.
Forza Horizon 5
Aside from Halo Infinite, perhaps no other Xbox exclusive has garnered as much hype this year as Forza Horizon 5. The latest in the massively successful racing series, Forza Horizon 5 features stunning graphics and an unprecedented number of game modes and customization options. It has been praised as an incredibly polished experience, even earning perfect overall grades from a few publications.
Sadly, even with this undying praise for the latest in the Forza franchise, it just wasn't enough to earn a spot in the best of the best for the past year. While this snub may be a surprise and dissapointment, Forza Horizon 5 is very much a winner in its own way, already capturing the attention from fans over the world and providing hours of exhilirating racing fun.
Hitman 3
If Returnal and Nier Replicant were possibly forgotten from being released in April, then Hitman 3's January launch made its chances even worse. This is not a slight on the game's overall quality, as Hitman 3 has been critically praised as arguably the best installment in the entire franchise. The near limitless number of methods and strategies that players can bring to each mission is staggering, resulting in a level of detail not often seen in many games.
Similar to other titles in this article, Hitman 3 isn't completely absent from The Game Awards, earning a nomination as one of the Best VR/AR titles of 2021. It's a shame that Agent 47's newest adventure didn't quite make the cut to be recognized as one of the year's overall best, but with a talented studio behind the IP, maybe his next apperance will be able to sneak its way into a future nomination spot.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Considering that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the first game from Ember Lab, it not receiving a Game of the Year nomination shouldn't dampen the studio's morale. All things considered, what the developer managed to do with the game is outstanding, especially as its first major project. Kena: Bridge of Spirits boasts some of the most beautiful graphics seen yet in the next generation of gaming, while also featuring some solid platforming and puzzle sequences.
The game will be represented in categories such as Best Indie Game and Best Art Direction, so Ember Lab should be more than proud to be standing among other gaming juggernauts with its first title. If this is how much the developer can achieve in its first proper attempt, then exciting possibilities are surely to come in the years ahead.
Monster Hunter: Rise
Nintendo has cracked into the shortlist of games with Metroid Dread, but another major Nintendo Switch title from 2021 was just as worthy of securing that nomination. Monster Hunter Rise is an exclusive to the console (not counting its PC release), making it all the more impressive how jam packed and technically stunning it is.
The game has arguably the best visual presentation of any major AAA game on the platform, with impressive scope to each area and tons of action happening onscreen. Monster Hunter Rise, like others above, hasn't been entirely forgotten, getting nominations for Best RPG and Best Multiplayer. Provided the stars align in its favor, perhaps the game will clean up those two awards with ease.